If you need a hapless catering company, you may be interested to know that a Party Down revival is happening at Starz. The network has given a six-episode order for a new run of the 2009 off-color comedy series, with six of the seven original stars returning. After lengthy negotiations with the cast, it’s been confirmed that Adam Scott, Jane Lynch, Ken Marino, Martin Starr, Ryan Hansen, and Megan Mullaly are all set to reprise their roles from the original series. Unfortunately, Lizzy Caplan won’t be wearing a pink bowtie for the Party Down revival due to scheduling conflicts. Caplan is gearing up to star in Paramount+’s Fatal Attraction series reboot and has an existing commitment to the FX limited series Fleishman Is In Trouble whose shoot conflicts with Party Down‘s mid-January filming slot.
Showrunning the Party Down revival is John Enbom, who will also executive produce alongside the original series creators/executive producers, Rob Thomas, Paul Rudd, Dan Etheridge, and Adam Scott.
“We had such a good time that we wanted to find a way to get the team back together again,” Thomas said in March, during a Party Down reunion. “The cast is so busy these days that finding a window where we can do it may require trigonometry, but we’re determined to make it happen.”
The short-lived Starz series lasted two seasons with a cast that included Ken Marino, Adam Scott, Jane Lynch, Martin Starr, Ryan Hansen, Lizzy Caplan, and Megan Mullally. The characters all worked as a catering staff for the titular company who were all aspiring performers or making ends meet. The series ended when many of the cast, including Jane Lynch and Adam Scott, found high profile roles on Glee and Parks and Recreation respectively. Lynch left the series after the first eight episodes of the first season to star in Glee. She was replaced by Jennifer Coolidge for the final two episodes of that season. Mullaly then joined the cast for Season 2, with Lynch returning for the Season 2 finale.
“After more than 10 years, we’re excited to have the cast, many of whom are now hugely popular award-winning stars, return to don their pink bowties and head back to the party,” said Jeffrey Hirsch, President and CEO at Starz. “The fan demand for a ‘Party Down’ revival is clear and we look forward to what Rob, Paul, John, Dan and now Adam will do as they bring this special project and these hilarious characters back to life.”
This is the best news I’ve heard all day! Granted it’s only half-past noon here in Ontario, Canada, but I’ll take what I can get. I was a big fan of this show back in the day, and a Party Down revival could be amazing given how much every contributing actor has grown throughout the years. Let’s do this!