Other projects from the 'Parks & Rec' cast that are worth your time

Amy Poehler pulls double duty in the new animated FOX show "Duncanville." Actually, she pulled triple duty if you consider that she also co-created the show with former "Simpsons" showrunner Mike Scully and his wife, the writer Julie Thacker Scully. Poehler voices Duncan, a 15-year-old, boy, as well as his mother, Annie. Oh, and Rashida Jones pops up as Duncan's crush, Mia.

Do you enjoy the “Naked Gun” movies or that style of joke-stuffed ridiculous comedy? Then check out TBS’ “Angie Tribeca.” The show stars Rashida Jones, aka Ann Perkins, as the titular cop, joined by fellow cops such as Jay Geils, DJ Tanner and Hoffman, which is a dog. "Angie Tribeca" lasted for four insane seasons before ending its run.

It’s a combo here, because “Making It” is hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman. However, unlike Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson, Poehler and Offerman seem to always see eye to eye. This crafting competition show may not be up your alley, but the chemistry between the hosts keeps it fun.

Years before she become a star, Poehler was one of the founding members of Upright Citizens Brigade, UCB for short, one of the seminal improv and comedy theaters in the United States. Before they really exploded, though, they had a sketch show on Comedy Central. It can be hit or miss, but there’s some great stuff on there.

“Wet Hot American Summer” is a true cult comedy classic. The tribute to summer camp films from the days of yore features a lot of future stars. Bradley Cooper has to be the biggest name, but Poehler also appeared as Susie, the drama counselor. Also, Adam Scott, Ben Wyatt on “Parks,” appears in Netflix’s follow-up series, “Ten Years Later.”

Ever heard of this one? In seemingly the blink of an eye, Chris Pratt went from playing a tertiary character on “Parks and Rec” to being one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Not everything he’s starred in has been great (looking at you, “Jurassic World), but the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies are some of the best in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Aubrey Plaza’s deadpan sarcasm works great in several different venues, and that includes Edgar Wright’s “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” While Plaza’s character is not central to the story, she does get to have a few fun moments along the way. It’s an overlooked movie you should check out, but just expect a small dose of Plaza.

Want more Plaza? Then check out “Safety Not Guaranteed.” It’s a fascinating sci-fi film that doesn’t quite stick the landing, but it gave Plaza a chance to star in a movie. Also, this film was an early calling card for Colin Trevorrow, who used it as a springboard to direct, funnily enough, “Jurassic World.”

Everything is awesome, indeed. Aside from that earworm, there’s a lot of fun to be had in “The Lego Movie.” Pratt provides the voice of Emmet, the main character. He’s, you know, a Lego man. So that’s unusual. There’s a lot to like in this movie, although the best thing it did was lead to the superior “Lego Batman Movie.”

Warning: Be prepared to cry. It is a movie about a boy befriending a girl with cancer, after all. Nick Offerman plays the main character’s father, bringing an offbeat energy, and some genuine emotion, to the proceedings. Turns out that the stern, taciturn Ron Swanson is only one shade of performance that Offerman can provide.

Nick Offerman can also do silly comedy, even if he doesn’t do much of the insane stuff in “21 Jump Street.” He’s more there to deadpan and be a serious figure in juxtaposition to Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, two cops who are going undercover as high school students. Yes, Tatum could never pass for a high school student. That’s part of the joke. The sequel, “22 Jump Street,” is also worth a watch, and Offerman returns for that one.

We’re on an Offerman run here. This is the purest distillation of anybody on this list. After all, this is Offerman’s own one-man show. He’s not playing a character, even if he is, well, hamming it up a bit. Offerman is an idiosyncratic fellow, and it’s all on display in “American Ham,” a Netflix special from a few years ago.

Technically we could count this because Kathryn Hahn, who played Jennifer Barkley for several episodes of “Parks and Recreation,” is in this movie. However, this was the first chance for many people to see Adam Scott in a major role. He just oozes awful smarm — the perfect “bad guy” for a completely insane gross out comedy starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as men who seem stuck in their childhood. It’s not for everybody but it’s full of jokes, so some of them will land.

Poehler joined back up with David Wain, who directed “Wet Hot American Summer,” for another parody. This time they set their sights on the romantic comedy, with Poehler and Paul Rudd as the star-crossed lovers who meet in the big city. It’s clever, silly and an all-around delight. Plus, Adam Scott has a small role as well.

So few people watched “Party Down," but the Starz show had a small, and devoted, audience. The ensemble comedy featured, among others, Adam Scott. You may have never heard of it, and it’s certainly raunchier than “Parks,” but it developed a cult audience for a reason.

Speaking of technicalities, Paul Rudd played Bobby Newport in several episodes of “Parks and Recreation” when he ran against Leslie Knope for the city council. That was stunt casting, though, even if he was great as the genially buffoonish Bobby. Rudd’s character is smarter in “I Love You, Man,” and he’s also engaged to a woman played by Rashida Jones.

“Parks and Rec” was created by Greg Daniels and Mike Schur, who first worked on the American adaptation of “The Office." In fact, Daniels ran both shows to some degree, though “Parks” was more Schur’s baby. There wasn’t as much cast crossover as you might think, but Jones was a co-star on “The Office” as Karen, a love interest of Jim’s, for a while.

Be it the TV show or the hit podcast, there has been a ton of overlap between “Parks and Recreation” and “Comedy Bang! Bang!” Ben Schwartz, who played Jean-Ralphio Saperstein, has appeared on both, and “Bang! Bang!” host Scott Aukerman is good friends with Adam Scott. In fact, they’ve had a couple of podcasts together: one dedicated to U2 and one dedicated to REM.

Speaking of Schwartz, he does a lot of voice-over work for cartoons these days. In addition to being the new voice of Leonardo, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, he voices Dewey on the new version of “DuckTales.” Obviously the intended audience is kids, but people seem to like this take on the old story.

Tom Haverford always dreamed big, so it feels fitting that Aziz Ansari would create what is basically an auteur TV show in “Master of None.” For two seasons on Netflix, Ansari told a series of distinct stories along with Alan Yang. However, it’s Ansari who was charged with starring as well as often writing a show that was sometimes complex but frequently fresh.

Technically, Billy Eichner basically became a regular late in the show’s run. After all, we get to see Craig’s future in the series finale, right? Not bad for a guy who is mostly famous for shouting, though he is hilarious at it. If you were a fan of Eichner’s high-energy performance on “Parks,” you should definitely check out his quasi-game show, “Billy on the Street.”

Rob Lowe was a huge star before he joined “Parks and Rec.” There are so many projects we could have chosen. One of the most beloved, though, is the Aaron Sorkin TV show, “The West Wing.” Lowe was part of an iconic ensemble, which was led by Martin Sheen as President "Jed" Bartlet.

One more Rob Lowe project for the road! Lowe was in many movies, but “Wayne’s World” is the best of the bunch. He plays the sleazy villain, Benjamin Oliver, and he oozes smarm in the role. He’s the perfect foil for Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as Wayne and Garth. Party on!

Hey, remember Mark Brendanawicz? We wouldn’t blame you for forgetting, because he basically disappeared from the universe of the show after Paul Schneider left. Schneider felt like he didn’t fit into the world of “Parks and Rec,” but he definitely fits into the world of this great, immersive drama starring Brad Pitt as the infamous outlaw.

“Arrested Development” was a great show, and though nobody from “Parks and Rec” was ever in the main cast, a few of them made multiple appearances through the years. Poehler was on along with her then-husband, Will Arnett, as the unnamed “Wife of GOB.” Ben Schwartz had a role in the revamp on Netflix. Also, Mo Collins, aka Pawnee’s legendary TV personality Joan Callamezzo, appeared on “Arrested Development” back in the day as well.

Let’s end with a true cultural institution. Amy Poehler was just one cog in a machine that has been running for decades, and yet she got to make a huge impact. Alongside her good friend Tina Fey (and you can check out Poehler and Fey together in a couple of decent comedies if you want), Poehler made a real impression during her time, including on Weekend Update. She played Hillary; she rapped while pregnant; she made her mark. Oh, and Rob Lowe has hosted in the past. He was kind of a big star, after all.