Though television programming existed in various forms for more than a decade before the first situation comedies officially arrived in the late 1940s, the sitcom quickly became one of the most popular and duplicated genres for the next 80+ years. From stand-up comics to Hollywood icons, sitcoms are responsible for some of pop culture’s biggest stars, from Jerry Seinfeld to Jennifer Aniston to Dick Van Dyke to Lucille Ball, as well as some of the most memorable catchphrases.

Despite broadcast networks no longer championing sitcoms as much as in years past, with streaming services picking up the slack — Netflix is now more known for multi-camera sitcoms than any of the Big 4 — TV comedies will likely continue to keep audiences breathless with laughter for many more years to come. As such, CinemaBlend’s staff came together to celebrate and rank the 100 best sitcoms of all time, with the order stemming partially from our writers’ sharing scores for more than 200 different series, along with other contributing factors.

So sit back in your favorite recliner, grab an extra-large Squishee (or an ice-cold Duff, if you’re of age) and settle into the coziness, comfort, and occasional cringeworthiness of the best TV sitcoms of all time, according to CinemaBlend.

100. Bewitched

You know a show is a classic when even Marvel is drawing inspiration from it nearly 50 years after its end. The fantasy sitcom Bewitched worked its magic at CBS for eight seasons, partially due to the phenomenal comedic acting of Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York, who was famously replaced by Dick Sargent due to York's worsening health issues. Add in an equally impressive ensemble cast including Agnes Moorehead, David White, and Paul Lynde (just to name a few), and it's no wonder Bewitched was a nose-twitching delight of a show that doesn't need supernatural abilities to be great.

99. Laverne and Shirley

Arguably the most successful Happy Days spinoff, as well as one of the best TV comedies of all time, Laverne & Shirley followed two best friends and bottle-cappers as they navigated life and everything it threw at them in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (later Burbank, California). Though similar in tone to its predecessor, this long-running sitcom relied more on the physical comedy talents masterfully pulled by stars Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams. And when it comes to iconic opening credits sequences, Laverne & Shirley was in a league of its own with all those shots of the fictional Shotz Brewery along with that classic theme.

98. Beavis And Butt-Head

No Beavis And Butt-Head fan will argue that the show isn’t dumb. Because it is. It really, really is, in each of its iterations. The two eponymous characters rank as two of the most unambiguously stupid protagonists to ever grace a TV screen, and every word they say is unadulterated idiocy. Ironically, though, that’s the genius of Mike Judge’s creation. The impossibly dumb leads allow for stories that no other sitcom can reasonably or responsibly touch with any degree of verisimilitude, while also permitting some outrageously weird takes on music videos (and social clips) across various eras.

97. Hogan's Heroes

War stories are often suited for prestige dramas, but Hogan's Heroes proved that a P.O.W. camp comedy could be just as awards-worthy. During its 168-episode run, Bob Crane's titular leader and his squad constantly thwarted Nazi enemies with fast-talking and constant hijinks (many of which were put into play by future game show legend Richard Dawson). Lasting as long as World War II did itself, Hogan's Heroes showcased how reflecting on past tragedies with humor can make for memorable art.

96. How I Met Your Mother

How I Met Your Mother may be higher on this list if not for fan opinions of the final season, but I would 100% say that it’s worth watching despite a lackluster ending. This show is about finding out how Josh Radnor’s Ted met his future wife, but it really thrives as a series about best friends. As Neil Patrick Harris’ Barney Stinson would say, this ensemble is legen–wait for it–dary, and those who check it out will definitely be invested in what the cast is doing now that the series is over.

95. Mork & Mindy

Today we all know what an immense talent Robin Williams was, and the absolutely wild places he could take comedy. Imagine not knowing any of that, and then turning on an early episode of Mork & Mindy, where he must have come across quite like somebody from another world, much like the character he played. Mork from Ork gave Williams the freedom to do almost anything on screen opposite Pam Dawber’s Mindy (and later Jonathan Winters), and it’s no surprise he took over Hollywood after four successful seasons.

94. The Adventures of Pete and Pete

Plenty of shows focus on the weirdness of suburbia, but Nickelodeon’s The Adventures of Pete & Pete still stands awkwardly as one of the best. As Older Pete (Michael Maronna) and Younger Pete (Danny Tamberelli) navigate the oddities of Wellsville, life lessons and warm memories are gifted to viewers by creators Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi. Pete & Pete delivers its homespun tales with a deep-seated love of ‘50s and ‘60s pop culture, and with one of the more impressive celebrity guest star rosters of kid-centric TV. Where else will you find REM’s Michael Stipe as a conspiratorial ice cream man?

93. black-ish

Watching Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross’ Andre and Rainbow Johnson raise their family amidst navigating various challenges in and around their largely white-populated neighborhood, all while still hanging onto their Black identities, makes for eight seasons of exceptional sitcom storytelling. While black-ish went on to launch two spinoffs, the original still stands as the cream of the crop, expertly balancing pointed social commentary and humor regarding a variety of topics, racial and otherwise. Plus, TV grandfather-dom looks great on Laurence Fishburne.

92. The Munsters

What happens when a family largely modeled after Universal’s Classic Monsters takes up residence in the middle of suburban America’s Mockingbird Heights? You get The Munsters, which slotted in nicely among other comedic offerings in the ‘60s while also satirizing sitcom tropes of the era. Although Fred Gwynne’s bumbling patriarch Herman was often the driving force behind the weekly shenanigans, Lily, Grandpa, Eddie and Marilyn (the only “normal” looking one) were all far more endearing than their monstrous counterparts, making The Munsters a great platform for chaotic, yet heartfelt entertainment.

91. Happy Endings

Best friends are always good sitcom fodder, as David Caspe’s Happy Endings proved for three seasons on ABC ahead of its fan-angering cancellation. Damon Wayans Jr.’s cucumber-cool Brad and Eliza Coupe’s A-type Jane are the group’s PDA-friendly couple, while her sister, Elisha Cuthbert’s confusion-prone Alex, is exes-ish with Zachary Knighton’s dorky-smooth Dave. The group is rounded out by Adam Pally’s schlubbo-sexual Max and Casey Wilson’s serial dater Penny. Perhaps the only sitcom whose leads share a fictional history as Real World vets, Happy Endings is as fun and fancy-free as romance-fueled sitcoms get.

90. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Less than two years after Ellie Kemper played Erin Hannon for the last time on The Office, she sunshine-smiled her way through a bonkers show of her own with Netflix’s original Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. The series, which centered on former cult member Kimmy’s surreal and gung-ho acclimation to life in a “real” world she hadn’t lived in for years. One of the more unique shows from creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, Kimmy could have made this list just for turning the multi-talent Tituss Burgess into a small-screen regular. Extra kudos for the follow-up movie Kimmy vs the Reverend.

89. That '70s Show

Starring Topher Grace and running for eight seasons from 1998-2006, That ‘70s Show transports any generational audience who watches back to the late 1970s for the horned-up (and oh-so-slightly drugged-up) exploits of high school besties and their respective parents. The teens were played by actors who would go on to become bona fide stars, including Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Wilmer Valderrama, and Laura Prepon. The Circle in Eric’s basement was always reliable for big laughs, and though its final season suffered from cast exits, Netflix’s That ‘90s Show kept the good times going far more successfully than That ‘80s Show.

88. Extras

Ricky Gervais and Steven Merchant followed up on the smash success of The Office by crossing the ocean to HBO for the Hollywood-skewing riot Extras, which hinged on the fraught character trifecta of Gervais’ dispirited actor Andy, his god-awful agent Darren (Merchant) and his kind-hearted and oblivious actress BFF Maggie (Ashley Jensen). While only two seasons and a Christmas special, it’s a modern classic not only for its gloriously cornball faux sitcom When the Whistle Blows, but for bonkers celebrity cameos from Kate Winslet, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan and more. Gervais also delivers an all-time Top 5 spit-take in one episode.

87. The Bernie Mac Show

The late Bernie Mac is still widely viewed as a comedy giant, and his eponymous family sitcom is a major reason for that. The Bernie Mac Show definitely isn’t the first comedy to be headlined by a stand-up, but it’s one of the few that so perfectly utilized the talents of its lead. Mac’s signature brand of no-nonsense humor is especially hilarious when he bounces off his A+ co-stars. But, overall, what makes this series one of the great modern Black sitcoms is its funny, warm and nuanced depiction of familial dynamics amongst African Americans.

86. Gilligan's Island

Before The Brady Bunch (but after The Red Skelton Show), screenwriter and producer Sherwood Schwartz launched 1964's smash-hit Gilligan's Island, and the fictional voyage was far more doomed than the show's. Starring Bob Denver and Alan Hale, the sitcom won over viewers with plots hinged on island inventions, unexpected visitors, dream sequences, and random items washing up ashore. While the show famously never hit one hundred episodes, its premise was beloved enough to spark several TV movies and the truly baffling Saturday morning cartoon spinoff Gilligan's Planet.

85. Mad About You

Chemistry is usually all it takes to keep a sitcom afloat, whether its shared by an ensemble (see: Friends) or tethered to a winning duo like Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt in Mad About You. It helps that both actors lent their movie-level wattage to the sitcom for eight seasons, exploring marriage and eventually parenthood in New York City. (Reiser previously co-starred in My Two Dads, to be sure.) But despite the parade of stellar comedic co-stars — Hank Azaria, Lisa Kudrow, Carol Burnett, and Mel Brooks? Come on! — it was Paul and Jamie keeping us invested. We were mad about them, and maybe a different kind of mad about Mabel.

84. Three's Company

Three’s Company is an interesting case-study in dated sitcom writing, as 90% of the jokes that prop up the show wouldn’t fly today. Almost every single line can be construed as sexual innuendo, and the plot twists of a given Three’s Company episode are so driven by silly miscommunications, the formula is basically cliche. However, John Ritter’s deep reservoir of charm, when combined with his incredible chemistry with the female roommates that came in and out of his orbit, made it an overall win, and one of the most memorable and breezy sitcoms of the 1970s and ‘80s.

83. Family Guy

What can be said about Family Guy that hasn’t already been said? While Seth MacFarlane’s first mega-hit doesn’t feel quite as crude as other late night animated fare these days, it quickly cemented itself as an envelope-pushing primetime entry thanks to its murderous baby, they hyper-perverse Quagmire, and the less said about Herbert, the better. The series made a meme-worthy artform out of cutaway gags, man vs. chicken fights and lowbrow pop culture spoofs. At this point, the Griffins are basically as widespread as the Simpsons, and Brian would certainly drink to that.

82. Malcolm In The Middle

Malcolm in the Middle was a key part of Fox’s Sunday comedy lineup for six of its seven seasons from 2000-2006. At the time, the Frankie Muniz-starring comedy was a rare example of a single-camera sitcom that eschewed a laugh track and had its lead regularly breaking the fourth wall. The family was known to deal with serious issues in the background of the shenanigans of the sibling trio, which helped the sitcom win seven Emmys. It was also Bryan Cranston’s breakout primetime TV role, proving he was a comedy legend years before dipping into drama for Breaking Bad.

81. The Facts Of Life

A spinoff of Diff’rent Strokes, The Facts of Life is one of the most successful TV offshoots that shares little with its predecessor, and for good reason. The coming-of-age sitcom explores adolescence in a way that neither its predecessor nor follow-up projects ever could, with a perfectly cast ensemble of young actresses led by the incomparable Charlotte Rae. This sitcom exists because of Rae’s previously stellar work, and her warmth and charm in the role of Mrs. Garrett helped make a family out of her girls, from Natalie to Tootie to Jo to Blair and the rest.

80. The Addams Family

Although The Addams Family started off as a single-panel New Yorker comic strip published from 1938 to 1964, it was the TV series premiering that same latter year which made the family a pop culture favorite. Watching Morticia, Gomez, Uncle Fester, Wednesday, Pugsley, Grandmama, Lurch and Thing freak people out with their macabre tastes and supernatural antics never got old, and without the popularity of this show, it’s doubtful these ghoulish characters would have returned in a variety of live-action and animated projects in later years.

79. My Name Is Earl

My Name Is Earl earned its way to sitcom greatness thanks to star Jason Lee’s all-in performance as Earl Hickey, as well as the great premise that sees Earl attempting to right the litany of past wrongs committed against seemingly everyone he’d ever met. (The concept also helps make it easy to drop in on any random episode without really needing to see what happened beforehand.) Ethan Suplee, Eddie Steeples and Jaime Pressley are equally brilliant in their respective roles, and we can still relate to Earl to this day anytime we struggle to keep our eyes open while taking a picture.

78. The Middle

Every once in awhile, a show sneaks it way into the zeitgeist and in our memories. The Middle, a show about a quirky middle-class family from the Midwest ran for nine years and hit home for a wide and nostalgic audience. It was a breath of fresh air and an honest take on class and what it was really like to grow up in, well, “the middle” of everything. Ironically, it was the ending of the show that stuck with most, but all good things must come to an end. 

77. Dave

This whole entry could be spent talking about how Dave is driven by the exceptional talent of David “Lil Dicky” Burd, who has a truly offbeat world perspective to go along with his legitimate gifts as a rapper. But that would be a disservice to Davionte "GaTa" Ganter, who proves over the course of the three seasons to be the NSFW series’ true heart. It gets funny and ridiculous, but it can also deliver a nice, solid gut punch courtesy of your investment in the characters’ plights for recognition.

76. Spin City

Arguably TV's least polarizing political sitcom, Spin City was a winning candidate for its six-season term in part due to co-creators Bill Lawrence and Gary David Goldberg. The latter also created Family Ties, and brought Michael J. Fox into the lead role here as well, with Charlie Sheen successfully taking over in Season 5 after Fox's medical-related exit Spin City is also a melting pot of TV excellence, boasting Connie Britton, Carla Gugino, Richard Kind, Alan Ruck and more greats filling out the NYC mayor’s office.

75. The Andy Griffith Show

One of the most iconic and wholesome sitcoms of the 20th century, The Andy Griffith Show gave audiences nearly 250 episodes with the residents of the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina, centering on local sheriff Andy Taylor, played with aw-shucks charm by Griffith. Characters like Barney Fife (Don Knotts), Gomer Pyle (Jim Nabors), Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier), and Opie (a young Ron Howard) made for plenty of the early highlights in sitcom history, both in black-and-white and color.

74. Family Matters

Airing for nine seasons from 1989-1997, Family Matters became a beloved sitcom for multiple generations regularly tuning into ABC’s TGIF lineup. The spinoff of Perfect Strangers followed the highs and lows of the Winslow family, with Die Hard vet Reginald VelJohnson becoming an iconic sitcom dad as Carl Winslow. Of course, Jaleel White’s Steve Urkel famously stole the spotlight as the nerd-tastic breakout star, sporting the signature “Did I do that?” catchphrase. Yes, he certainly did, if by “that” he meant annoying his unrequited love Laura or creating alternate versions of himself via sitcom science.

73. The Wonder Years

The Wonder Years aired from 1988-1993, but very fathfully recreated the late ‘60s and early ‘70s to invite audiences into the lives of the Arnold family. Starring Fred Savage in his breakout role (alongside fellow greats Dan Lauria, Alley Mills, and Danica McKellar), the coming-of-age comedy touched on Vietnam War politics, high school romance, deaths of loved ones, sibling rivalries and more, with Daniel Stern's narration a key source of its charm and emotional heft. From using Joe Cocker’s unforgettable “With a Little Help from My Friends” to its powerful-yet-unplanned finale, it’s no wonder that this classic eventually inspired a reboot.

72. The Flintstones

The Flintstones is arguably the first animated project to prove itself as much of a classic sitcom as anything in live-action. Premiering back in 1960 and running for six wildly successful seasons, the sitcom follows the titular family within a fictional and idealized version of the Stone Age. Its popularity kept it airing in syndication for decades,later inspiring spinoffs, live-action movies, TV specials, ice cream pops, and (of course) the most memorable vitamins down the medicine aisle.

71. The Proud Family

The Proud Family was one of the standout shows of ABC’s One Saturday Morning programming block, walking the line between cartoony kids show and legitimate family drama quite well. Disney+’s more recent Louder And Prouder revival is evidence of that popularity and storytelling skills. Kyla Pratt’s Penny Proud is as relatable a TV teen as can be, and Sugar Mama (voiced by Family Matters’ Jo Marie Payton) is the kind of grandmother anyone would appreciate, sans bodyslams.

70. The Drew Carey Show

Long before he became host of The Price is Right, Drew Carey jumped from standup comedy to sitcom stardom with The Drew Carey Show, which ran for nine increasingly zany seasons from 1995-2004. The comedian starred as a fictionalized version of himself living in Ohio, working at a mundane job surrounded by a core group of friends with hijinks to spare. (Particularly during the A+ April Fool’s Day episodes.) This was the first big scripted TV role for cast members like Christa Miller, Diedrich Baker, Ryan Stiles, Craig Ferguson, and John Carroll Lynch. Hopefully fans can agree with the show on one thing: Cleveland Rocks!

69. Designing Women

If watching four sassy, professional ladies flourish, flounder, and tell it like it is sounds like something you can get behind, then look no further than Designing Women. The comedy starred the all-time great cast of Dixie Carter, Young Sheldon’s Annie Potts, Delta Burke and Hacks star Jean Smart as co-workers sharing their personal and professional trials and triumphs to side-splitting effect over several seasons. Even better, the show managed to work in a lot of social commentary that’s still relevant today, and no one has ever taken down bullies and bigots like Carter’s Julia Sugarbaker.

68. Night Court

Many sitcoms can be vehicles for a single great comedian to shine, but the strength of the original Night Court was its ensemble. (And that sax-y theme.) Harry Anderson played de facto leader Judge Harry Stone alongside John Laroquette, Markie Post, Richard Moll and more, and the jury of TV audiences gave the verdict of Night Court being guilty of hilarity. Despite the fact that the show’s format could seem as formulaic as real-life courtroom dockets, silliness often ensued, and fans were happy to watch these talents play off each other for an enviable nine-season run. Its popularity endures with Melissa Rauch’s 2023 revival.

67. The Honeymooners

TV shows have a way of changing the pop culture landscape by being quotable, and The Honeymooners is one of the earliest sitcoms whose influence is definitely still felt in that category, with “One of these days Alice…” and “To the moon!” persisting so many decades later. The all-time classic follows two New York City couples and the various shenanigans they get into, with Ralph and Alice famously played by Jackie Gleason and Audrey Meadows, respectively. And while the empty threats of domestic violence might be jarring for newcomers, The Honeymooners significantly set the stage for so many sitcoms to follow.

66. Raising Hope

Wacky isn’t always a word that comes up when discussing family sitcoms, but Raising Hope fits that description to a T. The Chance family is filled with more lovable and well-meaning weirdos than you’d think could possibly fit into half-hour eps, but they all have their odd (and potentially relatable) quirks. From dad Burt (who picks his nose by using all 10 fingers), to matriarch Maw Maw (who can frequently be found shirtless and/or braless and giving off old people smells), you’d be hard-pressed to land on an episode that doesn’t make you choke on your big dill pickle.

65. Fresh Off The Boat

Everyone loves a good family sitcom, and while Fresh Off the Boat is technically about the young, hip-hop-obsessed son within a Taiwanese-American family in Orlando, the real comedic meat of the show is his mom, Jessica (Constance Wu). We’ve never seen a mom like Jessica Huang before. Yes, she’s loving, but it’s an absurdly tough, uncompromising love that pushes her nice, America-loving husband and three sons to excel. She’s also fiercely competitive and not someone to mess with, which diners-and-dashers can attest to, and is a big reason why Fresh Off the Boat will always be watchable.

64. Everybody Hates Chris

Abbott Elementary fans can attest to Tyler James Williams’ comedic chops, but he first honed them from his younger Hollywood days as the star of Everybody Hates Chris. Created by Chris Rock (who narrates) and Ali LeRoi, the show is based on the stand-up legend’s teenage years, and finds ways of making everyday occurrences the most hilarious things in the world, often landing a wide-eyed Chris in trouble. From James’ impressive performance as a teenager to the rest of the cast (including a stellar Terry Crews’ dad mode), Everybody Hates Chris is a must-watch for comedy lovers of all ages.

63. Get Smart

Secret agent movies were big in the 1960s, so how could one go wrong with a spoof comedy series created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry? Get Smart stars Don Adams’ Maxwell Smart (aka the bumbling CONTROL Agent 86) often teaming up with Barbara Feldon’s more-than-capable sidekick, Agent 99, to thwart the evil, if not entirely professional, efforts of the cabal KAOS. From the series’ iconic opening credits to Max’s shoe phone, Get Smart stands the test of time, with some great catchphrases to boot, including “MIssed it by that much,” and, “Would you believe…?”

62. Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23

We sometimes wonder how well creator Nahnatchka Khan’s Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 would have fared if it lasted beyond its celebrated two-season run. And we wish we were given the chance to actually see that hypothetical third season for ourselves, as the 26 episodes we did get were spot on. Pairing Dreama Walker’s naive June with Krysten Ritter’s scheming Chloe made for an odd couple who knew how to have exciting adventures. Frequent appearances by an early-career Eric André and an always charming James Van Der Beek only made this ABC series all the sweeter.

61. Good Times

A quality sitcom spinoff can be a challenge. Repeat what worked on the original, or try to do something totally different? Good Times spun off from Maude (which itself was an All In The Family offshoot), and succeeded through carving out its own authentic niche centering around the hard-working and cash-strapped characters of Florida (Esther Rolle) and James Evans (John Amos). The two leads were excellent throughout, though Good Times eventually shifted its primary focus to Jimmie Walker, the sitcom’s breakout star who coined the phrase “Dynomite!” and rode that marketing freight train to global superstardom. A series that lives up to its name, and then some.

60. The Nanny

The Nanny has long been synonymous with its star Fran Drescher, who played the titular Nanny Fine throughout the show’s six-season run on CBS. Despite being a quintessential ‘90s sitcom, the show’s comedy still feels super fresh and contemporary, even if the pop culture references are dated. Descher is truly unbelievable as Fran, and The Nanny has one of the best TV theme songs of all time. And it’s a show that younger generations absolutely NEED to binge-watch, amidst the ongoing hope for fans to see more.

59. Archer

If Archer were merely an expertly crafted James Bond parody, we’d still love it. However, this long-running FX staple’s greatness comes from the lore-heavy, spy-fi universe that creator Adam Reed’s built atop the back of loving send-ups to the espionage subgenre. H. Jon Benjamin anchored an all-timer voice cast that delivered dialogue and performances as sharp as Lana’s switchblade. The show veered from staleness by aping different genres for Danger Island and other “Coma Seasons,” further widening the comedic field of play, and I can’t imagine anyone wouldn’t finger Archer as the wildest workplace sitcom to date. Phrasing, BOOM!

58. Happy Days

When one thinks of Happy Days, the first image that likely comes to mind is Henry Winkler’s Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli giving a cool-as-hell thumb’s up. Though he was initially just a minor player, the leather-donning jukebox-smacking ladie’s man quickly became the show’s most popular character. But its picturesque version of the 1950s and 1960s is just as iconic, as is the entire Cunnhingham family (except maybe for the disappearing brother Chuck) and further ensemble, which spawned a whopping seven spinoffs. And if you don’t agree with all that, well, sit on it!

57. Martin

A couple of years before he became an action movie king in Bad Boys, Martin Lawrence created and starred in his own sitcom, which gave fans five seasons of over-the-top episodes. Lawrence’s Martin Payne is a loud, rambunctious, and highly opinionated Detroit disc jockey who constantly finds himself in all kinds of trouble both at work and at home with Tisha Campbell’s Gina. (A dynamic that shifted in the final season for BTS reasons.) Martin himself was fun, but his various other personas —Sheneneh Jenkins, Rosco, and Dragonfly Jones — gave the sitcom a fun and unique spin, foreshadowing Lawrence’s later career.

56. Living Single

Living Single is one of those sitcoms that thankfully managed to age well , premiering back in 1993 and following a group of friends residing together in a Brooklyn brownstone. With a killer cast including Queen Latifah (who also performed the outstanding theme song), Kim Coles, Kim Fields and Erika Alexander, Living Single’s formula succeeded ahead of Friends reaching more sensational heights, and the topic of influences there has made for many discussions. Regardless, the sitcom is a Black TV treasure, and boasts a trove of terrific musicians, athletes and comedians as guest stars, from Flip Wilson to Chaka Khan.

55. Will and Grace

Will & Grace might as well have also had Jack and Karen in the title as well, such was the strength of this foursome as they unsuccessfully dated and schmoozed their way to making LGBTQ+ history. The NBC Must See TV classic was an Emmy darling during its initial eight-season run, and its ongoing popularity beyond the “final” season inspired NBC to revive it for another two seasons. Which thankfully meant more from the bevy of guests and recurring stars that popped up over the years, from Matt Damon to Matt Bomer to Madonna.

54. Murphy Brown

Sure, Murphy Brown fulfilled the sitcom basics of starring a single, middle-aged working woman (whose eventual single-mom status shook up the status quo), being funny, and serving up great characters — Jim Dial, slugger — to support the Aretha Franklin-loving titular lead. Arguably most important, though, its its rare delivery of a flawed female main character (recovering alcoholic) who’s frequently irascible, dedicated to her job as a journalist, and unafraid to speak up in a male-heavy industry, giving audiences every reason to root for through every uproarious rant and unnecessary assistant change. There’s a reason Candice Bergen earned five Emmys from seven nominations for her work across ten seasons.

53. The Bob Newhart Show

Nobody can do deadpan humor quite like the eponymous star of The Bob Newhart Show. The beauty of this 1970s sitcom was that it allowed Bob Newhart to play off of those stand-up comedy strengths, acting as the straight man to his psychologist Bob Hartley’s many unique patients. Co-starring Suzanne Pleshette as Bob’s beloved wife Emily — the two made sitcom history together on his next sitcom as well — and Peter Bonerz and Bill Daily as his pals, The Bob Newhart Show remains exemplary for its character-driven laughs.

52. Sanford And Son

The laughs that Sanford and Son delivers from episode to episode are fairly unique compared to other sitcoms. Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson are perfectly cast as Fred and Lamont Sanford, respectively, playing off of each other in ways reminiscent of comedy duos in vaudeville and radio shows. The writers also deserve a lot of credit for effectively employing racial humor, considered edgy at that time, as well as for bringing in hilarious characters like “Aunt” Esther Anderson and Grady Wilson. But Foxx – who just oozes superior comedic timing – steals so many scenes with his energetic performances. “This is the big one!”

51. Superstore

All things consumerism considered, it’s almost surprising so few workplace comedies are anything like Superstore. For six seasons, viewers watched Amy (Oscar nominee America Ferrera), Jonah (Ben Feldman) and their wacky big box store co-workers readily getting into myriad insane scrapes and intriguingly complicated relationships, while trying to maintain order (or causing disorder) within the retail sphere. Superstore gives fans peak workplace sitcom, with innumerable sight gags for those watching closely, as well as a low-key, slow-burn mystery involving feet showing up all over the store. It’s a hilarious win-win that theoretically helps everyone see their jobs aren’t as bad as they could be.

50. The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

Before the Men in Black and Bad Boys franchises and that Academy Award-winning role in King Richard, Will Smith veered away from his successful rap career to introduce viewers to…Will Smith…for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Just saying its name instantly brings its classic theme song to mind.

Following a kid from West Philly sent off to live with his affluent uncle’s family in Bel-Air, this sitcom oozed ‘90s sitcom charm and hilarity, helping Will Smith expand his comedic talents opposite the great James Avery, Janet Hubert (for a spell) and more. From the Carlton dance to that classic “very special episode” where Will gets shot, Fresh Prince features plenty of justification for its continued success in syndication and streaming.

49. Family Ties

Eventually, Family Ties became known as “The Michael J. Fox Show,” and it was hard to avoid. Fox was a charismatic ball of energy who became a bona fide superstar during the run of the show, and even eclipsed famous guest stars such as Tom Hanks when they appeared.

But before Fox reached all-star status, Family Ties won over audiences as a warm, endearing, and relatable sitcom about liberal parents trying their best to raise their three kids – one of whom happened to be a briefcase-toting, card-carrying Republican. We all saw ourselves in at least one member of the Keaton family, and tuned in weekly to appreciate the ties that bound them all together.

48. Mr. Bean

Rowan Atkinson would have been amazing during the silent film era, but is thankfully a more modern talent, since we otherwise might never have known the childlike, frustration-spiked foibles of Mr. Bean. Co-created by the comedian’s Black Adder partners in hilarity, Ben Elton and Richard Curtis, Mr. Bean is an idiosyncratic sitcom in that its five-year stretch comprised 15 sporadically aired one-off episodes, as opposed to seasons, which inspired a pair of feature films, an animated series, and more pop culture greatness.

Atkinson brings his physical comedy mastery to a plethora of disaster-laden circumstances, from nonchalantly changing into a swimsuit to getting ready for the dentist while driving to being locked out of a hotel room and dozens of other awkward moments.

47. The Mick

Only two seasons of The Mick aired between January 2017 and April 2018, telling the story of a foul-mouthed dirtbag forced to be the guardian of her affluent niece and nephews, and all 37 episodes are send-you-doubled-over-off-your-couch hilarious. Which means a lot of people were sleeping on this brilliance when it aired, and we’re still sore about it.

Led by Kaitlin Olsen, the entire cast is spectacular (with a special hat tip to the brilliant Scott MacArthur as the oft-injured ne'er-do-well Jimmy), but what truly makes this show exceptional is its beyond-dark sensibilities and unwillingness to accept the idea of a “line” that can’t be crossed. The final scene of the series finale is actually a perfect ending in that sense, and we’re sure that more seasons would have pushed it higher up the rankings.

46. The Jeffersons

Norman Lear & Co.nailed it when they moved George, Louise and Lionel Jefferson from All in the Family to their own show. The Jeffersons is 30-minute comedy at its finest, offering an excellent premise, and an array of interesting stories built on it. Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford are electric as George and Lousie, effortlessly conveying their on-screen marriage with warmth, humor and occasional contention, all while surrounded by a strong supporting cast.

There’s also the series’ impact on Black culture and the TV landscape as a whole. It’s one of the earliest shows to have depicted an upper class African American family – and the complexities of such a dynamic. We should all be grateful that these characters moved on up.

45. 30 Rock

If there were any doubts that Tina Fey could transport her magic touch from SNL to a scripted sitcom, 30 Rock proved them pointless. The show-within-a-show’s very first season won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and scored nominations for Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin. (Both went on to win elsewhere in the NBC comedy’s seven-season run.)

The show is infinitely quotable, thanks in large part to Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowski, and recruited standout part-time stars ranging from Matt Damon to David Schwrimmer to – of course – Steve “How do you do, fellow kids?” Buscemi. Plus, it imparted the following important lesson from Tracy Jordan: “Live every week like it’s Shark Week.” No SNL knowledge is needed to appreciate the sketch-skewing humor, but it’ll help.

44. Scrubs

Hospital dramas have become as commonplace as any TV offering, so having Scrubs around to follow its doctors, nurses and Sacred Heart staff through a comedic lens continues to be a welcome respite. Not to say Scrubs wasn’t without its emotional and poignant moments, since one could argue it functions nearly as well as a dramatic series when in that mode.

But the humor is where Scrubs’ gets surgical with it. Whether we were joining J.D. in his wild daydreams, or the crazy events unfolding between characters while treating patients, this show excelled at delivering the laughs. If only we could witness John C. McGinley’s Dr. Cox ranting at residents while a nameless Janitor pranks people within a real-life hospital. Additionally, J.D. and Turk are one of TV’s all-time best-buddy pairings.

43. Bob's Burgers

In all of sitcom family-dom, few clans are as relatable in their middle-class weirdness as the Belcher family that serves up the titular meals and good-time goofiness on Bob’s Burgers. The beloved series from creator Loren Bouchard has followed sitcom standards to a T while building up its hilarity-filled universe of Italian restaurateur rivals, handyman besties, and plenty of schoolchildren I’d much rather watch on TV than deal with at home. But it’s the Belchers that keep us coming back.

From H. Jon Benjamin’s expertly exasperated attempts to get by to Louise’s rebellious sadism to Tina’s butt fascination, Bob’s Burgers is as timeless as the hamburger itself, and isn’t afraid to mix sweetness into the juvenile hijinks. A must-watch for pun enthusiasts.

42. The Cosby Show

Decades after its debut on NBC, The Cosby Show remains a seminal piece of TV work. This sharp family comedy offers a warm look at a family (who just happened to be Black) and, while the Huxtables are quite pristine, they never feel unrelatable, except perhaps where sweaters are concerned. The impeccable ensemble boasts the likes of Phylicia Rashad, Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Keshia Knight Pulliam masterfully playing off the series’ titular star. Give the writing staff credit, too, for formulating some eternally classic episodes, like “Goodbye Mr. Fish” and “Happy Anniversary.”

Of course, the show’s legacy has been further evaluated due to Bill Cosby’s legal entanglements, and understandably so. That debate will surely continue, though what’s hard to deny is the sitcom’s game-changing position in the cultural lexicon.

41. Party Down

“Are we having fun yet?” The oft-used sarcastic throwback to Henry’s (Adam Scott) singular professional achievement is actually a pretty fitting way to sum up the careers of the motley crew of caterers on Party Down. The aspiring actors and writers who comprise the eponymous catering company would certainly rather be pursuing their passions than serving drinks and apps to their rich customers, but with each episode plunking them into a different bougie event, it was delightful to see the ridiculous and usually cringey situations they would get themselves into.

On top of a fabulous ensemble cast featuring the likes of Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, Lizzy Caplan and Martin Starr, Party Down featured A+ cameos at each catering function. That Steve Guttenberg episode? Chef’s kiss, or at least a caterer’s kiss.

40. The Boondocks

We may never get another animated series about American society as unabashedly insightful as The Boondocks, which was created by Aaron McGruder and based on his comic strip of the same name. Each episode provides a thoughtful examination of the Black experience, principally seen through the eyes of young intellectual Huey Freeman and his gangster-wannabe brother Riley (both voiced by Oscar/Emmy Award-winner Regina King), under the spotty guidance of their John Witherspoon-voiced Granddad.

Not only does McGruder's bold writing provide clever observations about everything from rap music to movie theater decorum, but the anime style continues to remain eye-popping and brilliantly utilized. Especially with the killer kung-fu sequences, which demonstrate a deep love for both the animation medium and the martial arts action genre.

39. Abbott Elementary

Arguably one of the best sitcoms currently airing, Abbott Elementary took the world by storm when it premiered in 2021, introducing the world to Quinta Brunson’s brilliance as Janine Teagues. The Black Lady Sketch Show vet created, writes, produces and stars in the show centering on a Philadelphia school’s staff, and her care and love for it is infectious.

Between Gregory and Janine’s will-they-won’t-they relationship, hilarious talking heads and well-established characters with silly interests (like Ava being a doomsday prepper), this show has all the hallmarks of classic mockumentaries. However, its setting at an elementary school and the unique chemistry the incredible cast has developed make this ABC comedy one that will undoubtedly stand the test of time. (And it won’t need a stool like Janine, amirite, Ava?)

38. The IT Crowd

As if Graham Linehan’s entertainment legacy wasn’t already assured by Father Ted, the man went and crafted another all-time Britcom with The IT Crowd. (Okay, Black Books, too.) The basic premise follows the lives of corporate climber Jen (Katherine Parkinson) and IT department slackers Roy (Chris O’Dowd) and Moss (Richard Ayoade). A classic workplace sitcom trio if there ever was one.

In execution, the 25-episode run was far more fun and unpredictable than the set-up. Skewering corporate culture and malfeasance, as well as all things personal and pop, The IT Crowd feels like a cheeky mix between Seinfeld and Spaced. Not to mention this being a great place to get a Matt Berry fix.

37. Community

It’s difficult to summarize what makes Community such an exceptional sitcom. Its meta awareness and deep love of pop culture is a key ingredient, executed principally through the genius character that is Danny Pudi’s Abed Nadir. But that’s an example of the phenomenal way the show balances the unique voices of its seven main characters – be it the confident idiocy of Donald Glover’s Troy Barnes, the extreme selfishness of Joel McHale’s Jeff Winger, or ridiculous uptightness of Alison Brie’s Annie Edison.

These characters planted in an environment of ever-growing weirdness that is Greendale Community College permits wild, creative, and clever single episode stories… but also not to be slept on are its effective emotional swings (Like I said, it’s really Dean-ficult to sum up!)

36. Modern Family

Modern Family was one of the first family sitcoms to eschew studio audience laughter for the single-camera format, and its massive success and influence was undeniable. Running for eleven seasons, the star-studded sitcom gave viewers a front seat to watching the blended Pritchett and Dunphy families grow up together.

But what makes Modern Family one of the best sitcoms ever is its relatability and ability to tap into all the emotions. There’s plenty to laugh at, thanks to hilarious deliveries from Ed O’Neill, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell and others, and more episodes than can be poignant, whether it’s about love, sexuality, growing up, or plenty of other feelings to connect to.

35. Arrested Development

At the far end of the “wholesome sitcom family” spectrum is the Bluth clan responsible for the majority of the conning and downward spiraling on Arrested Development. (Ron Howard’s Narrator: “They really were.”) With too many A+ cast members to namecheck in one breath, the fourth wall-breaking comedy is technically about the legal troubles surrounding the family company following a major scandal, but it’s really about the family’s myriad other problems.

Let’s see, we have twin-fidelity, oedipal complexes galore, PTSD from both Army (Mother!) and loss of limb, rampant alcoholism, potentially incestuous foreplay, hair metal magic, and never-nudism, though that’s a corner of a snowflake atop the tallest mountain of comedic quirks. Come for the brilliant performances, stay for the smartest callback jokes on TV.

34. WKRP In Cincinnati

WKRP in Cincinnati is one of those shows that never seems to receive its flowers quite enough alongside others from the era. Airing for four seasons between 1978 and 1982, the comedy takes place at a struggling AM radio station in the heart of the Midwest, and boasts everything one would want in a sitcom: great jokes, iconic characters, and unforgettable TV moments.

Despite early schedule struggles, WKRP eventually found its footing on CBS, thanks to audiences loving the comedic stylings of Howard Hesseman’s Dr. Johnny Fever, Tim Reid’s Venus Flytrap, and Richard Sanders’ Les Nessman. It’s always been a hit with radio DJs, for good reason, and produced quite possibly the greatest Thanksgiving TV treat (that doesn’t have Charlie Brown in it) with “Turkeys Away.”

33. The Critic

In the wake of The Simpsons’ success, creators Al Jean and Mike Reiss shaped a cult classic with The Critic, focused on bitter film critic Jay Sherman, voiced with gusto by Jon Lovitz. The animated sitcom took after its spiritual cousin, offering up both heartfelt and cuttingly satirical gags, and bouncing from ABC to Fox only sharpened the show’s edge.

Keenly lampooning the world of show business, The Critic’s writers crafted A+ parodies of classic films, fake cinematic atrocities so bad they’re funny, and welcomed cameos from actual critics. Anyone wanting to see Siskel & Ebert in a fist fight need look no further. Two words aptly sum up how we feel about this series not lasting nearly as long as The Simpsons: “It stinks.”

32. Married...with Children

With Frank Sinatra’s “Love and Marriage” performance as its subversively optimistic theme song, Married with Children is the gleefully bawdy archetype for sitcoms about miserable people. Ed O’Neill’s misogyny-encrusted slopfest Al Bundy stiff-arms his way through life with affection-seeking wife Peg, blonde joke incarnate daughter Kelly, and lazy hornball son Bud. And Katey Sagal, Christina Applegate and David Faustino are the epitome of “the family you love to watch, but would hate to live with.”

As the live-action series that put Fox on the map, Married with Children has long been celebrated for its politically incorrect humor and cartoonishly offensive storylines, and it remains among the most offensive TV shows of all time. But it worked because the Bundy’s always came out worse than anyone else.

31. Gravity Falls

Gravity Falls’ offbeat sitcom greatness truly deserves recognition for a show that may be written off for being a Disney Channel original. Creator and cast member Alex Hirsch crafted a well-animated, off-kilter show that wins over younger viewers with its thrills, humor and heart, while also capturing older viewers with overarching mysteries, surprisingly deep lore, and barrages of callbacks, clues and pause-required animation details. (Long live Bill Cypher!)

At the center of all the madness is the perfectly realized Pines family — Grunkle Stan, Dipper and Mabel — and their friends and co-workers like Wendy, Soos and others. With two seasons and 40 episodes under its belt, Gravity Falls is a tight show that builds to a very satisfying conclusion, even if fans railed against its cancellation at the time.

30. Parks And Recreation

When Parks and Recreation premiered, SNL and UCB vet Amy Poehler was its biggest name, but the careers of co-stars such as Nick Offerman, Chris Pratt, Retta and Aubrey Plaza exploded in the years after. And it’s no surprise, since the NBC sitcom is where they were able to hone their characters distinct personalities for seven seasons.

Parks and Rec follows the misfit-lite group running Pawnee, Indiana’s parks department Indiana, and had little trouble getting into the wildest hijinks in each 30-minute runtime. The episode “Flu Season” delivers the goods in a nutshell, between Amy Poehler pretending she’s not sick, Chris Pratt’s physical comedy, and Nick Offerman perfectly portraying Ron Swanson’s disdain for government work. Parks and Rec is a quirky and lively show that deserves a spot in everyone’s lives.

29. Letterkenny

It's not often that a show can lean heavily on both the importance of morals and the notion of violence, but Letterkenny managed to strike an amazing balance between the two for twelve seasons. The Canadian sitcom is known for its amazingly paced banter and extensive wordplay and unique phrasings. As if the amazing comedic timing wasn't enough, one of the main themes continues to acknowledge the importance of standing up for what you believe in and striving to do good in the world. "If a friend asks for help, you help them."

Creator and star of the show, Jared Keeso, has also recently hit another comedic home run in the Letterkenny extended universe with the spinoff Shoresy.

28. The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Four years after winning TV audiences’ hearts for the last time on The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Tyler Moore struck further gold with her own titular sitcom, earning a spot high on the pyramid of inspirational female pop culture icons. For seven seasons, Moore’s Mary Richards worked diligently amidst other colorful characters in the MJM newsroom, such as Gavin McCleod’s snarky Murray, Ted Knight’s dimwitted Ted, and Ed Anser’s ever-stoic (and spinoff-bound) Lou Grant. Not to mention Betty White’s ego-puff Sue Ann.

Outside the office, some of the Emmy-amassing show’s best scenes featured Mary mixing it up with her neighbor buddies Rhoda and Phyllis, portrayed with respective pizazz by Valerie Harper and Cloris Leachman. “Chuckles Bites the Dust” and “The Last Show” are as good as sitcom TV gets.

27. Friends

“Best sitcom” conversations can’t happen without mentioning Friends once or a dozen times. As the epitome of Must-See TV in the 1990s and early aughts, the sitcom skyrocketed its six stars — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox. Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer — to fame. Decades later, the reruns are ever-present on TV and streaming, and the gang’s catchphrases continue to resonate as new generations make their way through Central Perk’s doors..

You don’t even have to have been a regular viewer to have heard Ross’ infamous “Pivot!” shout, to have a favorite Chandler quote, or to take a side on the Ross and Rachel “we were on a break” debate. Such universal recognition is relatively rare for a show that’s been off the air for 20 years.

26. The Office (UK)

We never would’ve met Steve Carell’s Michael Scott if there hadn’t been David Brent. Ricky Gerais and Stephen Merchant brought The Office to UK small screens in 2001 and, through two brief seasons and a Christmas special, introduced audiences everywhere to a new level of cringe in the form of this hilarious mockumentary series (one which kept its documentation scenarios realistic).

This dry and occasionally super-awkward comedy follows one branch of a paper company and its workers — played by Gervais, Martin Freeman, Mackenzie Crook, Lucy Davis and several other talented actors — as they attempt to get through each and every workday, dignity optional. It’s the simplicity of the show and the way the characters played off one another that made The Office a true gem.

25. Roseanne

Whether viewers are from the working class midwest or other parts of the country, Roseanne found a way to be relatable to so many. Through the sea of picture-perfect television families came the tidal wave that is the Conner family, who bickered, joked and suffered through enduring hard times. At the core of it all was a family raised by two parents, portrayed by Roseanne Barr and John Goodman, whose love remained strong throughout.

The Conners were never the idealized family everyone strives to be, but still feels like a mirror of what blue class households are really like. And despite the baffling retconned lottery season, and Barr’s off-screen controversy, Roseanne’s comfort-TV legacy remains as timeless as the family’s living room furniture.

24. The Dick Van Dyke Show

There are great workplace comedies and there are great domestic family comedies, but The Dick Van Dyke Show somehow stands out among the best ever in both capacities. From the moment Van Dyke goes barreling over that ottoman, you know you’re in for something special, as the star’s gifts for physical and verbal comedy are nearly unparalleled. He’s often not even the one delivering the best jokes, because his reaction to his legendary co-stars is the true punchline.

Speaking of, the show was very much a group effort, despite its single-star title. Conceived and written by co-star Carl Reiner, and co-starring the incomparable Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, and Maury Amsterdam, all the pieces come together perfectly to make one of the most consistently high-quality sitcoms of all time.

23. What We Do In The Shadows

What We Do in the Shadows is a bonkers TV show that shouldn’t work, just like the vampires yelling “Bat!” shouldn’t work as a catchphrase, but it all absolutely does. The mockumentary, spunoff from the co-creators’ film of the same name, follows a group of ridiculous, socially out-of-touch bloodsuckers — save for energy vamp Colin Robinson and human familiar Guillermo — trying to prove their worth in Staten Island.

Despite how silly and NSFW the show is, movie-level prosthetics and visual effects help to elevate and add shocks to the narrative. The cast is truly outstanding, as it goes for any Matt Berry-infused cast, and WWDITS has earned as much awards recognition as any TV horror comedy. With murder and duplicitousness afoot, the series still hits all the sitcom benchmarks, including a fun neighbor (the mind-sapped Sean), a great theme song, and a bunch of A+ celebrity cameos.

22. The Office (U.S.)

Following the success of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s brilliant U.K. series of the same name, Greg Daniels’ adaptation of The Office took the mockumentary style of its predecessor – along with some of the more amusing traits and dynamics of its characters – and set out to tell new stories with office workers in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Whether it’s the hilarious standout ensemble of characters (led for most seasons by Steve Carell’s cringe-perfecting boss Michael Scott), the way it embraces the mundanity of office life, or how it follows years of these workers’ lives over years while squeezing every drop of humor along the way, The Office continues to be funny, relatable and — for many of us — a comfortable place to return to in the years since its fantastic 9-season run ended. Not to mention the timeless romances of Pam and Jim, Dwight and Angela, Phyllis and Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration.

21. South Park

With more than 25 seasons and a growing number of one-off specials, South Park reigns supreme as a long-running pillar of TV satire. A look at the 20 best episodes from the series is an easy way to effectively understand just how relevant this series has been on so many levels, evolving from a Kenny-killing, catchphrase machine to a show with a lot more to say than T-shirt fodder.

What other TV series, much less animated comedy, has taken on major religious institutions, accused killers, wild dieting trends, controversial music superstars and world politics throughout its run? If others exist, they probably didn’t do it as well as South Park does, and there’s still no end in sight to the Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s pop culture phenomenon, even if the duo have understandably been less prolific animators in later years.

20. Brooklyn Nine-Nine

From some of the best TV cold opens – “I Want It That Way” sung by suspects, I mean, come on, it’s genius – to ongoing gags ike the annual heist, and “title of your sex tape” that make you laugh so hard your side hurts, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a wild sitcom that is surprising in the best ways and absolutely irresistible as comfort comedy.

Led by Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher, Melissa Fumero, Stephanie Beatriz, Terry Crews and Joe Lo Truglio, this team of detectives quite literally never gets old, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine only got better in time as everyone grew comfortable in their roles and leaned into the silliness of their surroundings. Especially the all-time terrible cop duo of Hitchcock and Scully.

All around, what Dan Goor and Michael Schur created was so special, and as Jake Peralta would say “cool, cool, cool.”

19. Newhart

Bob Newhart struck TV gold a second time (not counting his stand-up appearances) with the endlessly cozy treasure Newhart, which centered on the comings and goings within the Stratford Inn in small-town Vermont. You know, the kind of small town where a man named Larry can have one brother named Darryl, and then also another brother named Darryl. It’s there where the star comedian and Mary Frann’s Dick and Joanna Loudon take over after a move from New York City, but their big-city know-how can’t quite compete with the quirkiness of their fellow residents.

Nothing ever gets old when it comes to watching the core cast — including Tom Poston, Julia Duffy and Peter Scolar — and the revolving door of recurring actors and guest stars bounce their energies off of Bob Newhart’s. And we’d be remiss not to give Newhart its flowers for shattering TV reality with its truly iconic finale twist.

18. All in the Family

All in the Family is arguably one of the most important TV series ever made, sitcom or otherwise, and shows don’t get the chance to change television if you’re not also good enough to stay on it in the first place. Not only was All in the Family successful enough to span eight seasons, but it also spawned five spinoffs. Despite the fact that the show’s primary character Archie Bunker was specifically designed to be the most bigoted person you know, it somehow all works so incredibly well. You love him even while you hate him, which is a testament to the abilities of creator Norman Lear and star Carroll O’Connor.

Dealing with, and poking fun at, topics that had been seen as taboo to even address previously, All in the Family courted its share of controversy and certainly ruffled some feathers. But that’s just further proof that it left an indelible and influential mark upon audiences everywhere.

17. Frasier

For a TV spinoff to be anywhere near as popular as its parent show is a huge accomplishment, and NBC’s Frasier pulled off just such a transition following Cheers’ conclusion. To be sure, it was plainly great to see Kelsey Grammer’s Frasier Crane taking center stage after all those stool-sat years as an ensemble character. However, it’s unlikely the sitcom would have been nearly as successful without the supporting cast of David Hyde Pierce’s Niles, Jane Leeves’ Daphne, Peri Gilpin’s Roz and John Mahoney’s Martin.

These five characters’ unique personalities and the dynamics they share with one another make them one of the best sitcom casts of all time, and we’ll throw Eddie a bone there as well. Let’s not gloss over the intelligent writing Frasier consistently delivered, which was part of the show’s 37 Emmy wins over its eleven years on the air. Its continued popularity even sparked the Parmaount+ revival of the same name.

16. Taxi

Speaking to Taxi’s greatness takes little beyond listing the murderer’s row of talent yukking it up for five seasons at the Sunshine Cab Company: Judd Hirsch, Danny DeVito, Marilu Henner, Andy Kaufman, Tony Danza, Jeff Conaway, Christopher Lloyd, and Carol Kane. Theoretically, these actors could have struck gold with any TV narrative, but the New York setting provided the comedically ideal edge and neuroses that earned the show 18 Emmys and millions of fans. (Not that Kaufman’s Latka Gravas was a local.) Not to mention the quartet of sitcom royalty in creators James L. Brooks, Stan Daniels, David Davis, and Ed Weinberger.

Despite such over-the-top personalities, Taxi excels at grounded and heartfelt storytelling as much as broader humor, never shying away from the characters’ relatable struggles or the hot-button issues of the time. Extra points for its appearances from future Cheers stars Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman and George Wendt.

15. The Golden Girls

The Golden Girls is excellent enough to convince audiences that spending your twilight years in a shared living space with your mother and two roommates is a blueprint for endless laughs, when that might not match up with reality. It’s a credit to the stellar cast comprising Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty. Queens, one and all. Amidst all the drama, the endless insults thrown around, and the cheesecake, the foursome’s friendship really shines through in this show.

It’s indeed that friendship that causes the gals to get into some absolutely wild adventures. Who can forget the time Rose nearly ended the Cold War with the Soviets with a letter? Not every narrative goes quite so big as that, even if Blanche plays up her romances as such, but it’s always a helluva fun ride.

14. Curb Your Enthusiasm

After Seinfeld concluded its historic run in the late ‘90s, series co-creator Larry David could have ridden off into the sunset atop a horse made from residual checks. Instead, the stickler for human behavior not only created true sitcom brilliance, but also broke new ground for HBO and self-deprecating celeb cameos.

Curb Your Enthusiasm — far more than a pretty, pretty, pretty good show — never failed to inspire laughs and shocks in equal order, following David’s over-the-top fictionalized version of himself (think George Costanza on shame-eliminating steroids), facing so many provocatively awkward situations with a vast array of friends, colleagues, contemporaries, and eventual enemies. (R.I.P. Richard Lewis and Bob Einstein.) The largely improvised show found new ways to be both relevant and funny across 24 years and 12 seasons, a task that’s easier said (and avoided) than done. And it also delivered an all-timer of a finale, poking fun at Seinfeld’s polarizing conclusion.

13. The Larry Sanders Show

As host of the fictional late night talk show The Larry Sanders Show, Garry Shandling implores his audience to stay tuned, ordering them, “No flipping!” It was an easy command to obey when it came to HBO’s The Larry Sanders Show, still one of the bravest, funniest, and most insightful programs that happily sinks its teeth into the Hollywood hand that feeds.

Larry is just an exaggerated caricature of Garry Shandling, who let all of his own neurosis and anxieties fly out of the mouth of his insecure comedic television personality who desperately wanted to be liked by his chosen industry. And the show got a lot of mileage out of real-life celebrities appearing and poking fun at their public personas. (David Duchovny for the win.) But it’s the supporting cast – led by the late Rip Torn and the wonderful Jeffrey Tambor – that elevates Larry Sanders to legendary status. There’ll never be another as biting and satirical as this.

12. Spaced

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s long history with director Edgar Wright includes the so-called Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End). Before that, though, they rocked the sitcom landscape with the UK gem Spaced. A relatable premise is vital to a good sitcom, and it was so easy to fall in love with pro slacker Tim (Pegg) and the uber-dramatic Daisy (Jessica Stevenson) while shrewdly securing their affordable apartment under the watchful eye of Julia Deaken’s landlady Marsha.

In addition to watching Tim and Daisy maintain their ruse of being a “professional couple” while figuring out the whole adulting thing, Spaced — one of Simon Pegg’s best projects — packed in endless horror movie references, video game easter eggs, and more pop culture love. (The pantomime gun fight is everything.) It also featured a supporting cast of hilariously exaggerated characters that will NOT have you wanting to “skip to the end.”

11. The Good Place

Sitcoms are, by design, often stagnant, with the same characters facing similar situations week after week. If the jokes land, everything works, but if not, well… Then along came The Good Place to throw those preconceptions out the window. If creator Michael Schur had just repeated Season 1’s twisty premise for five seasons, it would have still been good, but The Good Place achieved true greatness with its storytelling.

Fronted by Kristen Bell and Ted Danson in top-tier fashion, The Good Place takes massive risks with its afterlife-set narrative, changing elements from one season to the next. The house of (God) cards would have tumbled down had it not all worked as infallibly as the big man himself, but it never even wavered. Indeed, The Good Place is simply forking unbelievable from beginning to end, buttressed by fully realized characters portrayed by co-leads William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, Manny Jacinto, and D’Arcy Carden. Stream the show for everyone now, Janet. Janet..?

10. Fawlty Towers

As part of Monty Python’s sextet of comedy masterminds, John Cleese had already conquered the world of sketch comedy and film, so the next obvious move was to craft a largely perfect sitcom with then-wife Connie Booth, and Fawlty Towers was just such perfection across twelve increasingly fraught.

Set within the non-existing titular hotel in Torquay, Cleese’s Basil Fawlty suffers the existence of everyone around him, especially Prunella Scales’ Sybil, his oft-demanding wife, and the language issues of Andrew Sachs’ Manuel, the establishment’s Spanish waiter. Booth’s chambermaid Polly gets slightly less irritation for being regularly competent. A hotel owner who hates his clientele is in the high-concept echelon, and the series offered up an eternally memorable selection of frequent and one-time guests, as well as builders, inspectors and others whose actions bring Basil’s blood pressure to a proper boil.

Similar to other classic ‘70s and ‘80s sitcoms, Fawlty Towers has been both celebrated and derided for its politically incorrect humor. It's perhaps exemplified best by the series’ marquee episode “The Germans,” and is something Cleese intends to replicate with the revival series he’s creating with daughter Camilla.

9. Cheers

Locations can mean everything to a sitcom. Memorable shows are set in places to which we want to return, from Mel’s Diner to the Dunder Mifflin offices to, of course, the bar from Cheers – where everybody knows your name. Audiences became such regulars to the comfortable sitcom, we practically expected to hear our own names shouted out, a la Norm, when we turned the program on.

The familiarity and welcomeness of Cheers kept us tuning in, even as some of the cast rotated. We all invested heavily in the “will they or won’t they” relationship of barkeep Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and waitress Diane Chambers (Shelley Long), but stuck around when Diane was replaced by Rebecca (Kirstie Alley); and Southern simpleton Woody (Woody Harrelson) was embraced after first filling in for the departed Coach (Nicholas Colasanto). Not that anyone could ever replace Cliff Clavin.

Television hasn’t been the same since Cheers closed its doors, with Frasier going a completely different spinoff route, and I’m not sure another show can be set in a bar, and reach the high bar set by this program.

8. The Simpsons

I think there’s an argument to be made that The Simpsons should have a place on any top 100 list when it comes to describing the best television, regardless of what additional parameters there may be. Part of the allure of this series, as it heads toward 800 episodes, is that there’s not really anything it hasn’t done at this point. There’s a Simpsons episode for whatever mood readers are feeling that day, though it may take a bit of research to figure out which one that is. 

What I love most about The Simpsons is how the series has evolved with time and how the show has modernized the characters with the times while still retaining the core elements that audiences loved about them. Sure, seeing Homer Simpson send memes to Lisa on a smartphone can feel a bit jarring sometimes, but it’s also 100% on-brand for the patriarch and definitely less weird in the modern day to younger audiences compared to if he was still using a rotary phone. Plus, if you prefer the old stuff, it’s all available to stream on Disney+

7. I Love Lucy

For the majority of TV’s existence as an entertainment platform, sitcoms have been synonymous with Lucille Ball, who achieved icon status several times over during her run as Lucy Ricardo in I Love Lucy (and other incarnations and later series). The series remains a blueprint reference for sitcom-crafting, and was revolutionary at the time for not only its star, but for her real-life husband Desi Arnaz portraying her faux hubby Ricky, and more.

While I Love Lucy could occasionally pull an emotional heartstring or two, its strength was comedy, and Ball maximized that concept throughout its run. Lucy and Ricky are as loud and wild a TV couple as can be, especially opposite their slightly more subdued neighbors Fred and Ethel Mertz. From Lucy’s efforts to get into Ricky’s shows to her attempts to hock Vitameatavegamin to her and Ethel’s conveyor belt struggles, the show regularly produced unforgettable sequences.

I Love Lucy is also revolutionary for women in television, with Ball helping pave the way for so many other amazing female actresses to lead their own successful shows, even if struggles are still real on that front. No need for further ‘splanation: I Love Lucy is TV gold.

6. Schitt's Creek

Schitt’s Creek didn’t truly hit the mainstream until its final season, but when people found it, its popularity exploded and its legacy was cemented. Created by father-son duo Dan and Eugene Levy, the comedy centers on a rich family who loses all their money, with the titular town as their silver lining. Annie Murphy and Catherine O’Hara co-star alongside the Levys in this most hilarious fish out of water story.

Seeing these four totally out of their element within the less-than-chic town is an easy way in for viewers. But the hooks that keep people watching are Catherine O’Hara’s ridiculous fake accent, Dan Levy’s sassy one-liners, Annie Murphy’s over-the-top everything as Alexis, Eugene Levy’s brilliant straight-man reactions, and the heartfelt growth this family goes through as they learn to love each other and the town they now call home.

Since the show became a sensation, lines like “Ew David!” have entered the everyday lexicon, and impersonations of Moira and Alexis can be seen frequently on social media. Schitt’s Creek shined bright when it was on — remember the network Pop? — and since then it’s cemented itself as a permanent part of the zeitgeist.

5. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Rarely does a piece of pop culture offer up a character who constantly proves themself to be unendingly vile, self-consumed, aloof, destructive and terrible for society. But a combination of those words describes literally every single character who speaks in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Of course, the biggest and most hilarious offenders are the central Paddy’s Pub gang made up of possible serial killer Dennis (Glenn Howerton), his slightly less evil Bird…e… sister Dee, the sexually fluid approval-seeking Mac (Rob McElhenny), glue-eating connoisseur and janitor Charlie (Charlie Day) and the shockingly demented and depraved Frank (Danny DeVito).

No stone goes unturned when it comes to shocking viewers with how low these characters will go to achieve even the most meaningless iota of recognition or selfish pleasure. There’s racially charged (and socially questionable) takes on Lethal Weapon and The Wiz, exploiting all manner of substance and behavior addictions, satirical jabs at gun control, welfare, sexual assault, and much more. Its unsanitary hilarity is cherished among fans who have watched it live on longer than any other TV comedy in history, with no end in sight. (Except for Danny DeVito’s bare one, that is.)

4. King Of The Hill

Animation isn’t often a medium for classic sitcoms, but Mike Judge’s King of the Hill delivered on all fronts by settling audiences into the everyday life of the Hill family. Hank, Peggy, Bobby, and an assortment of other Arlen standouts kept viewers rolling and clamoring for more Southern-fried hilarity during its 13-season stretch. (And more is on the way thanks to Hulu’s revival.)

King of the Hill tackles issues while poking fun at them in ways that most viewers can probably relate to — from the stresses of the workplace to the terror of puberty to the awkwardness of family — adding a layer of realism to the two-dimensional characters’ world. To that end, Judge’s series is also atypical for adhering to realism throughout, as opposed to going off the cartoonish deep end for laughs (outside of dream sequences, that is).

Judge’s Hank and Kathy Najimy’s Peggy, along with Brittany Murphy’s Luanne and Pamela Adlon’s Bobby, provide a lot of the show’s heart and soul with their struggles and not-always-brilliant reactions to those struggles. But it always helps to have friends around like the hapless good’n Bill, the conspiracy-obsessed Dale and the mush-mouthed Boomhauer.

3. Seinfeld

It’s joked that Seinfeld is “a show about nothing,” and that’s a fair surface-only assessment. The NBC hit provides no lasting messages or morals, and it focuses the majority of its creative energy on eccentric minutiae of everyday life – be it waiting forever for a table at a restaurant or getting in disputes with cashiers over proper change. Characters don’t grow or change — save for temporary shrinkage and mustache-growing — and there’s no reach for deep themes. They’re not even nice people.

And yet, it’s utterly brilliant, timeless, and endlessly rewatchable.

Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine each have their own unique and hilarious personalities strengthened by the actors’ performances, which in turn drives hilarious stories that unlock the real magic of the show: the way everything intertwines. Kramer golfing on the beach is its own weird gag, but also perfectly sets up George being called into action to rescue a beached whale after previously lying about being a marine biologist. Just about every sitcom since the early 1990s has tried to capture some of the magic of the nine-season series, but there is only one Seinfeld. (A notion that Newman would applaud.)

2. Veep

Veep was the [censored] creation of Armando Iannucci, the mastermind known for The Thick of It and Alan Partridge’s various incarnations, and HBO’s political workplace comedy is dripping with just as much satire and [censored] as anything graced by his Midas touch before or after. It’s one of the fastest and foulest sitcoms to date, with a jokes-per-minute rate that rivals other rapid-paced greats like The Simpsons and Arrested Development, and a [censored]-per-minute rate that is second to none.

As it goes with the best of the best, Veep boasts and expansive ensemble of uppermost geniuses, as led by Emmy magnet Julie Louis-Dreyfus’ Vice President (and then some) Selina Meyer, whose struggles to remain a boss in Washington D.C. means absolute hell for the masses of aides, pundits, strategists, etc. in her orbit. That applies most to her body man and extra appendage Gary, played with aplomb by Tony Hale.

Every Veep co-star brings something perfect to the table, from Anna Chlumsky’s rage suppression as Amy to Matt Walsh’s common sense suppression as Mike; from Reid Scott’s smarm-oozing Dan to Timothy Simons’ arbitrary naysayer Jonah. And we’d just as easily watch spinoffs centered on Kevin Dunn’s Ben and Gary Cole’s Kent, as well as Sam Richardson’s go-getter Richard Splett.

1. BoJack Horseman

One of the best animated TV shows of all time, Netflix’s BoJack Horseman took the adult-toon formula and evolved it into six seasons of one of TV history’s most unique offerings that — at least in CinemaBlend’s perspective — is the sitcom GOAT. Will Arnett is perfect voicing the tragic title character, a past-his-prime ‘90s sitcom star and substance abuser, and he’s bolstered by a who’s who of talented actors portrayed well-written characters, including fan-favorites Diane Nguyen (Alison Brie) and Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins).

After establishing its sitcom formula in its earliest wordplay-embracing seasons, Bojack Horseman begins getting experimental with its format in phenomenal ways, such as with Season 3’s “Fish Out of Water,” a thought-provoking underwater story with no dialogue, or Season 5’s “Big Churro,” a full-length Bojack eulogy following a big character death.

There are certainly laughs to be had, for sure — big, hearty, consistent, gut-shredding, animalistic laughs throughout all six seasons — but don’t be surprised if you end up shedding a tear or suffering an existential crisis or two along the way as well. The show-within-a-show Horsin’ Around probably wouldn’t have made it onto this list, but BoJack Horseman itself is a Triple Crown winner of the highest order.

Party Down is back! Fourteen years after the show’s premiere, it's returned for a long-awaited Season 3 on Starz, much to the delight of fans. Thankfully, almost all of the original cast has returned, which includes Martin Starr as Roman DeBeers. While he may be a hilarious and beloved character, Roman kind of sucks as a human, and Starr has now weighed in on whether or not his character of 14 years is still a jerk.

Over the course of Party Down's first two seasons, pretentious “hard sci-fi” enthusiast Roman did morally questionable things, like impersonating a rockstar to get laid, sabotaging his former writing partner out of jealousy, and constantly belittling the free-spirited actor Kyle, who is essentially a good dude and Roman’s antithesis. When I brought this point up to Martin Starr and Kyle himself, Ryan Hansen, they said the following about where their characters stand a decade after we last saw them:

"Martin Starr: I feel like in the first two seasons, there were little glimmers of hope that Roman might be a decent person, but all that's been shattered. We come back to a proper, jaded human being who has not left the shitty circumstances that he is in, that he was in 13 years ago.
Ryan Hansen: And Kyle, yeah, I feel like you’re right, he was a pretty good dude. Pretty dim, a little into himself.
Martin Starr: Yeah, I mean, some flashlights have a lot of battery and some have just a little bit of battery left."

Wonderful. In classic Roman fashion, Martin Starr answered the question by belittling Kyle’s intelligence. In all fairness, Ryan Hansen does seem to agree that Kyle isn’t the brightest of bulbs, even though he is a generally decent guy. Given the fact that Roman has been trying to make it as a screenwriter in Los Angeles for the past 14 years but still works at the titular catering company, Starr seems to think he’s more bitter than ever. He also confirmed that Roman is, in fact, a bad person, which I suppose is something all of us fans just have to accept. 

The charm of Party Down has always been that they managed to gather such an impressive cast of comedic talent. Starr and Hansen are joined by big names in comedy like Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, Adam Scott and Megan Mullally, who have all been up to plenty since the decade-long Party Down hiatus. There’s also some new talent you’ve probably seen before working for Party Down Catering, but unfortunately, they couldn’t be joined by one of the show’s main stars, Lizzy Caplan. Still, they wish her well and hope she comes back for a potential Season 4.

Roman may not be the best guy in the world, but he and the rest of the Party Down crew are still hilarious, which you can see for yourself by watching Party Down Season 3 on Starz! Thankfully you can stream it from anywhere, and there’s plenty more television coming our way in 2023. 

Party Down wasn’t the most popular show in the world when it initially debuted on Starz. However, over the past 14 years since it premiered, it’s found a new audience streaming on platforms like Hulu and Amazon. This paved the way for the long-awaited Season 3, which thankfully sees the return of just about every original cast member, but not all of the stars have returned. Series staple Lizzy Caplan was unable to come back, but according to her co-stars, there’s no bad blood, and they’re even holding out hope that she could return for Season 4.

I recently caught up with Party Down vets Martin Starr who plays Roman, and Ryan Hansen, who plays Kyle. When the subject of Lizzy Caplan’s absence came up, they responded with the following:

"Martin Starr: I mean, there's only one person that didn't make it and that's, you know, my old third grade best friend, Lizzy Caplan.
Ryan Hansen: And we missed her a lot, and she obviously wanted to be a part of it so bad but she couldn't make it, and it was devastating. But we love her.
Martin Starr: Yeah. And hopefully, if we get to come back and do a fourth season, I have a feeling she will be able to make it so hopefully we'll figure it out next time. But yeah, the timing just didn't work out this go ‘round. But she's doing really great. She's got a little baby, she's living a great life, she's happy. She's got a wonderful, loving, caring, awesome husband, Tom.
Ryan Hansen: Yeah, we love Tom. Big fan of Tom."

Wow! As you can tell by the video above this article, the love among Party Down cast members is palpable. Starr wasn’t kidding, as he and Caplan  have been friends since they were in third grade. He and Ryan Hansen even seem to have a solid relationship with her husband and fellow actor Tom Riley. More importantly, Martin Starr alluded to the idea that she would be down to come back for a Season 4, implying that the rest of the cast and crew have already had conversations about it.

While Season 3 will see the return of big names in comedy, including Jane Lynch, Adam Scott, Ken Marino and Megan Mullally, there will also be plenty of new cast members you’ve probably seen before. It picks up 10 years after Season 2 and contains six episodes, and that’s just the beginning of what you can read about Season 3 of the comedy series.

You can stream Party Down Season 3 right now! While most Starz subscribers may be waiting for the huge Outlander Season 7 premiere coming our way this summer, as a Party Down fan, I can assure you that the new episodes are worth the watch and capture the spirit of the first two seasons. Of course, there’s also plenty of other 2023 TV premieres to keep an eye on. 

With its stellar leading trio of Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez, Hulu’s mystery comedy Only Murders in the Building doesn’t need to do anything to win the casting game, because that victory has been secured. Regardless, the streaming hit has built up an excellent ensemble across its first two seasons, with Paul Rudd joining on for a literal last-minute surprise in last year’s finale, and the iconic Meryl Streep was also revealed to be joining the fun in some capacity. But fans can all stop worrying about whether or not we’ll see the show's most excellent guest star, because Jane Lynch herself confirmed with CinemaBlend that Sazz, that despite only briefly appeaaring in the Only Murders in the Building Season 2 cast, she is back on the beat in Season 3.

Or if not on the beat, and not used as another break-up substitute for Steve Martin’s Charles, Sazz is back for more hilarity. It’s definitely safe to say that, for a show where safety isn’t a guarantee. As seen in the video above, CinemaBlend’s Jeff McCobb spoke with Jane Lynch alongside the equally always-awesome Ken Marino to promote the long-awaited return of Starz’s catering comedy Party Down. When asked who was a better screen partner between Marino and Martin — No pressure, no pressure! — she shared the news that those with Hulu subscriptions haven’t seen the last of her A+ stuntwoman. In her words:

While the truly ideal scenario here is for Jane Lynch to sign on for a full season of Only Murders in the Building, it does make sense to not run the risk of overusing her highly specific character. So if it has to shake out to just one episode per season, that’s a fate I can accept.

I can’t wait to see how Sazz shows up in Season 3. It’s probably a longshot to speculate on Lynch’s character being the “her” that was spoken of in the second season’s finale, considering that reveal seems like it’ll require more than a single episode to play out. She’s been an important factor in the mystery across both seasons, so she’ll no doubt fall into a similar lynch-pin mode in the upcoming episode. (Pun too intended, perhaps.) 

Jane Lynch has been a key player in some truly exquisite comedy ensembles, from film collaborations with Christopher Guest like Best in Show and A Mighty Wind to episodic faves such as Glee and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Party Down 100% counts among the best. 

The returning comedy even upped the ante with Season 3’s new cast members. On top of fellow returning stars Adam Scott, Ryan Hanson, Martin Starr, and Megan Mullaly, the show is bringing in new faces such as Jennifer Garner, James Marsden, Quinta Brunson and Tyrell Jackson Williams, the Brockmire standout whose brother Tyler James Williams is Brunson’s fictional would-be love interest in Abbott Elementary. Fans can see that hilarity play out on Starz on Friday nights at 9:00 p.m.

Meanwhile, stay tuned to see and hear and smell (maybe not smell) when Only Murder in the Building will return to Hulu for Season 3. 

After a break of more than a decade, Party Down is finally back with a new season full of new adventures for the struggling actors and career caterers on the cult classic Starz comedy series. The new season, which picks up with the beloved Party Down Catering Company employees (and their pink bow-ties) for a hilarious reunion, brings with it some new characters to share the screen with Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, and the rest of the gang.

If you have watched the show’s return, or at least plan on doing so in the near future, you are probably wondering where you’ve seen the new additions to the Party Down Season 3 cast. Because it’s been so long since Party Down first aired, we’ve also included a little rundown of all those familiar faces who returned for the show’s third season.

Jennifer Garner (Evie)

Leading things off when it comes to Party Down newcomers is Jennifer Garner, who shows up in the show’s third season as Evie, a successful film producer who starts a new journey in life, one that includes dating Adam Scott’s Henry Pollard.

Garner, who was one of the first additions to the Party Down Season 3 cast reported on by Deadline in January 2022, is mostly known for roles in movies like 13 Going on 30, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Dallas Buyers Club, and most recently The Adam Project. However, Garner has long appeared on the small screen as well, including memorable performances on shows like Alias, Camping, and Upload.  

James Marsden (Jack Botty)

Next up for the Party Down Season 3 new additions is James Marsden, who shows up on the Starz original comedy series as Jack Botty, a big-time actor at the center of a massive superhero franchise.

Marsden joining the cast is the latest in a line of TV appearances for the actor who has popped up on The Stand, Mrs. America, Dead to Me, and Westworld in recent years, all while keeping up his film career. Over the years, Marsden has done everything from lead the X-Men movies to help make Sonic the Hedgehog one of the best video game adaptations of all time. He’s also shown up in movies like The Notebook, Superman Returns, Straw Dogs, and most recently, in the Disenchanted cast. 

Tyrel Jackson Williams (Sackson)

The first of two new additions to Party Down Catering Company is Tyrel Jackson Williams, who takes on the role of struggling internet personality Sackson on the revival.

If you were a fan of Disney Channel original shows from the past decade, then there’s a good chance you’ll recognize Williams from his portrayal of Leo Dooley on the Disney XD comedy series, Lab Rats. Williams also appeared in the 2014 Disney XD original movie, Pants on Fire.

Over the years, he has also had small roles on shows like Everybody Hates Chris, Modern Family, Community, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. His film roles to date include Failure to Launch, Thunder Force, and Hollywood Stargirl.

 Zoë Chao (Lucy) 

Also joining the Season 3 cast is Zoë Chao, who joins the catering team as aspiring celebrity chef, Lucy, who has to settle for the party circuit and a pink bow-tie for the time being.

This is the latest in a long line of TV shows for Chao, who continues to be one of the hardest working actresses around today. In the past half-decade, Chao has popped up on shows like Strangers, The OA, Living with Yourself, Love Life, and Modern Love. That also includes The Afterparty, the 2022 Apple TV+ original murder mystery comedy that will once again feature Chao when the show returns, according to Deadline.

Chao is also no stranger to the silver screen, as she has appeared in movies like Where’d You Go, Bernadette, Downhill, The High Note, Senior Year, and most recently, the 2023 Netflix original movie, Your Place or Mine. 

Quinta Brunson (Jaff) 

Last, but not least, when it comes to the cast newcomers is Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress and writer Quinta Brunson, who has become a household name in recent years thanks to her work on Abbott Elementary. Brunson shows up in a guest role as Jaff, Kyle Bradway’s (Ryan Hansen) agent, according to Variety.

Prior to finding success with Abbott Elementary in 2021, Brunson appeared on shows like A Black Lady Sketch Show, Big Mouth, Lazor Wulf, Miracle Workers, and multiple others. Her film appearances include An American Pickle, As of Yet, and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, in which she portrayed Oprah Winfrey. 

Party Down Returning Actors

Though Lizzy Caplan won’t be returning for Party Down Season 3, the rest of the major players from the show’s first two seasons will all be back. Here’s a quick refresher on who’s coming back and where you’ve seen them before.

Adam Scott (Henry Pollard)

As seen in the Party Down Season 3 trailer, Adam Scott will be returning as actor-turned-caterer Henry Pollard, who crosses paths with his old coworkers after more than a decade away.

Outside of saying “Are we having fun yet?” on the cult classic Starz comedy series, Scott is known for appearances on shows like Parks and Recreation, The Good Place, and most recently, Severance. 

Ken Marino (Ronald Wayne ‘Ron’ Donald)

Ken Marino also returns for the revival, once again playing Party Down Catering Company manager Ronald Wayne “Ron” Donald.

A comedy mainstay for more than 30 years, Marino has made a career out of playing over-the-top characters on The State, Childrens Hospital, and The Other Two, to name a few. His notable film work includes Wet Hot American Summer, Reno 911!: Miami, and Role Models. 

Jane Lynch (Constance Carmell)

Jane Lynch is another Party Down alum returning for the revival season, once again playing Constance Carmell.

Outside of her work on this comedy, Lynch is known for iconic performances on shows like Glee, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Hollywood Game Night, all three of which have earned her a Primetime Emmy Award. 

Martin Starr (Roman DeBeers)

Martin Starr, who played the condescending screenwriter Roman DeBeers on the show’s first two seasons, is back once again for Season 3.

In the years since appearing in the Freaks and Geeks cast, Starr has continued to find success on the small screen (as well as in movies), especially as of late with great performances on Tulsa King and Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. 

Megan Mullally (Lydia Dunfree)

Megan Mullally also shows up in the new season, once again playing the chronically optimistic Lydia Dunfree.

Mostly remembered for her award-winning portrayal of Karen Walker on Will & Grace, Mullally has also worked on shows like Childrens Hospital, Bob’s Burgers, and Parks and Recreation over the years, the last of which was alongside her husband, Nick Offerman. 

Ryan Hansen (Kyle Bradway)

And then there is Ryan Hansen, who is back once again as actor, model, and musician Kyle Bradway on Party Down.

Outside of slinging hors d'oeuvres on the Starz comedy series, Hansen has also appeared on 2 Broke Girls, Teachers, and A Million Little Things. 

You can see these faces (as well as some major guest stars) on Party Down, which airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on Starz. If you want to know what other new and returning shows are coming to the airwaves this spring, check out our 2023 TV schedule.

There is not much in this world that I would put above comedy. Laughing brings people joy and has been proven to be good for your health, but one thing that brings me almost as much happiness (and wallet-health) is finding a good deal. And right now, Amazon has complete collections of the some of the best TV comedies in recent (and not-so-recent) memory available at huge discounts. 

We're talking modern classics like The Office, Brooklyn 99, Silicon Valley, and Parks and Recreation, shows that have not only gained huge cult followings, but have also made big impacts on pop culture. They've given us some of the best characters in television (as well as some of the worst) and with so many of these shows constantly jumping on and off various streaming services, it's time to take matters into your own hands to make sure you always have your favorite episodes and characters right at your fingertips and in your Blu-ray player. 

The Office

I am a die-hard The Office fan, through and through. No show makes me laugh harder, or has seemingly inspired more memes. I have my lists of favorite characters and favorite episodes, and I even beat Meredith (Kate Flannery) and Oscar (Oscar Nunez) at The Office trivia (and yes, I won a Dundee for my triumph). But aside from the cringe comedy, The Office is also a fan-favorite because of the emotional and heartwarming moments that occur before the cameras of the documentary crew filming the everyday happenings within a Pennsylvania paper company. You can relive all the shenanigans for just $34.99 on Amazon.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

When Mike Schur makes a hit, he really makes a hit, as the former Office writer later co-created Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the cop and caper comedy starring Andy Sandberg and Teddy Crews was initially cancelled by Fox but found a home at NBC at the eleventh hour and was able to wrap up the show with an additional two seasons on the network. The show recently ended in Fall 2021 after an eight-season run, but fans and the cast alike are still holding out hope that the show could return in some form in the future. Until then, the entire series is 26% off its normal price on Amazon. Noice.

Seinfeld

It would be hard to find another show that has made as much of an impact on comedy and television in general more so than Seinfeld. During its nine-season run, the show was famous for having no real over-arching plots, but still kept audiences captivated right up until the end. The show also helped introduce audiences to some stars that they know and love today, many of whom you may not even remember seeing on the hit show without a subsequent viewing. The complete series is currently on sale at a huge discount.

Silicon Valley

For anyone who has ever worked at a startup or is self-aware enough to know they are an awkward human being, Mike Judge's Silicon Valley probably hits way too close to home. At its height, the hit show lost one of its biggest stars and became so popular that even Bill Gates admitted he was a fan, usually while sharing a nightly block with Seinfeld vet Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Veep (see below). You can still check out the show streaming with an HBO Max subscription, and you can now get the complete series on Amazon at a 39% discount.

Parks and Recreation

As already evidenced above, Michael Schur sitcoms are notorious for hosting hilarious ensemble casts and creating beloved lead characters, and no such character is a better and more virtuous example of this than Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation. The show, which focuses on the inter-workings of government in a small Indiana town, ended in 2015. The Parks department did make a brief reappearance during lockdown with a Zoom-style episode that let us catch up with our favorite crew from Pawnee, and now you can own the complete series with 42% off the original price. 

30 Rock

When a show features as many SNL familiars as 30 Rock did, you know it's going to be groundbreaking, and that it will pull from the real-life experiences of those working on such a staple of late-night comedy. 30 Rock follows the chaos of running a sketch comedy show and dealing with a big-time network in New York City. The show starred Alec Ballwin, Tina Fey, and Tracy Morgan, among other SNL alums, and ran for seven seasons, almost landing a spinoff before ending altogether in 2013, but don't you worry, Amazon has you covered with a huge 66% discount on the complete series, and that sounds like a Liz Lemon party.

The Good Place

What happens after we die? That's the big question Mike Schur decided to tackle in The Good Place, starring Kristen Bell, Ted Danson, and Jameela Jamil. (Okay, so Manny Jacinto's Jason often had less purposeful inquiries.) Although it had a relatively short run and ended after just four seasons, it was the perfect amount of time for all kinds hilariously bizarre and inventive story arcs to play out, and at just $49.99 for the complete series, it's a forking steal.

Veep

One of my other all-time favorite shows is HBO's Veep, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Anna Chlumsky, and Tony Hale. If you've never seen the show, imagine if The West Wing was highly inappropriate and featured curse words systematically placed for maximum damage. The show is clever, brutal, and absolutely not for those who are easily offended, or those who dislike hilarious character actors. However, if you have thick skin, you can pick up the complete series at a 32% discount on Amazon.

Schitt's Creek

Schitt's Creek is a Canadian television sitcom created by Dan Levy and his comedy icon father, Eugene Levy. The plot follows a mega-rich family who is forced to relocate to an unfortunately named town after losing their fortune and was lauded by critics and fans alike before finally ending with its sixth season. The stars and co-creators of Schitt's Creek even wrote a book about the show after its conclusion and now you can own the entire series for $27.49 on Amazon.

The IT Crowd

If you've never seen it, you probably still know The IT Crowd from the famous tech-support line "Have you tried turning it off and on again?" and for its core trio of Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade and Katherine Parkinson. The British series follows the exploits of an IT department and ran for four seasons on Britain's Channel 4. Although we never did get that American remake, which is probably for the best, you can now own the complete series from across the pond on DVD for just $36.99 on Amazon.

Party Down

Although it only initially ran for two seasons, Party Down boasted an all-star comedic cast, including (but not limited to) Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, Lizzy Caplan, And Martin Starr. It follows a group of lovable losers who moonlight as caterers while trying to make it big in Hollywood, and it's not quite over yet. Recently it was announced that Party Down will be getting a revival on Starz, so you'd better catch up quick, and it'll only cost you $8.99 for the complete series. You can also sign up for Starz for just $5/month.

There are still tons of more movies that will drop on DVD and digital download in 2022. Amazon also has new deals launching every day, so check back with CinemaBlend as we roundup the best of the best offers for entertainment fans. 

It has been more than a decade since we last caught up with pink-bow tie-wearing actors-turned-caterers in the cult comedy Starz series Party Down. No one would hold anything against you if you were under the impression that the June 2010 Season 2 finale would have been the last we saw of Adam Scott, Ken Marino, and the rest of the Party Down cast together, but after a very long stretch of time, the wise-cracking sextet is back for a Party Down revival.

That’s right, soon we’ll be tuning in to Starz to watch Party Down Season 3 like it's 2009 all over again and as if the past few years never really happened. Below is a quick rundown of several quick things we know about the upcoming revival of the cult comedy series about struggling actors finding a new way to support themselves in Hollywood.

The Party Down Revival Premieres February 24th On Starz

Party Down originally debuted in March 2009, with its second (and final) season ending June of the following year, at which point it seemed like the series, which later became a cult classic, was done for good. Well, those who loved the show nearly a decade-and-a-half ago, or have fallen in love with it since then, will be able to pick up with the Party Down catering company when the revival premieres Friday, February 24th on Starz.

The Party Down Revival Cast Includes Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Jane Lynch And Martin Starr

When Party Down comes back, the revival will see the return of most of the show’s main stars from the first two seasons. Upon announcing the return, Starz revealed that Adam Scott (who is also one of the show’s executive producers) will be returning as Henry Pollard. Joining him will be Ken Marino as Party Down team lead Ronald Wayne “Ron” Donald, Jane Lynch as Constance Carmell, Martin Starr as Roman DeBeers, Ryan Hansen as Kyle Bradway, and Megan Mullally as Lydia Dunfree.

Although most of the original Party Down cast will be returning for the upcoming revival, one of the major stars won’t be joining them. In November 2021, Deadline reported that Lizzy Caplan, who played Casey Klein in the first two seasons, will not be around for the latest slate of episodes, but it’s not because of ill will or anything like that. According to the report, Caplan was already committed to the FX on Hulu limited series Fleishman Is in Trouble.

The Party Down cast had its share of guest stars during the show’s original run, and that trend looks to continue with the upcoming revivals. In January 2022, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Jennifer Garner, Tyrel Jackson Williams, Zoë Chao, and James Marsden would all appear throughout the latest season. There is no word if previous guest stars like J.K. Simmons, Ken Jeong, or Kevin Hart will be appearing at any point.

The Party Down Revival Picks Up Ten Years After The Events Of The Original Series

The Party Down Season 2 finale, which ended up being the final episode of the original show’s run, ended with a chaotic wedding and Henry Pollard making the decision to skip out on work and audition for another acting gig. When the revival series picks up in late February, it will see the former coworkers at the Party Down catering company crossing paths 10 years after we last saw them, according to Variety. 

In an exclusive first look of the Party Down revival, Entertainment Weekly revealed that the new season will pick up with the old familiar gang as they begin to pick up catering gigs for random parties and events throughout Los Angeles. Not much else has been revealed about the plot of the Party Down revival at this point, but with series co-creators Rob Thomas, John Enbom, Paul Rudd, and Dan Etheridge all coming back as executive producers, and John Ehbom once again serving as showrunner, it sounds like it will be more of the same fun and games. 

The Party Down Trailer Shows The Returning Cast Celebrating In Their Iconic Pink Bow Ties

In January 2023, Starz gave the world its first full look at the return of Party Down with the release of a trailer showing the various returning members of the cast getting back together for a reunion after 10 years apart.

In addition to showing returning stars like Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, and Adam Scott – who appears to be going through some kind of existential crisis – the trailer also introduces new members of the Party Down cast, including James Marsden’s character who mockingly yells “Are We Having Fun Yet?” much to the chagrin of Adam Scott’s Henry. 

Adam Scott Has Said The Party Down Revival Will Give The Show A Chance To ‘Finish The Story’

Even though Party Down had die-hard fans during its original run, the show was never a ratings smash-hit and failed to really capture the attention of the general population not familiar with its creators and actors’ previous works. During a February 2022 appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Adam Scott took time out of his promotion of the Apple TV+ original series Severance to talk about the Party Down revival, which he said was giving the show a chance to ‘finish the story,” stating:

Earlier in the chat, Scott told Colbert that only around 13,000 people watched the Party Down finale back in 2010, and that the show, which later became a cult classic, only became popular after the fact. The 2023 Golden Globe nominee also said the revival is a result of those people finding the show in the years since its cancellation.

Party Down Season 3 Will Consist Of Six 30-Minute Episodes

The first two seasons of Party Down consisted of 10 episodes apiece, but the new revival will be much shorter. In November 2021, Starz announced that Party Down Season 3 will be made up of six 30-minute episodes, nearly half the amount as the first two seasons. No details have been revealed as to what the members of Party Down will be getting themselves into during the limited series, but it is all but guaranteed to be more of the insane hijinks and situations similar to those featured in the first go-around.

The Party Down Revival Spawned From A 2019 Reunion Of The Cast And Crew

There has been a lot of support for a Party Down revival of some sort for years now, with star Ryan Hansen even saying he’d “chop off a toe” for a movie at one point. Despite a small yet diehard group of fans, cast, and crew wanting to see the show’s characters return in some shape or form, nothing ever panned out for Party Down for a decade before everyone got back together for a panel discussion at Vulture Festival LA in November 2019.

According to Deadline, the panel featured the full Party Down cast and the executive producers who made the show a reality in the first place. During the discussion, co-creator Dan Etheridge revealed that a reunion was in the works:

A little more than a year later, co-creator Rob Thomas said in a statement (via Vulture) that this 2019 Party Down retrospective was the catalyst for the revival before saying everyone had such a great time and wanted to find a way to get them back together again.

There is still a lot we don’t yet know about Party Down, but expect to hear more about that in the coming weeks. In the meantime, check out all the other shows on the 2023 TV schedule.

Fans have had their pink bowties in hand ever since Starz announced the revival of its cult classic 2009 series Party Down earlier this year. The comedy about a group of wannabe actors and celebrities who are stuck in the catering business boasted a star-studded cast of Ken Marino managing the likes of Adam Scott, Lizzy Caplan, Martin Starr, Jane Lynch and many  more. But when the series returns for a six-episode run, not all of the original stars will be able to return.

While Ken Marino, Adam Scott, Jane Lynch, Ryan Hansen, Martin Starr and Megan Mullaly will all return, Deadline reports that Lizzy Caplan will not be back as the downtrodden comedienne Casey Klein, due to conflicts in the production schedule. As Party Down is expected to begin production in January 2022, Caplan had an existing commitment to Fleishman Is in Trouble, an FX limited series that will prevent her from being part of the revival.

This news is obviously crushing for fans of the series, as Lizzy Caplan’s on-screen chemistry with Adam Scott — and the Mean Girls star's overall disgruntled demeanor — was a huge part of the series original two-season run. Along with its A+ cast, the comedy also featured a starry ensemble behind the scenes as well, notably with Rob Thomas and Paul Rudd creating the series alongside Dan Etheridge and John Enbom. They will also return for the revival, with Enbom serving as showrunner. 

Party Down ran for two seasons on Starz from 2009-2010, and although it had trouble finding a strong audience in its time, the die-hard fans it's collected since have been clamoring for a revival of some sort for over a decade. Ken Marino starred as Ron Donald, the incapable manager of the titular catering company. With this, Ron found himself in charge of hapless employees such as Henry Pollard (Adam Scott). As fans probably remember, Henry found 15 minutes of fame on a beer commercial with the oft-quoted line, “Are we having fun yet?” Meanwhile, Lizzy Caplan played Casey Klein, who connected with Henry as her marriage deteriorated and her comedy career showed flashes of potential.

I’m excited to catch up with these beloved characters ten-plus years later. Did Roman DeBeers (Martin Starr) find success in the world of “hard sci-fi”? Did Kyle Bradway (Ryan Hansen) smolder his way to stardom? Assuming the catering company will still be the focus of the series, it’s a safe bet that many of our heroes never did find fame — or at least lasting fame. It’ll also be fun to see Jane Lynch and Megan Mullaly catering together, as Mullaly replaced Lynch on the staff in Season 2.

And if the series is anything like the original, fans are likely to see some impressive names as guest stars when Party Down returns. Actors like Kristen Bell, J.K. Simmons and Ken Jeong left lasting impressions in their guest appearances back in Seasons 1 and 2, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of those faces pop up again. With production on the revival starting in early 2022, you'll be able to watch Party Down Season 3 in February 2023.

Whether it's his effortless charm, his natural comedic timing, or his easy access to the fountain of youth, Paul Rudd is a Hollywood rarity. He ages like fine wine, and his boyish appeal only gets stronger with time. What's his secret? We'll never know, but that's what makes him special. For 30-plus years, the film-TV actor has remained an appealing on-screen presence, and his profile only continues to rise. The future holds no exceptions.

Whether it's starring in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, reprising his title role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, or reuniting with Will Ferrell for an upcoming Apple TV+ mini-series, Paul Rudd's hot streak only continues to burn bright, and he has a number of notable projects that you can look forward to in the months ahead. If you love the Marvel star, here are the Paul Rudd movies and shows that you should keep an eye on.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife - November 11, 2021 (Completed)

If we're gonna get another Ghostbusters, you could certainly do worse than casting Paul Rudd. The reflexively funny actor knows how to sell absurd, over-the-top concepts in fun and appealing ways, as made apparent by the Ant-Man movies, and that's without mentioning how he's one of the most well-liked actors in the business today. Therefore, it's no wonder that Rudd got the call to star in Sony's Ghostbusters: Afterlife, director Jason Reitman's reboot/legacyquel of his father's intensely beloved sci-fi comedy.

What was once a goofy '80s lark is now one of Sony's most iconographic properties and the studio seems desperate to get the Ghostbusters franchise bustling again. The 2016 movie was divisive (to put it lightly), so there's no telling how this one will be received. But Reitman has a great cast, including Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace, and Bokeem Woodbine, along with a scattering of cameos from the original ensemble. Will Afterlife bring Ghostbusters back to life? We'll find the answer on November 11th.

What If…? - TBA 2021 (Post-Production)

Proposing what could happen if things turned out differently in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney+'s What If...? promises to be an intriguing animated addition to the expanding multi-franchise, one that allows its actors to play differing variations of these familiar superhero characters. It'll be one of the most curious MCU installments yet, and that's without mentioning its incredible roster of stars. It nearly matches Avengers: Endgame in volume.

Led by Jeffrey Wright as Uatu, i.e. The Watcher, What If ...? features guest appearances from Mark Ruffalo, Hayley Atwell, Natalie Portman, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Taika Waititi, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael B. Jordan, Karen Gillan, Josh Brolin, Jeff Goldblum, Frank Grillo, Michael Rooker, Dominic Cooper, Sean Gunn, the late Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, and Paul Rudd. Additionally, Iron Man, Captain America, Dr. Strange, Captain Marvel, and Howard the Duck are expected to show up, though it's unconfirmed if their respective actors will play their roles. Aiming for a mid-2021 premiere, What If ...? will be a thought-provoking series.

The Shrink Next Door - TBA 2021 (Post-Production)

This year, Paul Rudd is getting in touch with his feelings. More specifically, the A-list comedy actor is reuniting with Anchorman's Will Ferrell to star in Apple TV+'s limited series, The Shrink Next Door, based on the podcast of the same name by Joe Nocera. The mini-series will follow Martin "Marty" Markowitz (Ferrell), an insecure man without direction in life who seeks guidance from Dr. Isaac "Ike" Herschkopf (Rudd), a seemingly kind-hearted psychiatrist who duplicitously starts to take over Marty's life.

Directed by Michael Showalter (The Big Sick) and written by Georgia Pritchett (Succession), The Shrink Next Door isn't the first television project from Paul Rudd. Just a couple years ago, the actor played dual roles in Netflix's Living With Yourself. As a charismatic huckster who takes advantage of people's vulnerabilities, it's easy to see how Rudd could twist his affable charm to this show's advantage, and it'll be intriguing to see how this dark comedy series will unfold from there. Currently in post-production, The Shrink Next Door is expected to stream on the service sometime later this year.

Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania - TBA 2022 (Filming)

The big screen is gonna get smaller. Soon enough, we'll see the return of Ant-Man, the third installment in the MCU trilogy centered around Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), an ex-convict hired by Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to plot a heist with worldwide ramifications. Using a super-suit with incredible shrinking powers, Lang turns miniature to fight his opponents and sneak his way into dangerous positions. Joined by Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), i.e. The Wasp, in 2018's sequel, this trilogy-capper introduces Quantumania into the mix for our size-changing crime-fighters (and crime-causers).

Along with Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, and Michelle Pfeiffer reprising their roles from the last two movies, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will see Kathryn Newton playing Cassie Lang, replacing Emma Fuhrmann, and Lovecraft Country's Jonathan Majors on-board to play Kang the Conqueror. Directed by Peyton Reed once more, there are big expectations for this insect-based blockbuster. What's in store for them post-Endgame remains to be seen, but we won't have to wait long. Now shooting, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be released sometime in 2022.

Producing: Party Down Revival - TBA (Announced)

A working-class mature comedy filled with vibrant characters, sharp satire, and keen perspectives into the acting and culinary world, Party Down didn't find a wide audience when it aired in 2009 through 2010, but it has since gained a cult following. Starring Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, Martin Starr, Lizzy Caplan, Jennifer Coolidge, Ryan Hansen, and Megan Mullally, Party Down had a top-notch cast, but it also featured a starry ensemble behind-the-scenes as well, notably with Rob Thomas and Paul Rudd creating the series alongside Dan Etheridge and John Enbom. Even though the catering comedy never made it past its second season, the party hasn't died down. Viewers only continue to discover this short-lived comedy series, and Starz is finally taking notice.

A decade-plus after its final episode aired, the show's creators have reunited for a revival of Party Down, as Deadline reported earlier this year. Details remain limited otherwise, but Paul Rudd will have an active hand in this show's second life. Whether the sitcom's original main characters are expected to return still remains to be seen.

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Kristen Bell’s on-screen charm makes her an actress that feels relatable, friendly, and like someone you want to see on-screen. Kristen Bell movies and TV shows have such a dedicated fan base because Bell's wholesome charisma makes most of her characters likable, even when their behavior is a little or very questionable. Veronica Mars, Gossip Girl, and Good Place have all showcased different sides of Bell’s acting and each series has helped elevate her career, but her portfolio extends so much further.

Kristen Bell is a woman of many hats, so she’s constantly busy producing, acting, singing, and etc. With such a full schedule, it might be hard for fans to keep up with the upcoming Kristen Bell movies and TV shows. If you’re a Bell fan, then you definitely want to know what she’s doing next. Look no further because we’ll be discussing some of the upcoming Kristen Bell movies and TV shows.

Gossip Girl - TBD (Filming)

In 2019, the Gossip Girl revival was officially underway. Soon after the announcement, Variety confirmed that Kristen Bell would reprise her role as the voice of Gossip Girl. Bell voiced Gossip Girl for the show’s entire six-season run, from 2007 to 2012. Gossip Girl narrated the show and was always the first to report on a major scandal.

The Gossip Girl revival began filming in October 2020 after production was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of March 2021, the series is still filming, but Bell may have already completed many of her narrations, because, likely, she only had to record a few words for the first season. Gossip Girl has yet to set a release date for its HBO Max premiere, but it’s expected to be released sometime in 2021. Since filming is still on-going, a summer release may be out of the question, but an early fall 2021 release seems plausible.

Molly And The Moon - TBD (Pre-Production)

In November 2020, It was announced that Kristen Bell would reteam with her Frozen co-star Jonathan Groff for a musical called Molly and the Moon. It’s an original musical by the How I Met Your Mother crew and creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas. Bell and Groff play Kate and Brian, two expecting parents who sing to their unborn daughter.

Molly and the Moon is based on Thomas’s own experience with the birth of his child who was diagnosed with Jacobsen Syndrome. As of March 2021, there doesn’t appear to be any new news on the film, so filming has likely not begun yet.

Queenpins - TBD (Post-Production)

In September 2020, STX films bought the worldwide rights to Queenpins. Kristen Bell stars in this comedy inspired by the largest counterfeit coupon scam. Bell plays a suburban housewife who decides to start an illegal coupon club. She ends up scamming millions of dollars from big corporations. Queenpins’ cast includes Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Vince Vaughn, Paul Walter Hauser, Joel McHale, and Bebe Rexha.

Queenpins’ director Aron Gaudet posted on his Instagram in December 2020 that filming had wrapped on the movie. No premiere date or trailer has been released yet for Queenpins but it’s likely to be released in theaters or via a streaming service by the end of 2021 or early 2022.

The Woman In The House - TBD (Filming)

In October 2020, Kristen Bell’s limited TV series The Woman in the House was announced. It’s a dark comedy and thriller that Bell executive produces and stars in, with Will Ferrell’s company Gloria Sanchez Productions producing it for Netflix. Rachel Ramras, Hugh Davidson, and Larry Dorf are creators and co-showrunners.

The Woman in the House is set to have eight episodes. The premise sounds like a twist on Rear Window as it focuses on Anna, a woman with a broken heart who meets her handsome neighbor and starts to come out of her funk, only to possibly witness a murder.

The Woman in the House cast includes Tom Riley, Shelley Hennig, Benjamin Levy Aguilar, and Christina Anthony. According to What’s On Netflix and Production Weekly, filming began in January and is expected to conclude in March 2021. Netflix has not announced its release plans for The Woman in the House, but with Bell attached and it sounds like a dark comedy similar to Dead to Me, I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to release it during fall 2021, or they could wait to release it in 2022 to fill that missing Dead to Me hole.

Do, Re & Mi-Unknown Release Date(Post-Production)

In 2018, Amazon Studios greenlighted Gaumont's animated lyrical series aimed at younger viewers called Do, Re & Mi. It is created and produced by Jackie Tohn and Michael Scharf. The series will feature original music performed by Kristen Bell. Every episode starts with an adventure and ends with a song. The aim of Do, Re & Mi is to inspire young minds to create their own language around music. Do, Re & Mi’s executive producers believe in music’s ability to help children in many aspects of their lives, including creativity and confidence.

In November 2020, Jazwares announced plans to produce a line of toys based on the Do, Re & Mi characters. The toys are supposed to become available when the series begins airing in 2021. No official release date has been announced but IMDB has the series listed in the post-production phase, so the 2021 release date seems like a go. The bird and music premise match well with the spring and summer months, so I would predict Do, Re & Mi being released in spring or summer 2021, but we'll have to wait and see.

Family Game Fight - TBD (Pre-Production)

Kristen Bell will be teaming up with her husband Dax Shepard for another project. This time it will be a game show. NBC has ordered Family Game Fight with Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard acting as host and competitors. It will be an hour-long series and NBC has already ordered 10 episodes.

In each episode, Shepard and Bell join a team of families to help them compete in a series of games for a cash prize.The idea for the series came because of Bell and Shepard’s game segment on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. DeGeneres is also acting as one of the show’s producers. Family Game Fight is currently casting families, so we may see this series premiering in the not-so-distant future.

Party Down? - TBD (Announced)

In March 2021, Starz announced plans for a Party Down revival. Rob Thomas and others were the creative team behind the original series and plan to return for the revival. Party Down aired on Starz for two seasons in 2009 and 2010. The main cast included Ken Marino, Adam Scott, Jane Lynch, and Martin Starr. Kristen Bell had a brief guest appearance on Party Down as Uda Bengt.

There is no word yet on if the original cast will return, but there is definitely a possibility that Bell could return as a guest. Rob Thomas created Veronica Mars and many of the cast from the series appear on Party Down. There seems to be a lot of mutual respect between Thomas and Bell, since she often appears on his shows, including most recently on an episode of iZombie. I definitely wouldn’t be surprised if Bell revives her role as Uda or some other character for the Party Down revival.

There are plenty of Kristen Bell movies and TV shows coming up, so to not miss any of them, make sure to follow our 2021 movie premiere dates and 2021 TV premiere dates schedules for all the latest updates.

Party Down, the Starz comedy about a catering company in Hollywood, was an instant classic, boasting series regulars like Adam Scott and Martin Starr in its group of lovable losers moonlighting as caterers who are trying to break through to stardom. It’s been over a decade since we’ve seen the Party Down gang slinging d’oeuvres under the incapable leadership of Ron Donald (Ken Marino). When it was announced recently that the Starz underground hit would be rebooted, fans raised their beers to a collective cheer of “Are we having fun yet?” So as we plan to reunite with our favorite disgruntled waiters — and wonder what astonishing A-list guest stars might grace our screens in this reboot — let’s take a look at what the Party Down cast has been up to since the series last aired in 2010.

Ken Marino (Ron Donald)

Ken Marino, who played the most unlikely candidate for responsibility possible in Party Down’s Ron Donald, is seemingly the exact opposite off-screen, as Marino has stayed busy both in front of and behind the camera. He reprised his role as rival private investigator Vinnie Van Lowe in the long-awaited new season of Veronica Mars in 2019, and also had recurring roles on such shows as Fresh Off the Boat, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and most recently, the Showtime dark comedy Black Monday. He’s taken his turn behind the camera directing the web series Burning Love, a hilarious satire of the Bachelor franchise, and a handful of episodes of Adult Swim’s Children’s Hospital — acting in both shows as well.

Ken Marino has two movie director credits, with How to Be a Latin Lover and Dog Days, and if that’s not enough, he wrote Wanderlust, co-starring Jennifer Aniston, Paul Rudd and the bewitching Kathryn Hahn. Marino also had a hand in the screenplay for Role Models. In 2020, Marino reunited with the cast that started it all — MTV’s sketch comedy The State — to raise funds for the NAACP and the California Immigrant Resilience Fund, which helps undocumented California residents affected by the COVID pandemic. I mean, these credits are good, but how do they stand up next to running a Soup R’ Crackers?

Adam Scott (Henry Pollard)

Adam Scott’s Henry Pollard was a one-hit wonder on Party Down, finding 15 minutes of fame on a beer commercial with a memorable tagline before flaming out and quitting acting. Scott’s career as an actor has thankfully gone the other direction, and he’s stayed pretty busy since his fictional catering days. We liked him and we loved him as Ben Wyatt on Parks and Recreation, and he also had recurring television roles in hits such as The Good Place and Big Little Lies. Many of these actors run in the same circles (see Veronica Mars), and Scott reunited with Ken Marino for Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later and the web series Burning Love. On the big screen, he and Lizzy Caplan reignited their red-hot chemistry to again play lovers in Bachelorette. Other movie credits include The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Hot Tub Time Machine 2, Krampus and Sleeping with Other People.

Adam Scott has also found success in the world of podcasts. His initial project, U Talkin’ U2 to Me?, dissected his love for the iconic band U2. That led to R U Talkin’ R.E.M. RE: ME?, a similar show about REM, and in 2020 launched U Talkin’ Talking Heads 2 My Talking Heads. Next up he’s slated to star in the Ben Stiller-directed workplace thriller Severance on Apple TV+, which is currently filming and set to air sometime this year.

Lizzy Caplan (Casey Klein)

Lizzy Caplan was wonderful as sarcastic aspiring comedian Casey Klein, but much of her post-Party Down career has skewed away from comedy. Caplan picked up nominations for a Primetime Emmy, two Satellite Awards and a Critics’ Choice Award for her portrayal of Virginia Johnson in the Showtime series Masters of Sex. Most recently Caplan was in the Apple TV+ thriller series Truth Be Told with Octavia Spencer and played Annie Wilkes in the Season 2 of the Stephen King-inspired Castle Rock. Caplan’s next project stays in the horror realm, with Cobweb, starring opposite The Boys’ Antony Starr. The movie, which filmed in Bulgaria in late 2020, is in post-production.

It hasn’t been all horror and thriller for Lizzy Caplan, however, as the Mean Girls alum has also had recurring roles in New Girl, The League and Children’s Hospital. Movie credits include The Interview from James Franco and Seth Rogan, as well as the sci-fi thriller Extinction, (no word from Party Down’s Roman on if that counts as “hard sci-fi”).

Martin Starr (Roman DeBeers)

We fell in love with Martin Starr as a lovable nerd on Freaks and Geeks, and aspiring sci-fi author Roman DeBeers could certainly be an older version of Bill Haverchuck — albeit more cynical and beaten down by life. Hopefully Starr’s acting career is slightly less frustrating than trying to make it in the world of hard sci-fi. Starr co-starred as the fantastically named Bertram Gilfoyle on all six seasons of HBO’s five-time Emmy nominee Silicon Valley. Starr also had small roles in the CBS comedy series Life in Pieces and Hawaii Five-O and played multiple characters on Comedy Central’s Drunk History.

Martin Starr’s been no stranger to the big screen either, playing Daniel in Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead, and teaming up with his Apatow buddies in Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's apocalyptic comedy This is the End. And speaking of old buddies, Starr had a couple of projects with Party Down guest star Kristen Bell, playing Stu Cobbler in Veronica Mars and Bell’s friend Todd in the uncomfortable drama The Lifeguard. Starr has also joined the MCU, playing Mr. Harrington, the teacher with the unenviable task of keeping tabs on teens like Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Far from Home and Spider-Man: Homecoming. Up next for Starr is a supporting role in the dark superhero film Samaritan, starring Sylvester Stallone and set for a June 4 release.

Ryan Hansen (Kyle Bradway)

As previously noted, the cast of Party Down is strongly connected to Veronica Mars, and none more than Ryan Hansen, who played the douchey Dick Casablancas on the smart mystery series. Hansen and Kristen Bell became best friends, and his resume boasts numerous projects with The Good Place star, including Burning Love and Hansen’s YouTube Red series Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television. Hansen had a hilariously awkward guest role as Bell’s lover on her Showtime series House of Lies. He also played a part in the movie Hit & Run with Bell, which Bell’s husband Dax Shepard wrote, directed and starred in.

That doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of his work either, but some of Ryan Hansen’s projects have failed to find critical acclaim. Hansen took a couple of swings on NBC comedies, playing the lover of Kate Walsh’s Rebecca Wright in the lone season of Bad Judge and starring as Ben Lewis on the short-lived comedy Friends with Benefits, but Hansen’s bread and butter seems to lie in guest roles and recurring spots. He’s made appearances on Key and Peele, Parenthood, The Mindy Project and Santa Clarita Diet. He had a recurring role as Andy in Season 2 of 2 Broke Girls, played Doug Weiner in the Hulu series Resident Advisors and played Brent in the TV Land series Teachers. Hansen had roles in three movies that came out in 2020: Friendsgiving, Fantasy Island and Like a Boss, all of which were panned by critics.

Megan Mullally (Lydia Dunfree)

Megan Mullally joined the Party Down crew in Season 2 as the well-meaning but desperately lonely Lydia Dunfree. While Lydia struggled as momager for thankless daughter Escapade, Mullally’s path couldn’t be further from her character’s, as she was a force to be reckoned with both before and after Party Down on pretty much any platform she chose in entertainment. Most recently, on top of reprising her role as Karen Walker on Will & Grace, the actor has lent her voice to a number of animated projects including Bob’s Burgers and The Great North. In 2015 her voice acting led to a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program for her work on Sofia the First: The Enchanted Feast.

Mullally was also a series regular on Children’s Hospital and had a memorable recurring role as the second ex-wife of Ron Swanson (played by real-life husband Nick Offerman) Tammy Two in Parks and Recreation. In 2014 she starred in Annapurna off-Broadway with Offerman and on Broadway in It’s Only a Play alongside Matthew Broderick, Stockard Channing, Nathan Lane and more. In 2021 she is slated to play Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes at the Barbican Theatre in London. And don’t forget to add “author” to the multi-hyphenate’s resume. In 2018 she and Offerman published The Greatest Love Story Ever Told about their “epic” romance.

Jane Lynch (Constance Carmell)

No personal business on company pond for this hard worker. Constance Carmell’s optimistic attitude always had her willing to go the extra mile to hone her craft. (Have you seen her cow? “Are you milking me for information, Old MacDonald? I’m not in the mooooood.”) And if that’s the effort Jane Lynch puts into her real-life acting career, it’s working. Unfortunately Lynch had to leave the catering company after Season 1 because of a contractual obligation to Glee for her brilliant role as Sue Sylvester, but that worked out in her favor, if not ours, as it led to five Primetime Emmy Awards from twelve nods, two SAG Awards from six nominations and one Golden Glove from two nominations.

Lynch has had recurring TV roles on numerous shows, such as Criminal Minds and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She’s leant her voice to animated TV and movies alike in The Simpsons, Wreck-It Ralph, Ralph Breaks the Internet and UglyDolls. She’s hosted game shows, such as the reboot of Weakest Link and Hollywood Game Night. Lynch even has her own record label, KitschTone Records, on which she released a Christmas album with her cabaret group See Jane Sing.

Lynch has also tried her hand at theater, making her Broadway debut as Miss Hannigan in Annie in 2013. She’s also done a ton of charity work, most notably to support equal rights in the LBGTQ community. In 2013, Lynch was honored by The Trevor Project for her advocacy of marriage equality. In 2020 she co-hosted the live telethon Love in Action to help raise funds for the Los Angeles LGBT Center during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Party Down fans, myself included, are eager to see our favorite caterers don their pink bowties again and reveal if the last 10 years has brought them any of the same success as the actors who portray them (assuming not, if they are in fact still catering). Be sure to check back for more information on the reboot, and find something else to stream on Starz in the meantime.

If you are a fan of Outlander, the Emmy-nominated drama that fuses history with fantasy, you are more than likely a subscriber to Starz. I am not necessarily talking about the cable channel itself, but its digital streaming platform which includes plenty more wonderful television series available now for you to check out.

One aspect of the series lineup at Starz is the variety. Meaning, if there comes a day you are not in the mood for anymore Scottish combat and sweeping romance, you could travel forward in time to have a laugh with the cast of Party Down or turn the clock back again, but for the same purpose, with a classic episode or two of The Jeffersons.

The eclectic selection is enough to keep you binging until you really do begin to see stars. To help preserve your sanity and narrow down your search, these are our picks for the 12 best shows you can stream now on Starz, starting with one of its most popular and acclaimed hits.

Outlander

It is a curious how, as time further progresses, historical fiction has become more and more popular, especially with a twist that brings it into the realm of fantasy. One of the more potent examples is this acclaimed Starz original starring Golden Globe nominee Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall, a married English World War II-era combat medic inexplicably living a second life in 18th-century Scotland, where she falls in love with the chivalrous Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). 

Developed by Ronald Moore, the Emmy winner behind the modern reinvention of Battlestar Galactica, and based on the novel by Diana Gabaldon, Outlander is a thrilling, romantic, and ever-so mysterious drama of unique creation that has captured audiences hearts for five seasons thus far.

Stream Outlander on Starz here.

Spartacus

For decades, the prime retelling of a gladiator's resistance of the Roman Empire was Stanley Kubrick's 1960 epic Spartacus starring the late Kirk Douglas. That was until 2010, when Steven DeKnight introduced the bloodiest version of that legend to be brought to the screen yet. Despite lasting only three seasons, and suffering the loss of star Andy Whitfield to cancer after just one season in the title role, Spartacus would soon inspire a prequel spin-off and has since been remembered as one of the most exciting period dramas on Starz, or anywhere else for that matter.

Stream Spartacus on Starz here.

Black Sails

In keeping up with the current running theme of historical legend, this Starz original series serves as both a dramatized account of the days when piracy was in its prime and a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel Treasure Island. So, in other words, Black Sails, from co-creators Robert Levin and Jonathan E. Steinberg and producer Michael Bay, is not particularly a show made to appeal to history buffs, especially those who hold accuracy dear. However, even they should be easily swept up in three seasons of Captain Flint (Toby Stephens), a young John Silver (Luke Arnold), and other swashbucklers boldly taking on the high seas (and each other) in search of riches worthy of the gods.

Stream Black Sails on Starz here.

American Gods

Speaking of gods, that is a literally authentic description of the central characters in this Emmy-nominated series inspired by Neil Gaiman's novel that puts a modern day spin on ancient mythology legend. The story is centered around Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle), an ex-convict who, soon after he is released from prison, is hired as a bodyguard for a strange wealthy socialite who calls himself Mr. Wednesday (the always dazzling Golden Globe winner Ian McShane), whose true identity is more marvelous than he initially lets on. With two seasons (and counting) under its belt, Starz's own American Gods is a visually unique and narratively engaging spectacle worth putting your faith into.

Stream American Gods on Starz here.

Boss

Someone with a bit of a god complex himself is Tom Kane, portrayed in a Golden Globe-winning performance by Kelsey Grammer that is a long stretch from his days in the title role of Frasier, for which he also won two Globes. Boss follows Kane's struggle to not lose control as mayor of Chicago as he begins to lose control of his own mind amid his diagnosis of early onset dementia. Despite lasting only two seasons, this political epic in the vein of House of Cards is one of the most acclaimed dramas to air on Starz in the past decade for how it puts into question the extent of one's ambition for power against even the most dire consequences.

Stream Boss on Starz here.

Power

Speaking of power, James "Ghost" St. Patrick (Sorry to Bother You star Omari Hardwick) has plenty of it as an international drug kingpin. However, this aptly titled Starz original actually chronicles Ghost's aspirations to leave that life behind in favor of focusing purely on his Manhattan night club, which is something he learns is much easier said than done. Rapper Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson serves as executive producer and has a recurring role on Power, an intense, award-winning redemption tale that came to a close after six seasons in early 2020, but its legacy still continues in spin-offs.

Stream Power on Starz here.

Luther

The title character of this British import is not one to be phased by consequence, particularly that of his deeply alienating personality. In fact, if London detective John Luther was not so good at his job, his colleagues would have no issue throwing him to the dogs and the same can be said for those in life while off duty. Plus, if it were not for Idris Elba's Golden Globe-winning performance in the title role, Luther may not have had the fans it acquired during its five-season, nine-year run that offers an engaging take complexities of a complicated, Sherlock Holmes-esque character.

Stream Luther on Starz here.

Hightown

John Luther is not the only crimefighter on the Starz app with demons of their own, only National Marine Fisheries Service agent Jackie Quiñones (Chicago Fire vet Monica Raymud) is making an active attempt to fight them off. The battle begins when she discovers a murdered opioid user on the shores of Cape Cod, inspiring her to finally get sober as she falls prey to a new addiction of solving the case. Created by Gotham writer Rebecca Perry Cutter, Hightown, which premiered in May 2020, is an intense, high-stakes thriller that expands the drama beyond the scene of the crime and into the personal struggles of its flawed protagonist.

Stream Hightown on Starz here.

Knight Rider

The law-seeking protagonist of this cult mid-1980s thriller does not have many recognizable flaws, but the show itself, from original Battlestar Galactica creator Glen A. Larson, admittedly does. However, you could argue that the inherent cheesiness of Knight Rider, starring David Hasselhoff as a government agent by an artificial intelligence on wheels voiced by Boy Meets World's William Daniels, is key to its charm and why it lasted four seasons and inspired a soft reboot in 2008. However, in my. humble opinion, you can skip that crap and stick with the original fun, wholesome, sci-fi twist on the buddy cop genre which may be the ultimate highlight of The Hoff's career.

Stream Knight Rider on Starz here.

The Jeffersons

One classic of yesteryear that actually did inspire a successful reimagining recently, with Jamie Foxx and Kerry Washington in the title roles paying tribute to co-creator Norman Lear, is The Jeffersons. Initially a spin-off of the groundbreaking All in the Family, this sitcom, following a black, middle-aged married couple's (Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford) lives in an upper class Manhattan apartment building, acquired an equal level of acclaim and importance over its 11-season run in the 1970s and 80s. If not just for a laugh, rewatching all 253 episodes on Starz is worth especially worth it to see how George Jefferson's worldview compares to the current social climate.

Stream The Jeffersons on Starz here.

Party Down

This Starz original does not have the luxury to say it lasted 11 seasons (wrapping up after only two in 2010). However, Party Down, featuring notable talents such as Parks and Recreation's Adam Scott, Castle Rock's Lizzy Caplan, and Silicon Valley's Martin Starr to name a few, is still one of the most celebrated, yet often overlooked, comedies of its time. Its brutally authentic depiction of a group of aspiring actors who resort to working in the catering industry while looking for work puts it on par with Ricky Gervais' original British iteration of The Office in terms of classic cringe humor.

Stream Party Down on Starz here.

Ash Vs. Evil Dead

With the latter entries of his Evil Dead trilogy, director Sam Raimi introduced his own sensational brand of comedy mixed with horror. That splatterific marriage evolved into its most perfect execution with this series that pairs Bruce Campbell's chainsaw-handed "Deadite" hunter with S-Mart colleagues Pablo (Ray Santiago) and Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo) as they work together to rid the world of evil once and for all, amid much trial and error along the way. Campbell decided to retire his most beloved character, Ash Williams, once Ash vs. Evil Dead was ultimately cancelled by Starz after three seasons, but most fans would agree that the "The King's" send-off with this series could not have been groovier.

Stream Ash vs. Evil Dead on Starz here.

What do you think? Are these the best series available to watch now on the digital platform, or should we have gazed at the Starz a little longer? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on what to seek out on Starz, as well as even more recommendations of the best movies and TV shows you can stream, here on CinemaBlend.

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The word cancellation nowadays doesn’t mean what it used to mean when it comes to TV. While it’s never exactly good news to hear that a favorite show has been axed by a network, hope is not lost so long as Netflix and other streaming services are out there as possible saviors. Netflix in particular has become a refuge for programs that just don’t deserve to be done forever. The streaming service has saved a variety of series, ranging from The Killing being brought back from the grave right away to Arrested Development being resurrected after years to Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp revamping an original premise.

Some shows that have been nixed by network television are definitely best left unrevived, but there are some that could use a little more closure. Whether they ended on crazy cliffhangers or just had tons more story to tell, the finales came all too soon. Here is a look at eleven TV shows that would be perfect for Netflix to bring back.

Pushing Daisies

Pushing Daisies was a fantasy/musical/dramedy that ran for two seasons from 2007 – 2009. It followed the story of Ned, a pie-maker able to bring people back from the dead… with a catch. If he revived a dead person for more than one minute, somebody else would die. If he touched a revived person for a second time, that person would die. The talent enabled Ned to help solve crimes, but it also prevented him from ever touching his true love. There was talk of a revival via big screen or Broadway, but nothing even came of either possibility for Pushing Daisies. Netflix would be the ideal place for such a charmingly bizarre series. The right mood was required for an episode of Pushing Daisies, and new installments would be perfect.

Better Off Ted

Better Off Ted was a half-hour satire sitcom that ran for two seasons on ABC from 2009 - 2010. Protagonist Ted was a good man with an important position within a soulless conglomerate corporation. He regularly broke the fourth wall by directly addressing the camera. The premise as well as stellar cast--that included Jay Harrington as Ted, Portia de Rossi as Ted’s boss, and Andrea Anders as Ted’s love interest--made Better Off Ted a particularly promising series. Sadly, the ratings weren’t there to support the comedy, and the final episodes never even aired on ABC. Critics loved the series, and the premise hasn’t exactly gotten less relevant in the years since cancellation. Netflix could nail a revival of Better Off Ted.

Party Down

Party Down was a half-hour comedy that ran for two seasons on Starz from 2009 – 2010. It followed the misadventures of a group of caterers in Los Angeles as they tried to make their break into showbiz. The premise was interesting enough, but the unfailingly hilarious cast was what made Party Down so unforgettable. Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Lizzy Caplan, Ryan Hansen, Martin Star, Jane Lynch, and Megan Mullally made up an ensemble that deserved to stay on screen together for much longer than they did. Although the stars did go on to find hits elsewhere, a reunion for a Party Down continuation would be fabulous. Everybody involved seemed eager to do more, but the stars have not 100% aligned just yet.

Deadwood

Deadwood was a western that aired on HBO for three seasons from 2004 – 2006. Three seasons is a respectable enough run, and the show served up plenty of action during its time on the air, but there was never a sense of closure to give the impression that it was time to say goodbye to Seth Bullock and Al Swearengen. There were still so many people to kill and anachronistic F-bombs to drop. There’s been hope for a film return to Deadwood, South Dakota since HBO cancelled the series, but we’ve been sadly without any new material for far too long now. Surely Deadwood is worthy of a second go, and Netflix would be a great platform.

Caprica

Caprica was an hour-long sci fi drama that sadly ran for only one season on Syfy. The show barely had time to get off its feet before Syfy cited low ratings and gave the cancellation order, but given that Caprica was a a prequel to Syfy’s phenomenal Battlestar Galactica remake with the same production team, Caprica had the potential to become a series to stand the test of time. Of course, BSG had woes of its own during its time on Syfy, but at least the parent show came to a conclusive ending. Caprica could have continued. We saw how the Cylons took over in BSG; we could have seen their rise in Caprica. Perhaps it’s not too late for Netflix to step in and give it another shot.

Jericho

Jericho was an hour-long post-apocalyptic drama that aired for two seasons from 2006 – 2008 on CBS. The show followed the citizens of a small town trying to adapt to life after a huge nuclear attack. Despite a stellar cast, including Lennie James who is now surviving in a different kind of post-apocalyptic world on The Walking Dead, Jericho was enough of a ratings flop at CBS that it was cancelled after the first season. It was only thanks to the enthusiastic fans who sent nuts to the network in a reference to a line from the first season finale that earned them a second season. Netflix and CBS were apparently flirting with a deal to bring new episodes of the series to streaming video, but a deal was clearly not struck.

Happy Endings

Happy Endings was a half-hour sitcom that ran for three seasons from 2011 – 2013 on ABC. The sitcom wasn’t really about anything in particular, but it never failed to bring the laughs thanks to the ensemble of crazy characters. The six friends were all delightfully dysfunctional in everything from their careers to their love lives to their escalating pile-ons of insults. Happy Endings never relied on only certain pairings within the group to carry the show, and mixing up the dynamics on a weekly basis kept it fresh from premiere to finale. The creative team has expressed regret at the cancellation and a willingness to come on board if the opportunity should arise, so perhaps a few strokes of luck and an invitation from Netflix could give a new beginning to Happy Endings.

Constantine

Constantine was an hour-long supernatural drama that ran for only one season of thirteen episodes from 2014 – 2015 on NBC. The series was based on the DC Comics character John Constantine and his work as an occult detective/exorcist. Constantine was the NBC contribution to the Fall 2014 DC blitzkrieg, and it was unfortunately the only one to be cancelled. The producer has said he believes that the show failed to take off because NBC was ultimately the wrong network. Attempts to shop the series around for a new home failed, but there’s no reason why Netflix could not decide to give it another shot. Comic series are all the rage right now, and Constantine is a popular character.

Freaks And Geeks

Freaks and Geeks was an hour-long comedy/drama that aired for one season from 1999 – 2000. Set in the early 1980s, the show followed the lives of high school students designated as either freaks or geeks. It’s gained a cult following in the years since, but most of the cast – including James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Jason Segal – have moved on to illustrious careers in showbiz. Fans have been wanting a reunion for years, and producer Judd Apatow has never ruled out the possibility. Franco has raised the point that they’re all much older now, but if Wet Hot American Summer could find a way to make the chronology work, surely Freaks and Geeks could pull it off for a Netflix series.

Veronica Mars

Veronica Mars was a teen noir detective series that ran for three seasons from 2004 – 2007, first on UPN and then on The CW. The show was a critical hit during its original run, but scheduling switcheroos on minor networks kept it from ever gaining as big an audience as it deserved. Teen detective Veronica did make a comeback as an adult in the big screen Veronica Mars movie funded by fans, and the feature worked so well with so much of the original cast back that a Netflix revival could be fantastic. Star Kristen Bell is certainly busy these days, but she’s been vocal about her love for Mars. Of all of the shows that would be perfect for Netflix to bring back, Veronica Mars might have the bests odds of getting to gang back together.

Firefly

What would a list of shows deserving to come back be without Firefly? Firefly was an hour-long space cowboy adventure that is now infamous for being cancelled by Fox after only a single season in 2002. The Joss Whedon series attracted a cult following even during its original run, but it suffered from scheduling difficulties. Even the efforts of fans to find a new home for Firefly fell through. The final episodes didn’t even air on Fox, which is kind of hilarious in hindsight considering how huge a following Firefly has amassed. The crew did come back for another go with the Serenity feature film, but rumors of a further revival haven’t produced anything. An awful lot of time has passed, but if there was any platform that could do justice to a revival, it would be--you guessed it--Netflix.

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While orgies are traditionally a fairly taboo subject, a variety of sitcoms and dramas on television have managed to tackle that subject over the past few years, and now they can be viewed together in this fabulous orgy supercut. Before you check it out, we will say that while the video is tame as far as orgies are concerned, it’s still probably not the best plan to check it out while at work. 

Again, this is a video about orgies, so use your best judgment before proceeding.

Honestly, you would expect an orgy-filled video to be a little more obscene, but this video features hilarious segments from the likes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Seinfeld. There’s that famous scene in which Jerry Seinfeld talks about the effort it would take to become “an orgy guy.” 

There is plenty of nudity, too, from shows like Netflix’s Sense8 and Showtime’s former series Queer as Folk, although with so many bodies involved, you’re not going to randomly catch any genitilia. There are plenty of butts involved, but if you were hoping for something raunchier, there’s plenty of actual porn on the Internet. This is more of a catalog of the times orgies have made their way on to TV. 

Following True Detective’s big orgy scene this past week, the Huffington Post put together the booty-filled video. Although, they hit a lot of good moments in TV’s orgy history, I have no idea how they forgot about Spartacus, which featured plenty of nude cavorting and group sex scenes during parties. In fact, Spartacus was almost as known for these casual sex encounters as the show was known for its brutal and super-stylized action sequences. Although, since this video is rather tame compared to what those parties could sometimes entail, maybe the show was purposefully left out. 

It’s a shame the Starz drama didn’t manage to make it into the video. However, a lot of other entertaining moments did.

Over the years, what is and isn’t acceptable for television audiences has certainly changed. The shows that toe a line often end up getting episodes banned or pulled at some point, but taking a leap and trying something new is also what has allowed TV to change, grow and take on new meaning—especially in the cable and subscription streaming landscapes—in recent years. So, bring on the orgies, because scenes like these also led to all the nudity we see on Game of Thrones. 

Welcome, all of you who may or may not have time to watch TV as it airs live. We’re going to start taking a weekly look at the three best TV series to hit the three most popular streaming sites, namely Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Instant. We realize that there are of course other streaming sites out there, and so we may allow an exception or two if need be. But for now, viewers, just sit back, relax, and let the world of television come to you.

Party Down – Seasons 1 & 2

I’m hard pressed to just list Party Down as all three of my choices this week, because it’s one of my favorite comedy series of all time, for almost every reason imaginable. Created by Veronica Mars mastermind Rob Thomas, Party Down follows a surly catering company comprised of actors, writers and those with Soup ‘R Crackers restaurant franchise dreams. As far as witty cynicism goes, this show is impossible to beat, and every episode features one quotable line after the next, with situations that beg for extended episodes. Thomas Lennon hosting an orgy? Yes please.

Though things change between seasons, Party Down mostly centers on Henry (Adam Scott), who returns to the Party Down squad after a failed acting career, initially working beneath team leader Ron (Ken Marino), who remains perpetually optimistic despite employing people who don’t respect him. Those people include Casey (Liz Caplan), a stand-up comic with a romantic eye for Henry; Kyle (Ryan Hansen), a model/actor/musician who gets by on looks and charm; Roman (Martin Starr), an extremely judgmental sci-fi writer; and Constance (Jane Lynch), a former actress who uses her show biz stories as social currency. Megan Mullally joins the cast in Season 2 as the naïve but constantly smiling Lydia. This show is an instant classic, and fuck Starz for cancelling it too soon.

All 20 episodes are available for Hulu Plus subscribers, while only 5 are currently available for non-subscribers. You'll be able to watch Party Down Season 3 online come February 2023.

BoJack Horseman

So, technically BoJack Horseman came out last Friday, but we hadn’t started this column yet, so we’re taking liberties. Created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg (The Exquisite Corpse Project), BoJack Horseman is an often scathingly hilarious look at a former TV star who has been washed up by wave after wave of liquor and beer, who also happens to be a horse voiced by Will Arnett. (He’s essentially playing “the Will Arnett role” here, but that never gets old for me.) BoJack's life is filled with a neverending line of comedian guest stars that sprinkle this animal pun-filled universe with consistently ridiculous performances.

BoJack, who is still quite wealthy from his stint as the father of three human children in the cornball 1980s sitcom Horsin’ Around, is intent on reclaiming his spot in pop culture with an autobiography, helped along by ghostwriter Diane (Allison Brie). There are weird romantic feelings, but she’s in a relationship with BoJack’s friendly nemesis, Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins), a blissfully optimistic dog whose former sitcom was a Horsin’ Around ripoff. Amy Sedaris plays Princess Carolyn, BoJack's hard-working agent and occasional sex partner, while Aaron Paul plays his not-all-there roommate Todd. Come for the cheeky jokes about fame and Hollywood, and stay for one of the most bizarre and introspective drug sequences in all of fiction. It’s a-neigh-zing.

All 12 episodes of BoJack Horseman are currently available on Netflix Instant.

The Escape Artist

Originally aired as a BBC One series in 2013, the legal thriller The Escape Artist made its way to the States earlier this year via PBS as an installment of Masterpiece Theater. Created by MI-5’s David Wolstencroft, The Escape Artist is not a miniseries that runs strictly on plausibility, as one must make mental leaps in order to sit through the story without groaning at the shoddy British legal system. But procedural dramas and mysteries constantly skate by reality to get their cases closed in one episode, so it’s not completely out of place here. Plus, it’s David freakin’ Tennant.

Tennant plays Will Burton, a barrister with a reputation for winning every case he takes on. His woes begin when he defends murder suspect Liam Foyle (Toby Kebbel), soon realizing Foyle’s innocence isn’t a sure thing. Burton discovers a technicality that gets Foyle off, but instead of being happily indebted to his law counsel, Foyle takes a simple slight and decides to ruin Burton’s life, which leads to more plot contrivances both in and out of the courtroom. But with disbelief suspended, what you have here are several fine performances – including Sophie Okonedo as an opposing lawyer – and a twisting story that remains intriguing all the way to the end.

All three episodes of The Escape Artist are available on Amazon Instant.

The return of Veronica Mars in movie form has given fans renewed hope that other TV shows might someday find their way back to the screen either big, or small. The underrated Starz comedy Party Down is one series many people hope will be revived in some form or another, whether it be a movie or another season of the show. So when we sat down to talk to Ryan Hansen about the Veronica Mars movie, we had to ask him what the update was on bringing Party Down back. In addition to sharing a vague update on the interest among the cast and producers, he joked that he'd chop off a toe if it would get the movie made.

From the sound of it, there hasn't been much progress since it was reported that John Enbom was working on a script, and that was back in 2012. But from what Hansen says, it sounds like the Party Down crew is still up for reuniting...

Given the choice between a Party Down movie or a revival of the TV show, Hansen says he'd prefer to go the Arrested Development route in doing "little chunks of a show." He says he thinks that would be best. And given the way Arrested Development's fourth season was structured to work around the varying availability of its cast, that makes sense. As for Hansen's willingness to return to the "catering" business for a Party Down revival, he joked that he'd give up a toe if it were necessary to make the movie happen. "I'd chop off a toe if someone needed a toe," he told us. "And they're like, we'll make a movie if you need my toe. I'd chop off that toe."

That's commitment right there. And a toe might make a great Kickstarter incentive if the movie ever decided to go that route... right? Ryan Hansen's toe! Too gory? Ok, maybe not. But we like his enthusiasm for the project regardless.

So it seems the only update on the Party Down comeback is that the stars and producers are still into the idea of doing it, which is good news. But from what Hansen says, it doesn't sound like there's been much progress on actually making it happen anytime soon.

Created by John Enbom, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge and Paul Rudd, Party Down was a half-hour comedy that debuted in 2009 and centered on a bunch of aspiring Hollywood actors and writers who were paying the rent by working at a small catering business. Each episode had them working some event or another, occasionally getting mixed up in complications with the guests. The impressive cast included then-up-and-comers Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Lizzy Caplan, Ryan Hansen, Martin Starr, Jane Lynch and Megan Mullally. The down side to them all getting more successful after the Starz series wrapped up is that they're all pretty busy now, which could be a big reason why we aren't seeing more positive updates on the progress of the possible film or TV comeback. Fans have wanted more since the series wrapped up, whether it comes in the form of a TV show or a movie.

In the meantime, you'll have no trouble spotting Ryan Hansen in the Veronica Mars film. He reprises his role as the ever-hilarious, oft-inappropriate Dick Casablancas. Hansen had some interesting things to say about the Kickstarted project and the planned Veronica Mars digital series, which you can read here. And if you're planning to see Veronica Mars but still haven't gotten around to watching the TV series, we've created this helpful (obviously spoilery) cheat sheet here!

Those of us who loved the Starz comedy series Party Down would surely love the opportunity to see the stars of the comedy series back in their pink bow ties for some sort of a reunion (or a movie!). Fans who were able to get to the San Francisco Comedy Festival SF Sketchfest were in for a treat as the cast did reunite, dressed up in their Party Down uniforms, to answer questions and reminisce about the series.

Created by John Enbom, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge and Paul Rudd, Party Down aired for two seasons on Starz. The comedy series followed a group of less than enthusiastic employees of a party catering service, with each episode following them to a different party with a different set of challenges, shenanigans and drama. There's been talk about a movie possibly happening some day. Whether or not that ever actually happens remains to be seen. In the meantime, they did get together at SF Sketchfest and EW shared some photos of the reunion, including the one below.

From left to right, we have Ryan Hansen, Adam Scott, Martin Starr, Lizzy Caplan and Ken Marino. Most of them look typically unsatisfied, with Hansen being the only one with a smile on his face, which seems fitting somehow. Not sure what's going on with Starr's beard, though it's giving me a major Knocked Up flashback.

Are we having fun yet?

Few sitcoms in recent years have been as absurd and satisfying as Starz's short-lived Party Down. Centering on a motley crew of caterers who all dream of bigger things—be it cinematic stardom or their own soup-selling franchise—the blisteringly hilarious series brought together an eclectic comic cast that included Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Ryan Hansen, Martin Star, Lizzy Caplan, Jane Lynch, and Megan Mullally, which clicked perfectly and offered a unique and sharp sense of humor. So, it's little wonder that the cast has been plagued with questions about a possible reunion movie ever since the series' cancellation.

So far Marino, Caplan and Mullally have made mention of an unfinished screenplay for a Party Down movie, giving fans hope—especially in light of Arrested Development's recent resurrection. Now The Film Stage reports Mullally revealed an update on the latest episode of Scott Aukerman's Comedy Bang Bang podcast that if the script is approved, the film should have its financing secured. After that, it's a question of when the far-flung cast can sync their schedules.

However, this could prove tricky. Scott is now a series regular on Parks and Recreation. Marino and Mullally star on the Adult Swim series Children's Hospital; Lynch has Glee, and Caplan has a burgeoning film career with movies like Save the Date, Bachelorette, and 3, 2, 1... Frankie Go Boom on the horizon as well as a lead role in Showtime's latest sultry series Masters of Sex. Still, Mullally claims they're looking to regroup and shoot in the spring or summer of 2013 when most are expected to be on production hiatus. So, fans, remember Henry's plagiarized pep talk to Ron: "Don't stop believing."

Ken Marino was one of the key reasons why Party Down was such a brilliant show. Ron Donald, the overly-ambitious leader of the catering crew, was one of those rare characters who you really want to root for, but is so self-destructive and can be such an asshole that it makes it almost impossible (it also doesn't hurt that he's also hysterical). One of the key reasons why I want to see a Party Down movie happen is just so that I can once again see Ron reach the precipice of success only to watch everything crumble around him. But will it ever come together?

This morning I had the chance to sit down one-on-one with Marino at a press event for Wanderlust (look out for my full interview next week) and took the opportunity to ask about what's going on with the potential Party Down film. I started by asking about where the project is and when it might come together, but Marino was a bit hesitant to confirm the status. "You know, you’re guess is as good as mine," Marino said. The writer/actor did confirm that a script is being worked on and that there are many people interested in doing it but he's going to wait until he's actually in production before making any major statements. "Until I’m there on set I wouldn’t commit to saying that it’s happening, you know?"

But when I asked him if he would be excited to play Ron again he couldn't have been more enthusiastic, particularly because it would bring him back together with his Party Down costars. "Oh my god, yeah! I love Ron Donald and I love all the people who worked on that show," Marino said, "That was a magical experience for me. And working with Adam [Scott] and Lizzy [Caplan] and Martin [Starr] and Ryan [Hansen] and Megan [Mullally] and Jane [Lynch] and John Enbom…everybody was just amazing, so to get a chance to play with those people one more time would be phenomenal."

At this stage in the game, like with all cancelled-before-their-time shows, fans just have to cross their fingers and wait. The fact that they are working on a script and that there is so much interest from the cast is a great sign for the project, but obviously it doesn't mean that it's a sure thing.

It looks like Parks and Recreation heartthrob Adam Scott could be the latest comedian to sign on to Ben Stiller's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Deadline reports that the charming TV star who first drew buzz on the woefully short-lived Starz sitcom Party Down, is in final negotiations to join the cast that already includes such comedy heavyweights as Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Patton Oswalt and Shirley MacLaine. Stiller, who will direct the remake of Danny Kaye's classic comedy, is also slated to take on the title role, a meek photo editor whose dreams of adventure come true after some film negative goes missing. There's currently no word on what role Scott will play.

Now, I'm a long-established Danny Kaye fan. His were the first movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood that I ever fell into, largely because they were so kid friendly with a silly and spirited humor that offered plenty of physical comedy. Conversely, I've been over Stiller and his mugging for years. I generally find him to be the least interesting aspect of most of his movies. But as the rest of the cast of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty begins to fill out, I must admit my hopes are rising for this surely broad comedy, even though I fear the actors I look forward to seeing will be relegated to minor supporting roles.

Sure, last summer Wiig proved her prowess as a leading lady with Bridesmaids, but women rarely factor into Stiller's films in a major way. So she's set to play a co-worker/love interest of Mitty's. Still, Wiig has proved an eye-catching supporting player in comedies like Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story as Dewey's naysaying wife. Then, it seems sure that Oswalt, who thrilled critics with his sly turn in the wickedly dark comedy Young Adult, will be likely sidelined, as could Scott, who has mostly landed only small roles in major comedies, like Stepbrothers wherein he played Will Ferrell's badgering brother. But hopefully, even in small parts, the exposure from The Secret Life of Walter Mitty will net these sharp comedic performers some meatier roles in bigger and better films.

In the meantime, you can see Scott as a lead in the coming-soon ensemble comedy Friends With Kids, in which Wiig appears opposite her Bridesmaids beau Jon Hamm. Then there's Bachelorette to look forward to. This Sundance comedy reunites Scott with his Party Down co-star Lizzy Caplan, which could whet fans appetites for a possible Party Down movie that’s being buzzed about.

You know what would be amazing? A movie based on the cult Starz original series Party Down. You know what we'll never see? A movie based on the cult Starz original series Party Down. Every time a popular show ends, be it Arrested Development, 24, or Veronica Mars, there's endless talk about a movie that will tie up all loose ends and/or revive your favorite characters. In recent years the only show that was able to succeed in doing this was Serenity, the feature based on Joss Whedon's Firefly, but every other project has either fizzled out or - in the case of Family Guy or Futurama - gone straight to DVD. So will we ever see a Party Down movie? Probably not, but Adam Scott is more than happy to keep our hopes up.

Speaking with Scott at the Toronto International Film Festival, where he's promoting his newest film, Friends With Kids, our own Katey Rich asked if the Party Down movie will just be another Arrested Development situation. While there's no script yet and scheduling still needs to be worked out, Scott said that they are "90% there." Said Scott, "Starz has given their blessing. The cast is all in, we're all ready to go, we just need to work out schedules, get a script ready, all that stuff. But everybody is really excited to do it. We just need to dot the I's, cross the T's, and hope we can get it together and fit it into everybody's schedule. Everybody is super excited."

Scott also talked about the fan reaction to the show, which was eventually cancelled due to low ratings. "The audience really discovered it on their own. When it was on TV nobody watched it. I think they hold it close to their hearts in a way. We're all excited to do a movie. I hope it happens sooner rather than later.

For those unfamiliar with the show, Party Down was about a group of caterers all struggling to find their way into show business. Though the cast was fully stacked to begin with, including Scott, Lizzy Caplan, Martin Starr, Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, Megan Mullally and Ryan Hansen, each episode included brilliant guest stars like J.K. Simmons, Kristen Bell, Rob Corddry, Tom Lennon and Ed Begley Jr. The series was cancelled after two seasons and twenty episodes.

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was while watching the brief Party Down reunion on Children's Hospital a couple weeks back, but I think it's important not to get too excited for this. We've been hearing about an Arrested Development movie for nearly half a decade now and all we ever hear is, "The script is almost done." A Party Down movie would be fantastic, but let's wait until it goes into production before we start heavily anticipating it.

We’ve been waiting for Lizzy Caplan to blast into the stratosphere, the reach a level currently occupied by the likes of Anne Hathaway, Natalie Portman or Jennifer Lawrence. We noticed Caplan way back on Freaks and Geeks, then watched her excel in Tina Fey’s Mean Girls, Matt Reeves’ Cloverfield and the vastly underrated cable-TV comedy Party Down. Despite some interesting and exciting work, Caplan has yet to fully take off. And her latest picture, Queens of Country, looks like it will follow the same trajectory – very strange and probably very funny, but too surreal for a mainstream audience. The film’s first full trailer is below:

Caplan plays Jolene Gillis, a line-dancing country music fanatic who finds an iPod stuffed with country music staples. Convinced that the owner is her soul mate, Jolene sets out to find him … much to the chagrin of her current boyfriend. Rance (Ron Livingston). Her journey somehow finds room for a dominatrix, a cross-dressing Joe Lo Truglio, and a nearly unrecognizable Maynard James Keenan, best known as the singer for Tool.

You see? Too surreal for a mainstream audience. But co-directors Ryan Page and Christopher Pomerenke do appear to have found a comfortable resting spot somewhere between Christopher Guest and the Coen Brothers, which isn’t a bad place to be when you are gently spoofing an offbeat community of unique individuals. “Who are you, Mr. Lost iPod Man?” Caplan asks at the trailer’s close. We’ll find out when this comedy opens at some point in 2012.

Your guide to Netflix streaming is back with a legendary stand-up, two of the better attempts at adapting H.P. Lovecraft, a team of overgrown boy detectives, and more. Yet again we're bringing you a handful of new or notable selections from Netflix's Instant Watch catalogue. Some will be classics, some will be little-seen gems, some will be shows you might have missed, and some...some will be crap so awful they simply has to be seen to be believed. Here's what's FlixWorthy this week, kids.

Bill Hicks Live: Satirist, Social Critic, Stand-Up Comedian

(2004, Not Rated, 168 min.)

Even if you're not familiar with comedian Bill Hicks, you may have had your bangs blown back by this amazing trailer for the documentary American, which focuses on Hicks' life, career, and premature death. While his life was cut short at the tragically young age of 32, Hicks impacted and inspired countless comedians, and his material is as timeless and important now as it was in 1994 when he passed. Part comedian, part poet, part prophet, Hicks was a lone voice in the wilderness, imploring us to be better than we were and not to settle for the easy paths of fear, hatred, and ignorance. This collection includes three of his stand-up performances and "It's Just a Ride," a short documentary about Hicks. If you're already a fan, you'll need no excuse to revisit the man's work. If you're just now meeting Bill, use this as an excuse to get to know him better before what Josh Tyler called one of the best films of the year comes to a town near you.

Double-Feature It With...

Bill Hicks: Sane Man

(1989, Not Rated, 80 min.)

The only thing better than watching Bill Hicks toss out truth bombs? Watching him do it some more. The only drawback is that watching these performances will make you miserable at considering how amazing his material could have become if he'd lived to see the last decade. Like Bill so often liked to remind us, life is just a ride...but it's a much poorer one without him in the seat beside us.

In the Mouth of Madness

(1994, Rated R, 95 min.)

Fans of both Guillermo del Toro and H.P. Lovecraft were rending their garments recently after the seeming confirmation that del Toro was finally going to get to make his version of Lovecraft's epic "At the Mountains of Madness" was all-too-quickly followed by del Toro's update that the project was dead in the water. It was a painful blow to all of us who think del Toro's style is pitch-perfect for Lovecraft's notoriously hard-to-adapt material, but not a surprising one. Lovecraft is in the same school as Philip K. Dick when it comes to Hollywood's track record of getting his stuff right, but Lovecraft has yet to have his "Blade Runner" project that makes his name more mainstream. Still, there are little gems out there, such as John Carpenter's ode to all things eldritch and unspeakable, the none-too-subtly-named In the Mouth of Madness. Sam Neill stars as an investigator hired to track down AWOL horror writer Sutter Cane (Jürgen Prochnow). He traces Cane to a small New England town straight out of Cane's books...and learns to his dismay just how apt that description may be. It's not a great movie, but it's full of unforgettable, unsettling moments that fit right into the Lovecraft style. Plus, you'll never listen to The Carpenters the same way again.

Double-Feature It With:

Dagon

(2001, Rated R, 98 min.)

Another of film's more successful takes on Lovecraft, Dagon finds horror-meister Stuart Gordon combining parts from disparate Lovecraft works in a story most directly based on HP's story, "The Shadow Over Innsmouth." Plenty of creepy moments, and one truly unforgettable moment of gore (you'll know it when you see it).

Mystery Team

(2009, Rated R, 94 min., HD)

Donald Glover's riding high these days thanks to his role as part of the incomparable Community ensemble, but a quick check of his bio reveals that this kid has been busy. Before becoming one half of "Troy and Abed in the Morning," Glover served as an executive story editor on 30 Rock. Before that, he was a writer for the freaking Daily Show. Try not to think too much about the fact that he's only 27. That way lies tears and a whiskey hangover. Glover is also one-third of the internet comedy troupe Derrick Comedy, who you might know from their To Catch a Predator parodying "Bro Rape" sketch (a bit NSFW, obviously). Like many a sketch group before them, Derrick Comedy finally tried their hand at a feature film last year with Mystery Team, which casts Glover, Dominic Dierkes, and DC Pierson as an Encyclopedia Brown-style team of boy detectives who haven't allowed puberty or impending graduation stop them from saving the neighborhood from stolen bikes and missing pets. However, the Mystery Team finds itself out of its depth when a little girl hires them to investigate the murder of her parents. The concept of contrasting a trio of wide-eyed innocents against the seedy underbelly of real crime is full of promise, but unfortunately this flick only realizes some of that potential. It's got some laughs, but it could have been so much better.

Double-Feature It With:

30 Rock

(2006, TV-14, Four seasons available, HD)

Even without the Glover connection, it's always a good time to revisit one of the best comedies currently airing. Especially given how much I hated the pilot episode, I'm constantly amazed at how tight and sharp the writing on 30 Rock has become over the years. And it goes without saying that Alec Baldwin is hewn from solid awesome.

My So-Called Life

(1994, TV-PG, 19 eps.)

You'd be hard-pressed to find a show that better sums up what it was like to be a teen during the '90s. For many of those of us who came of age in the age of flannel and grunge, My So-Called Life conjures the same uncanny nostalgia that Freaks and Geeks does for those who spent their adolescence in the '80s. Fortunately, My So-Called Life -- also like Freaks and Geeks -- speaks to universal themes in a way that makes it addictive even if you never shared the planet with Kurt Cobain. A teenaged Claire Danes starred as Angela Chase, a character many an awkward teen boy fell for hard back in the day. Which was made all the more painful by her constantly making goo-goo eyes at that asshat Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto). Er, I mean, or so I've heard. Sadly, MSCL also shared a similar fate with F&G, lasting just a single season. But teen angst never goes out of style, so now you can watch the whole run on Netflix, whether you're a curious young drive-by or thirtysomething and longing to revisit your lost youth before you have to go pick the kids up from school.

Double-Feature It With:

Friday Night Lights

(2006, TV-PG, Four seasons available, HD)

Friday Night Lights earned a similar torrent of critical praise while never breaking through to the top of the ratings. Thankfully, FNL has a happier ending than My So-Called Life, surviving five seasons before recently wrapping up its run. Even if you don't know a thing about high school football, don't let that dissuade you from catching a great show. The fifth and final season isn't streaming yet, but if you get started now, hopefully Netflix will get around to adding it before you catch up.

The League

(2009, TV-MA, One season available, HD)

Speaking of shows where you don't have to be familiar with the subculture in question in order to enjoy them, anyone who might have dismissed The League as "that fantasy football show" owes it to themselves to give the show a chance. My best friend is a die-hard fantasy football nerd. I, on the other hand, wouldn't know a fantasy football match if one were unfolding right next to me. (Honestly, I would probably be more concerned that there was a group of strangers in my kitchen talking nonsense and eating all my Doritos.) Nevertheless, both I and my best friend regularly laugh our asses off at The League with equal amounts of gusto. While the show is loaded with inside terminology, its humor is easily applied to any group of friends that get together and obsess over a hobby. Swap fantasy football out for comic books, video games, or stamp collecting and the specifics of the jokes would change, but not the substance. FX has had a hard time duplicating the success they've had with hour-long dramas when it comes to the sit-com front, but The League is finally a show worthy to share airspace with the depraved antics of the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia crew. Shivakamini Somakandarkram!

Double-Feature It With:

Party Down

(2009, TV-MA, Two seasons available)

I've actually recommended this show before, so technically, this isn't so much a recommendation as a public service announcement. Both seasons of the excellent and tragically short-lived Party Down, which unceremoniously vanished from Netflix's Instant Watch catalogue a while back, have finally returned. And quite frankly, I'm still pissed about the cancelation, so I may just recommend this bloody show every week until somebody at Starz makes restitution for my heartbreak.

To read the FlixWorthy archives, click here!

Whether they were saving the day, solving or fighting crime, making us laugh, making us gasp or delivering one great moment after another, 2010 had no shortage of great male characters.

We at Television Blend had a tough time narrowing down the list of our favorite male characters of 2010. Whether they be funny, dramatic or just plain badass, here they are in no particular order.

Michael Weston, Burn Notice (Jeffrey Donovan)

It's the coolest, slickest show on TV for a reason, and Michael is the reason. Methodical, completely professional, and with a wry, sardonic sense of humor, Michael seems to effortlessly juggle serious espionage entanglements with his myriad of interesting relationships, not the least of which include his trigger-happy on-again off-again girlfriend Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) and his no-nonsense, chain-smoking mom (Sharon Gless). Plus, Michael's voiceover narratives give the show that much more flair.

James "Jimmy" Darmody - Boardwalk Empire (Michael Pitt)

Princeton dropout. War hero. Troubled soul. Jimmy oozes life potential, and we get to see this bright young man come back to Atlantic City and make all the wrong life decisions. His loss is our gain, however, as Jimmy exorcises his war demons through the violent life of organized crime, becoming Nucky’s muscle and a cold-blooded killer to boot. Ambitious and brooding, Jimmy steals scenes with his unexpected tenderness, morose humor, and regretless violence. Boardwalk Empire is at its best when Jimmy’s at his unflinching worst. The sky’s the limit for Jimmy – he just needs to be more patient and make sure he’s on the winning team when the dominos fall.

Shawn and Gus - Psych (James Rodey, Dule Hill)

Whether they're getting trapped on a ferry, narrowly avoiding a drive-in shootout, or trying their hand at youth karate, Santa Barbara's favorite psuedo detectives are always in it together. I'm not shy about my love for Psych, and this was a great year for the show's inseparable dynamic duo. Gus proved he's much more than a victim of Shawn's aptitude for nicknames, when he laced up his tap shoes and helped bring in 'da funk with Det. Lassiter (as a side note- Dule Hill is apparently a trained performer, and good friends with tap protégé Savion Glover- who knew?!) Shawn--always searching for pop culture references-- met his true match in this season's Twin Peaks homage, "Dual Spires," in which the town's residents remained impervious to his quips and comments (ultimately, he resorted to using "Everwood" as his springboard-- the town's only television indulgence.) Thankfully, the show is just a few episodes into season 5, part II, so 2011 is sure to bring even more Shawn and Gus gems.

Troy Barnes - Community (Donald Glover)

Though it was tempting to put Troy on this list along with his partner-in-crime Abed, whose buddy pairing is perhaps the best on TV, Troy is an outstanding character on his own merits. Thoughout much of 2010, Troy struggles against his own image as he finds he isn't what the prototypical "jock" should be. He builds blanket forts. He takes interpretive dance. He dresses up like Ripley for Halloweeen. But by the end of the year, Troy is comfortable with who he is and the friends he has. Troy is also so much fun to watch because of his unwavering sincerity in every occasion; whether he's debating the existence of cat penises, enthusiastically greeting old friends after an hour apart, or preparing to see a puppy parade, Troy puts his heart and soul into everything he does. He is never insidious or dishonest, and that's why we love him.

Hank and Britt - Terriers (Donal Logue, Michael Raymond-James)

One’s a former cop; the other’s a former criminal. This dynamic could have made for an extremely cliché TV duo, however that was not to be the case for Hank and Britt. While they came from different sides of the law, they respected each other and the common ground on which they stood, which came through in their friendship as well as their working relationship. The teamed up private detectives had more in common than not and their comfortable, almost brotherly friendship is part of what made Terriers such a humorous, grounded series (may it rest in peace or live on in DVD).

Walter Bishop, Fringe (John Noble)

Part loving father, part mad scientist, Dr. Bishop is what gives Fringe its edge. Mixing intelligence, paternal charm and unconventional craziness with a very endearing sense of vulnerability and innocence, Walter is the main reason that I tune in to this very undervalued show. And, just to clarify, I refer to the Walter Bishop from our Universe, not the stern, humorless, button-down version of him from the "other side" (dubbed "Walternate").

Ron Donald - Party Down (Ken Marino)

In the realm of zany TV bosses, Ron Donald is one of the least impressive. He's much less spontaneous than, say, Michael Scott from The Office. He's also not as likeable, not as innocent, and a bit more self-aware. But it's because of his character flaws that Ron seems like more of a real person, and thus his triumphs and defeats are all the more personal. Ron clings to his job in a manner so pathetic that you really can't help but root for him. And at the end of Season 2, when he finally seems to have met a woman he's compatible with, it's nice to see the perennial loser get a win at last.

Phil Dunphy - Modern Family (Ty Burrell)

Modern Family toes the line between outright slapstick and a realistic depiction of family issues, and no one embodies that balance better than the goofy, obnoxious, caring and endearing Phil. He’s a galumphing manchild celebrating his birthday alone at the batting cages in “Game Changer,” but he also knows exactly how to comfort his heartbroken daughter in “Mother Tucker.” Hell, he did it all in a single scene in “Manny Get Your Gun,” bursting into tears while driving a car when his teen daughters tell him they don’t want to do family camp anymore. They cry with him, he cries harder, and we get a tender family moment and a ridiculous, hilarious scene all at the same time. Every Modern Family character is crucial to the show’s success, but Phil is the one I look forward to seeing most week after week.

Jack Shephard - Lost (Matthew Fox)

It was a tough six years on and off the island for Jack Shephard, who started off as the Flight 815 survivors’ de facto, reluctant hero and soon found himself constantly overshadowed by more colorful and morally complicated side characters. But just when we thought we were over Jack’s daddy issues and constant squabbling about who had the better plan, Lost wound its way to its touchy-feely conclusion, and Jack the Whiny Leader turned into Jack the Hero once again. Turning, finally, into the Man of Faith seeking a lesson from the Island, Jack didn’t just escort his fellow castaways to safety once and for all, but sacrificed himself not just on their behalf, but to save the powerful island he had misunderstood for so long. I imagine Jack was just as surprised as I was to realize that he, after years of trying to beat the island, was the hero it was waiting for.

Paul - 30 Rock (Will Forte)

Jenna Maroney's love life has always been used well as a punchline on 30 Rock-- her threeway with Roseanne and Tom Arnold, her relationship with her stalker-- but even though Paul was probably the craziest person she had dated, a drag queen who dressed up as Jenna, their relationship turned into something really sweet in addition to being hilarious. I never got over the sight gag of seeing them kiss or wear the same outfit, but I also felt terrible for Jenna when she broke things off, and weirdly warm and fuzzy when they sang that Christmas duet dressed as Natalie Portman in Black Swan (him) and former Philadelphia Eagles football player Lynn Swann (Jenna, in blackface). Played by Will Forte as perhaps the most straightforward and normal drag queen in TV history, Paul is the perfect guy for narcissistic Jenna because, well, he's her.

Contributing writers: Mikela Floyd, Patrick Hodges, Katey Rich, Drew Stewart, Travis Triplett, Kelly West.

CLICK HERE to view our list of Favorite Female TV Characters

Welcome back to FlixWorthy, your weekly guide to Netflix streaming. Yet again we're bringing you a handful of new or notable selections from Netflix's streaming catalogue. Some will be classics, some will be little-seen gems, some will be shows you might have missed, and some...some will be crap so awful they simply has to be seen to be believed. Here's what's FlixWorthy this week, kids.

Party Down: Season 1

(2009, Not Rated, 10 episodes)

From Veronica Mars mastermind Rob Thomas, the Starz series Party Down is a half-hour comedy about a Los Angeles catering company. The show plays on the notion that everyone you meet in L.A., regardless of profession, is actually trying to break into showbiz. The Party Down catering crew is a motley assortment of one-hit wonders (Adam Scott), part-time actors (Ryan Hansen), disgruntled writers (Martin Starr), and aspiring stand-up comics (Lizzy Caplan). For all of them, this whole catering thing is just “something to pay the bills” until they hit the big-time, and Party Down gets a lot of mileage out of the notion of wannabe artists realizing that every paycheck puts that much more distance between them and their dreams. Each episode is set against the backdrop of a different event, from bar mitzvahs to high-dollar celebrity soirees, and the season finds an arc of sorts in the budding non-romance between Henry Pollard (Scott) and Casey Klein (Caplan). Rob Thomas fans will find plenty of the same snappy dialogue and sharp characters that made Veronica Mars so much fun, lashed to a liberal dose of stinging Hollywood satire. It’s not to be missed.

Double-Feature It With...

Party Down: Season 2

(2010, TV-MA, 1 episode available so far)

The second season premiered on Starz last week, so now is the perfect time to race through the freshman year and catch up. Netflix uploads the new episodes in short order, so if you don’t have a Starz subscription, this is a great way to catch one of the funniest shows around. This year has seen the loss of series regular Jane Lynch, who’s busy getting her Glee on these days, but Will & Grace's Megan Mullally has stepped forward to fill the gap capably.

It Might Get Loud

(2008, Rated PG, 97 min.)

Our own Nick Venable gave It Might Get Loud four stars when he reviewed this film on DVD a while back, so I recommend checking out what he had to say right here. An Inconvenient Truth director David Guggenheim turns his attentions from glaciers to guitar gods, profiling Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, U2's The Edge, and The White Stripes' Jack White. Musicians will probably dig the insights they'll get into each performer's style and techniques, while fans will just appreciate getting to see these three jam, although apparently they don't do as much actual playing as you might expect. As Nick puts it, "I consider this almost a must-see. It's not annual holiday viewing or anything, but if you play guitar, you're going to have one in your hands by the time the credits are rolling."

Double-Feature It With...

Buena Vista Social Club

(1999, Rated G, 105 min.)

Why not pair It Might Get Loud up with another acclaimed music documentary -- an Oscar-nominated one, no less? Director Wim Wenders' 1999's Buena Vista Social Club follows American guitarist Ry Cooder and a group of Cuban folk musicians who team up to record a Grammy-winning CD down in Havana.

Fargo

(1996, Rated R, 98 min.)

I realize this column has been rather Coen-heavy of late, but that’s only because so many of the Brothers’ films are available on demand. Given the choice between a movie where Steve Buscemi is fed through a wood chipper or, say, one of The Asylum’s thinly veiled knock-offs such as Paranormal Entity, this ain’t exactly Sophie’s Choice. Plus, despite my recommendations skewing Coen these past few weeks, it seems a damn shame not to spend a little time in Fargo. Frances McDormand stars as mild-mannered, heavily pregnant North Dakota police chief Marge Gunderson, who finds her way right into the middle of a criminal scheme involving several crooks (Buscemi and Peter Stormare), a nervous car salesman (William H. Macy), and a fake kidnapping scheme that becomes all too real. And did I mention Buscemi and the wood chipper?

Double-Feature It With:

Monsters, Inc.

(2001, Rated G, 93 min.)

An odd pairing at first, I know. But why not shake up the tone a bit and six-degree yourself over to Buscemi’s performance as slithery villain Randall Boggs, alongside fellow Coen alum John Goodman and Billy Crystal. With a 2012 Monsters sequel recently confirmed, that’s as good an excuse as any to take another look at Pixar’s exploration of the world of monsters on the other side every child’s closet door. It’s one of Pixar’s more brilliant concepts, and it’s available to stream right now.

Archer: Season 1

(2010, Not Rated, 10 episodes)

FX dips a toe into the animated world with this spy satire from Adult Swim alumni Adam Reed and Matt Thompson (Sealab 2021, Space Ghost Coast to Coast). The pair bring the same twisted sense of humor to the adventures of suave superspy Sterling Archer (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) and his fellow agents of the International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS). Episodes revolve around field missions as well as bickering back in the home office, with Archer and his compatriots often more concerned with petty personal squabbles than with rooting out moles or assassinating enemies of the state. Aisha Tyler voices Archer's ex, fellow spy Lana Kane, who's now involved with compulsively insecure desk jockey Cyril Figgis (Chris Parnell). Archer's mother (Arrested Development's Jessica Walter) is in charge of the outfit, and divides her time between cleaning up Archer's messes and engaging in phone sex with her counterpart in Russian intelligence. It's twisted, hilarious, and often deeply, deeply wrong.

Double-Feature It With:

Casino Royale

(1967, Not Rated, 137 min.)

No, not the gritty Daniel Craig reboot. I mean the inexplicable 1967 satirical version starring David Niven as Bond, James Bond. This is a movie with a cast including Ursula Andress, Woody Allen, Peter Sellers, and Orson Freakin' Welles as the villainous Le Chiffre, all wrapped up in a Burt Bacharach score. Watch this and try to imagine a world where Dr. No never happened and this movie became the template for the four decades of Bond films that followed...

Lord, Save Us From Your Followers

(2008, Rated PG-13, 101 min.)

Regardless where you fall on the spectrum between fundamentalism and secularism, there's no question that this conflict is integral to the world we're living in right now. Not a day goes by in our 24/7 news cycle where we aren't barraged with stories detailing the so-called "culture war" in America, to say nothing of more violent variations unfolding around the globe. Thankfully, filmmaker Dan Merchant's documentary isn't looking to be as heavy or as vitriolic as, say, Bill Maher's Religulous. Instead, this documentary speaks to folks on all sides of faith (or lack thereof) with the simple mission to try and determine why we can't be civil to each other, regardless of our beliefs. Faith being what it is, don't expect this one to change your mind on any of the big issues, but it might just make you give more thought to whichever side you consider "the opposition."

Double-Feature It With:

Hell House

(2001, Not Rated, 85 min.)

I considered suggesting the Oscar-nominated Jesus Camp, but that film is enormously tough to watch, and might make for a real downer after LSUFYF. Instead we'll keep things ever so slightly more light-hearted with this look at the so-called "Hell House" phenomenon -- Halloween events run by evangelical churches with the goal of scaring the Hell out of you via dramatic presentations of wayward sinners paying the price for premarital sex, being gay, wearing skirts above the knee, etc.

To read the FlixWorthy archives, click here!

With a show as clever and oftentimes laugh-out-loud funny as Starz’s comedy series Party Down, it’s enough to hope that the series will maintain its entertainment value in its second season. Based on the first handful of episodes of the new season, it seems hoping the show would stay funny was setting the bar low. Party Down is back and with it are more amusing antics and plenty of laughs thanks to the cluster of Hollywood wannabes paying the rent by catering parties.

Party Down follows a small team of caterers as they work various parties in between attempting to achieve their aspirations in Hollywood. When last season left off, Henry (Adam Scott) was given the reigns of the team leader after Ron (Ken Marino) couldn’t handle the pressure and Casey (Lizzy Caplan) set off to work on her comedy career. With Jane Lynch off to thwart the most famous glee club on television these days, it was a genius choice to bring Megan Mullally on board to fill the role of the socially awkward over-sharer of the group. Rest assured, Lynch is set to make a guest appearance later on in the season but Mullally does a fine job of bringing that special brand of awkward that Lynch delivered in the first season. You know the lady that talks about her ex constantly and tells you things you really don’t need to know about her personal life? That’s her character, Lydia Dunfree.

Martin Starr and Ryan Hansen return as Roman and Kyle to engage in the usual bickering over who’s the bigger loser. And of course, with the return of the catering team, comes the return of new parties, one of which includes one for a rock star who trades places with Roman in an attempt to be joe-normal for an evening (giving Roman his make-up and the chance to experience the life of a rock star) and another that features an orgy party thrown by a guy who neglected to inform his guests that group sex was on the menu.

Guest appearances in season 2 include Jimmi Simpson, J.K. Simmons, Andrea Savage, Joey Lauren Adams, Thomas Lennon, Loretta Devine, and return appearances by Kristen Bell and Jane Lynch.

With creators John Enbom, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge and Paul Rudd behind the series, it’s no surprise that the show is a perfectly mixed blend of clever and charming. As a fan of Veronica Mars (of which three of the four Party Down creators had a hand in, while the fourth guest-starred in an episode), I went into this show last season already hoping to like it and though the series’ aren’t really comparable in their plots, they are in the quality of the writing and in the quality and content of the cast, as Marino and Hansen both played supporting roles in Mars and other Mars alums (including series star Kristen Bell) have made appearances in Party Down.

There’s a sort of simplicity about Party Down, which should work well for casual viewers and definitely invites new viewers in. While I definitely recommend checking out the first season (it’s available in its entirety on Netflix streaming), it’s not necessary to be caught up on the show in order to enjoy it. And those of you who did enjoy the series in its first season, expect plenty more laughs when the second season picks up as the staff of Party Down continues wallow in their own career desperation while attempting to appease the whims of party guests.

Party Down’s second season premieres Friday, April 23 at 10 p.m. et/pt on Starz.

We already knew Jane Lynch was too busy with Glee to return for the second season of Rob Thomas’ hilarious Starz catering comedy Party Down, but until now we hadn’t confirmed who was going to be taking her place. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Emmy-winning actress Megan Mullaly will be joining PD as a middle-aged mother who moves to Hollywood so her 13-year-old daughter Escapade – yes, Escapade – can become an actress. Given that Party Down is all about working a crap job while your aspirations dwindle further and further away, I hope they didn’t pay too much for Escapade’s head shots.

Mullaly will be joining a rock-solid cast that already includes Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Ryan Hansen (Dick Casablancas from Veronica Mars), Lizzy Caplan (Jason Stackhouse’s often-nude hippie girlfriend from the first season of True Blood), and Martin “Freakin’” Starr. The show should be returning sometime around April of 2010. Incidentally, if you’re set up for Netflix streaming, I know the show is available via that service, and it’s well worth checking out if you missed the first season.

If you’ve been keeping up with Starz’s Friday night comedy hour, we’ve got the episode synopsis for this week’s episodes of Head Case and Party Down. As both shows usually feature some great guest stars, you can expect a nice collection of celebs in both episodes.

Friday night’s episode of Head Case features Paulina Porizkova, Tate Donovan, Jerry Stiller & Anne Meara, while Party Down’s episode includes JK Simmons, Joey Lauren Adams, Breckin Meyer, Allison Scagliotti, Kevin Hart and Fatso Fasano.

Below are the episode descriptions as listed by Starz:

Beginning with Head Case at 10pm ET/PT, Dr. Goode is still in New York City, committing to “war” with her ex Jeremy Berger. She alerts her office assistant Lola to let all her New York City patients know that “Dr. Goode is in town and open for business.” Between patients, Dr. Goode tries to get back in the dating game and finds herself coming up a little short…Meanwhile, back in Los Angeles the magic “Blendie” business takes off from the BH offices of Dr. Goode, without her knowledge.

Next on Party Down at 10:30pm ET/PT, the crew dons P. Diddy-inspired Bling-Wear for the sweet sixteen party of Taylor Stiltskin, daughter of angry Hollywood titan Leonard Stiltskin. The party is a disaster – no one but a handful of nerds show up. Casey and Constance try to convince Taylor that she should forget about popularity and have fun anyway, while Ron babysits the rappers stuck waiting to perform – and discovers they have more in common than he ever thought. Henry is shocked to run into an old acting school pal, now a big star, who tries to use his newfound celebrity to get Henry back in the acting game.

I’m already loving Starz’s new comedy series Party Down. In addition to being full of witty dialogue, the series also appears to be a fantastic place for former Veronica Mars stars to reunite. That’s not surprising as VM creator Rob Thomas also happens to be at the helm of Party Down. Fans of Mars will be pleased to know that Jason Dohring (aka Logan Echolls) is set to appear in this week’s episode of Party Down.

I had to do a double-take when I watched the first video (posted below) because I barely recognized Dohring behind that douchy hairstyle he’s got going on there but it’s definitely him. Dohring may have gotten famous playing dreamy bad-boy Logan Echolls but he also gained more than a few fans playing the even badder Josef Kostan in the short lived CBS series Moonlight. In Party Down it looks like he plays some preppie conservative college guy. And According to E! Online, Alona Tal (Meg Manning from VM) is also set to be in this week’s episode.

Here’s the episode description for this Friday’s episode of Party Down:

“Next on Party Down at 10:30pm ET/PT, the team caters the California College Conservative Union Caucus where they anxiously await the arrival of the keynote speaker Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. While Henry reflects on his own career failures amid the crowd of idealistic clean-cut “achievers,” Ron gets caught up in a fierce political debate over a gift of Cuban cigars for the Governor. As he tries to hunt down new cigars, Ron manages to offend Constance’s Hollywood Liberal sensibilities, and then lose an irreplaceable American flag. Meanwhile, Casey tries to visualize a “normal” life in Vermont, but comes to suspect Vermont itself isn’t the problem.”

Below are a couple of clips from the episode:

Party Down airs Fridays at 10:30p (E/P) on Starz.

Party Down - Pilot

Starring: Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, Lizzy Caplan, Martin Starr, Ryan Hansen

Created By: John Enbom, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge, Paul Rudd

Premieres: Friday, March 20, 2009 at 10:30 PM/PT on Starz

Ok, I need to say off the bat that when I first heard about Party Down, I was beyond excited. With Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas, Veronica Mars writer John Enbom, VM producer Dan Etheridge and Paul Rudd listed as the co-creators of this new half-hour comedy series, how could the show not be great? Add that to the cast list, which includes Ryan Hansen, Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Maritn Starr, Jane Lynch, and Lizzy Caplan and the series is just a recipe for excellence. So I had my hopes pretty high that the show would turn out to be really funny. I wasted no time watching the two episodes that the good folks at Starz sent me and I’m very pleased to report that Party Down does not disappoint.

The series follows six aspiring stars who pay the bills working at a party company, serving drinks and hors d’ oeuvres, playing music and making sure the guests at whatever party they’re working are having a good time. My impression from the episodes I watched is that none of these people really care about their jobs. They’re all just looking to earn a paycheck. The most motivated of the group is the team leader, played by Dan Marino, and he’s really just trying to make sure things run smoothly so he can eventually impress his boss enough to get him to partner with him on a franchise restaurant that he hopes to open up one day.

Here’s the breakdown on the cast: Ken Marino (Vinnie Van Lowe of Veronica Mars) is the team leader and kind of an idiot. Adam Scott (Tell Me You Love Me, Knocked Up and an episode of Veronica Mars) plays Henry, the failed actor who has returned to his old job at Party Down. He’s not happy and hates being recognized for the one notable role he played. Ryan Hansen (Dick Casablancas of Veronica Mars) plays an aspiring actor/model/rocker who likes to hit on ladies and wants to hit it big. Martin Starr (Bill Haverchuck of Freaks and Geeks, the beard guy from Knocked Up) is Roman, a geeky screenwriter who thinks everyone who doesn’t get things like references to Repo Man are idiots. Jane Lynch (Best in Show, 40 Year Old Virgin) plays a woman who was once an actor who did bit parts, which she likes to talk about occasionally. She has a tendency to get too chummy with the guests at the parties. And finally Lizzy Caplan (Amy from True Blood, Cloverfield, Mean Girls) plays a comedian with marital problems who is constantly trying to resolve her issues with her husband while at work. Looking at the actors' previous films and TV shows, it's impossible to ignore the Judd Apatow/Rob Thomas-ness going on with this cast.

The humor in the show is dry but oftentimes, laugh out loud funny and very clever. We watch as the characters interact with each other while also doing their jobs. It’s clear that they’re really only willing to perform just well enough not to get fired and even that’s kind of a stretch. A lot of what makes the show funny are the random conversations the six characters have with each other, as well as the ones they have with the guests at the party. Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars, Just Shoot Me, Flashpoint) guest stars the husband of the host of the party in the first episode. He’s a bored, pissed off suburbanite who can barely stand the life he’s living and envies Henry for having taken a chance in becoming an actor, despite inevitably failing at it.

The cast is perfectly matched for the writing style. All of the actors in Party Down deliver lines with deadpan humor that serves to make what might be otherwise a depressing glimpse into the lives of a bunch of fictional wannabes much funnier than you might think. As I’d hoped, the combination of talented, clever writers mixed with a group of humorous and fairly underrated actors has given me another excuse to call up my cable provider and subscribe to Starz.

It's like a bunch of Judd Apatow movies had a baby with Veronica Mars, and that baby is Party Down. And just as an aside, as this is a pay-cable series, expect a fair amount of swearing, some nudity and other adult-oriented humor.