# Party Down (2009)

> A crew of struggling Hollywood actors and dreamers serve hors d'oeuvres at parties while waiting for their big break.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/16026

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 26
- Episode runtime: 28 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Paul Rudd, Rob Thomas, John Enbom, Dan Etheridge
- Network: STARZ
- Cast: Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Lizzy Caplan, Jane Lynch, Ryan Hansen, Martin Starr, Megan Mullally, Jennifer Garner
- TMDB rating: 8.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1073507/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: cringe-prone, deadpan, sardonic, irreverent, wistful

## What critics say

Acclaimed as a sharp, cringe-tinged workplace comedy whose ensemble and writing turn struggling Hollywood hopefuls into painfully funny figures.

## Synopsis

Party Down (2009-2023) is a US cable sitcom and workplace comedy created by Paul Rudd, Rob Thomas, John Enbom and Dan Etheridge for STARZ. Adam Scott plays Henry Pollard, a failed actor who now works at a Hollywood catering company, alongside Ken Marino as Ron Donald, the company's bombastic and insecure boss, and Lizzy Caplan as Casey Klein, an aspiring actress whose dreams keep getting postponed. Jane Lynch and Megan Mullally join as clients and colleagues who add to the chaos. The engine of the show is the gap between ambition and reality: each episode follows the crew through a different party, whether a launch, a birthday or a private event, where small disasters, ego clashes and missed auditions pile up. The show runs three seasons and twenty-six episodes in a single continuing story with recurring characters and running storylines. Set in present-day Los Angeles, it is written with sharp, deadpan dialogue and an acidic, affectionate tone that finds humor in vanity and self-delusion while keeping its characters sympathetic. Fans of The Office, Arrested Development and Extras will find resonance in its cringe-prone ensemble and Hollywood satire.

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