One of the best things about Parks and Recreation is the effort showrunner Mike Schur and his staff put into building the show’s fictional world. Like Springfield on The Simpsons and South Park on, uh, South Park, the town of Pawnee has been colored-in and shaded to the point that it feels almost real, thanks in large part to the dozens and dozens of recurring and one-off characters the show has tossed into the pot to pair up with the regulars. There are so many characters on the show, in fact, that even though I limited these rankings to the top 50, I still had to make some really tough cuts. Sorry, Frank Beckerson. Them’s the breaks.
This has the potential to tear us all apart.
50. Millicent Gergich/Gayle Gergich
49. Brett and Harris from Animal Control
48. Tammy I
47. Lawrence from the town meetings
46. Tinnifer from Eagleton
45. Shauna Malwae-Tweep
44. Detlef Schrempf
43. Linda Lonegan
42. Mark Brendanawicz
41. Dave Sanderson
40. Derek and Ben
39. Garth Blundin
38. Justin Anderson
37. Brandi Maxxxx
36. Dr. Saperstein
35. Diane/Diane’s kids
34. Tammy Zero
33. Marlene Griggs-Knope
32. Morris
31. Councilman Fielding Milton
30. Crazy Ira and The Douche
29. Marcia Langman
28. Mona-Lisa Saperstein
27. Jennifer Barkley
26. Craig
25. Ken Hotate
24. Bobby Newport
23. Chris Traeger
22. Ann Perkins
21. Tom Haverford
20. Dennis Feinstein
19. Councilman Bill Dexhart
18. April Ludgate
17. Orin
16. DJ Roomba
15. Joan Callamezzo
14. Jerry Gergich
13. Tammy II
12. Ben Wyatt
11. Sewage Joe
10. Champion
9. Ethel Beavers
8. Councilman Jeremy Jamm
7. Donna Meagle
6. Jean-Ralphio Saperstein
5. Leslie Knope
4. Andy Dwyer
3. Perd Hapley
2. Lil Sebastian
1. Ron Swanson
Photo credit: NBC
