Adam Scott insists Party Down wasn’t canceled over Parks and Rec

Party Down developed a beloved cult following after its cancellation, but star Adam Scott wants fans to know that his joining Parks and Recreation that same year had nothing to do with the party winding down.

While the timing does seem suspicious–Party Down was canceled in June 2010, less than one month after Scott took on the role of Ben Wyatt–Adam Scott has been adamant in denying there’s a correlation. As to how it went down, Scott told Entertainment Weekly, “We were waiting to hear whether we would get a season 3 for Party Down, and the wait became longer and longer, and it really never felt like good news when the wait extends.” At that time, Scott had the chance to join Parks and Recreation towards the end of its second season. “So I needed to try and find out if there’s a chance that Party Down’s going to get picked up. I reached out to someone I had developed a relationship with at Starz, an executive, and he off-the-record did me the favor of telling me, ‘If you have an opportunity in front of you, you should take it.’”

And so Adam Scott did, leaving Party Down catering and taking up residence in Pawnee, staying on until Parks and Recreation ended in 2015. Watt was a welcome addition to the show, turning into one of my fan favorites: a calzone-loving nerd who made for a perfect match for Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope.

Adam Scott also relayed a story from Parks and Recreation co-creator Michael Schur, who told him early on, “‘I want you to be on our show, but I also cannot live with myself if I’m the guy that kills Party Down.’ So he is not, and I am not.”

Fortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any bad blood between the Party Down cast over Adam Scott trading in catering for public service. A third season debuted last week, getting Scott, Ken Marino, Martin Starr, Jane Lynch, and more back together. The Parks and Recreation cast also reunited previously, although the five-year gap is far less impressive than Party Down’s 13.

Which Adam Scott show do you prefer, Parks and Recreation or Party Down? Let us know in the comments section below!