‘Parks and Recreation’ Special Benefiting Food Banks Airs Tonight on NBC

The first scripted program dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic will air at 8:30 p.m. tonight on NBC Channel 4.

“A Parks and Recreation Special,” centers on led character Leslie Knope’s efforts to stay connected to her friends in a time of social distancing.

“Parks and Recreation” aired from 2009 to 2015, for 125 episodes, over seven seasons on NBC, 15 Emmy nominations, including six for Poehler as outstanding lead actress in a comedy series and two for outstanding comedy series.

The exterior of the Pawnee government building, and several of the hallway scenes, were shot in Pasadena at City Hall.

The half-hour special will also serve as a fundraiser for Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund, which assists food banks across the nation as they support communities impacted by the pandemic.

State Farm and Subaru of America will each make matching donations of $150,000, according to NBC.

“Like a lot of other people, we were looking for ways to help and felt that bringing these characters back for a night could raise some money,” said executive producer Michael Schur, in a prepared statement.

“I sent a hopeful email to the cast and they all got back to me within 45 minutes.”

The special will be preceded at 8 p.m. by “The Paley Center Salutes Parks and Recreation,” which will highlight many of the show’s most memorable moments and what went on behind the scenes.

Donations can be made at feedingamerica.org/parksandrec.