Best New Show Of Spring: Party Down On Starz

Since attending the Starz presentation at the Television Critics Association Press Tour back in January, I have been chomping at the bit for a chance to preview their upcoming comedy, Party Down. Imagine how excited I was to then receive screeners of the first three episodes yesterday. So excited, in fact, that last night I hunkered down to watch them.

And now, it is with great pleasure that I can report it is officially my new favorite show of the Spring. With any luck, this is the show that will finally catapult the cable network into the realm of its Premium big league brothers HBO and Showtime.

The mockumentary-style series, which premieres Friday, March 20 at 10:30 PM, focuses on a group of apathetic cater-waiters living in Los Angeles, who all migrated out West to make it - whether that be as an actor, writer, musician, or comedian - but presently find themselves frustratingly stuck in their mid 30s, having hung on to “the dream” for a bit too long.

The Party Down Catering Company crew is played by a gut-bustingly hilarious ensemble cast of Adam Scott (Step Brothers), Lizzy Caplan (True Blood), Jane Lynch (Best In Show), and Ken Marino (Reaper), along with Ryan Hansen (Friday The 13th) and relative newcomer Nelson Franklin (I Love You, Man), almost all of whom once shared screen time on the much-beloved drama Veronica Mars.

The Veronica Mars connection isn’t surprising, considering the series was created by the preternaturally talented ‘Mars’ alums Rob Thomas, John Enbom, and Dan Etheridge, as well as funnyman friend, Paul Rudd (Role Models).

Most of the cast, along with Etheridge, Thomas, and Enbom, were on hand for the Starz TCA session to tackle questions about the show.

When asked about the episodic breakdown of the show, Thomas explained each one will feature the characters covering a new event, which basically means the possibilities for plotlines are endless.

But an event is only as good as its societal lampooning abilities, something Thomas assured there will be no shortage of. The events will range from “a senior singles mixer, to a mobster-release-from-prison party, to a super sweet 16, to an adult video awards after party,” said Thomas.

It’s not just a show about wacky parties, Thomas clarified. It’s about the “ongoing lives of these six characters.”

Characters who, with one exception, are seriously out there. The exception? Henry Pollard, who is masterfully played by Adam Scott.

Henry is the token straight one of the bunch, having found one-time success with a character who spouted a lame one liner, “are we having fun yet?!,” but who has now accepted his lot in life as a genuine failure. Playing the straight guy doesn’t come without its own brand of sarcasm, however, and Scott nails it with subtle brilliance.

When asked whether it was relieving to move to comedy after working on HBO’s emotionally intense drama Tell Me You Love Me, Scott replied with an emphatic “yes,” adding “now I drive to work and hope I can keep a straight face while I’m working with Ken.

“Whereas I used to go into work thinking, ‘Oh, I hope I can cry properly when we lose the baby,’” he joked.

From the moment the pilot begins, it’s pretty evident what everyones motivations are: themselves. The camera opens on Marino’s character, team leader Ron Donald, in the kitchen of that day’s client: an attractive, jittery suburban housewife.

While Ron is reassuring her of his highly capable and effective team, two of those team members, Constance (Lynch) and Kyle (Hansen) are busy in the background rehearsing lines for an upcoming casting call.

When Ron enthusiastically attempts to draw their attention to party-related duties, Constance replies indignantly “he got a call back for The Palisades, Ron. We’re running a scene!” Ron’s response? “That’s great! Instead of running the scene, why don’t we run some bruschetta!

Also in on the TCA session was Lizzy Caplan, who’s no stranger to the service industry. While in between acting gigs, Caplan used to work as a caterer for Hollywood premiere parties.

When asked about the often careless and arrogant ‘you should be serving me’ attitude of the characters, Caplan quipped: “there’s nobody really cockier than the unemployed actor!”

Be on the lookout for a sneak peek at the first episode here on Fancast March 13th. After that, it’s up to you to tune in to Starz each week. And if you don’t subscribe to it yet, what are you waiting for?

More on These Topics: Party Down | The Ziedgiest