Party Down Season 1

Eventhough Party Down was a critical darling and had a great cast of comics actors who I recognized from other projects I liked. I was still skeptical when I began the first season because it was on Starz!, a channel I didn't know existed. However after devouring the first season in a weekend and instantly watching the first two episodes of season 2 once they leaked online, I can confidently say the critical consensus was correct. Party Down is about a group of struggling actors/writers/comedians in LA who pay the bills working at a catering company. The characters all appear archetypal; the nerd, the pretty boy, the manic pixie dream girl, etc. Usually it takes a while for the audience to understand the nuances of these characters, however the characterization/acting/writing is so strong that it instantly becomes clear that these are not cliches. A good example of this is Roman on the exterior he is a typical sci-fi nerd writer in Hollywood trying to make it. What makes Martin Starr's performance as Roman so funny is that deep down he isn't a sympathetic nerd with a heart of gold he is a misanthrope who thinks he is smarter than everyone, while not being particularly smart himself. Similarly his nemesis Kyle is more than pretty boy actor who got through life with his good looks and charisma he actually has some acting chops and wit.

Every single episode follows the catering crew at a specific party and while this format may seem restrictive it actually gives them a lot of room to experiment and leads to some great guest spots. They can realistically change the setting from a sweet 16 party to the after party of the porn awards and explore a different subculture with new guest stars every week. Somehow they frequently manage to get well-established actors like JK Simmons, Kristen Bell and Rob Cordry to appear and the show and they all give great performances. Considering Adam Scott is heading to Parks and Recreation and Jane Lynch is on Glee it looks like the second season of Party Down will be it's last, but right now it is the sharpest comedy on TV .