Being in proximity to the TV show production by Michael Schur, the brilliant mind behind hits like The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and A Man on the Inside, among others, is a dream come true for many. Yet, it’s his very first creation, Parks and Recreation, that holds a special place in our hearts. With its infectious humor and endless meme potential, it was not only entertaining but also a pleasure to work on. The cast and crew even took breaks during filming to shoot a fictional 2000s legal drama called Philly Justice, which remains unseen by the public.
Until recently, Amy Poehler’s “Parks and Recreation” co-creator Mike Schur had never been seen on her podcast, “Good Hang.” However, fans have been eagerly waiting for a peek at a fictional show they created without a real purpose. In the latest episode of the podcast, Poehler has decided to share the long-awaited creation with the world, titled “Philly Justice“. But before unveiling it, she gave listeners an in-depth explanation of how this project came about.
It appears the storyline originated in the fourth season of “Parks”. During this time, Leslie Knope (played by Poehler) decided to run for City Council in Pawnee, IN. Consequently, the characters wore more formal attire instead of their usual business casual. Additionally, Paul Rudd and Kathryn Hahn were frequently featured as Leslie’s rival and his glamorous campaign manager from Washington D.C., respectively. Series regular Rashida Jones remarked that the entire cast seemed to fit well on a David E. Kelley show. Given her 38-episode stint on “Boston Public”, she certainly has some experience in this area.
Instead of just “blah blah blah”-ing the tale, it’s important to note that everyone involved, including the writing team and actors, had been meticulously crafting characters and scripts for this fictional series. Producer Morgan Sackett then endeavored to transform the filming of the pilot episode along with a behind-the-scenes documentary into a reality. However, when it was time to start shooting, Rudd was no longer accessible. So, who could they get instead? Enter Dylan McDermott. Despite this project not being real, everyone involved did it for “Fun.
After keeping it under wraps, Amy Poehler unveiled the trailer for their mock TV series titled Philly Justice. This humorous project was crafted on-set during the filming of Parks & Recreation by the quartet consisting of Poehler, Adam Scott, Rashida Jones, and Kathryn Hahn. If you’re in the know, you are!
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) May 20, 2025
This is truly one of the most absurd things ever, and the podcast detailing its creation adds to its absurdity. If only every workplace could be intentionally this preposterous. Will there ever be a revival of the fictional show that never aired? Time will have to decide on that, it seems.
Kyle Anderson serves as the Senior Editor at TopMob, where he also manages the weekly exploration of pop culture through the Laser Focus podcast. His insightful film and television critiques can be found here, while you can keep up with his work on Letterboxd.
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2025-05-22 17:02