Is ‘Party Down’ a workplace tragedy?
The workplace comedy “Party Down” (9 p.m., Starz, TV-MA) was the very definition of a cult sensation. If by cult you mean a series with an intense but select (i.e.: small) audience. That intensity has gotten the series rebooted. The select nature of its audience got it first canceled in 2010 after two rather brilliant seasons.
“Party” follows L.A.based cater-waiters as they work at industry functions and personal events for those connected to “the business.” The client-ofthe-week nature of the show allowed for a parade of new guest stars, fitting the revived “Party Down” right into a recent trend seen on “Poker Face,” “Not Dead Yet” and “Accused,” among others.
Much of the charm of the first two seasons was the obvious but slowbuilding flirtation between aspiring actress Casey (Lizzy Caplan) and Henry (Adam Scott), a wouldbe actor dogged by his appearance on a beer commercial and his tag line, “Are we having fun yet”?
Caplan was engaged making Hulu’s “Fleishman is in Trouble” when this was shot, so she’s been written out of the story. Casey’s mentioned in the early goings as a big star linked to other big stars making superhero movies and the salaries they bring.
Much of the original cast returns, including the delusional business owner Ron (Dan Marino) and embittered sci-fi purist Roman (Martin Starr). Goofball Kyle (Ryan Hansen) seems on the brink of his big superhero break as the season begins. Henry is a teacher pretending to be happy who needs part-time work to make ends meet. Lydia (Megan Mullally) returns, sporting a hairdo inspired by Edna from “The Incredibles.” Her proximity to fame has increased with her daughter’s social media prominence. Constance (Jane Lynch) returns with her signature tic: a habit of dropping the names of famous stars and hasbeens from her storied past, many long dead.
As always, the pace is brisk and the dialogue smart. If there is a running joke, or tragedy, it’s that the entertainment industry has been devoured by the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It’s also hard to ignore an undercurrent of personal sadness, particularly among Ron and Roman, all too aware that a decade has transpired and they’re still working the same job and no closer to their dreams.
The fact that the actors playing these folks (including today’s “it girl” Jennifer Coolidge as Bobbie St. Brown) have all gone on to bigger shows and movies doesn’t mitigate this bleak theme.
› Apple TV+ streams “The Reluctant Traveler,” the latest celebrity travelogue, featuring Eugene Levy (“Schitt’s Creek,” “American Pie,” “SCTV”) in the title role.
As Levy makes clear from the beginning, he’s in his mid-70s and has never been keen on getting outside of his comfort zone. So he basically plays himself, a bespectacled, eye-rolling curmudgeon, as he’s subjected to ice fishing in Finland, gondolas in Venice and the fancy hotels and curious cuisines of Costa Rica, Japan, the Maldives, Portugal, South Africa and exotic corners of the United States.