The gods of brilliant-but-cancelled telly must be smiling these days as more and more great (and greatly missed) shows are getting a second chance on screens both big and small. With Arrested Development’s team now working towards a film and new episodes, there’s now official word that bitterly funny series Party Down will be following suit with a film of its own.
If you’re unfamiliar with the series (not shocking as it didn’t exactly get a lot of viewers either here or across the pond), Party Down follows a group of event caterers hired in to work various events, from birthday parties to gala openings. The employees are a pack of wannabe actors, writers, has-beens, dreamers and nincompoops who are all trying to live the Hollywood dream but mostly failing at it – which is why they’re reduced to handing out nibbles and drinks to wealthy idiots.
It sounds bleak, but it’s also hilarious, and blessed with a cast that includes Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Lizzy Caplan, Ryan Hansen, Kristen Bell, Martin Starr, Megan Mullally and a pre-Glee Jane Lynch. Created by Veronica Mars’ Rob Thomas along with John Enbom, Dan Etheridge and Paul Rudd, it ran for two series before getting cancelled.
Since then, rumours have constantly floated about the idea of a film to bring the characters back, and while the talk has slowly been turning to the thing actually shooting, Mullally, who played the OTT Lydia, has now offered some concrete news. Speaking at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in LA, she talked up the new developments, including the fact that Enbom had handed in an outline that got investors’ approval. “I will be doing the Party Down movie. John Enbom is writing it right now.” While she couldn’t speculate as to the storyline, she did drop one hint: “I think we're going to see Lydia's ex-husband – Ed I think is his name – who was really racist and a misogynist.”
According to the actress, the entire ensemble (with the possible exception of Lynch, who left the series to work on Glee after one year) is returning and shooting should take place this summer. We’re keeping every finger and toe that we can find crossed for this one.