A Preview of Season 3 of ‘Party Down’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

One thing that television fans can agree upon, is that the STARZ series, Party Down, is one of the most iconic and beloved comedies of these early years of the 21st Century and rightfully so. In large part because, it’s as funny as can be. Thanks to a stellar cast that harbors wonderful comedic timing and whip smart scripts that feature stories and moments that are just plain hilarious. Not to mention, its premise and setup are as original as it gets, but above all, what truly makes this series so worth our while and draws us back to it time and time again… is the sheer fact that this story is so incredibly relatable. Because… the good folks of Party Down are dreamers and hopefuls… just like the rest of us. 
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For they too work a job that they don’t enjoy as we’ve all done or might be doing now, and they are hoping for better as we do and have goals in mind that they are desperate to grab hold of. And that raw humanity present within this story stuck with us when we first watched and stayed with us long after the series left the airwaves back in 2010. In large part because… it was a series that left the airwaves well before its time, and that left fans desperate for more of this show and its wonderful characters and shenanigans and of course, the end left us wondering… what would have happened to the crew years down the line. Would they have found their dreams? Or would life have taken them on different paths than they originally hoped?

Well in a twist of wondrous fate, thirteen years after this iconic series left the airwaves, we are finally getting more of what we need and the answers we seek. For Friday February 24, 2023, will see the debut of the long-awaited and highly anticipated third season of this beloved show and well, since you’re dying to know more about it and have undoubtedly watched both seasons in preparation for it… we here at NTG thought it would be worthwhile to preview this new season in a spoiler-free manner. To properly prepare you for its return and to build that anticipation further. And well, perhaps the best place to start with this preview… is to talk about how this series made its way back to the airwaves and the best person to explain that… would be Party Down’s Showrunner: John Enbom.

For we recently sat down with John to discuss how this blessing happened, and here is what he had to say: “You know, it was a conversation on our end, that never stopped, in the sense that, you know, we were gung ho to do a season three, after season two, and we had already started talking to STARZ about it, we had been working on it ourselves. And then they had, you know, a big regime change there, which, as you know, often will sweep out a lot of the executives who made the show in the first place, and then you end up without a show. And so, we never lost the desire to do more. And so, we’ve been kind of trying to get something going this whole time, you know, here and there, you know, going back into STARZ, sort of trying to sort of imagine taking it somewhere else, or do this or that. And so, you know, this version of it came together, literally, when we read an interview with the new head of STARZ, like a year or two ago, where he made mention of, you know, coming into the new network, and one of the shows that he liked that, you know, he wished he could see more of was Party Down.

And so, Rob Thomas, literally just picked up the phone and called him was just like, “Guess what, you know, we're still here.” And, you know, one thing led to another, and then they were like, “Well, do you think you could put it together.” And so, you know, it actually happened. So, it wasn't something where we just woke up one day, and we're like, “You know what we should try?” It was like, we've been trying to do this, on and off the whole time. And, you know, we keep in touch with the cast, we all have, you know, very warm feelings about doing the show, not just as the show, but also as an experience, it's really fun to do. So, you know, we, we've always wanted to keep it going. And once we had the opportunity, and we could just, you know, send out a group message and be like, “Guess what, you know, are you guys available?” And you know, it all fell together. So, it was… it was a… stroke of good fortune, I guess you would say.”

If anything, John’s words echo our love of the show and the passion that went into the project in the first place and informs us that… the cast and crew wanted to continue the journey and see where it was headed and well, that translates well to this new season. Because this is a series that is in fact, supremely organic and feels like a true continuation of what came before. In fact, it doesn’t feel as though the show has been off the air for some time, it feels like we sat through the season two finale but a few months ago and that’s wondrous. And this new season also makes sure to give us exactly what we want. Since we get to learn what has happened in the time between season two and now and how these characters have grown and that makes for a brilliant season of storytelling.

One that is also… filled to the brim with incredible surprises that completely drop your jaw from a storytelling standpoint. But above all… what everyone is truly worried about, is whether or not the series remains as fresh and as funny as it was back then and the answer to that question… is a resounding yes. If anything, it’s funnier since everyone in the cast has honed their impressive skills further and deliver every joke with incredible zest and zeal, and of course, the wild situations that only this group seems to encounter are present here as well and all of those elements… brings forth a perfect third season. One that gives the fans everything they want and more and the best news of all, is that we don’t have to wait that much longer to enjoy it. Since Friday is right around the corner and we here at NTG can’t wait to geek out with all of you about season three and to share more pre-release coverage with you. By way of our interview with series stars Ryan Hansen and Martin Starr and through some Sneak Peeks and clips, one of which we’ve shared with you here, to properly celebrate the return of a beloved and iconic series.

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A Sneak Peek from the Season 3 Premiere