TV Show Review- Party Down

There seems to be a new television undercurrent, a good one, of hipper and smarter comedies.  These new shows often get better, more thoughtful laughs out of someone like me by not hammering us over the head with a punch line or a laugh track and instead let silence or social awkwardness generate smarter, deeper laughs.  These shows also seem to lavish in more intelligent humor, often letting quantity yield to quality jokes.  The combination for me is most ofte

n 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 shows 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 have 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 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 either run with or hang itself.

'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

or Skinemax dues.

  

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.  It's very easy for them to work in a guest star as a new or temp waiter also, something they appear to do just about every episode.  One of the better ones, in a limited role is Stiffler's Mom, who is the latest person through the revolving door of clever guest spots.  

The boss (Randy) is essentially the Michael Scott of the L.A. catering business.   The protagonist, played by Adam Scott is a waiter/former actor.  Scott's character, Henry, 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 waitress/comedienne.  Then there's a waiter/actor-musician-model who is trying to break through in the 'handsome business' and a bitter, holier-then-though waiter/writer.  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 possible way.    

I 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.   

If you don't have Starz riding on the coattails of your HBO subscription, don't worry.  There are still ways to check this show out.  You can go to STARZ.com 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.