Are We Having Fun Yet?!

I have yet another tv show recommendation. This one is extremely underrated and was actually cancelled after only two seasons. But, it's still a great show and has gained somewhat of a cult following. It's pretty much what happened with Arrested Development and Freaks and Geeks. Audiences don't realize how good it is until it's gone.

Party Down is about a hodgepodge group of people who work for a catering company. They work several different events which almost always turns into a hot mess. One of my favorite episodes includes them catering a porn star award show.

One main reason I believe people would be inclined to go back and watch this show is because of the amazing cast. They all bring something really special to their characters. This show is where Adam Scott kind of got his start in TV before his starring role in Parks and Recreation. 

That ~sexual tension~

His character also has a fun will they/won't they relationship with Lizzy Caplan's character (yes, she played Janis Ian in Mean Girls.)









Other key players include Ken Marino, Martin Starr, Ryan Hansen, Megan Mullally and Jane Lynch. There's also a huge array of secondary characters and cameo appearances. Some names to mention include Jennifer Coolidge, J.K. Simmons and Ken Jeong.






I love how a simple idea of cater workers explodes into a comedic gem. They openly don't care too much about their job, including the boss, and goof around every event they work. (other than when they cater the boss's high school reunion, another great episode *cough cough*)









           Anyway the writing is great and the cast is killer, so add this to your "to watch" list.

In the Reach of Greatness

Last January I watched the cancelled Starz show "Party Down" when it was still on Netflix. I had heard it was a good show and I watched a few episodes, but I didn't really see why people loved it so much. I watched all twenty episodes, and towards the end of the series, the show did get better. Recently, I finished watching it a second time and I realized that the show was actually borderline brilliant, just short of greatness before it reached its potential.

The show is about a catering team made up of 6 people played by Ken Marino, Adam Scott, Lizzie Kaplan, Ryan Hansen, Martin Starr, and Jane Lynch (who later went on to Glee and was replaced by Megan Mullally). These characters are aspiring musicians, actors, writers, and one who wants to own a soup restaurant. All of them want to make it big, but are stuck at the bottom  serving people who are richer and more successful them (and also obnoxious). They work multiple events, such as a wake, weddings, sweet sixteens, and Steve Guttenberg's birthday (which is probably the best episode).

The show is not always laugh out loud funny like "It's Always Sunny" or "How I Met Your Mother," but the humor lies in the realism of the dialogue. I really recommend it to anyone who likes the actors I listed (especially Jane Lynch and Martin Starr who probably do their best work here).

The show has great guest stars, including Joe Lo Trugglio, J.K. Simmons, George Takei,  and Steve Guttenberg.

Aesthetically, the show is like Arrested Development, with hand held cameras, not always going for super close ups.

Thematically it's about failure and how sometimes not all of us can be successful in life. This theme plays out through all twenty episodes, leading to a very subtlety poignant final scene.

Here's one of my favorite clips showcasing Martin Starr's Roman and Jane Lynch's Constance.