Samberg had appeared as a guest star on “Parks and Recreation” once, during its second season. He’d played an extremely loud-talking and incompetent animal control guy. He fit in perfectly in the goofy world of Pawnee, and surely his performance in that role helped Goor and Schur decide to approach him.
According to a 2013 piece by TV Guide, Samberg discussed his feelings upon being approached by the two producers. “I was not looking to do a TV series at all,” said Samberg. It made sense, after spending seven years grinding away in the “Saturday Night Live” sausage factory. “But I was a huge fan of ‘Parks’ and I saw what these guys had done with Amy [Poehler], who is basically my hero.”
Ultimately, Samberg would become the star of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” which would run for eight seasons. The police comedy would be critically acclaimed and, despite some bouncing between networks, a great success.
