Party Down Hits Netflix: Cameos, Cast Trajectories, and the Adam Scott Conspiracy

Party Down Finally Lands on Netflix

All three seasons of Party Down are now streaming on Netflix, arriving on September 22. Season 1 originally aired on Starz from March 20 to May 2009, Season 2 ran from April 23 to June 2010, and after over a decade off the air, a six-episode Season 3 revival aired from February 24 to March 31, 2023. That's 26 episodes total, now all available to binge in one place for the first time.

The Cameos Are Stacked

Party Down built a reputation for pulling in surprising guest stars along the way, including Kevin Hart, Kristen Bell, who played rival caterer Uda Bengt in a recurring role, Thomas Lennon, and June Diane Raphael.

A Cast That Went On to Do Everything

This show's cast didn't just land on their feet, they scattered across some of the biggest comedies of the last 15 years. Ken Marino went on to headline Childrens Hospital and Burning Love, on top of being a recognizable face already from Veronica Mars, where he played PI Vinnie Van Lowe. He has had other notable small parts through the years, also landing roles in The Other Two, Brooklyn 99, Eastbound and Down, and many others. Jane Lynch landed Sue Sylvester on Glee, later hosted NBC's Weakest Link, and currently appears in Only Murders in the Building. Megan Mullally is still best known for Karen Walker on Will & Grace, both the original run and the 2017 revival, as well as numerous other small roles that highlight her personality. And Adam Scott went from this show straight into Parks and Recreation, and eventually Severance, along with Big Little Lies and Step Brothers.

Is Adam Scott Secretly Running Hollywood?

Adam Scott has gotten consistent work. I don't know if that makes him the most down to earth guy in comedy of all time, or if it reveals a deeper conspiracy that would expose hidden connections within the industry. Turns out I'm not the only one who's noticed. One ScreenRant retrospective on his career actually describes him as "the everpresent Adam Scott" while cataloging his roles. I couldn't find an actual conspiracy, but there is a real, recurring professional relationship worth mentioning: Ben Stiller directed Scott in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty back in 2013, long before the two teamed up again on Severance. So if there's any hidden connection here, it's less a conspiracy and more just two guys who keep working together.

Jane Lynch Reminds You Why She's So Good

Jane Lynch was also a pleasure to watch in this show. I haven't seen her in much since Glee, so watching this reminded me of how much she brings to every scene she's in. This was elevated on Party Down because of the writing. Her comedy showed through better than it was ever able to on Glee. It was also a great surprise seeing Jennifer Coolidge show up as her temporary replacement.

Speaking of Jane Lynch, she recently did an interview discussing a Glee reboot. After word circulated online from Ryan Murphy that a reboot script was ready, there's been real buzz building around the possibility. Murphy confirmed on September 24 that he's finished the script and has been talking to around 10 original cast members about it, though he's stressed nobody's actually read it yet. Lynch herself told Fox 5 New York she'd "be so happy" to do it, adding that a lot of kids are discovering the show for the first time and that its message about music bringing people together still resonates.

Fred Savage: A Comedy Beast

Fred Savage directed on Party Down, and it's just one entry in an impressively long resume. Before he was ever behind the camera, he was in front of it, best known for playing Kevin Arnold on The Wonder Years for six seasons, a role that earned him two Primetime Emmy nominations, plus his part in The Princess Bride. He's also the older brother of Ben Savage, of Boy Meets World fame.

After graduating from Stanford with a degree in English in 1999, he pivoted fully into directing, starting with an episode of his brother's show before building a career on That's So Raven, Phil of the Future, and Drake & Josh. From there he moved into more adult comedy, producing and directing on both original seasons of Party Down, along with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Modern Family, and 2 Broke Girls, racking up four Directors Guild nominations in the process.

Nothing About This Show Was Improvised

This is a tightly scripted series, and I wanted to double-check whether any of it was actually improvised on the fly, since so much of it feels loose and natural. Turns out it wasn't. Ryan Hansen, who played Kyle, has said the cast "just didn't have time for improv" given the show's budget and schedule, crediting creator John Enbom's writing for how natural it all comes across anyway. Critic Daniel Fienberg made a similar observation in his original review, noting the writing "simulates the illusion of off-the-cuff improv while being, by all accounts, tightly scripted."

Sources

1. What's on Netflix, "Adam Scott's Forgotten Starz Sitcom 'Party Down' Heading to Netflix for First Time" — whats-on-netflix.com/news/party-down-netflix-us-release-date
2. Wikipedia, "Party Down" — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_Down
3. Uproxx, "'Are We Having Fun Yet?': These 'Party Down' Guest Stars Stole The Show" — uproxx.com
4. Screen Rant, Adam Scott career retrospective — screenrant.com (via CB Insights aggregation)
5. CB Insights, "Adam Scott" career notes — cbinsights.com/investor/adam-scott
6. Bustle, "It's Turkey Lurkey Time" — bustle.com/entertainment/glee-reboot-update-ryan-murphy
7. ABC News, "Ryan Murphy says he's written a script for 'Glee' reboot" — abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/ryan-murphy-written-script-glee-reboot/story?id=136725011
8. Wikipedia, "Fred Savage" — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Savage
9. Longreads, "Are We Having Fun Yet? The Oral History of Party Down" — longreads.com/2023/02/28/are-we-having-fun-yet-the-oral-history-of-party-down
10. Rotten Tomatoes, Season 2 critic reviews, Daniel Fienberg/HitFix — rottentomatoes.com/tv/party-down/s02