The ‘Party Down’ Revival is a Worthwhile Event

By Kaleena Rivera | TV | March 2, 2023 |

By Kaleena Rivera | TV | March 2, 2023 |

Generally speaking, I am not a fan of series revivals for a number of reasons, including the fact that the nature of art is, in one way or another, influenced by the cultural, social, and political forces occurring at that particular time; a revival usually risks coming across as either outdated or updated in a way that no longer feels true to the spirit of its original incarnation. So when it was announced that Party Down, the beloved but short-lived comedy series, was going to return nearly thirteen years after going off air, I had a few reservations despite my curiosity. For a workplace comedy, it’s a premise that transfers easily enough to 2023: a group of Hollywood wanna-bes work for a catering company, forced to serve rich jerks who simultaneously evoke feelings of contempt and envy. But what gave the show its spark was a cast who, at the time, were a group of up-and-coming actors the likes of Adam Scott, Lizzy Caplan, Ken Marino, Martin Starr, and Jane Lynch. Party Down became a springboard for Scott and Lynch in particular, the two of whom went on to career-defining roles on Parks and Recreation and Glee, respectively.

Now the gang is back again, along with original series co-stars Megan Mullally and Ryan Hansen—Caplan, unfortunately, was unable to return due to scheduling issues (per THR) with Fleishman is in Trouble—and we get to see how things have, or haven’t, changed for them over the last decade (the premiere plays with the timeline for reasons that are later revealed). Of the old crew members, resident pretty boy Kyle (Hansen) is the one to achieve the success that his fellow caterers sought, having landed the lead role in a superhero film, much to the chagrin of his old rival, Roman (Starr). Roman not only hasn’t made it as a sci-fi writer, he’s still working at Party Down alongside longtime supervisor Ron (Marino). After giving acting another failed try, Henry (Scott) has settled into a life as a high school teacher, though his old catchphrase (“Are we having fun yet?”) still haunts him at every turn, while Lydia (Mullally) is enjoying success-by-proxy now that her daughter’s (Liv Hewson, originally played by Kaitlyn Dever) star is on the rise. Meanwhile, Constance (Lynch) has been living comfortably as a widow and being a patron of the arts. But soon each of them, even the ones who have left Party Down in their rearview mirror, are brought back into the fold for one reason or another.

Despite the time that has passed both in real life and on the series, each performer effortlessly steps right back into their roles. If it wasn’t for everyone being naturally aged up—seeing that the eternally boyish Adam Scott is nearly fifty almost sent me into an existential crisis (what even is time?)—it would be almost impossible to tell that any significant time has passed since season two. To mix things up a little, there are several younger additions to the cast in the form of young caterers Sackson (Tyrel Jackson Williams) and Penny (Nandini Bapat). The original iteration of Party Down reliably featured an array of guest stars, and the revival appears to be upping the ante, as the premiere flaunts multiple stars, including James Marsden and Quinta Brunson in a delightful turn as a duplicitous agent.

The revival is a limited series in truth, as there are a total six episodes for the season. Although I have only seen the first episode thus far, I enjoyed this reunion enough that I’m a bit bummed that they weren’t able to do a whole ten-episode run similar to previous seasons (I assume scheduling was challenging so all is forgiven). Of the countless revivals and reboots, the vast majority of which fall squarely between “mediocre” and “I would rather undergo acupuncture with jalapeño juice-soaked needles than sit through this,” Party Down is easily shaping up to be one of the best among them. The only real concern is that, much like how the original series never found an audience (until it was too late) due in part to it being exclusively on Starz, I fear history may repeat itself as the revival is on the same network. It would be a shame for audiences to miss a worthwhile comedic event, especially one with this assortment of talent gathered together. It’s the same ribald humor combined with physical comedy (of which Marino, in particular, is an absolute master), but updated just enough to feel current, sans any cringe-inducing “How do you do, fellow kids?” jokes and dialogue that plague so many reincarnated shows. Yes, I know having to navigate another network subscription is a bit of a pain—honestly, just swap one out of the rotation, I promise they’ll take you back when you’re ready to subscribe once again—but I pretty much guarantee it’s going to be worth your while to RSVP to this limited engagement.

The original two seasons of Party Down are available on Hulu. The first episode of the new season is on Starz.

Kaleena Rivera is the TV Editor for Pajiba. When she isn’t thinking about petitioning Jennifer Garner to do more comedy, she can be found on Twitter here.