Parks And Recreation

Vice President Joe Biden, "America's Happy Warrior," as President Obama called him on election night, just got reelected to the second highest office in the land. What does he do to top that? He's guest starring on "Parks and Recreation. " Of course! Biden will play himself in next Thursday's episode, titled "Leslie vs. April," in which Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) finally meets the object of her longstanding celebrity lust. The scenes with Biden, which were filmed back in July, were shot in the Vice President's Ceremonial Office, also known as the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

Amy Poehler has been a comedian of note for some time now - it's already 11 years since she joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" (and three and change since she left it), and before that there was "The Upright Citizens Brigade" on Comedy Central and appearances as Andy Richter's little sister, in braces and pigtails, on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien. " But this was the year that Leslie Knope, the character Poehler plays on NBC's "Parks and Recreation," was elected to the City Council in her beloved underdog town of Pawnee, Ind.; got engaged to boyfriend Ben (Adam Scott)

It's so difficult to make a great television show that it seems miraculous at times that anyone even tries to do it. Think about it. As with any piece of writing, you need a great idea, interesting characters, resonant themes and a facility with language. Here the novelist stops. Then, as with any sort of theatrical project, you need to bring in a host of temperamentally unpredictable people ? actors, directors, producers, all manner of designers ? all working toward one coherent vision.

Click here to download TV listings for the week Nov. 4 - 10 in PDF format This week's TV Movies     SERIES The Big Bang Theory:   In this new episode Raj and Howard (Kunal Nayyar, Simon Helberg) try to figure out why Sheldon (Jim Parsons) disappears at 2:45 every afternoon (8 p.m. CBS). 30 Rock: Liz (Tina Fey) listens to Jack's (Alec Baldwin) advice and decides to put her own needs ahead of work for once, while an unflattering portrayal of him in Tracy's (Tracy Morgan)

Californians are feeling betrayed after learning that the Department of Parks and Recreation, while pleading abject poverty and begging for donors to keep 70 state parks from closing, was hoarding nearly $54 million in special accounts, underreporting its holdings to the state. Much of the money was earmarked for specific purposes, but even the remainder is enough to keep the 70 parks open for close to two years. Some of the donors who generously stepped forward to form nonprofits to run parks complain that they were duped.

James Hadaway, who emphasized the renovation of inner-city parks as general manager of the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department from 1976 to 1992, has died. He was 82. Hadaway, who had cancer, died Monday at his Hermosa Beach home, his family said. "He was the architect of the urban impact program, which refurbished parks and recreation centers in inner-city and lower-income areas that had been kind of neglected," said Kevin Regan, assistant general manager of the department.

SACRAMENTO - California's parks system stashed away nearly $54 million even as it was cutting services and threatening to close parks, a revelation that prompted the resignation of the department's director Friday. The hoarded cash remained untapped while the California Department of Parks and Recreation painted a dire picture of the system's health, soliciting hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations in what was thought to be a desperate scramble to keep facilities open. At the request of Gov. Jerry Brown, the state attorney general's office has launched an investigation into the hidden surplus, which officials believe the department concealed from state bookkeepers, the governor and the Legislature for at least a dozen years, dating to the tenure of Gray Davis.

Deputy City Manager Jesse Duff has been named interim city manager, effective Jan. 10, until a permanent replacement is named for Ken Caresio, who has joined an investment banking firm. Duff, who joined the city in 1979 as director of parks and recreation, was named assistant to the city manager in 1985 and deputy city manager last July. Donna Georgino, Duff's deputy in the parks and recreation division, will become director today.

Comedy, social media and decidedly old-media book publishing collide in the new book "Humblebrag: The Art of False Modesty," out this week. Harris Wittles, a writer on the NBC sitcom "Parks and Recreation," coined the practice, which is essentially a boast masquerading as a whine. He started the Twitter feed @humblebrag dedicated to the best 140-character examples. The book collects them, and breaks down humblebrags ("noun, verb = huhm-buhl'brag") by type. Some of our favorite celebrity pretension: --Fox News' Greta Van Susteren: "Ugh.

Gordon Mitchell, veteran actor and bodybuilder, will be the guest of honor at the Muscle Beach Classic Physique Show on Monday at 2 p.m. at the Venice Beach Recreation Center, 1800 Ocean Front Walk, Venice. The City of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation is presenting the event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of outdoor bodybuilding and fitness shows. Admission free. Information: (909) 938-1718.

SACRAMENTO - Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday tapped a decorated retired Marine Corps officer to run the state Parks and Recreation Department, which was rocked by a financial scandal last summer. Former Maj. Gen. Anthony L. Jackson will replace Ruth Coleman, who resigned in July following revelations that parks officials had stashed more than $54 million away without informing the governor's office, even as dozens of parks were slated for closure because of budget cuts. The governor alluded to the scandal in a statement announcing Jackson's appointment Tuesday.

Vice President Joe Biden, "America's Happy Warrior," as President Obama called him on election night, just got reelected to the second highest office in the land. What does he do to top that? He's guest starring on "Parks and Recreation. " Of course! Biden will play himself in next Thursday's episode, titled "Leslie vs. April," in which Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) finally meets the object of her longstanding celebrity lust. The scenes with Biden, which were filmed back in July, were shot in the Vice President's Ceremonial Office, also known as the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

COMEDY Give him all of the bacon and eggs you have - Nick Offerman is back onstage. Best known for his mustachioed portrayal of the masculine ur-libertarian Ron Swanson on "Parks and Recreation," Offerman brings his standup tour - appropriately titled "American Ham" - to UCLA. It will surely rank at the top of his pyramid of greatness. Royce Hall, UCLA. 8 p.m. Sat. $25. aap.ucla.edu.

Comedy, social media and decidedly old-media book publishing collide in the new book "Humblebrag: The Art of False Modesty," out this week. Harris Wittles, a writer on the NBC sitcom "Parks and Recreation," coined the practice, which is essentially a boast masquerading as a whine. He started the Twitter feed @humblebrag dedicated to the best 140-character examples. The book collects them, and breaks down humblebrags ("noun, verb = huhm-buhl'brag") by type. Some of our favorite celebrity pretension: --Fox News' Greta Van Susteren: "Ugh.

Actors Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally have put their house in the Hollywood Hills West area up for sale at $12.65 million. The contemporary sits behind walls on about a quarter of an acre in the celebrity-populated "bird streets" area. The 3,803-square-foot home has three bedrooms, 31/2 bathrooms and city views. There is a swimming pool. Offerman, 42, has played parks department director Ron Swanson on "Parks and Recreation" since 2009. Mullally, 53, was a regular on "Will & Grace" from 1998 to 2006, had her own talk show and stars on the comedy "Childrens Hospital" (2008-present)

It's early morning on set at NBC's "Parks and Recreation" as a bleary-eyed crew adjusts the sound and lighting in a faux courtroom on a Burbank soundstage. Aziz Ansari, who plays the fashion-savvy, ladies-man wannabe Tom Haverford, stands on the sidelines intently reviewing the script on his smartphone. Which is funny because in the scene Ansari is about to do, his character is charged with "driving while tweeting" and sentenced by a judge to "a week without screens. " "Wait … nooo!"

The Torrance Lions Club has donated $500 to the Torrance Public Library, and the Mobil Oil Foundation has given the city Department of Parks and Recreation a $3,800 grant. The Lions' donation will be used to buy tapes for the Books-on-Tape program, and the Mobil grant will help defray costs of the city's production of the musical "Carousel," which will be presented July 11-13 at El Camino College's Marsee Auditorium.

COMEDY Give him all of the bacon and eggs you have - Nick Offerman is back onstage. Best known for his mustachioed portrayal of the masculine ur-libertarian Ron Swanson on "Parks and Recreation," Offerman brings his standup tour - appropriately titled "American Ham" - to UCLA. It will surely rank at the top of his pyramid of greatness. Royce Hall, UCLA. 8 p.m. Sat. $25. aap.ucla.edu.

Amazon.com has bulked up its Amazon Prime online streaming service with more shows from NBC, including "Parks and Recreation," "Parenthood" and "Friday Night Lights. " Hundreds of past episodes of these NBC programs will be available through Amazon Prime, and can be watched at no additional charge for subscribers who pay a flat $79 annual fee. The expanded licensing agreement with NBCUniversal adds to the library of titles available through the subscription service, which competes with other digital providers, including Netflix.