‘Parks and Recreation,’ ‘The Good Place’ & More Mike Schur Comedies, Ranked

Created by Josh Malmuth, Abby’s was a short-lived NBC comedy about an unlicensed backyard bar run by an ex-marine named Abby (Natalie Morales), who had her own set of rules. Running for just 10 episodes, the series just never got a chance to shine any brighter than Schur’s other projects.

Attached to this series as an executive producer, Schur wasn’t as involved with this Kal Penn-Matt Murray-created comedy as he is with other projects, but its eleven-episode count raises it above Abby‘s. The show centered on Penn’s character, Garrett Modi, a former New York City Councilman who finds his purpose in helping immigrants in Sunnyside, Queens.

The critically acclaimed Netflix series created by Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang followed the exploits of small-time actor Dev and his day-to-day life in New York. Reteaming with Parks‘ Ansari, Schur’s involvement as an executive producer makes sense, but because of his smaller role, Master of None lands here in the lineup.

Freevee‘s gem of a series, Primo, is created by Shea Serrano, with Schur serving as an executive producer. Loosely based on Serrano’s real life, the comedy centers around Rafa (Ignacio Diaz-Silverio), the son of a single mother and nephew to an eclectic mix of uncles who ply him with free advice, whether welcome or not. What sets Primo apart from Schur’s other executive-produced projects is that this show has a heart similar to the likes of Parks and The Good Place. It’s sweet and silly and introduces loveable characters you want to see more of.

The short-lived Peacock comedy created by Schur, Sierra Teller Ornelas, and Ed Helms was set in the titular town of Rutherford Falls, where a statue of Nathan Rutherford’s (Helms) ancestor is being torn down. The reason? Rutherford’s family colonized the land inhabited by the Minishonka community. The differences in perspective end up testing Nathan and his best friend Reagan’s (Jana Schmieding) relationship as she is part of the Indigenous community looking to set right the wrongs of the past.

Despite Schur only being a co-executive producer and writer on the show, we couldn’t rank The Office any lower than this spot purely for its long-lasting audience appeal. Still making people laugh through reruns and streaming, the comedy inspired by the 2001 British series of the same name starring Ricky Gervais followed the team at Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Also, Schur memorably played Dwight’s (Rainn Wilson) cousin Mose across the series’ run.

Created by Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky, this Max series following the mentor-mentee dynamic of seasoned stand-up Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and fledgling comedy writer Ava (Hannah Einbeinder) is executive produced by Schur. While some may argue it deserves to run below The Office, we’ll argue that Hacks has yet to deliver and slumps, which wasn’t the case in the former’s final seasons.

Originally debuting on Fox before being saved by NBC for its final seasons, this workplace comedy following the titular police precinct of Brooklyn Nine-Nine has everything you’d expect from a Schur comedy. This comes as no surprise as he co-created the series alongside Dan Goor, bringing to life a delightful cast of characters portrayed by a stellar ensemble comprised of Andy Samberg, Melissa Fumero, Andre Braugher, Joe Lo Truglio, Terry Crews, Stephanie Beatriz, and Chelsea Peretti among others.

Short but sweet, The Good Place only ran for 50 episodes but delivered a powerful emotional punch over its four-season run. Created by Schur, the series follows a mix of wildly different individuals as they arrive in the afterlife. Ushered in by “Angel” Michael (Ted Danson), Eleanor (Kristen Bell), Chidi (William Jackson Harper), Tahani (Jameela Jamil), and Jason (Manny Jacinto) go through an incredible journey together, enhanced by the presence of D’Arcy’ Carden‘s Janet.

Debuting 15 years ago in 2009, Parks and Recreation may have been a product of its time with do-gooder government worker Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) striving to make a better future for her beloved Pawnee, Indiana. There is something still so charming about Knope and her posse of park pals who prove you don’t always have to be similar or see eye-to-eye on everything to get along. Plus, who can neglect to acknowledge a character as iconic as Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman)?