'Party Down' debuts on Starz

Cable television network Starz has catered a new comedy, Party Down to television audiences.

The series, directed and written by television and movie familiars like Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars), Fred Savage (The Wonder Years) and Paul Rudd (I Love You, Man) is a breath of fresh air delivering many laughs throughout its half-hour run.

The show follows the cast of characters as they experience the ups and downs of working for the California catering company Party Down, all while waiting to somehow receive their big break.

Party Down showcases the comedic talents of Adam Scott (Stepbrothers), Ken Marino (Reaper), Jane Lynch (Role Models), Lizzy Caplan (Cloverfield), Ryan Hansen (Veronica Mars, Friday the 13th) and Martin Starr (Adventureland, Freaks and Geeks).

Many of the cast could even see the show as a type of reunion, having worked with each other in the past; however, loyalty to the show does not fall short.

Martin Starr, who on the show is known as the sci-fi script writer Roman Debeers, expressed his enthusiasm for the show.

"This is maybe the best set I've ever worked on," Starr said. "It's just so free and we had a lot of room to play."

Ryan Hansen, who plays the aspiring, yet wacky actor Kyle Bradway on the show, has worked with Thomas as a director in the past on Veronica Mars. He described the differences between Party Down and his past efforts.

"On Veronica Mars I was a little bit of a spectator," Hansen said. "On this one I'm like a bull-frog. I'm right at the pond."

He also described the type of audience feedback that has been received by the cast of the show.

"When people watch it, they love it!" Hansen said enthusiastically, adding that he saw a type of cult-following happening around the show. He said that being a part of that kind of experience is "fun."

For those interested in watching the show, be sure to check it out on Fridays at 10:30 p.m. on Starz.

Richard Romero is interning this semester for the AFN. He is a senior at Arizona State University.