--- title: "Party Down: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/party-down/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/party-down" critics_score: 71 critics_reviews: 7 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Party Down (2009): what the critics said Critics' score 71 from 7 reviews: 6 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics like it, and the praise clusters on the ensemble. The cast of failed Hollywood creatives working as caterers, Adam Scott, Lizzy Caplan, Jane Lynch, Martin Starr and Ken Marino among them, is named again and again, with Starr’s deadpan and Marino’s Ron singled out more than once. The humour is called dry, sardonic and specific rather than loud, and several reviews find a melancholy about unfulfilled ambition underneath the jokes. Critics returning to it years later rate it more highly than those who reviewed it on arrival, and “overlooked” and “cancelled too soon” recur. The reservations are mostly mild. The Telegraph notes few outright side-splitters, the Guardian finds some elements dated, and the AV Club thinks the first season takes a while to find its footing. The one real dissent is Variety, which at the time saw only tired clichés about L.A. actors waiting tables and a tone that is neither bittersweet nor funny. Six to one is a lopsided count, but the gap between that verdict and the warmest is wide. ## Vulture — Kathryn VanArendonk Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 16 February 2023. The critic praises the revival for leveraging the passage of time to deepen its themes of unfulfilled dreams and Hollywood futility, noting it captures and extends the original's best qualities without unnecessary justification for its existence. They single out the enduring appeal of the show's grungy, specific humor and the performance of Ken Marino as Ron. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/party-down-review-season-3-revival.html) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 24 August 2020. The dry two-season comedy is an overlooked gem among late-2000s sitcoms, delivering workplace satire through an impressive ensemble cast of failed Hollywood creatives working as caterers. It singles out the subtle humor, deadpan performances (especially Martin Starr) and prescient gig-economy themes for praise while noting some dated elements. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/aug/24/party-down-charmingly-low-budget-workplace-satire-from-the-makers-of-veronica-mars) ## The AV Club — Genevieve Koski Rating B+ (episode) / A- (series). 25 May 2009. The critic finds that Party Down hit its stride midway through the first season, expanding subplots while maintaining solid writing and performances. The season finale builds genuine tension around the central characters without losing the show's comedic edge. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/party-down-party-down-1798206309) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Andrew Wallenstein Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 18 March 2009. The critic calls it a superior companion to Starz's other comedy 'Head Case,' praising the cast including Adam Scott, Lizzy Caplan, Jane Lynch and Martin Starr, and noting the show's astute meditation on unconventional lives beneath the raucous comedy. Starz proves you don’t need to spend too much production money if you can bring the funny. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/party-down-review-92964/) ## The Telegraph Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 24 February 2023. The original 2009-2010 series is an endearing, slow-burn workplace comedy about struggling actors as caterers whose ensemble chemistry makes it click, with sharp satirical moments. The review notes few side-splitters but praises the familial ease and satirical episodes. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2023/02/24/party-lionsgate-season-3-review-finally-sitcom-revival-doesnt/) ## Variety — Brian Lowry Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 18 March 2009. The critic finds the series a collection of tired clichés about L.A. actors moonlighting as waiters, with a tone that fails to land as either bittersweet or comedic. The promising cast and guest stars cannot overcome the lack of fresh ideas or flavor in the episodes. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2009/scene/markets-festivals/party-down-1200474112/) ## Den of Geek — Louisa Mellor Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 22 July 2015. The critic praises the sharply written sitcom for its terrific performances and fun guest stars, calling it a sardonic, sometimes shocking, always funny comedy treat that stands on its own as a cancelled-too-soon great. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/party-down-a-us-sitcom-that-richly-deserves-your-time/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/party-down.md