Starz Network's "Party Down" Back for Season Two Tonight!

The very amusing, amazingly dry, and frequently profane half-hour comedy Party Down returns for its Season 2 opening episode tonight at 10pm on Starz. If you haven't caught up with this one -- and that's certainly possible, I'm a relative latecomer to its delights, too -- you ought to give it a try. A cadre of talented performers really brings this one to life, so much so that some of the players are getting poached by other series, namely Jane Lynch, who's very much a part of the super-success of Glee these days and so isn't back with Party Down this time around. (Read this recent article from The Hollywood Reporter on the show's success for more info about this situation.)

Party Down's premise is simple -- it's all about the folks who work for a Hollywood-based catering service, and their dissatisfaction with their day jobs versus their dream gigs in the entertainment industry. You've got underemployed actors and frustrated writers with plenty of attitude, but you'll end up (mostly) sympathizing with them. Not that it's important that you do, but I'm not sure I want to watch a show with nothing but snarky assholes -- or maybe you're okay with that -- and a few positive vibes are not an unwelcome note in the show. I like that Adam Scott (the depressed sexually unresponsive architect from HBO's Tell Me You Love Me) and the wonderful Lizzy Caplan (above left, TrueBlood, Cloverfield) are sort of an item; they're cute and sexy together.



Not-so-successful talkshow host and Will & Grace veteran Megan Mullaly steps in to fill the departing Lynch's shoes as the one grown-up on the staff this time around, and she should be good. The rest of the excellent cast -- Ken Marino as Ron, the ex-manager who wants his old job back, Ryan Hansen as Kyle the handsome model/actor, and Martin Starr as Roman the scifi writer who's as bitter as they come -- is something to relish, and their chemistry together is what makes this show so appealing.

You might have to watch a few shows before you get caught by the charm of Party Down, and you can seek out episodes online or on the Starz website. A lot of people are saying that Party Down is the best comedy you're probably not watching, and it's true. It's not slick like Entourage with its ribald tales of Hollywood angst -- Party Down's posse is struggling and on the wannabe side of the street -- but they've got it all down where the laughs are concerned.

Visit the Starz Party Down website for more information and other goodies that will add to your appreciation of the show.

AFI Names Its Top Ten TV Shows for 2009 -- and We Like Them!

We're always up for a well-informed Top Ten list around here, and today's announcement from the AFI of their Top Ten Movies and TV Shows from 2009 fits the bill. Because we're mostly about television here at the Nose we won't talk about the cinema choices, but we like what we see on the TV side. Their list, in alphabetical order, consists of many Flaming Nose favorites and others that's we've watched and liked, and one that we've never covered and can't imagine why not! So, the AFI Awards 2009, AFI TV Programs of the Year, Official Selections are:


The Big Bang Theory -- you know how much we like this CBS Monday night comedy, a geeky delight featuring a talented and hilarious cast and clever writing (which I must say with some dismay has started to rely a little too much on sexual innuendo -- actually way more than innuendo -- making some scenes play like creator Chuck Lorre's other hitcom Two and Half Men, which isn't necessarily a good thing.) But we still love it and we're happy to see it on this list!

Big Love -- star and producer Bill Paxton keeps this HBO saga about a polygamist Mormon family man on the right path, just absurd enough to be extremely entertaining but with a serious vein that never goes in for easy ridicule or cheap melodrama. With a gaggle of female co-stars who are some of the best actresses around -- Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloe Sevigny and Grace Zabriskie among them -- Big Love is compelling and doesn't always get the credit it deserves. So good to see it on the AFI list!

Friday Night Lights -- I know this is a great NBC show, but I've never watched an entire episode. It's the high school football millieu that has turned me off -- wrongly, of course -- and I vow to make this acclaimed show part of my viewing retinue. Good on AFI for calling out this terrific show that has managed to survive for three seasons so far and has earned the loyalty of many devoted viewers.


Glee -- Fox's new hit comedy/drama/musical is a favorite of Flaming Nose correspondent Jane, and we salute her foresight in calling this one a success right out of the box. This is one dare we say "quirky" show that has managed to wriggle its way into mainstream coverage, and its choice by the AFI is proof of its far-reaching appeal and unique qualities.


Mad Men -- Of course AMC's Mad Men has to be on any list like this. The TV show that's more a piece of art than a simple television series, MM entices the viewer to travel back to a time when men and women were still learning many things about each other, at home and in the workplace, and work itself -- especially in a cushy Madison Avenue ad agency -- was both a privileged and a cutthroat endeavour. Would have loved to see AMC's other excellent drama Breaking Bad on this list also, but maybe another time.

Modern Family -- ABC's new situation comedy about a collection of unconventional families who personify some of the diverse family groups out in the world today is a critical and audience favorite already. Though the people in the show may be nothing like you or your particular family, the universality of their problems and ultimate devotion to each other are certainly something everyone can understand and enjoy. Good choice for the list.


The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency -- HBO's charming Botswana, Africa-set light mystery series, is a wonderful addition to the list. Our Jane also called this one, loving its attitude and its seductive charismatic performances. More gentle than most of the breakout cable dramas getting so much publicity these days, this is a darling series with much to delight us all.

Nurse Jackie -- Showtime's brittle, brutal, heartbreaking, sexy dramedy starring the exquisite Edie Falco definitely belongs here. Is it more a comedy than a drama? Probably if you count the minutes, but Falco's performance is pure dramatic gold. Unusual, delving into the skilled Jackie's convoluted personal and professional life, Nurse Jackie is a show where good people don't always get the chance to do all the good things they'd like, but also get the chance to do the bad things that sometimes need to be done, too. Terrific choice by the AFI.

Party Down -- Where oh where was The Flaming Nose when this little gem ran on Starz? We were obviously asleep at the wheel, because we completely missed this one. (I never even saw ONE episode of this and have to confess I didn't recognize the title when I read it on AFI's list. My bad.) Party Down is a comedy about moonlighting aspiring actors, with a wonderful cast and the kind of comic sensibility that would have made it a hit if it had run on HBO, let's say, or even NBC. Don't miss this one if Starz repeats it, or seek it out online. Good for AFI to find this series and bestow some deserved limelight on this hidden delight.

TrueBlood -- HBO's vampilicious melodrama boasts not only one of the most attractive casts in recent memory, but they're giving some genuinely outstanding performances and bringing alive the kind of outlandish exploits that could sink a less skilled troupe. No worries here, though; TrueBlood is sexy and savage enough to make anyone a believer in the children of the night. It's one of the most fun shows out there, too, combining thrills and whimsy in a delicious Louisianna gumbo of gorey greatness. We love TrueBlood, can you tell?

Congrats to all the honorees!