Top Underrated Comedy- Party Down

TV Review- Party Down

There seems to be a new television undercurrent, a good one, of hipper and smarter comedies. These shows seem to lavish in more intelligent humor, often letting quantity yield to quality jokes. The combination for me is most often seen in shows like 'Arrested Development,' 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' '30 Rock,' 'Flight of the Conchords,' 'The Office,'The Life and Times of Tim' and now 'Party Down.'

I'd be surprised if most people have even heard of 'Party Down,' but it's worth checking out particularly if you like any of the others from above, all of which individually probably deserve their own review- some for continued brilliance, others for being funny once, but have wandered astray. Regardless if you like, or haave ever liked any of the above shows, I think 'Party Down' is worth 30 minutes of your time to check out an episode.

Party Down and these shows are the antithesis of most prime time comedies that remain following the beat down brought on Hollywood writers by low risk, high return reality TV shows. They're like Seinfeld residue and i don't find much shame in that.' In some ways they have even a little bit more room for error and progress. It seems to be so hard to get a non-reality TV show greenlit that the network is more pot-committed to the project and the show has more rope to run or hang itself with.

'Party Down' is a prototype of this type of creative humor. It's on a pay channel, kinda. Starz, which most people know not from going out of their way to subscribe to it, but more because it's been piggy-backed on top of their HBO payment or devotion to Skinemax. The boss is essentially the Michael Scott of the L.A. catering business. The bartenders and waitstaff who make up the cast are all transients with their eye on showbiz who suffer through the requisite high balls and bacon-wrapped scallops as they wait to be discovered.

In addition to Randy (the boss), is a waiter who was unfortunate enough to be typecast by a cheesy commercial so much so that he cannot find gainful employment elsewhere, but also did not do well enough to survive on a truckload of residuals. His love interest is not-technically-yet-divorced struggling comedienne/waitress. Then there's a waiter who is trying to break through in the 'handsome business' and a bitter, holier-then-though writer/waiter. Lastly and perhaps best of all, there's the past-her-prime-waitress/way-past-her-prime-actress. They're all stereotypes in the funniest and best possible way.

I also remember reading that part of the success of 'Cheers' was due to it's setting. Story lines could essentially walk in the door. Each customer potentially held not only the requisitie drinking problem, but a potential story line as well. That's how 'Party Down' works. Sometimes they work a high school reunion (Randy, the boss is a member of the graduating class as well as the catering company.......on purpose), Porno awards, Young Conservatives rally, and even a single's mixer for senior citizens. This is the best part of the show Not only can they drop these misfits into certain story lines, but due to the transient nature of their staff, there is a revolving door slot where they can bring in a new staff member in for a show- i.e. in one show, like Stiffler's Mom.

If you don't have Starz riding on the coattails of your HBO subscription, don't worry. There are still ways. You can go to STARZ to see a couple of episodes by clicking the 'Original Programming' tab, then 'Full Episodes.' There should be two shows there and of course there are some other less then admirable ways to check them out online (so I heard). If you do have Starz, check it out on On Demand.