Amy Poehler and Michael Schur have lined up a new project together
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Probably knowing 'Dig' was already in the pipeline, Poehler has long been singing the praises of Myers' 'Excavations.' The paperback edition sports a quote from her on its cover ('funny, smart, and deeply delicious'), and she even highlighted it during her
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Thankfully, Poehler didn't turn to one of those for her next TV project. Instead, she's doubling down on a story about a quartet of women who have to work together in the face of stodgy patriarchs who'd prefer to maintain the status quo at all costs.
In that respect, 'Dig' could actually prove to be a very fitting way for Schur and Poehler to make their return to TV as a team. The most successful throughline of 'Parks and Recreation' — and, come to think of it, 'The Good Place' — was its pairing of relentless optimism with sharp criticism of bureaucratic structures that run on red tape and rancid vibes. Its weakest moments, meanwhile, came from straying too far from 'warmly big-hearted' into 'aggressively saccharine' territory.
Given the premise of 'Dig,' and the fact that Schur and Poehler are adapting the script from someone else's writing, it'll be fascinating to see how much they go back to the wholesome well from whence 'Parks' came — and how much they push themselves to go beyond their familiar shared past to end up somewhere new.
Caroline Framke is a media analyst who previously served as Variety's chief TV critic. Her other work can be found at The Atlantic, Vulture, Vox, and more. A Smith College graduate, Framke is currently based in New York City.
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