History Series / PartyDown

* ManlyTears: According to the [[http://www.details.com/celebrities-entertainment/movies-and-tv/201102/complete-oral-history-starz-comedy-party-down Oral History of Party Down]], Adam Scott (Henry) cried when the show was canceled.

* MushroomSamba: Over the course of the series, there is at least one instance for ''every character'' in which they're tripping on some substance, either inadvertently or on purpose.
** The ultimate example is "KSGY-95 Prizewinner's Luau," where everyone in the main cast aside from Ron spends the entire episode tripping on shrooms.

* RagingStiffie: Kyle spikes Roman's drink with a ground-up Viagra in "Pepper [=McMasters=] Singles Seminar" to get back at him for the incident detailed in "DyeingForYourArt". However, there still has to be real arousal for the erection to start, making for a BrickJoke during TheTag.

* OnlySaneEmployee: Casey.
* OnlySaneMan: Henry.

* PutOnABus: Constance after episode 8 of season 1 due to Jane Lynch's conflicting schedule with ''Series/{{Glee}}''. TheBusCameBack at the end of season 2, [[spoiler:for her wedding.]]

''Party Down'' is a WorkCom broadcast on the Creator/{{Starz}} network between 2009 and 2010, created by Rob Thomas (''Series/VeronicaMars''). It follows a group of struggling actors and writers working a low-paying and humiliating job with the Party Down catering company while chasing their Hollywood dreams.

Each episode is structured around a different party they have been assigned to cater, with the lives of the affluent party hosts becoming entangled with the sad-sack lives of the caterers.

Despite gaining rave reviews from critics and a devoted fanbase, ''Party Down'' wound up being a ShortRunner, lasting two seasons.

In March 2021, [[https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/party-down-limited-series-starz-1234921901/ Starz greenlit a revival limited series]] from the same creative team. It premiered on February 24, 2023.

* CelebrityParadox: In the first season, Casey mentions not getting a part on ''Series/Reno911''. Two cast members from that show, Thomas Lennon and Kerri Kenney-Silver, would later show up as other characters in ''Party Down''.

** "Ronald Donald" is only two letters away from Ronald McDonald, the grinning UsefulNotes/McDonalds mascot. It's fitting for a clownish character who works in food service, often sports a forced smile, and dreams of running a franchise restaurant.

* DoingItForTheArt: InUniverse, Henry is implied to have been a talented actor who turned his back on acting after being unable to shed his image as a beer commercial mascot. Roman, similarly, is unable to sell any of his scripts because of his commitment to "Hard Sci-Fi" (although this actually turns out to be a dedication to {{Technobabble}}-laden exposition at the cost of exciting events or relatable characterization).

* LighterAndSofter: Season 3. While the show's original two-season run ended on a hopeful note, it still had a running theme of cynicism about Hollywood. Any success our main characters got was short-lived, and the only options were either to a) degrade yourself to please people in power or b) completely give up on your dreams. However, Season 3 introduces AnAesop that you can find happiness in simply persevering, even if you never have the success you originally wanted. In particular, [[spoiler: Henry chooses to keep his job as a high school English teacher because it makes him happier than being a star would, Kyle still has a role in a major movie (even though it's not the leading role he thought it was), Ron and Constance have found a way to keep Party Down going despite continued problems, Lydia realizes she can focus on her own life instead of Escapade's, and Roman and Lucy decide to keep pursuing their dreams even when they lose their masterpieces.]] And while there's still plenty of farce, gross out comedy, and awkward moments, there's far less CringeComedy, not to mention way fewer homophobic and pervy comments from Roman.

* DumbassHasAPoint: Ron in "Precious Lights Pre-School Auction." The way he expresses it makes no sense, but he is right that Henry is giving people crap for the same things Ron did when Ron was [[spoiler: team leader]].

** "Ron Donald" is only two letters away from Ronald McDonald, the grinning UsefulNotes/McDonalds mascot. It's fitting for a clownish character who works in food service, often sports a forced smile, and dreams of running a franchise restaurant.

* DownerEnding: "James Rolf High School Twentieth Reunion" ends with [[spoiler: Ron regressing, chugging a bottle of whiskey and later vomiting in front of Melinda and collapsing to the ground while she cries. It's played for laughs, but it's genuinely sad, and kicks off a downward spiral for Ron that continues into the next episode.]]

* AffablyEvil: After many twists and turns, [[spoiler: Ricky Sargulesh]] turns out to be this. [[spoiler: He's]] intimidating but actually quite friendly, buttering up the Party Down crew and getting along with everyone. Every suspicious thing about him seems to be all a misunderstanding until [[spoiler: Roman realizes Ricky really does intend to murder his driver.]]

* LighterAndSofter: Season 3. While the show's original two-season run ended on a hopeful note, it still had a running theme of cynicism about Hollywood. Any success our main characters got was short-lived, and the only options were either to a) degrade yourself to please people in power or b) completely give up on your dreams. However, Season 3 introduces the moral that you can find happiness in simply persevering. In particular, [[spoiler: Henry chooses to keep his job as a high school English teacher because it makes him happier than being a star would, Kyle still has a role in a major movie (even though it's not the leading role he thought it was), Ron and Constance have found a way to keep Party Down going despite continued problems, Lydia realizes she no longer has to worry about Escapade, and Roman and Lucy decide to keep pursuing their dreams even when they lose their masterpieces.]] And while there's still plenty of farce, gross out comedy, and awkward moments, there's far less CringeComedy, not to mention way fewer homophobic and pervy comments from Roman.