Party Down Co-Creator Explains How The Revival Finally Happened
In life, timing is everything. That doesn't necessarily mean that you need to have everything planned. An exciting new job, a once-in-a-lifetime trip, or an unexpected relationship may not be a part of your original plans, but they could be just as good, if not better than whatever you had in mind.
This definitely happens all the time in entertainment. Shows get canceled, series orders get cut, and actors get other jobs all the time. The business is constantly in flux. But if you're among those that have a story to tell and want to get it out there on a screen and in front of people, sometimes you need to shoot your shot once it's in your sights. And for the creators of "Party Down," who have wanted to continue their cult classic series since leaving the airwaves in 2010 due to low ratings, they made their shot count in a big way.
Over the years, there were a number of attempts to revive "Party Down." At one point, there was even talk of a movie that would pick up where we left off with Henry, Casey, and the whole gang. But 12 years after the cancellation, the creative minds behind the series saw the perfect opportunity to try again when a new regime came to power at the network and expressed that they were fans of the short-lived sitcom.
Fast forward to November 2021: Starz ordered a six-episode third season for the catering company comedy after many years of fans clamoring for more. And now that the season premiere is just around the corner, the creators are talking about how it all came together.
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During a roundtable discussion with members of the press including /Film's Ryan Scott, series co-creator John Enbom explained how the third season came together over a decade after the second season ended. He shared how one call to a new executive put everything in motion. Here's what he said:
"This version of it came together literally when we read an interview with the new head of Starz a year or two ago where he made mention of coming into the new network, and one of the shows that he liked that he wished he could see more of was 'Party Down.' So Rob Thomas literally just picked up the phone and called him and was like, 'Guess what? We're still here.' One thing led to another, and they were like, "Do you think you could put it together?" So it actually happened.
It wasn't something where we just woke up one day and were like, "You know what we should try?" We'd been trying to do this on and off the whole time. We keep in touch with the cast. We all have very warm feelings about doing the show, not just as the show, but also as an experience. It's really fun to do. We've always wanted to keep it going, and once we had the opportunity and we could send out a group message and be like, 'Guess what? Are you guys available?' It all fell together. It was a great stroke of good fortune."
Unfortunately, Lizzy Caplan had to decline the invitation to return due to schedule conflicts. However, her castmates including Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Ryan Hansen, Martin Starr, Jane Lynch, and Megan Mullally will all be in attendance when the party starts once again.
"Party Down" returns to Starz for season 3 on Friday, February 24, 2023.