Amy Poehler (Getty Images)

This season of Parks and Recreation shows troubling signs that the writers no longer believe new audiences are going to discover Leslie and her gang. With the addition of a ludicrously winnable election plot, every episode congratulates its characters for being so terribly lovable, rather than expanding many new dimensions. One character told Leslie she would prevail "because you're Leslie Knope"--whenever character names are shorthand for virtuous qualities, we're in the realm of fan service. (Gossip Girl went there early with the "I'm Chuck Bass" tagline, the ne plus ultra of lazy fan service.)

Still, we remain devotees of this show--the insularity works for us, since we're on the inside--and Valentine's Day episodes of this show have always been a high point, not least because Leslie Knope's most intriguing trait is her obsessive weirdness in relationships. More focus on showing us her characteristics and less on telling us what they are could serve this show well--and make it one we could show to the uninitiated!

Set your DVR for NBC at 8:30pm.

Parks & Recreation: Fan favorite for Commie Liberals!

Are you surprised that New Yorker publications love liberal TV? Not really? That's okay, it's still interesting to read up on the Experian-Simmons survey that measured consumer's TV preferences against their political ideology and then spat out a bunch of shows that determine how liberal or conservative you are. Surprisingly (not surprisingly), most New York media favor the programs only watched by people who voted for Obama and support green initiatives.

For example: Liberals love "sarcastic" comedies like 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, The Office (so basically all those flailing in Thursday night ratings), along with The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. (But also: Cougar Town? Raising Hope?)  Those left-leaners were also more likely to be fans of Treme, spend the mornings watching The View and late-night watching Letterman, Conan, or Craig Ferguson.

If you want to see what Conservatives watch (hint: You might be a Republican if you like Leno or Mythbusters), you can check out the incomplete list here.

But more importantly! Comparing this list against two years of New York Magazine's TV picks -- Emily Nussbaum's "Year In TV" last December and Vulture's "Top 10 TV shows of 2011," you'll find 9 instances of overlap (with Community and Parks and Recreations counted twice for each year) with liberal favorites. Only one show --ABC's The Middle--landed as an outlier, as the survey said that it was a favorite of both liberals and conservatives. Time magazine's roundup of best shows in past two years had 3 liberal TiVo'd shows and 0 conservatives.

The Daily Beast had three lib-favorites  in 2010 (their 2011 "Top TV" list isn't up), though they lose Progressive Points for putting Glee in their "Worst" list. The New York Times' 2010 list only had one show on their list that fit the criteria of liberal bias: Treme...but another zero for conservative favorites.

So what does this prove? Mostly that New Yorkers are nonpartisan: the survey didn't even list Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, Friday Night Lights, or The Good Wife in either Conservative or Liberal fan favorites, but they consistently  showed up on every single list we looked at. (So did Parks & Recreation and Community, which were on the lib's list.) When it comes to TV politics, it seems, NYC media is just too cool for either party.

Treat Yo Self!

Updated below with a response from list founder Alisha M.

Foursquare, the social-networking app that allows you to "check in" to venues, become a mayor, meet up with your friends, and find out which Starbucks locations have been masturbated in, now has a new crowd-sourcing function. In the words of Parks and Recreation's Tom Haverford, it's time to "Treat Yo Self!"

In the recent episode "Pawnee Rangers" Tom (played by Aziz Ansari) explains that "Treat Yo Self" is an annual tradition where he and former coworkers Donna go to the mall and...well...treat themselves. Treating yo self can apply to buying anything from a massage, mimosas, fine-leather goods, to a fully-functioning  Batman costume.

Yesterday, a FourSquare user named Alisha M. started a New York list called "Treat Yo Self," naming NYC's best spots to get pampered. New York's "Treat Yo Self" list quickly went viral on sites like Buzzfeed, leading some to speculate that it was part of a Foursquare marketing tie-in with NBC. (Foursquare has frequently collaborated with outside corporations and networks, including Bravo, The History Channel, The Wall Street Journal, and Pepsi to name a few.) However, when The New York Observer asked co-founder Dennis Crowley if this comedy spin-off was part of a promotion, he responded via email: "ha, random user generated content i believe :)"

It's the smiley face emoticon that sold us. Still, Alisha M. may not be just a "random user." She describes herself on Twitter as a "social biz consultant & event schmoozer." Her resume lists her current profession as a freelance writer and social business consultant:

I assist travel networks, start-up companies, social enterprises, and small businesses on content marketing and audience development through marketing outreach, leading events, business development and social media. My strengths here are being an insightful writer, leading marketing and tech research, running community outreach, and providing insight on PR tactics.

So is Treat Yo Self's FourSquare just a clever crossover hit, or a clever viral marketing stunt?

Update: Just a crossover hit! Alisha responded to us via e-mail (and in the comments):

It was a silly idea I had the other night after having a nice dinner at Tea and Sympathy to create a list of places I go to when I want to splurge. And, being a huge fan of Parks and Rec, I wanted to dub it TREAT YO SELF. I have no affiliation with the show, it's simply my own homage to the show and of course the city I love.

So just genuine show-love and pampering tips! Go on everyone, treat yo self to one of Alisha's tips:

Folks at the U.N. have been gazing longingly at a humble, one-acre playground named for Robert Moses just south of its headquarters. They’d like very much to build a new building on the site, at First Avenue and 41st Street. In the meantime, the city has been trying to figure out how to pay for the completion of a greenway along the East Side waterfront.

In the finest traditions of diplomacy, there may be a deal on the table that will benefit all parties. The U.N. will pay the city $65 million for the park site. The city will use the money to build an esplanade from 41st to 53rd streets. Meanwhile, Con Edison will chip in with $13 million to help convert a pier it once leased near 38th Street into a park.

If everything works out as planned, the city will complete, at last, a 32-mile greenway along the Manhattan waterfront. The greenway’s completion will mark a major victory for pedestrians, tourists and Manhattan residents who have long lamented the city’s indifferent commitment (until recently) to waterfront access.

It’s a good deal for the U.N., too. Currently, the U.N. rents two buildings near its headquarters from the city. It will move its offices from the rental properties to the building it will construct on the playground. The city will then sell the two buildings, with the money going to the greenway.

It’s not very often that the interests of the U.N. and the city coincide so well. But the moment is here. While the deal is not certain—the U.N. has not committed to it just yet—it would be foolish to let the moment pass. Critics of the U.N. stopped a similar deal a few years ago. They shouldn’t be allowed to do so again.

NBC has ended its experiment with a three-hour comedy block on Thursday nights--the maligned Indian-call-center sitcom Outsourced is off the air permanently, and 30 Rock is gone temporarily, replaced on Thursday nights by the ribald comedian Whitney Cummings's sitcom Whitney (at midseason, Chelsea Handler's new sitcom Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea will join 30 Rock). There will also be a comedy hour on Wednesday nights, leading into the had-been-on-the-bubble Harry's Law. In light of the cancellation of Law and Order: Los Angeles, NBC now only runs one hour of Law and Order a week (Special Victims Unit)--and four hours of reality, divided between two-hour editions of The Sing-Off and The Biggest Loser. 

Two years after The Jay Leno Show fiasco was set into motion to avoid the need for new, expensive 10p.m. drama series, The Playboy Club (which follows the two-hour Sing-Off) and the returning Parenthood (which follows the two-hour Biggest Loser) mark attempts to define signature shows for the network in the vein of NBC's 1980s and 1990s--despite their isolation from the rest of the schedule. Prime Suspect may be receiving the biggest push, following as it does the two-hour comedy block on Thursday (the old ER slot!), though that block may be weakened by the loss of The Office's Steve Carell. The coming Thursday sag (without the strongest component of that night's most popular show) a situation that NBC will be under pressure to solve with a casting decision at its upfront presentation.

The fall schedule, as distributed by NBC, follows:

MONDAY
8-10 p.m. The Sing-Off
10-11 p.m. The Playboy Club (new)

TUESDAY
8-10 p.m. The Biggest Loser
10-11 p.m. Parenthood

WEDNESDAY
8-8:30 p.m. Up All Night (new)
8:30-9 p.m. Free Agents (new)
9-10 p.m. Harry's Law
10-11 p.m. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

THURSDAY
8-8:30 p.m. Community
8:30-9 p.m. Parks and Recreation
9-9:30 p.m. The Office
9:30-10 p.m. Whitney (new)
10-11 p.m. Prime Suspect (new)

FRIDAY
8-9 p.m. Chuck
9-10 p.m. Grimm (new)
10-11 p.m. Dateline NBC

SATURDAY
Encore programming

SUNDAY
7- 8:15 p.m. Football Night in America 
8:15-11:30 p.m. NBC Sunday Night Football

ddaddario@observer.com :: @DPD_

Who, then will receive this season's Russell Simmons Prize for Most Vigorous Party Crasher? In a bit of an upset, it appears to be Aziz Ansari. The comedian and "Parks and Recreation" star has been around nearly every night at a variety of events, and his arrival is dogged by onlookers who whisper to The Observer something along the lines of "Again?"

Let's take a look at a piece of Ansari's busy Fashion Week schedule.

Thursday: There he was at the GQ Best New Menswear Designers party, drinking red wine and talking about male models and Hors d'oeuvres.

Friday: There he was at the Rag & Bone after party at the Westway -- the long-awaited "hipster stripclub" from the team behind the Jane Hotel Ballroom parties -- ambling around the glitter-soaked platform . (We asked him when the strippers would arrive, and he promptly replied "12:30").

Saturday: There he was at the Jane Hotel, stumbling outside near 4:00 in the morning, in a state that indicated he might be best off going home. But moments later The Observer spotted him again walking in circles near the DJ booth, toying with his iPhone and wearing a red ski cap.

Monday: There he was at the Theyskens' Theory after party, at the Boom Boom Room, celebrating Valentine's Day by cornering one lucky girl by the back lounge on the right side of the room.

All this sounds more like Ansari's foulmouthed and skirt-chasing alter ego, Randy. Could the party-hopping simply be an extended act of performance art? We wouldn't put it past Ansari, given his feats of comic brilliance, but perhaps he's just having some fun. Either way, we're sure we'll see him at the VMan party tonight.

nfreeman at observer.com |@nfreeman1234

But when he told his 600,000 followers of a trip to Tokyo with LCD Soundsystem mastermind James Murphy and Momofuko overlord David Chang, he wasn't joking. The chef scouted sushi joints, while the other two hit the karaoke scene. Aziz sang The Backstreet Boys' "I Want it That Way" and James sang Hall & Oates' "I Can't Go For That." This actually happened. 

How did this dream team come together? And how did they decide to take that island country halfway around the world by storm? Well, Aziz enlightens us in an interview with Splitsider, conducted in advance of tonight's season three premiere of "Parks and Recreation."

It was crazy. I was with those guys and we were hanging out, and James had just gotten back from Tokyo and we were just talking about how fun Tokyo is, how much we love Tokyo, and it was late at night and we had a few drinks and someone took a photo and I just put it online and was like, on my Twitter, and was like, Hey if anyone wants to send us to Tokyo to eat food we'd be totally down. And then a few days later, the very kind people at GQ magazine were like, We really want to do this. And we were like, What! And they were like, Yeah!

Then Splitsider editor Adam Frucci has a brilliant idea: milk Aziz's crowd-sourcing power to get him into the final frontier.

Adam: I'm sure you could get a ride on, you know, the Virgin Galactic spaceship if you tweeted about it.

Aziz: Yeah, that's a good idea. I probably have like a three-month window where people will actually care about me enough to do that. I'm always operating under the assumption that my time is running out. People are going to get tired of my schtick pretty soon, so I gotta get it while I can.

And the social networking campaign to get Aziz Ansari into space starts... now. You listening, Richard Branson?

Click for What Twitter Taught Us: Glenn Beck Meets Bono and the World Collapses

nfreeman [at] observer.com | @nfreeman1234

Modern Family will win Best Comedy Series

Glee got all the Emmy love with a series show high 19 nominations -- The Pacific led all nominees with 24 -- but Modern Family was no slouch either. The ABC show seems almost manufactured in a lab with the way it combines the modern conceits of current series with the familiar tropes of classic sitcoms. That warm feeling of nostalgia is why voters will choose Family over fellow flashy newcomer Glee. Besides: Would anyone even call Glee a "comedy series?"

Jon Hamm will win Best Actor in a Drama

All Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston does is win Emmys. But this year, it just feels like there might be a sea change for no other reason than its time for someone else to win. His biggest competiton is likely Jon Hamm and don't be surprised when the dapper Don Draper takes home the trophy. Hamm has the Emmy "heat" -- he also got another nomination as Comedy Guest Star for his hilarious turn on 30 Rock -- and he's clearly worthy because of his performance. Lost fans hoping for a Matthew Fox win because the series wrapped up in the spring, however, shouldn't hold their breath. Don't forget: James Gandolfini didn't win for the final season of The Sopranos. Like Fox-y will?

Amy Poehler will win Best Actress in a Comedy

The beloved Parks and Recreation could only muster two nominations -- one for star Amy Poehler and one for best theme song. And while it does have a great theme song, expect Poehler to take home the one Parks trophy that will matter. There is history here: America Ferrara, Tina Fey and last year's winner, Toni Collette, were first time nominees on rookie-ish shows who won (Parks and Rec had a six-episode season one), and in all cases their victories seemed like a "shock." If Poehler were to win, people would certainly be surprised, but her work on Parks and Recreation -- turning her character from a one-note Michael Scott clone into a layered, well-meaning and original human being -- deserves as many accolades as possible.

Chris Colfer will win Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy

One of the biggest surprises during Thursday's nominations was Chris Colfer being selected for Glee. The young star -- who has no previous television credits -- is a scene stealer on the show as the newly out-of-the-closet Kurt Hummel. That's all well and good, but that Colfer can also flash Emmy voters his scenes from the Glee episode "Theatricality" -- which centered on Kurt and his dad coming to terms with their relationship -- is the cherry on top of what feels like an obvious win. Apologies Neil Patrick Harris: You're great. You just aren't Kurt.

The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien will win Best Variety, Music or Comedy Series

If you were an Emmy voter and had the chance to put Conan O'Brien on NBC one last time -- the Emmys are on NBC this year -- wouldn't you do everything in your power to make it happen, even if Conan wasn't the most deserving nominee? Thought so.

Anyway, with 289 minutes to fill for the rest of the day—229 minutes if you watched The View, not that we have or anything—we thought it might be a good idea to offer a viewing guide to Thursday's overloaded evening festivities (can't the networks spread some of these shows out?). Please note: this is only possible if you have two DVR machines and a whole lot of willpower. Attempt at your own risk.

8:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.: Community (30 minutes total)

If done right, you won't have to watch another show live (with commercials) for the next four hours. And hey, it could be worse: not only is Community hilarious (why this is on at 8 p.m. is a mystery), but you also get to see which companies are foolish enough to actually spend their advertising dollars on NBC. Win-win.

8:30 p.m. - 9:14 p.m.: FlashForward on DVR (74 minutes total)

Normally, it takes a series a few seasons before becoming a rote obligation. Not FlashForward, which accomplished the feat in just seven episodes. Watch this while you check your e-mail (multi-tasking!) and just remember to pay attention to the cliffhangers that happen before each commercial break. They're important. Or something.

9:14 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.: The Office/30 Rock on DVR (120 minutes total)

The only downside here: you'll eventually catch up to 30 Rock and be forced to sit through promos for The Jay Leno Show. But that's a small price to pay for watching two of the best comedies on television as close as possible to when they air live. That way you don't get spoiled when you check Twitter and see all the funniest lines already posted.

10:00 p.m. - 11:28 p.m.: Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice on DVR (208 minutes total)

If you squint hard enough during these 88 minutes, you might fool yourself into thinking Kate Walsh is still on Grey's Anatomy.

11:28 p.m. - 12:12 a.m.: Fringe on DVR (252 minutes total)

Time to bust out that second DVR! Because Fox foolishly put Fringe up against Grey's Anatomy, The Office/30 Rock twofer and CSI (though, really, are you still watching that?), it is not only impossible watch Fringe on Thursday nights, but to DVR it as well. Great programming, guys! Anyway, this show is actually very good and it'll give you an added scare if you watch it during the witching hour.

12:12 a.m. - 12:34 a.m.: Parks and Recreation on DVR (274 minutes total)

We're pretty sure that at least part of the reason why the second season of Parks and Recreation is so much funnier than the first has to do with the fact that we're watching it through sleepy eyes. To be fair though, Amy Poehler and her cast of Merry Men (Aziz Ansari, Louis CK, Paul Schneider and Nick Offerman) are hilarious even when seen while fully awake.

12:34 a.m. - 12:49 a.m.: Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (289 minutes total)

As you ready for bed, you could watch Seinfeld reruns—or, heaven help you, The Jeff Dunham Show on Comedy Central—but why not give Jimmy Fallon another try. Spoiler alert: he's gotten much better since you last saw him and his contagious charm will put you in a good mood as you fall asleep.

Happy viewing!

Since Sunday nights are so crowded, you’ve probably let Bored to Death slip through the cracks. Good thing then for DVR and Monday night rebroadcasts! The HBO comedy, about a Brooklyn novelist-turned-private eye isn’t necessarily the funniest new show of the fall—that would be Community [Editor's note: Modern Family!]—but it’s certainly one of the most likeable. Blessed with a brilliant cast (Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, and Zack Galifianakis) and razor sharp writing (courtesy of novelist and creator Jonathan Ames), Bored to Death is a series you really ought to be watching… if you could only find room in your schedule. [HBO2, 9:30 p.m.]

Tuesday: Slumdog Millionaire
We’re not sure what’s more surprising: that Slumdog Millionaire won Best Picture or that it’s already airing on cable. The Little Movie That Did was (in our humble opinion) the most over-rated and undeserving Academy Award winner since Crash, however that doesn’t mean there aren’t riches to behold within. Come for the paint-by-numbers-yet-crowd-pleasing story that can manipulate even the most hardened skeptic; stay for the closing dance number, which ranks as one of the most jubilant moments from last year. [HBO, 9 p.m.]

Wednesday: Beetlejuice
Halloween is still a couple of weeks away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a jump on the season with some classic Tim Burton-lead weirdness. Beetlejuice is that rare commodity: a great movie from our childhood that remains great to this day. We have Michael Keaton to thank for that, of course. He’s so caustic, angry and fantastic in the titular role, that we wish he would come out of whatever Witness Protection Program he’s been hiding in for the past few years. [ABC Family, 8 p.m.]

Thursday: Parks and Recreation
For those of you who stuck with Parks and Recreation after a lackluster first season, you’ve been rewarded during season two. Everything about the show—from the writing to the performances—has gotten exponentially better. The key has been distancing the proceedings from The Office in both tone and execution, while simultaneously allowing the fantastic cast a chance to breathe. And, oh what a cast! We’d put Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, Rashida Jones, Paul Schneider, Nick Offerman and Aubrey Plaza up against the denizens of Dunder Mifflin and 30 Rockefeller Plaza any day of the week and twice on Thursday. [NBC, 8:30 p.m.]

Friday: Defending Your Life
You might not think that Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep would have great chemistry together, but that just means you probably haven’t seen Defending Your Life. Mr. Brooks’ ode to the afterlife is a twisted little sweet-and-sour romantic comedy made all the better because Ms. Streep has an absolute ball playing the pinnacle of shiksa perfection. If you’ve always thought Mr. Brooks was like a sunnier version of Woody Allen, Defending Your Life will do nothing to dissuade you from that opinion. [Starz, 9:25 a.m.]