When “Party Down” premiered on Starz in 2009, the premium cable channel was even more obscure than it is today, and in retrospect, the sitcom about the amusingly pathetic lives of Los Angeles cater-waiters probably never stood a chance at finding a wide audience. I don’t think I’d ever watched anything on Starz before checking out “Party Down,” which I was interested in primarily thanks to its association with “Veronica Mars” creator Rob Thomas.
It’s a minor miracle that “Party Down” lasted for two 10-episode seasons before getting canceled, and an even greater miracle that it amassed enough of a cult following to be revived for a six-episode third season in 2023. All three of those seasons are now streaming on Netflix, so the show has an opportunity to reach more viewers than it managed in their initial low-profile runs.
Anyone streaming “Party Down” on Netflix now will find a caustic, hilarious, well-acted comedy with some surprisingly heartfelt moments amid the ruthless Hollywood satire.
‘Party Down’ boasts an all-star lineup of comedic performers
Thomas and co-creators John Enbom, Dan Etheridge and Paul Rudd (yes, the actor) had an impressive eye for talent when casting “Party Down,” which features Adam Scott, Lizzy Caplan and Jane Lynch before their future breakout roles, along with The State’s Ken Marino, Martin Starr, Ryan Hansen and Megan Mullally. They play the employees of the Party Down catering company, and each episode takes place at a different event, allowing the show to constantly switch up locations and supporting characters.
The ensemble works remarkably well together from the opening episode, which finds Scott’s Henry Pollard returning to Party Down after years away, now that his acting career has fizzled. Nearly everyone in the company is a former or aspiring performer, and the show gently mocks their ambitions while also giving them moments of sympathetic vulnerability. Henry’s claim to fame is uttering a catchphrase in a beer commercial, but he’s also a genuinely talented actor who’s lost his passion for his craft.
The central romantic relationship on “Party Down” is between Henry and struggling comedian Casey Klein (Caplan), and they bond over their shared cynicism even as they provide each other moral support. Scott and Caplan are excellent at delivering sarcastic putdowns, but they also have sweet, believable chemistry, and one of the only disappointments of the revival season is that Caplan was too busy to appear for more than a brief cameo.
Marino is both tragic and hilarious as team leader Ron Donald, whose only ambition in life is to open a franchise location of a mediocre chain restaurant. Hansen gives vain actor/musician Kyle Bradway a sort of charming douchebag quality, and Starr finds similar charm on the opposite end of the personality spectrum as condescending would-be sci-fi writer Roman DeBeers. Lynch, Mullally and Jennifer Coolidge rotate through various episodes as the crew’s wild card, each bringing their own unique manic energy.
‘Party Down’ delivers sharp humor and engaging storylines
The different episode settings provide the context for different types of jokes, and some of the highlights include an adult film awards after-party, a mobster’s acquittal celebration, two different conventions of odious conservative activists, and multiple weddings.
My favorite episode involves the crew hanging out with actor Steve Guttenberg (playing himself) at his house when he forgets that he’s booked them for a birthday party that is no longer happening. It’s the perfect mix of personal drama, absurdist humor and unexpectedly strong insights about the creative process.
The second season ends on a lovely unresolved note, giving Henry a sliver of hope for his renewed acting ambitions, and bringing the show back after more than a decade away could have been a disaster. But "Party Down" season 3 is one of the best examples of the recent wave of TV-series revivals, even without Caplan and with limited appearances from Lynch and Mullally. Tyrel Jackson Williams and Zoë Chao make for solid additions to the catering crew, and Jennifer Garner delivers one of her best, most underrated performances as Henry’s new movie-producer love interest.
Most importantly, the third season retains the biting wit of the original two seasons, and there’s an added element of melancholy to seeing these characters mostly stuck in the same dead-end jobs 10-plus years later. It’s easy for viewers to relate to being young and wanting to pursue your dreams, and sadly it’s also easy to relate to being older and realizing those dreams have passed you by. In the meantime, life is often bitterly funny, and “Party Down” captures that ridiculousness in its entertainingly heightened way.
It’s oddly appropriate that a show about misfit losers was relegated to a lower-tier streaming platform, but now that it’s made its way to a big-time outlet on Netflix, maybe these also-rans can have their time to shine.
Stream “Party Down” on Netflix now
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