Parks and Recreation Meets Indiana Jones as Amy Poehler Leads Peacock Series
Poehler Returns to Television
Poehler, 55, is returning to television after her award-winning run as Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation ended more than a decade ago. Her screen career also includes a breakout role on Saturday Night Live and a return to the Wet Hot American Summer revival miniseries.
For Dig, she has teamed up again with Schur, who worked with her on Parks and Recreation for seven seasons. The series marks their new comedy collaboration for Peacock.
A Comedy at an Excavation
The 10-episode show adapts Kate Myers’ 2023 novel Excavation. Its setting is an archaeological dig in Greece, where four women uncover a valuable artifact and find themselves entangled in an international conspiracy, according to Peacock.
Poehler described a dig as a place where energetic newcomers and professional archaeologists work side by side. She said the setting offered room for jokes and memorable characters. Schur, whose workplace comedies include The Office and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, brings the genre to an excavation site rather than an office or precinct.
An All-Female Team Takes Risks
Elise and her all-female team are tired of yielding credit to men. They break protocol by failing to report their discovery, while Neville, played by Hugh Laurie, remains head archaeologist despite repeated announcements of his retirement.
The group includes Clare, played by Antonia Thomas; Dylan, played by Geraldine Viswanathan; and Patty, played by Fina Strazza. Their characters are described as poised and intelligent, plucky but scattered, and a naive go-getter, respectively.
Adventure Meets Workplace Humor
The show pairs familiar sitcom mishaps with archaeological danger. Its physical comedy includes sunburn, a collapsing ladder and heavy bags, while the team faces a conspiracy that Peacock says threatens their careers.
In the trailer, the women find photographs showing they are being followed, then focus on how unflattering the images are. Their attempts to create an alibi involve injuries, including Clare biting Elise and Elise punching Dylan. The series frames the danger with comic reactions as well as adventure.
Key points
- Amy Poehler stars in Dig, a Peacock comedy co-created with Michael Schur.
- The 10-episode adaptation of Kate Myers’ Excavation takes place at a dig in Greece.
- Four women archaeologists uncover a priceless artifact and become caught in an international conspiracy.
- The series mixes workplace comedy with archaeological adventure.