News

Kristen Bell and Adam Scott met more than 20 years ago when he guest-starred on her teen detective drama “Veronica Mars.” They’ve since shared the screen in a handful of comedies — “Party Down,” “Parks & Recreation” and “The Good Place” — becoming so friendly that Scott’s teenage daughter babysits Bell’s kids.

“Here’s the problem with actors who are friends or see each other socially: It all blends,” Bell says as the two sit down to discuss their latest projects. “We went out to dinner two weeks ago. I don’t know if that was a scene or if we were at dinner.”

Scott chimes in, joking, “Were we shooting that?”

They weren’t, but fortunately the cameras are rolling for this conversation about their current hit shows — Bell’s “Nobody Wants This,” a rom-com about an agnostic sex podcaster who falls for a hot rabbi, and Scott’s “Severance,...

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

30 Rock is a satirical comedy series created by Tina Fey. The NBC series is set behind the scenes of a fictional live sketch comedy show, and it follows its head writer and showrunner, Liz Lemon, as she deals with a new and arrogant boss and eccentric stars. 30 Rock stars Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer, Scott Adsit, Judah Friedlander, Alec Baldwin, Katrina Bowden, Keith Powell, Lonny Ross, Kevin Brown, Grizz Chapman, Maulik Pancholy, and John Lutz. So, if you loved hilarious comedy, entertaining stories, and compelling characters in 30 Rock, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Credit – NBC

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a police procedural workplace comedy series created by Dan Goor and Michael Schur. The Fox and, later on, the NBC series is set in New York City.

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Community is a satirical comedy series created by Dan Harmon. The NBC series follows Jeff Winger, a lawyer who gets disbarred after it is discovered that he lied about having a bachelor’s degree. To get his legal career back, he began attending Greendale Community College. He soon befriends a group of misfits, including Britta, Abed, Shirley, Annie, Troy, and Pierce. Community stars Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Alison Brie, Donald Glover, Ken Jeong, Chevy Chase, and Jim Rash. So, if you loved the entertaining stories, hilarious dark comedy, and compelling characters in Community, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

A.P. Bio Credit – Peacock

A.P. Bio is a workplace comedy sitcom series created by Mike O’Brien. The NBC series follows Jack Griffin, a philosophy professor who gets fired from...

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The White Lotus is a satirical comedy-drama anthology series created by Mike White. The HBO series revolves around the guests and employees of the fictional White Lotus resort chain. It explores the dysfunctionality and secrets of both the employees and guests, which completely ruins what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation. The White Lotus stars Murray Bartlett, Alexandra Daddario, Sydney Sweeney, Jennifer Coolidge, F. Murray Abraham, Theo James, Aubrey Plaza, Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, and Walton Goggins. So, if you loved the scathing satire, hilarious comedy, and compelling characters in The White Lotus, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Hulu

Nine Perfect Strangers is a mystery thriller drama series created by David E. Kelley. Based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty,...

Belated revivals of cult shows don’t always pan out, but the third season of Party Down, which came out last year, somehow managed to live up to fans’ high expectations. Even with Lizzy Caplan unable to return to the show for more than a brief cameo, Party Down managed to tap into what made the original two seasons so great, thanks in large part to Ken Marino’s extraordinary performance as the hopelessly pathetic aspiring soup franchisee Ron Donald.

Season Three also saw the return of Henry Pollard’s signature line: “Are we having fun yet?” The slogan from Henry’s viral beer commercial seems to stalk him wherever he goes, serving as a constant reminder that he’s past his prime, and also that his prime consisted of an insipid ad that basically killed his career.

The wording of the fictitious slogan is perfect, its cheerful call for...

Parks And Recreation star Adam Scott will make his directorial debut with revenge thriller Double Booked. Here’s what we know so far…

Previously best known for his acting work, Adam Scott has long been a regular fixture on the small screen, perhaps most notably playing Ben Wyatt in Parks And Recreation. He also won a Golden Globe for his performance in Severance, which is currently on its second series at Apple TV+.

Scott is now making his feature directorial debut with revenge thriller Double Booked, in which he will also star. The synopsis reads as follows:

Double Booked follows a successful self-help writer (Scott) and his heavily pregnant wife (Zazie Beetz) who organize a weekend away at a secluded lodge, only to encounter another couple (Sterling K Brown and Alexandra Daddario) at their cabin when they arrive. With a blizzard moving in they are forced to spend the night together,...

This story about “Party Down” first appeared in the Comedy Series issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.

What makes a good revival series? Ask the cast of “Party Down” and they’ll be the first to admit returning for a third season 13 years after the show went off the air was a risk — both commercially and creatively.

“It’s pretty easy to tarnish the legacy of the show,” star and executive producer Adam Scott

told TheWrap. “No matter how much goodwill you have with an audience, and no matter how great the cast is, if you don’t have a good story and a good reason for those characters to be there, it doesn’t really matter. You can squander that goodwill within the first 10 minutes of the first episode.”

“Party Down” launched in 2009 as a story of Hollywood malaise through the eyes of employees at a catering company, all...

When Adam Scott was cast as struggling actor and cater waiter Henry Pollard on the Starz comedy “Party Down” back in 2008, there was a bit of art imitating life. Up to that point in his career, Scott had appeared on countless shows and in supporting roles in major films, but hadn’t yet broken through to mainstream success and name recognition.

“I connected very directly with the character in a lot of ways,” Scott tells Gold Derby in an exclusive video interview of getting cast on the series. “I think for everyone in the cast, we all had this connection to the predicament all these characters were in – it’s part of what bonded us to the show and to each other so intensely back then: This show about this specific thing made us feel better about that specific thing. And it was really good and super funny, and so fun.

Ken Marino credits his pal Adam Scott for making the unlikely and unexpected “Party Down” revival a reality. “Adam helped guide this and make this happen in a real way,” he tells Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast. “I think everybody in that cast recognized how special it was, and to just kind of go back and to get to do some more, to be with these people again, creatively, it’s a real gift.”

The first two seasons of “Party Down” aired on Starz in 2009 and 2010; the revival takes place a decade after the show’s last episode and features the returns of Marino as Ron, the slightly clueless catering manager who now owns the business — well, running it out of his van — and Scott as Henry, the sardonic failed actor who’s now a teacher and working on the side with Party Down to help pay for his alimony.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the finale of Party Down season 3Two of the producers behind Party Down have discussed the possibility of the show being renewed for season 4. The cult comedy series, which follows the exploits of a group of caterers trying to make it in Hollywood, ran for two seasons on Starz between 2009 and 2010 before being canceled due to low viewership. However, the show gained a cult following in the intervening years, leading Starz to renew the show for a third season reuniting the original cast, which ran between February 24 and March 31.

Deadline recently interviewed co-creator John Enbom and star/EP Adam Scott about the Party Down revival at their Contenders TV event. When asked if there would be another long wait before the show gets renewed for season 4, Enbom said "probably." Scott was slightly more positive, saying that they "would do anything to work with [Starz] some more.

After waiting 13 years for the long-discussed Season 3 revival of the Starz comedy Party Down, will fans have to wait just as long for another installment?

“Probably,” said showrunner and EP John Enbom today at Deadline’s Contenders TV. “But hopefully [it’ll come] sooner.”

“We would love to do more, and Starz has been so incredible with the show this season that we would do anything to work with them some more,” added actor-ep Adam Scott. “It would be fun.”

Related: The Contenders TV – Deadline’s Full Coverage

The series co-created by Enbom, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge and Paul Rudd originally ran for two critically acclaimed seasons from 2009-2010, lingering as a cult classic in the years since after being cancelled in part due to low ratings. It in its first two seasons introduced a troupe of creatives hoping to make it big in Hollywood, as they stumble through their lives, working for a Los Angeles catering company.

Deadline’s Contenders Television, where the top networks and streamers are showing off their wares and Emmy hopefuls, continues Sunday with 20 more panels after a chock-full Saturday featuring some of the best and brightest series this awards season.

Click here to register for and watch the livestream.

After the likes of Riley Keogh, Patrick Stewart, Steven Yeun, Natasha Lyonne, Marc Maron, Wanda Sykes, Kathryn Hahn and Joel McHale took the DGA Theater stage in Los Angeles, Sunday’s lineup is slated to feature appearances by Helen Mirren, Adam Scott, Quinta Brunson, Maya Rudolph, Taron Egerton, Jason Segel, Bryan Cranston, Weird Al Yankovic, Kerry Washington, Elle Fanning, Paddy Considine and many more.

The studios and streamers participating this weekend at our panel extravaganza: Peacock, Prime Video, National Geographic, Apple TV+, Netflix, Hulu, CBS Studios, Showtime, Fox Entertainment, Paramount+, AMC/AMC+, HBO Max, Starz, Sony Pictures Television, ABC, Roku, Onyx Collective and Disney+.

Party Down returned to television after 12 years, and even set against the high bar of a beloved cult show trying to re-capture lightning in a bottle, the six-episode third season was very good. The comedy was sharp, the characters had grown (or not grown) in believable ways, and the new characters and storylines were all quite satisfying. Sometimes nostalgic yearning works out, and the Party Down revival was one of those times. Now the show is faced with a new question: Will there be a Season 4? And if so, how do creators/producers John Enbom, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge, and Paul Rudd keep these good times rolling?...

Warning: Contains spoilers for Party Down season 3 episode 6The co-creator of Party Down explains how that major cameo will come into play if season 4 happens. Although the recent Party Down revival brought back a lot of the comedy's original stars, including Adam Scott, Jane Lynch, Ken Marino, Martin Starr, Ryan Hansen, and Megan Mullally, there was a notable absence in Lizzy Caplan. Due to the actor's schedule, it was explained that Caplan's character, Casey, had become a relatively big deal in Hollywood. The Party Down season 3 finale contained one last surprise, however.

Once the initial credits rolled, Henry (Scott) sees Casey looking for a bottle of vodka in the kitchen he's working. The two embrace, harkening back to their former romance, with Casey whispering that she's planning to quit her big movie franchise. As she walks away, Casey smiles at Henry, and the moment is clearly meant to set up...

The cast and creators of “Party Down” had a secret up their sleeves.

While promoting the third season of the once cancelled series, almost everyone involved in the revival of “Party Down” was tight-lipped about the absence of original star Lizzy Caplan.

Creator and EP John Enbom previously told Variety that Caplan was “booked through the entire window that we had” and was “bummed that she was not able to join us.” He also said, “we were bummed, too – we really liked working with her.”

However, everyone seemed to keep her cameo appearance a giant secret at the end of the season’s sixth and final episode.

Read More: Joshua Jackson To Star In ‘Fatal Attraction’ Series With Lizzy Caplan

“I can’t believe that they were able to keep it a secret,” Caplan surprisedly told Variety in a post-credits interview. “There are no secrets these days!”

Production pulled off...

This post contains spoilers for the Season 3 finale of “Party Down”

It took almost the entire season, but “Party Down” fans finally got a long-awaited reunion between Henry (Adam Scott) and Casey (Lizzy Caplan). In the Season 3 finale episode tag, a disillusioned Casey returns to Los Angeles to promote her latest project and finally reconnects with Henry during the press junket. The brief interaction, where Casey reveals she hasn’t found happiness even in success and might seek to explode her current life and return to the city and presumably Henry, sets up another season of the cult comedy that would presumably feature Caplan in a starring role. Or, if “Party Down” never returns to Starz, it serves as an unresolved finish reminiscent of “The Graduate.”

Caplan missed the reunion season because of her busy 2022 production schedule. The actress shot FX’s “Fleishman Is In Trouble” and the Paramount+ series...

[This story contains spoilers from the season three finale of Starz’s Party Down.]

The revival of Starz’s cult-favorite comedy Party Down finally found a way to reunite Adam Scott’s Henry and Lizzy Caplan’s Casey.

After much media discussion surrounded Caplan being unable to appear in the six-episode third season due to scheduling issues, the show managed to keep secret its final twist — and her brief appearance. As a tag at the end of the season finale, viewers got to see Casey, who has landed a role on a hit TV series that makes her miserable, during her chance encounter with Henry following his decision to end things with Evie (Jennifer Garner).

This was a long-awaited moment for fans who loved Henry and Casey’s chemistry in the first two seasons before the series about a catering team initially signed off back in June 2010. Co-created by John Enbom, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge and Paul Rudd, Party Down features a...

This post contains spoilers for the season finale of Party Down, “Sepulveda Basin High School Spring Play Opening Night.”

Throughout the publicity campaign for Starz’s unexpected revival of Party Down, the stars and producers of the comedy cult classic all lamented the fact that Lizzy Caplan was not able to rejoin the rest of her old co-stars due to conflicts with other jobs she took. Words like “heartbreaking” and “sad” were used repeatedly as Rolling Stone interviewed everyone for a making-of feature about this new season.

So, about that.

The following contains spoilers from Party Down‘s Season 3 finale.

Henry Pollard may have even surprised himself with the big decision he made in Party Down‘s finale Friday, but by episode’s end, it wasn’t the only shocker he would be gobsmacked by.

More from TVLineHeels Reveals First Season 2 Footage, Narrows Down Awaited Release DateOutlander's Sam Heughan to Lead Sexy Starz Thriller The Couple Next DoorOutlander Gets Premiere Date for Season 7, to Be Split Into Two Parts

After choosing to ultimately turn down Evie’s offer to travel abroad and revive his acting career, Henry found himself still...

Spoiler Alert: This interview contains spoilers from the finale of “Party Down,” currently airing on Starz and streaming on the Starz app.

The team behind “Party Down” have been lying through their teeth, and for good reason.

All this time, while promoting the third season of the cater-waiter cult comedy — which returned to Starz 13 years after its initial cancellation — the cast and co-creators have fielded questions about the absence of Lizzy Caplan, the only original star to not appear in Season 3.

“Lizzy was booked throughout the entire window that we had,” creator and EP John Enbom previously told Variety. “She was very bummed that she was not able to join us. And we were bummed, too — we really liked working with her.”

But they were hiding a trick up their sleeves, as Caplan makes a shocking cameo at the end of the season’s sixth and final episode. “I can...

After a 13-year hiatus, the third season of “Party Down” premiered on Starz last month, proving it’s still the most underrated laugh riot on TV. The series boasts an all-star cast including Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, Jennifer Coolidge and Megan Mullally, working as caterers whose hopes at Hollywood superstardom have been dashed.

With a stellar rating of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, the critics’ consensus reads, “Returning after a long layoff, Party Down brings patient fans a third season that’s every bit as sharp — and laugh-out-loud funny — as its predecessors.” Ignored by major awards shows for its first two cycles, the comedy created by John Enbom, Dan Etheridge, Paul Rudd and Rob Thomas won the AFI TV Program of the Year Award in 2010, where they called it “wickedly funny” and “television’s best-kept secret.” Read our review roundup for Season 3 below.

See Revived comedy ‘Party Down’ debuts trailer

Rendy Jones of RogerEbert.

Party Down is no stranger to celebrity guest stars, and Season 3 has been no exception with several famous faces joining the cult comedy since its return to TV. And now, with the March 10 episode, the show is hosting a special Parks and Recreation reunion. Nick Offerman is joining former costar and Party Down lead Adam Scott for the third episode of the revived series’ third season, “First Annual PI2A Symposium.” According to the episode’s logline, Ron (Ken Marino) is desperate to keep Party Down afloat, so he books an event for an extremely problematic group leading to complications for everyone. It was written by John Enbom and directed by Judy Weng. Adam Scott and Nick Offerman in Parks and Recreation (Credit: Colleen Hayes / © NBC / Courtesy Everett Collection) While fans will have to tune in to see how it all unfolds, Scott teased his reunion with Offerman, who featured...

Nick Offerman plays a food-obsessed neo-Nazi in an upcoming episode of Starz’s “Party Down.” In a clip exclusive to Variety, Offerman’s alt-right character compliments the food cooked by Party Down’s head chef Lucy, played by Zoë Chao. As a flustered Chao picks up a knife for self-defense, Offerman praises her: “I just wanted to offer my sincere compliments. The food is sublime.”

Premiering on Feb. 24 with episodes releasing weekly, Season 3 of “Party Down” picks up a decade after the first two seasons, which aired in 2009 and 2010. Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Ryan Hansen, Jane Lynch, Martin Starr and Megan Mullally (Offerman’s real-life wife) reprise their original roles. “Party Down” is created by John Enbom, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge and Paul Rudd.

Watch the clip below.

Also in today’s TV news:

Trailers

Josh (Keegan-Michael Key) and Melissa (Cecily Strong) are back in the world of “Schmigadoon,...

[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for the first episode of “Party Down” Season 3.]

Here’s some context for how long it’s been since “Party Down” went away: The last episode of the original run aired when “Iron Man 2” was still in theaters.

Now the show is back in a very different entertainment landscape, not just in how people watch things but what’s dominating the culture they’re a part of. Naturally, with the show coming back nearly 13 years after it disappeared off the Starz schedule, comic book movies are a running theme in Season 3. The first episode of the show’s reboot finds the old Party Down crew reunited at a party for Kyle (Ryan Hansen), recently cast as the newest member of an unnamed extended film universe. Throughout the season, characters toss out names of superhero movies ranging from the familiar (Megan Mullally was born to say the words “Guardians: Infinity Sticks”) to the bizarre (Jennifer Garner...

Starz’s cult comedy Party Down finally returned to screens with the premiere of its highly anticipated third season. But when the season opener kicked off, the catering crew was short one sizable leading character.

While actress Lizzy Caplan’s absence wasn’t a surprise (scheduling conflicts with FX’s Fleishman Is in Trouble and Paramount+’s upcoming Fatal Attraction prevented her from taking part), it did leave the question of how the series would write off the show’s aspiring and struggling actress/comedian Casey Klein. Just minutes into the premiere, Ron mentions how a twist of fate can change everything,...

Thirteen years later, “Party Down” is back in business. Season 3 features most of the iconic catering crew reuniting under unexpected circumstances, after they seemed to move onto bigger and better things when the second season ended in 2010. Creators John Enbom, Dan Etheridge and Paul Rudd are behind the return of the comedy, as are most of the original cast.

Lizzy Caplan, who played Casey Klein, won’t be returning this time around. Her character got a “Saturday Night Live” gig back in Season 2. From Adam Scott to Jane Lynch to Ken Marino to Martin Starr, many familiar faces will return to the fan-favorite comedy. Several newcomers like Jennifer Garner and James Marsden will spice up the show, along with some surprise special guest stars. Season 3 launches Friday, Feb. 24, with a whole new buffet of shenanigans, entanglements and more.

Here are the cast and characters in Season 3 of “Party Down”:...

“Party Down” is back 13 years after its first season debuted. The Starz sitcom was canceled after its second season came out in 2010, but its revival for a third season was a long time coming. The show’s plot picks up ten years later with most of the original cast members.

Returning names behind the camera for this third season include executive producers Rob Thomas, John Enbom, Paul Rudd, Dan Etheridge and Adam Scott, who also stars in the show. Enbom serves as showrunner.

Fans of the first two seasons, or of Scott’s more recent work in “Severance,” may be wondering how to watch “Party Down” Season 3 and where it’s streaming. We have the details about below:

Also Read:

‘Party Down’ Season 3 Trailer: Being a Loser in LA Should Never Be This Fun (Video) When Does “Party Down” Season 3 Premiere?

The third season of “Party Down” premieres Friday, Feb.

Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for Daisy Jones and the Six, Cocaine Bear, Party Down and Bel-Air.

Cocaine Bear premiere

Elizabeth Banks debuted her latest project on Tuesday in L.A., alongside producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller and stars Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Margo Martindale and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

Aditya Sood, Elizabeth Banks, Christopher Miller and Phil Lord Keri Russell and Jesse Tyler Ferguson Alden Ehrenreich

Party Down premiere

Thirteen years after the workplace comedy came to a close, Ken Marino, Martin Starr, Jane Lynch, Megan Mullally and Ryan Hansen attended the premiere for the show’s third season in L.A. on Wednesday, with new castmembers Jennifer Garner, James Marsden, Zoë Chao and Tyrel Jackson Williams.

Executive vp of original programming at Starz Karen Bailey, Martin Starr, president...

Revivals have been all the rage in Hollywood for the last few years, but for “Party Down,” there’s essentially been talk of some kind of reunion or continuation since it was canceled in 2010. At long last, 13 years later, Season 3 has arrived.

The half-hour comedy series launched in 2009, a story of Hollywood malaise as told through the eyes of the workers at a catering company, with each episode taking place at a different event. Ahead of its time, the ensemble cast ranged from Adam Scott to Lizzy Caplan to Jane Lynch to Martin Starr, all of whom would go on to star in massively successful shows of their own in the ensuing years.

While the series wasn’t formally canceled until after Season 2 aired, Adam Scott said he had an inkling during the filming of the second season finale that they wouldn’t be back.

“There was a feeling — at...

“Party Down” was an underdog show about underdogs — out-of-luck caterers who dreamed of one day rubbing shoulders with Hollywood rainmakers rather than serving them hors d’oeuvres.

In the series, which ran on Starz for two seasons (2009-10), an ensemble cast led by Adam Scott and Ken Marino paraded around Los Angeles, working funerals, orgies and everything in between. The scrappy comedy got creative with a small budget, centering episodes around a corporate picnic or a one-man birthday party, which didn’t require hiring extras. Showrunner and co-creator John Enbom says the team wouldn’t pitch a “dog wedding,” for example, because they knew they “couldn’t afford to hire 20 animal trainers.”

“Party Down” drew a cult following and critical acclaim — but also low ratings, so it was canceled by Starz, the underdog premium cabler. Since then, the show has enjoyed a second life on Hulu, picking up viewers who...

The most iconic moment in Starz‘ beloved cult comedy Party Down never actually happened. But with the long-awaited arrival of Party Down season 3 on Friday, Feb. 24, it just might. Allow us to explain.

In Party Down‘s 2009 pilot, it finally became clear to struggling actor Henry Pollard (Adam Scott) that fame and fortune probably just wasn’t in the cards for him. So Henry resigned himself to a life of “slinging ‘doeuvres” with the rest of the Party Down crew, themselves all failed entertainers as well.

Unlike his Party Down peers, however, Henry did enjoy one fleeting moment of success. It came in the form of a beer commercial that went viral for Henry’s enthusiastic delivery of the line “Are we having fun yet?” The fabled “Are we having fun yet” commercial is referenced in Party Down‘s very first episode when a reveler at the Willow Canyon Homeowners...

What would happen if “Glee” cutthroat cheer coach Sue Sylvester met ditzy “Party Down” actor Constance Carmell? Well, according to Jane Lynch, the performer behind both characters, the two would actually get along quite nicely.

“I think they’d be fast friends,” Lynch told Variety at the Season 3 premiere of “Party Down.” “Constance is not the smartest person in the world, but she’s confident in her own goodness. And she has great self-esteem, and deep down inside Sue Sylvester does not. They would be a great…good cop, bad cop. They could do a comic cop show, but I would have to play both characters, and it would be a lot more. Wouldn’t it be great, though?”

The original “Party Down” series, which debuted in 2009, depicts struggling actors working for a Los Angeles catering company as they await their big break. The reboot catches the stars a decade later,...

In this new era of television, one series that was ahead of its time in comedy, and unjustly fell to the wayside over a decade ago, is making a triumphant and celebrated return. From Starz and the original writer, John Enbom, Party Down is making its comeback with a very long-awaited Season 3. Reuniting nearly all the original lineup — an ensemble cast of now-well-known faces — fans get to pick back up with Adam Scott’s Henry Pollard and friends thirteen years after we left off. We’re talking Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, Ryan Hansen, Megan Mullally, and Martin Starr, whose most recent roles include Paramount+’s Tulsa King, Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities on Netflix, and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Thirteen years after the end of its second season, Party Down has returned for its third.

The comeback was a long time coming, following several revival plans that fell through (including a movie), until stars Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Martin Starr, Jane Lynch, Megan Mullally and Ryan Hansen reunited for the workplace cater waiter comedy.

“I gave up hope about five years ago — before that I was saying it’s definitely going to happen, definitely going to happen and then I gave up,” Marino told The Hollywood Reporter at the L.A. premiere on Wednesday night. “And then about three years later I got an email saying, ‘Oh we’re going to do this.’ So the moral of the story is give up hope on things, and then maybe they’ll circle back to you.”

Executive producer Rob Thomas explained the show was canceled the first time when a new president took over at Starz,...

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission.

Over a decade after serving up sarcasm and canapés, the aspiring actors of Party Down are back. The cult-favorite comedy series that first aired in 2009 has been revived for its third season on Starz, reuniting returning stars Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Martin Starr, Ryan Hansen and Jane Lynch and bringing on newcomers Jennifer Garner, Zoë Chao and Tyrel Jackson Williams. (Original star Lizzy Caplan was unable to join due to scheduling conflicts.)

Premiering Feb. 24, the latest season kicks off with Kyle (Hansen), who is on the verge of stardom and hires his old catering employer, Party Down, for an event and invites former colleagues Henry (Scott), Lydia (Mullally) and Constance (Lynch) as party guests. Ron (Marino) manages the business and Roman (Starr) is still on the team,...

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

“All dressed up and going nowhere.” It’s been over a decade since we’ve seen the catering crew of Party Down on our screens. But thanks to a reboot on Starz, the show — starring Adam Scott, Jane Lynch, Megan Mullally, Ryan Hansen, and Ken Marino — returns for another round of parties in the third season of the cult comedy.

Buy Starz Subscription at $5/month for 3 months

Party Down...

The great frustration of Party Down failing to find an audience when it aired on Starz in 2009 and 2010 didn’t stem from how good the show was. I’m used to great shows not generating big numbers.

No, what rankled was that if you looked at the ratings for Party Down, you’d get the impression that it was in some way an esoteric show, intended for a niche demographic. The reality was that not only was Party Down packed with already-familiar actors who have only become more familiar and more beloved in the subsequent decade; it was also a really broad, really accessible, often downright zany show. Sure, it was a bit smarter than your average bear and its perspective on Hollywood-adjacent culture was a bit inside-baseball. But it was structured as a reasonably traditional workplace sitcom, one with an endlessly renewable narrative engine that should have set it...

When "Party Down" was cancelled in 2010, fans of the acclaimed catering company comedy clamored for a comeback. Thirteen years later, Starz finally complied and have started the party once again by bringing back the series created by John Enbom, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge, and Paul Rudd. However, the sitcom, which stars Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Ryan Hansen, Martin Starr, Jane Lynch, and Megan Mullally (but unfortunately not Lizzy Caplan due to scheduling conflicts), is only returning for a six-episode third season. But it sounds like this won't be the last hurrah for our beloved caterers.

With the past two seasons clocking in at ten episodes each, many are wondering why the comeback is cut a little short. But on the flip side, maybe it means that there's actually more story to be told. During a recent roundtable discussion with Hansen and Starr, /Film's Ryan Scott asked whether the show would...

Everyone involved in the long-awaited Party Down season 3 experienced a moment in which they finally realized that this was happening … that Starz’ little-watched but much-loved comedy was really coming back to television after 12 years away.

For Henry Pollard actor and producer Adam Scott (Severance), that moment arrived in fall of 2021 when Starz provided the cast and crew with a greenlight to begin shooting.

“I was like ‘Oh my god, this is a real TV show again.'”

For showrunner John Enbom, it was when the studio opened up its checkbook.

“I think it became really real when we were able to open an office. Because when somebody actually writes a check, then it’s real.”

That moment for Ron Donald actor Ken Marino didn’t arrive until he was actually on set for the first day of shooting.

“We’ve been talking about this for a long time. At a...

It’s been over a decade since we last saw the Party Down catering team, but they’re back and ready to serve, crisp pink bowties and all.

In the upcoming Season 3 (which premieres Friday, Feb. 24 at 9/8c on Starz), getting reacquainted with this motley crew is as scrumptious as a pig in a blanket. (Don’t just take our word for it. Hear what Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, Ryan Hansen and Martin Starr had to say about their long-awaited reunion in the video above). And while most of the show’s DNA remains the same — the company...

In this new era of television, one series that was ahead of its time in comedy, and unjustly fell to the wayside over a decade ago, is making a triumphant and celebrated return. From Starz and the original writer, John Enbom, Party Down is making its comeback with a very long-awaited Season 3. Reuniting nearly all the original lineup — an ensemble cast of now-well-known faces — fans get to pick back up with Adam Scott’s Henry Pollard and friends thirteen years after we left off. We’re talking Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, Martin Starr, Ryan Hansen, and Megan Mullally. Are we having fun yet?...

After a thirteen-year break, the cult classic series Party Down is back for a third season. Although the Starz series failed to gain an overly wide audience during its initial two-season run, over a decade of word-of-mouth has put enough support behind the show to warrant a return. It's a fortunate development, as the first run of Party Down was a hilarious and incredibly relatable effort (especially for creative types) that also served as a launching ground of sorts for some of today's best-known actors.

Two of those actors are Ryan Hansen (Kyle Bradway) and Martin Starr (Roman DeBeers), whose rivalry was a highlight of the show's initial run. Of course, Bradway and Starr are highly accomplished outside their work on Party Down, with Starr lending his talents to HBO's Silicon Valley and Hansen a recurring member on Veronica Mars, among many other projects. It's refreshing to see the two together again,...

Warning: Mild spoilers for Party Down.The long-awaited return of Party Down is finally here, thirteen years later. The first season of Party Down debuted on Starz in 2009, and audiences instantly fell in love with its complementary cast of comedic actors - all of whom would go on to dominate box offices and television screens alike in the future. Although Party Down ended after its second season in 2010, the show accumulated a cult following and dedicated enough support that a reboot was warranted.

With the unfortunate exception of Lizzy Caplan, who couldn't participate due to scheduling issues, the new season of Party Down is a joyfully complete reunion. The core catering group has returned, including Jane Lynch, who wasn't able to participate in the show's second season. Of course, Ken Marino's Ron is a main character, and continues to drive the story forward thanks to his hilarious combination of haplessness and ambition.

In life, timing is everything. That doesn't necessarily mean that you need to have everything planned. An exciting new job, a once-in-a-lifetime trip, or an unexpected relationship may not be a part of your original plans, but they could be just as good, if not better than whatever you had in mind.

This definitely happens all the time in entertainment. Shows get canceled, series orders get cut, and actors get other jobs all the time. The business is constantly in flux. But if you're among those that have a story to tell and want to get it out there on a screen and in front of people, sometimes you need to shoot your shot once it's in your sights. And for the creators of "Party Down," who have wanted to continue their cult classic series since leaving the airwaves in 2010 due to low ratings, they made their shot count in a big way.

In the new Ant-Man film, Paul Rudd’s character learns all about the concept of alternate timelines. In an alternate version of our own timeline, he would have starred in Party Down.

Rudd co-created the great Starz comedy, which is improbably rising from the dead later this month, with TV producer pals John Enbom, Dan Etheridge, and Rob Thomas. The series was inspired by their viewing of the original British version of The Office, along with Rudd’s pre-acting work as a DJ for weddings, bar mitzvahs, and other events in LA.

The cult classic Starz series Party Down is back, and it's just as good as ever. The first season of Party Down aired in 2009 and was followed up with a second season a year later, but it was ultimately canceled after finding a dedicated but small audience. Luckily for the Party Down faithful and comedy lovers in general, the show only gained popularity and respect in the years since its absence, finally earning a long-awaited third season.

As much of the beloved nature of the first run of Party Down is due to the show's fantastic ensemble cast, it's a relief that nearly every original member has returned. One such member is Adam Scott, who plays the apathetic actor-turned-bartender Henry Pollard of in-show beer commercial fame. Unlike Henry Pollard, of course, Scott's career has only skyrocketed since the early days of Party Down, most recently with his turn on the theory-generating Apple TV+ show Severance.

When you become a fan of a TV show, it's fair to say that you want those involved to have successful careers. In fact, you probably don't want them to just succeed. You want your favorite stars to thrive, especially if that series that you love will not be continuing.

When "Arrested Development" ended in 2006 after three seasons, the cast went on to star in fan-favorite films and series such as "Juno," "Despicable Me," "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," "Archer," "Veep," and more. Following the end of "Community," the study group likewise branched out into a variety of productions. (Jim Rash even won an Oscar.) And the same thing happened to the stars of "Party Down" following its cancellation.

As the creators of all three of these shows would later find out, owing to the level of fame achieved by those involved, it's hard to bring their in-demand casts completely back together again.

Catering is a shit job. The hours are inconsistent and absurd. The clients are particular and impossible to please. But it’s the work itself that kills you. There’s the creeping exhaustion of standing in one place for five hours, intermittently returning to the kitchen for more bite-sized salmon rolls or, God forbid, 12 glasses of the party’s themed cocktail (which no one ever wants). Your back hurts, your feet hurt, and your white shirt inevitably ends up stained. Mentally, it’s worse. Those drinks you’re passing out? Six white, six red, and all in “special” glassware provided by the host? They’re worth more than you are — meaning if you break one, you’re fired. Where you’re working and who you’re working for serve as a two-pronged reminder of the career and financial security you lack. Catering in Hollywood always comes with the vexing temptation...

Revivals of older TV shows are impossible for studios to resist, and almost as impossible to pull off successfully. The amount of time passed makes it hard not to focus directly on how characters and their performers have grown or aged. Moreover, the original shows often end appropriately with respect to their context and setting. So reviving these shows ends up invoking an unintentional sense of sadness; the closed book is reopened instead of just leaving well enough alone. In short, some shows are best left un-revived because bringing them back makes them feel undead in a way, like zombies who should have stayed in the grave.

From the outside in, a revival of the cult comedy "Party Down" would be an awfully hard thing to pull off. The original Starz series had a direct throughline of depression built into its core, as it tracked the foibles of a catering...

One sunny winter morning on a Malibu cliff overlooking the Pacific, a luau for radio-contest winners is in full swing. Dozens of middle-aged men in loud Hawaiian shirts are pregaming for a Sting concert, and mostly being ignored by a staff of cater-waiters tripping balls on mushrooms. Bartender Henry Pollard, clad in a white button-down and pink bow tie, is struggling to focus on the drinks rather than the guests’ attire. His new co-worker Sackson smiles and explains that he’s happy because “a bird just looked at me in a certain way.