There was a free Starz preview this weekend from my cable so I watched all five episodes of this show ON Demand and once you get through the merely OK premiere it is really funny with a very strong cast. I also found out you watch all the episodes on Netflix if you have an account. Starz and Netflix are intertwined in many ways as most of the film playing on Starz can be watched on your computer with Netflix.

TV's most refreshing breath of air, comedy-wise, rolls on:

Episode 6: Taylor Stiltskin Sweet 16

Leonard Stiltskin is a Hollywood bigwig who’s having a bad day, to say the least. So the crew’s under the gun to ensure his daughter’s birthday is a success. Henry is shocked to run into an old acting school pal there,now a big star, who tries to use his newfound celebrity to get Henry back in the acting game.

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quote:

TV's most refreshing breath of air, comedy-wise, rolls on:

I like the show but PPLLEEAASSEE!!!

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That was good.

Whod've thunk the Law and Order psychologist would be a cussing machine? They seem to be just hitting the sweet spot far more often than not; Ron bonding with the rappers, Casey and Constance cheering up the sweet 16er.

Next week looks like it's a turning point in Henry and Casey's so-far-secret tryst. But it looks like Roman's eventually putting 1 and 1 together.

I didn't give enough credit to JK Simmons - his Leonard Stiltskin was five-alarm funny. His every-other-word-a-F-bomb made Lee Elia's Chicago Cubs rant of 1983 sound like a choirboy. He was sensational.

PaulHan, I have a serious question. If the Veronica Mars people were not associated with this show, would you even be watching it?

One word: Yes.

Rob Thomas has another show out there, Cupid, and I just think the earlier version was better. I haven't watched any of that. After the clusterfvck that Heroes turned into, I just wanted for a new show to be really good. And I found it. It's a very, very good show that doesn't get the pub it deserves because it's on Starz; like I said before, I call PD the anti-'Entourage'. 'Cause here you have characters you care about and root for.

Simmons' performance was guest-actor nominee worthy, IMO, but there was just too, too much f-bombing that he'll be considered. He made Joe Pesci look tame.

I too enjoyed this past episode and I gotta say...after watching 6 episodes of this series I think Party Down definitely deserves some consideration for Best Comedy Series. This show is frick'n hilarious, fresh, and original. We've had the same nominees in the category for the past couple of years (The Office, 30 Rock, Two and a Half Men, HBO Show - either Curb, Entourage, or both). The show deserves to get in over Entourage and Two and a Half Men at the very least. You never know!

Also, I concur that J.K. Simmons deserves to be considered for Guest Actor. He's a great TV (The Closer) and film (Juno, Burn After Reading) actor that deserves to be recognized. His name might be well-known enough to score a nomination...even if he did drop an F-bomb too many in this role.

Also, there is no way Jane Lynch is not going to be nominated in Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, and at this point, I consider her the frontrunner for the win! She's an older character actress that has a great role on a new show...just the type the Academy likes to honor with a Supporting Actress award!

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Originally posted by 24fanatic:
I too enjoyed this past episode and I gotta say...after watching 6 episodes of this series I think Party Down definitely deserves some consideration for Best Comedy Series. This show is frick'n hilarious, fresh, and original. We've had the same nominees in the category for the past couple of years (The Office, 30 Rock, Two and a Half Men, HBO Show - either Curb, Entourage, or both). The show deserves to get in over Entourage and Two and a Half Men at the very least. You never know!

At this point, the quality of Party Down is showing to the extent that if an HBO show gets in, it's tantamount to simply a throwaway nomination. And after 3 years or so of the same stuff in Comedy Series, it's time to shake things up. Friday changed things for me; I'm officially on the Party Down for comedy series bandwagon.

quote:

Also, I concur that J.K. Simmons deserves to be considered for Guest Actor. He's a great TV (The Closer) and film (Juno, Burn After Reading) actor that deserves to be recognized. His name might be well-known enough to score a nomination...even if he did drop an F-bomb too many in this role.

Also, there is no way Jane Lynch is not going to be nominated in Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, and at this point, I consider her the frontrunner for the win! She's an older character actress that has a great role on a new show...just the type the Academy likes to honor with a Supporting Actress award!

Martin Starr had himself a good outing; I'm getting to come around to his character, especially when he quoted chapter and verse what Stiltskin probably wrote down on his customer survey card. Hell, everybody shined, and agree on Jane Lynch. Hopefully the casting folks will get an Emmy nomination because every one of the actors fit into their roles like a glove.

I watched the first two episodes of this show thanks to this thread and I gotta say....That was some boooooooooring tv...

And it's strange, it was only that, boring. I didn't think it was that bad, seriously the only bad or horrible thing this show has is Ken Marino's hair, which is completely unnecessary because even a moron like that could have better hair. That was it, it was the only thing that distracted me.

Other than that I thought it was just ok. There wasn't enough comedy in it and I just didn't laugh. And this is exactly the type of show I like...

I'll keep watching for the same reason I keep watching regular so-so shows...the cast. It has the cast that you want to see make it, the cast that you want to see showered with Emmy nods, I mean the Veronica Mars people, Adam freakin' Scott who I love and Lizzy Caplan who needs to be on a hugely succesful show and Jane Lynch who is one of the best comedic actresses out there.

But...boring, boring, boring.

Episode 7: Brandix Corporate Retreat

Former Los Angeles Laker Rick Fox delivers the keynote address at this team-building seminar, and Casey helps him out in the joke-telling department. That leads to sparks flying between them which Henry – and Roman – notice. Ron’s series of trust exercises with the crew lead to mistrust that flows like water.

Here's a great Chicago Tribune article by Maureen Ryan on the show, interviewing Rob Thomas:

There’s usually a fair amount of angst this time of year in the TV world, as word of cancellations starts to leak out.

Here’s one bit of good news: “Party Down“ (9:30 p.m. Friday, Starz; three and a half stars) is probably coming back next year. Rob Thomas, one of the show’s co-creators, said he’d been hearing good things from Starz, the pay cable network that commissioned the show about Los Angeles creative types who moonlight as catering waiters.

“All signs are saying that we will get another year,” said Thomas, who said that an announcement should come in the next few weeks.

“Party Down,” which premiered in March, has developed into one of the most reliably enjoyable comedies on television, and its cast has the kind of easy chemistry that most new broadcast network comedies notably lack these days.

Adam Scott manages to give his character, a failed actor named Henry, a sense of pathos but a wry kindness as well. Kyle (Ryan Hansen) can be quite stupid when he’s not exhibiting his self-absorption, yet he’s never intentionally cruel, and Hansen somehow makes Kyle’s overconfidence endearing. Though Ken Marino is talented, his character, Party Down manager Ron Donald, is a little too frantically needy at times; mellower scenes, like the recent one in which he hung out with some rappers at a Sweet 16 party, suit Marino’s subtle skills more.

Thomas describes Constance (Jane Lynch) as someone who is “pleased as punch” by her life, which consists of miniscule parts in TV dramas. Constance thinks she’s a success, and she’s so hopeful and energetic that no one has the heart to tell her otherwise. And though the failed screenwriter is a Hollywood cliche, the withering, geeky sarcasm of sci-fi auteur Roman (Martin Starr) is tempered by his naïve crush on aspiring actress Casey (Lizzy Caplan).

One thing that’s clear is that “Party Down’s” writers are not interested in eviscerating its characters and simply mocking their lives, which teeter on the lower rungs of the L.A. food chain. Though the humor is dark and the career prospects for these characters are dim, the show’s well-paced stories are shot through with compassion and even sweetness.

“Each member of our team has a different stomach for bleakness,” Thomas said. Co-creator John Enbom, who runs the show on a day-to-day basis, “has more stomach for bleakness than the rest of us, but at the same time, he’s not a hopelessly bleak guy.”

Caplan, who also had a prominent role in the first season of “True Blood,” was the last person cast in the show, and she was “the biggest wild card in the bunch,” Thomas noted.

But the writers quickly seized on the great chemistry between Caplan and Adam Scott, and “took things a little more in that direction.”

“We knew going in that we were, very intentionally, not going to play the ‘will they or won’t they?’ card” with Henry and Casey, said Thomas. “We wanted to tip that on its head” by having them get together quickly and then figure out what they mean to each other.

Caplan’s casting did change the dynamic between Henry and Casey a bit. Originally, the character was going to be more hopeful than the often dour Henry, and the writers originally saw their differing outlooks as an obstacle to their relationship. But as Thomas noted, Casey is “equally if not more misanthropic [than Henry]. It allowed them to mesh,” he said.

The only catch to the positive “Party Down” picture is that the Season 1 cast signed one-year contracts, not the multi-year contracts that are typical in television.

“All the actors had a really good time, and it’s a pretty happy place to work. I’m hopeful we can sign them up for another year,” Thomas said. “The chances are good.” We want everyone back, we hope we can get them, but I can’t guarantee that.”

Before “Party Down,” Thomas (who’s also the creator of ABC’s “Cupid”) was best known as the man behind the cult teen drama “Veronica Mars.” And while plans for a film version of that TV show have stalled, according to Thomas, he’s been able to give several cast members of that show work as “Party Down” cast members or guest stars.

Kristen Bell of “Veronica Mars” will play Uda Bengt in the May 22 season finale of the show. She's a former Party Down employee and the leader of Valhalla Catering, which, aside from her, is composed entirely of extremely handsome men.

Thomas and co-creator Dan Etheridge got the idea from a gay wedding they attended, and other members of the cast and writing team have drawn on their experiences as well (Actor Paul Rudd, one of the show's creators, served time as a deejay for a firm called “You Should Be Dancing,” believe it or not). And members of the “Party Down” team have been “calling in favors,” Thomas said, to snag guest stars; Scott, he said, had worked with J.K. Simmons and Breckin Meyer, who ended up appearing the April 24 episode as a Hollywood mogul and a hot-shot actor.

For Thomas, the show also allows him to revisit his past as a musician in Austin, Texas, the kind of place where delaying the onset of reality is a way of life.
“It’s like ‘Logan’s Run,’ in a way,” he says of that era of his life. “If you’re playing in a band and you’ve hit 30, the window has, in most respects, closed.”

A few other tidbits from my interview with Thomas:

• He would like to get Steve Gutenberg, who played a recurring character on “Veronica Mars,” as a Season 2 “Party Down” guest: ““He's as funny with his own self-image as anyone I've ever met before. He behaves as I wish I would if I were Steve Gutenberg. But I wouldn't have the chutzpah to do it. He lives a persona that isn't actually him. He'll say, 'I'll get my assistant to do that.' He doesn't have an assistant. He plays the role of Steve Gutenberg. If we asked him to play himself, he might.”

• He also wants to get Paula Marshall, with whom he worked on the first version of “Cupid,” as a Season 2 guest star.

• The show has a very tight shooting schedule -- each episode is shot over four days in one location, and there was only two days in post-production for each episode. As a result of the very compressed shooting and post-production schedule, the more ad-libbed moments from cast members often didn't make it into the final cuts of the episodes (Thomas estimated that what you see on screen is about 95 percent scripted). “If there was one complaint the actors had,” it was about their more improvisational stuff ending up on the cutting room floor, but “you will see more ad libs in Season 2,” Thomas said.

• You'll probably only see scenes that take place at or around the parties, with rare exceptions. Due to logistical issues, it's hard to shoot scenes in other locations, though there is one “away from a party” scene in Friday's episode of the show.

• In the early stages of setting up “Party Down,” Thomas encountered an actor who had been in national TV ads, someone that Thomas and his wife had become friendly with. He started explaining the “Party Down” idea to this acquaintance -- who was at that moment working as a cater-waiter at a book release party Thomas was attending: “There was no way to back out of the story. I tried to get out of it as quickly as I could. It was very awkward.”

• J.K. Simmons would like to come back and do the show again, so the writers have talked about having the Party Down crew work the movie release party for the Edgar Allen Poe movie that Simmons' character, a ruthless movie producer, is working on.

• Enrico Colantoni, who was a “Veronica Mars” cast member and appeared in the “Party Down” pilot, “would kill to do the show again. We talked about his character divorcing his wife and playing for a [crappy] cover band at one of the parties.”

• On whether any of the Party Down employees will ever make it in the entertainment business: “We fully expect Kyle to be a huge star in 'The Palisades' or some show like it. And Henry secretly knows, 'Of course -- this guy'“ will make it.

• Regarding a “Veronica Mars” movie, the chances of that now appear slim. Thomas said the economy has hurt its chances and a Warner Bros marketing survey did not apparently indicate sufficient interest. “I would love to do it. Both of us [he and Bell] would love to do it.” But over the past six months, the momentum the project appears to have been lost.

• He's thought about continuing “Veronica Mars” as a comic-book series but “I only want to do it if I'm writing it. And finding the time is the tricky part.”

• Some might consider this spoilery, so skip out if you don't want a few words about the season finale: At some point in the past, Kristen Bell's character, "did something terrible to Ron Donald."

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How 75 seconds can change everything...the leadup to the revelation of two of the PD folks getting it on. Now you have conflict in three new spots; Henry/Roman, Casey/Roman, and Henry/Casey where there wasn't any before. I think Lizzy Caplan was terrific last night; she made you think that she was actually going to get it on with Rick Fox. But her hurtful look during the meltdown when she pleaded with Henry that nothing happened convinced me that nothing did. There's a lot of fence-mending that needs to be done, and only 3 episodes left to do it.

Again, another great outing for Rob Thomas' best show on TV right now.

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Episode 8: Celebrate Ricky Sargulesh!
Guest star: Steven Weber

Busted! It’s hardly celebratory as the fallout from the revelation of Henry and Casey's affair continues. Things get dicier as Henry, to get back at her, flirts with another woman who turns out to be the guest of honor’s girlfriend at their latest event. Then, Ricky, who fancies himself as a wordsmith, gives budding screenwriter Roman his own script…

Just caught last week's episode. Great stuff! I actually agree with Roman about Rick Fox, haha. This week's episode looks good and I can't frack'n wait to see the season finale with KRISTEN BELL!!!!!

Sidenote: It's sad that there wasn't a lot of interest for the Veronica Mars movie, but as much as I loved it, wasn't that to be expected??? I mean...it was called a "cult" hit, not a regular hit series. Hopefully it can still happen (maybe after Kristen Bell gets a little bit more famous with the new movie Couples Retreat)?

The Newark Star-Ledger's Alan Sepinwall LOVED last night's outing, and here's his review...

Loved myself that Henry couldn't STOP saying 'Are we having fun yet?' when he was outed by the kid of the mobster with his girlfriend. It's the whole ensemble who shined last night, and I hope Jane Lynch will be able to have both PD and Glee on her dance card. And enjoyed that Henry and Casey took a timeout from their hurt feelings; nothing special, just a dialing down of the volume. Didn't expect that.

Next week, Jennifer Coolidge (!) joins the cast, and we may have seen a glimpse of the decline and fall of 'New' Ron.

Lizzie Caplan was hilarious with all her anger and sarcasm.

It was a funny joke throughout the episode that the Eastern European??? gangsters seem to see every piece of straight to DVD schlock, comedy special, etc. making almost the whole crew of Party Down Catering a celebrity to them.

Loved at the end when we find out that Henry and Casey are all "even" and they apparently were OK with it at that point.

Question, since it's getting closer and closer to the time when shows and actors need to think about submitting individual episodes for 2009 Emmy consideration. If I were Starz, I'd promote the show for Comedy Series, writing and directing, for starters, as well as this strategy for its actors:

Best Actor - Adam Scott, Ken Marino
Best Actress - Lizzy Caplan
Best Supporting Actor - Ryan Hansen, Martin Starr
Best Supporting Actress - Jane Lynch
Guest Actor - Enrico Colantoni, J.K Simmons
Guest Actress - Kristen Bell (sight unseen as she's in the season finale week after next; but from accounts I've read, it's terrific)

So what episode tapes would you submit for the main cast (can only be one episode); what is each actor's strongest submission tape?

My .02 (will eventually change, I think):

Comedy Series: Willow Canyon Homeowners Association Annual Party, Taylor Stiltskin Sweet 16, season finale

Scott: Celebrate Ricky Sargulesh
Marino: Taylor Stiltskin Sweet 16 or California College Conservative Union Caucus
Caplan: Investors Dinner, Malibu Canyon or Brandix Corporate Retreat
Hansen: Pepper McMasters Singles Seminar
Starr: Brandix Corporate Retreat or Celebrate Ricky Sargulesh
Lynch: Celebrate Ricky Sargulesh, the cream of a kickass crop
Colantoni: Willow Canyon Homeowners Association Annual Party
Simmons: Taylor Stiltskin Sweet 16
Bell: season finale (not yet aired)

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Just watched episode 8 (I never watch this show when it originally airs for some weird reason). Anywho, another strong episode. Love the whole gangster theme. It made for some great comedy. I think PaulHan's got the right idea as far as placements go. The only thing I would add is Steven Weber to the list for Guest Actor consideration. His name is a pretty big one for the show to get and one that Emmy voters would recognize. Whether he gets in or not...who knows...but they should definitely put him out there for consideration.

Speaking of FYC-ing, does anyone know what STARZ is doing to get Emmy voters to notice PARTY DOWN????? Are they doing anything? I hope they have some kind of plan, b/c I feel with a strong campaign and maybe with sending out the entire season to all the voters, MAYBE...JUST MAYBE...Party Down could sneak into Comedy Series!

The only solid nominees in Comedy Series this year are: The Office, 30 Rock, & Two and a Half Men. There can definitely be a case made for Party Down getting in up against Entourage, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, Flight of the Concords, Californication, and a lot of other contenders. HOWEVER, voters need to be able to see the series in order for it to get in via the popular vote...

SO, IF ANYONE FROM STARZ IS READING THIS THREAD RIGHT NOW, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SEND THE ENTIRE FIRST SEASON OF PARTY DOWN OUT TO ALL VOTING MEMBERS OF THE ACADEMY!!!

If they do this, their bound to pick up on a couple of nominations, if not getting the big one!

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