10 Best Character Arcs In Shows Produced By Michael Schur
Even the Pawnee Town Hall managed to come to an agreement on this list!
Michael Schur is one of the top creative minds working today. From his days producing Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update, to creating some of the best television shows of all time, he’s proven himself a master of comedy writing.
With hit shows such as The Office, Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and The Good Place, there is no shortage of brilliantly told stories and excellent character development. Whether the shows are a documentary-style narrative or they take place in the afterlife, Michael Schur can find a way to engage the audience with some truly unique characters.
Unlike typical sitcoms, there’s a good number of characters in Michael Schur produced shows that have incredible arcs. Having someone go through something meaningful will always make the laughs stronger and the characters resonate more to an audience. We’ve seen characters go from homelessness to successful television star, a demon turning into a good person, and a humble beet farmer becoming the Dunder Mifflin manager.
It’s no secret that the best shows have the best character arcs, and the best character arcs in the Michael Schur universe are right here.
10. Andy Dwyer – Parks And Recreation
The follow-up mockumentary to The Office, Parks and Rec proved to be a great show with brilliant characters and hilarious stories. The small town of Pawnee has some passionate, unique, and aggrieved citizens. One of Pawnee's most endearing residents is a homeless man turned popular musical entertainer, Andy Dwyer.
Andy has one of the best character arcs in the entire show. He is blessed with a complete inability to read a room, and he often steals the scene with a joke, whether he intended to or not. Introduced as a childish slob with two broken legs - the result of a night of drinking and a poorly chosen shortcut - Andy proves to be a charming character, and is also the lead singer and guitarist of a band that changed its name not once, but 32 times!
In small strides, Andy improves himself. He takes a small job shining shoes where he meets his future wife. He also moves out of his friend's place and learns how to pay his own bills. Andy loses weight, gets married, and takes a job working for a charity in Europe. Then upon returning to America, he becomes a children's musical television star.
He continually grows as an individual while making people laugh. Whether it's eating cereal on a frisbee or singing about a miniature horse, we never know what Andy’s going to do next.