Amy Poehler isn't above begging if it will help keep her ratings-challenged comedy, NBC's "Parks and Recreation," on the air a few more years. Here's the plea Poehler issued to power-wielding Nielsen viewers:

"Everybody should please watch it in real time on a television and then go to their Nielsen boxes and check it off," Poehler says. Then she adds, "I don't know how a Nielsen box works. Do you punch a hole? Do you write it on a piece of paper and give it to a carrier pigeon?"

However the system works, she's hoping the show gets enough support to stick around just a bit longer. "Parks and Rec," now in its fifth season, airing Thursday nights, is certainly worthy. And Poehler, who plays eternally upbeat civil servant Leslie Knope, is easy to love.

Q: Congratulations on your recent TV wedding. Leslie and Ben Wyatt (played by Adam Scott) seem to be an ideally matched couple. What's your secret?

A: It's chemistry, baby. You can't fight it. What's cool about acting with Adam is that I always am surprised and challenged, and it's always really interesting. We acted together on another project recently, a film that Adam produced and is the star of, called "A.C.O.D." (as in Adult Children of Divorce). We know each other's rhythms, and we're comfortable with each other, which is half the battle when you're working in comedy.

Q: What has been your favorite Ben-and-Leslie moment from the show so far?

A: The proposal. I thought the proposal scene was so beautifully written (by executive producer Michael Schur). I remember getting it and nobody changed a word. Everybody was really happy for the characters, and it was a combination of really sweet and heartfelt and very earned but also just very funny.

Q: Where does "Parks and Recreation" rank among the high points in your career?

A: It's surpassed my wildest expectations of how good it could be. Every minute, it just keeps getting better and a richer experience. Honestly, this show has enriched my life. It's like a job I'll never have again. So I'm very grateful for it every minute. I get to be on something with the best cast in television or film. That's what I get to work with every day.