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* NoExceptYes: "This is not a retreat--it's an ''advance!"'' in "Brandix Corporate Retreat.
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* NoExceptYes: "This is not a retreat--it's an ''advance!"'' in "Brandix Corporate Retreat.Retreat".
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* NoExceptYes: "This is not a retreat--it's an ''advance!"'' in "Brandix Corporate Retreat.
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* {{Calvinball}}: The team-building game in "Brandix Corporate Retreat" involves blindfolds, pirate hats, suspended hula hoops, stacked boxes, plastic cup pyramids, Jenga, and a cat plush toy. Casey has no idea what the fuck is going on in there.
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* BeYourself: What with the lampshaded resemblance to an afterschool special, this ends up as the moral of "Taylor Stiltskin Sweet Sixteen" as Taylor learns to take popularity less seriously and just have fun with the real friends she had before she became TheLibby.
to:
* BeYourself: What with the lampshaded resemblance to an afterschool special, this ends up as the moral of "Taylor Stiltskin Sweet Sixteen" as Taylor learns to take popularity less seriously and just have fun with the real real, uncool friends she had before she became TheLibby.TheLibby. [[spoiler:Subverted when her cool friends ''do'' show up and she reverts to her bitchiness immediately]].
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* RightThroughHisPants: Played
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* RightThroughHisPants: Played Both averted and played straight.
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* BeYourself: What with the lampshaded resemblance to an afterschool special, this ends up as the moral of "Taylor Stiltskin Sweet Sixteen" as Taylor learns to take popularity less seriously and just have fun with the real friends she had before she became TheLibby.
* CastingCouch: In "Taylor Stiltskin Sweet Sixteen", it appears that Mr. and Mrs. Stiltskin have a standing agreement that any boy-toy the missus beds gets a part in her husband's movies.
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* DumbBlonde: Kyle
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* DumbBlonde: KyleKyle.
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* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: Whenever a character hopes they can get their big break this episode, you know it will end horribly for them.
to:
* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: Whenever a character hopes they can get their big break this episode, you know it will end horribly for them. them.
* FeeFiFauxPas: In "Taylor Stiltskin Sweet Sixteen", poor Ron is too high to keep himself from saying "nigger" while hanging out with some rappers. [[spoiler:Subverted--at the end of the episodes, it seems to have actually ended up with them as friends]].
* FeeFiFauxPas: In "Taylor Stiltskin Sweet Sixteen", poor Ron is too high to keep himself from saying "nigger" while hanging out with some rappers. [[spoiler:Subverted--at the end of the episodes, it seems to have actually ended up with them as friends]].
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* RightThroughHisPants: Played
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* AdaptationDecay: "Taylor Stiltskin Sweet Sixteen" involves a film adaptation of a graphic novel about EdgarAllenPoe as a vampire slayer. Roman and one of the girls at the party get miffed about the studio [[{{Bowdlerization}} Bowdlerizing]] Poe's alcoholism and underage incestual relations.
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* AdaptationDecay: "Taylor Stiltskin Sweet Sixteen" involves a film adaptation of a graphic novel about EdgarAllenPoe Creator/EdgarAllanPoe as a vampire slayer. Roman and one of the girls at the party get miffed about the studio [[{{Bowdlerization}} Bowdlerizing]] Poe's alcoholism and underage incestual relations.
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* AdaptationDecay: "Taylor Stiltskin Sweet Sixteen" involves a film adaptation of a graphic novel about EdgarAllenPoe as a vampire slayer. Roman and one of the girls at the party get miffed about the studio [[{{Bowdlerization}} Bowdlerizing]] Poe's alcoholism and underage incestual relations.
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* BlandNameProduct: The Crackers soup/salad buffet Ron wants to open is likely a reference to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souplantation Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes]].
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* BlandNameProduct: The Crackers Soup-R-Crackers soup/salad buffet Ron wants to open is likely a reference to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souplantation Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes]].
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* {{Foreshadowing}}: In "Pepper [=McMasters=] Singles Seminar", Ron tells Constance and Henry a ScareEmStraight story about a friend mixing prescription drugs and liquor and nearly dying. The same happens to [[spoiler:Bruce]].
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* RagingStiffie: Kyle spikes Roman's drink with a ground-up Viagra in "Pepper [=McMasters=] Singles Seminar" to get back at him for the incident detailed in "DyeingForYourArt".
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* RagingStiffie: Kyle spikes Roman's drink with a ground-up Viagra in "Pepper [=McMasters=] Singles Seminar" to get back at him for the incident detailed in "DyeingForYourArt". However, there still has to be real arousal for the erection to start, making for a BrickJoke during TheTag.
* TheStoner: Ron makes frequent allusions to his past as a stoner. In the first part of Season 2 [[spoiler:he reverts to his old ways until getting trapped in a coffin while smoking in "James Ellison Funeral."]]
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* TheStoner: Ron makes frequent allusions to his past as a stoner. In the first part of Season 2 [[spoiler:he reverts to his old ways until getting trapped in a coffin while smoking in "James Ellison Funeral."]]
to:
* TheStoner: Ron makes frequent allusions to his past as a stoner. StripperCopConfusion: In the first part of Season 2 [[spoiler:he reverts to his old ways until getting trapped in a coffin while smoking in "James Ellison Funeral."]]"Pepper [=McMasters=] Singles Seminar".
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* {{Hypocrite}}: In "Pepper [=McMasters=] Singles Seminar", Constance finds old people repulsive despite hardly being a spring chicken herself.
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* NakedPeopleAreFunny: Hell, it's enough to make an otherwise horrifying tale of skull fractures hilarious in "Pepper [=McMasters=] Singles Seminar".
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* NakedPeopleAreFunny: Hell, it's enough to make an otherwise horrifying tale of skull fractures hilarious in "Pepper [=McMasters=] Singles Seminar". Or at least stoned-out-of-their-minds Constance and old paramour Bruce think so.
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* NakedPeopleAreFunny: Hell, it's enough to make an otherwise horrifying tale of skull fractures hilarious in "Pepper [=McMasters=] Singles Seminar".
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* RagingStiffie: Kyle spikes Roman's drink with a ground-up Viagra in "Pepper [=McMasters=] Singles Seminar" to get back at him for the incident detailed in "DyeingForYourArt".
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* PoliticalStereotype: Subverted in "California College Conservative Union Caucus"; the attendees are certainly conservative--annoyingly so--but they defy the worst parts of the stereotype by being very kind and pushing each other to succeed and being neither homophobic nor racist.
to:
* PoliticalStereotype: Subverted Played with in "California College Conservative Union Caucus"; the attendees are certainly conservative--annoyingly so--but they defy the worst parts of the stereotype by being very kind and pushing each other to succeed and being neither homophobic nor racist.
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Changed line(s) 88 (click to see context) from:
* PoliticalStereotype: Subverted in "California College Conservative Union Caucus"; the attendees are certainly conservative--annoyingly so--but they defy the worst parts of the stereotype by being neither homophobic nor racist.
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* PoliticalStereotype: Subverted in "California College Conservative Union Caucus"; the attendees are certainly conservative--annoyingly so--but they defy the worst parts of the stereotype by being very kind and pushing each other to succeed and being neither homophobic nor racist.
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* PoliticalStereotype: Dear ''God'' the kids at the "California college Conservative Union Caucus".
to:
* PoliticalStereotype: Dear ''God'' the kids at the Subverted in "California college College Conservative Union Caucus".Caucus"; the attendees are certainly conservative--annoyingly so--but they defy the worst parts of the stereotype by being neither homophobic nor racist.
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* GlobalIgnorance: Constance thinks that Toronto is part of the United States in "California College Conservative Union Caucus".
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* PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad: Played with in "California College Conservative Union Caucus". Some of the attendees are pointedly ''non''-politically correct because they champion free speech--for example, one short guy encourages Casey to call him "shrimp". Meanwhile, Casey gets offended at one attendee's gay joke when the punchline doesn't actually have anything to do with homosexuality in itself.
to:
* PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad: Played with in "California College Conservative Union Caucus". Caucus".
** Some of the attendees are pointedly ''non''-politically correct because they champion free speech--for example, one short guy encourages Casey to call him"shrimp". "shrimp".
** Meanwhile,Casey Constance gets offended at one attendee's gay joke when the punchline doesn't actually have anything to do with homosexuality in itself.itself. Also, the guy who told the joke is gay. Then she gets mad about a black attendee not getting to vote on an issue at the party (the problem isn't his race, it's the fact that he's a non-citizen) and thinks the attendees have problems with women having free speech when they correct her.
** Some of the attendees are pointedly ''non''-politically correct because they champion free speech--for example, one short guy encourages Casey to call him
** Meanwhile,
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* PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad: Played with in "California College Conservative Union Caucus". Some of the attendees are pointedly ''non''-politically correct because they champion free speech--for example, one short guy encourages Casey to call him "shrimp". Meanwhile, Casey gets offended at one attendee's gay joke when the punchline doesn't actually have anything to do with homosexuality in itself.
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* TheSlacker: Henry in season 1, Ron in the early parts of season 2.
* TomatoInTheMirror: When Roman consumes a large quantity of marijuana, he starts ranting about his new idea "and when they get to the planet, they realize the alien civilization is themselves!"
* TomatoInTheMirror: When Roman consumes a large quantity of marijuana, he starts ranting about his new idea "and when they get to the planet, they realize the alien civilization is themselves!"
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* TheSlacker: Henry in season 1, Ron in the early parts of season 2.
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* TomatoInTheMirror: When Roman consumes a large quantity of marijuana, he starts ranting about his new idea "and when they get to the planet, they realize the alien civilization is themselves!"
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* OnlySaneMan: Henry.
to:
* OnlySaneMan: Henry. Henry.
* PoliticalStereotype: Dear ''God'' the kids at the "California college Conservative Union Caucus".
* PoliticalStereotype: Dear ''God'' the kids at the "California college Conservative Union Caucus".
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* MistakenForRacist: Kyle sings a song with lyrics that have unintentional Nazi overtones to an audience predominantly composed of Jews.
to:
* MistakenForRacist: MistakenForRacist:
** An offended black couple walk out in "Willow Canyon Homeowners Annual Party" when Ron loudly tells Henry not to ever serve two [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_glass#Jigger jiggers]].
** Kyle sings a song with lyrics that have unintentional Nazi overtones to an audience predominantly composed of Jews.
** An offended black couple walk out in "Willow Canyon Homeowners Annual Party" when Ron loudly tells Henry not to ever serve two [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_glass#Jigger jiggers]].
** Kyle sings a song with lyrics that have unintentional Nazi overtones to an audience predominantly composed of Jews.
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* DyeingForYourArt: Roman uses this trope in "Willow Canyon Homeowners Annual Party" to trick Kyle into shaving all his hair (although Kyle only gets to do his left eyebrow before the scheme is revealed to him) by rewriting Kyle's character to be a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy.
to:
* DyeingForYourArt: Roman uses this trope in "Willow Canyon Homeowners Annual Party" to trick Kyle into shaving all his hair (although Kyle only gets to do his left eyebrow before the scheme is revealed to him) by rewriting Kyle's giving Kyle a fake voicemail that a character to be he's auditioning for is being rewritten as a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy.
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* BlandNameProduct: The Crackers soup/salad buffet Ron wants to open is likely a reference to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souplantation Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes]].
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* DyeingForYourArt: Roman uses this trope in "Willow Canyon Homeowners Annual Party" to trick Kyle into shaving all his hair by rewriting Kyle's character to be a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy.
to:
* DyeingForYourArt: Roman uses this trope in "Willow Canyon Homeowners Annual Party" to trick Kyle into shaving all his hair (although Kyle only gets to do his left eyebrow before the scheme is revealed to him) by rewriting Kyle's character to be a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy.
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Despite great writing, great acting and a devoted (if small) following, the show was TooGoodToLast.
However, there is [[TheMovie a movie]] in the works.
It was created by [[VeronicaMars Rob Thomas]] and contains a mini ProductionPosse
However, there is [[TheMovie a movie]] in the works.
It was created by [[VeronicaMars Rob Thomas]] and contains a mini ProductionPosse
to:
Despite great writing, great acting and a devoted (if small) following, the show was TooGoodToLast. \n\n However, there is [[TheMovie a movie]] in the works.
It was created by [[VeronicaMars Rob Thomas]] and contains a miniProductionPosseProductionPosse.
It was created by [[VeronicaMars Rob Thomas]] and contains a mini
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!!This Show Provides Examples Of:
* ADayInTheLimelight: One episode has the crew catering a Russian(?) Mafia, where they are immediately recognized by all the work they have done (except [[ButtMonkey Ron & Roman]]). They are treated like celebrities, and it gives Constance her "Big Break".
* ADayInTheLimelight: One episode has the crew catering a Russian(?) Mafia, where they are immediately recognized by all the work they have done (except [[ButtMonkey Ron & Roman]]). They are treated like celebrities, and it gives Constance her "Big Break".
to:
!!This Show Provides Examples Of:
* ADayInTheLimelight: One episode has the crew catering a Russian(?) Mafia, where they are immediately recognized by all the work they have done (except [[ButtMonkey Ron & Roman]]). They are treated like celebrities, and it gives Constance her "Big Break".show provides examples of:
* ADayInTheLimelight: One episode has the crew catering a Russian(?) Mafia, where they are immediately recognized by all the work they have done (except [[ButtMonkey Ron & Roman]]). They are treated like celebrities, and it gives Constance her "Big Break".
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* ADayInTheLimelight: One episode has the crew catering a Russian(?) Mafia, where they are immediately recognized by all the work they have done (except [[ButtMonkey Ron & Roman]]). They are treated like celebrities, and it gives Constance her "Big Break".
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* BlondeRepublicanSexKitten: Roman asks a student if this trope has any truth to it in "California College Conservative Union Caucus".
* TheCynic: Henry and, to a lesser extent, Casey.
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* TheCynic: Henry and, to a lesser extent, Casey.
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* DyeingForYourArt: Roman uses this trope in "Willow Canyon Homeowners Annual Party" to trick Kyle into shaving all his hair by rewriting Kyle's character to be a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy.
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* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: Each episode's title derives from whatever event the group is catering.
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* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: Each episode's title derives from whatever event the group is catering.catering that episode.
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* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: Each episode's title derives from whatever event the group is catering.
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''Party Down'' was a WorkCom broadcast on the Starz network between 2009 and 2010. It followed a group of struggling actors and writers working a low-paying and humiliating job with the Party Down catering company while chasing their Hollywood dreams.
Each episode is structured around a different party they have been assigned to cater, with the lives of the affluent party hosts becoming entangled with the sad-sack lives of the caterers.
Despite great writing, great acting and a devoted (if small) following, the show was TooGoodToLast.
However, there is [[TheMovie a movie]] in the works.
It was created by [[VeronicaMars Rob Thomas]] and contains a mini ProductionPosse
----
!!This Show Provides Examples Of:
* ADayInTheLimelight: One episode has the crew catering a Russian(?) Mafia, where they are immediately recognized by all the work they have done (except [[ButtMonkey Ron & Roman]]). They are treated like celebrities, and it gives Constance her "Big Break".
* ActorAllusion: For some of the series, Casey talks about how she's trying to get a spot in a Judd Apatow movie. In reality, Lizzy Caplan has been in several Apatow productions, and is part of his ProductionPosse.
* AdamWesting: Steve Guttenberg plays himself as an almost cartoonishly cheerful and generous host, who takes a group of strangers under his wing for a night. [[spoiler: Then he steals one of their dates]].
* AllWorkVsAllPlay: Henry vs. Ron. In season one, Ron is all work, Henry is all play; [[spoiler:in the beginning of season two, their roles flip.]]
* AsHimself: Steve Guttenberg and Patrick Duffy.
* BastardBoyfriend: Casey's husband plays the part of the bastard boyfriend for the first few episodes of season 1 until [[spoiler:they get a divorce.]]
* BerserkButton:
** Ron goes off when the group is in danger of getting poor client feedback cards or when his reputation is at stake. Examples of this include threatening to destroy the teen girl's life in "Willow Canyon Homeowners Annual Party" and desecrating the American Flag in "California College Conservative Union Caucus."
** Roman can't stand it when people mix up his precious science fiction with hated fantasy. He even ruins a sure thing with a porn star when she mentions that she likes dragons.
* BettyAndVeronica: Henry with Uda and Casey. Uda is the Betty and Casey is the Veronica, although this applies more to the nature of his relationships with them than the characters' actual personalities.
* BiTheWay: At the end of season 1, Kyle tells a gay producer he would do anything for a part in a movie (and yes, it's implied what would happen), and in Season 2 the movie has been released. Also Roman is hinted as such every so often, having a guy giving him hickeys, to his relationship with his co-writer, and watching a guy masturbate. Also the ThreeHundred Gay test.
* BiggerIsBetterInBed: Possibly the one good thing to ever happen to Ron.
* BiggusDickus: It was just a glimpse, but holy hell, Ron!
* BrainlessBeauty: Kyle.
* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Lydia's daughter, Escapade.
* BreakTheHaughty:
** Roman does this when he tricks Kyle into shaving his eyebrows.
** Joe Munt, Roman's former writing partner, does this to Roman over the course of an episode.
* ButtMonkey: Kyle and Roman.
* TheChewToy: Ron is a pedantic, sycophantic, socially inept loser who thinks he may well be the next Donald Trump. He's also put through more mental and physical trauma than any other character on the show.
* CareerVersusMan:
** Casey has this dilemma in season 1, as evidenced in the episode "California College Conservative Union Caucus," when she has to choose between moving to Vermont with her husband or taking her chances as an actress in LA.
** This is also one of Henry's big conflicts, mainly explored in Season 2. He's clearly disheartened by his experiences, but also clearly loves acting. He struggles with choosing to either pack it up and go home or to give it one more try.
* CatchPhrase: Subverted. Henry was in a beer commercial where he said, "Are we having fun yet?" Whenever people recognize him they ask him to say it, which he hates doing.
* ChekhovsGun: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]], then [[TheDitz Kyled]], with regards to Baretta's Beretta.
-->'''Ron:''' Okay, so, I'm putting this gun in a bag here, and it stays here, and nobody touches it for the rest of the evening.
-->'''Casey:''' Well, [[GenreSavvy you know what they say about]] a gun in the first act, Ron.
-->'''*beat*'''
-->'''Kyle:''' First act of what?
* ClusterFBomb: Leonard Stiltskin's dialogue in "Taylor Stiltskin Sweet Sixteen Party" and "Precious Lights Pre-School Auction."
** Lampshaded by Roman at the end of "Sweet 16" when he assumes the customer feedback card to be nothing but insults, and gets it right word-for-word.
* ControlFreak: Uda Bengt.
* CringeComedy
* DeadpanSnarker: In a show which is about marginalized people living downtrodden lives and regularly abasing themselves when serving food to people richer, more powerful and more successful than they are, this is pretty much a given. Casey and Henry do their fair share, but Roman is probably the best example.
-->''(Discussing Henry's outfit)''
-->'''Henry:''' I was going for "helpful, gay pirate."
-->'''Casey:''' You don't look helpful.
* DiagonalBilling: Done for Adam Scott and Ken Marino in the closing credits.
* DidNotDoTheResearch: The football episode, although a minor one. At the beginning of the episode, the talking heads on the sports network announce that it's the fourth day of the draft, but at the end of the episode, [[spoiler: Cole Landry ends up getting drafted by San Francisco]] at the end of the first round. [[CaptainObvious The first round of the draft happens on the first day of the draft,]] and seldom takes longer than 3 hours.
* TheCynic: Henry and, to a lesser extent, Casey.
* TheDitz: Constance in Season 1 and Lydia in season 2. Although both Jane Lynch and Megan Mullaly were playing a ditzy female character, both brought their own brands of ditziness.
* DoingItForTheArt: Henry is implied to have been a talented actor who turned his back on acting after being unable to shed his image as a beer commercial mascot. Roman, similarly, is unable to sell any of his scripts because of his commitment to "Hard Sci-Fi," which apparently comes at the expense of quality.
* DrinkOrder: In "California College Conservative Union Caucus," the names of the drinks that Henry is serving, for example, the "freedom-tini."
* DumbBlonde: Kyle
* EuropeansAreKinky: Ron is approached by a European porno producer.
* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: Whenever a character hopes they can get their big break this episode, you know it will end horribly for them.
* GagPenis: Ron's is briefly visible as he hastily stuffs it back into his pants.
* GeniusBruiser: Roman is extremely irritated to meet a hulking college football player who is better-read than he is, as well as a pre-med student.
* HilariousInHindsight: In the 6th episode, Henry's old acting buddy Michael talks about playing EdgarAllanPoe in an adaptation of a graphic novel where Poe an Lincoln deal with mystical amulets and vampires. Considering an adaptation of both ''AbrahamLincolnVampireHunter'' and a fictionalized thriller version involving Poe entitled ''The Raven'' are about to come out, this isn't quite as far fetched.
* HollywoodNerd: Roman.
* IceQueen: Uda Bengt.
* IgnorantOfTheirOwnIgnorance: Kyle, Ron, Constance and Lydia.
* ImportantHaircut: While Ron is a slacker, he wears his hair shaggy. When he's an insufferable jobsworth, he sports his signature flat-top.
* InformedAbility: Averted with [[spoiler: Henry's acting. You hear a comment here and there about his talent and then he blows everyone away in "Steve Guttenberg's Birthday Party"]].
* InformedJudaism: Casey Klein's religion is never brought up in season one. In season two, she makes two references to being Jewish, though it never factors into her actions at all. Actress Lizzy Caplan is Jewish in real life.
* JerkAss: Roman, and also most of the hosts of parties. But not Steve Guttenberg.
* JustFriends: Henry and Casey for much of the series, especially [[spoiler:after they first sleep with each other.]]
* TheLoser: Roman.
* LoveTriangle: Henry, Casey, & Uda.
* ManlyTears: According to the [[http://www.details.com/celebrities-entertainment/movies-and-tv/201102/complete-oral-history-starz-comedy-party-down Oral History of Party Down]], Adam Scott (Henry) cried when the show was canceled.
* MatzoFever: None of the other male waiters are Jewish, but they all have the hots for the smoking semite Casey Klein.
* MistakenForRacist: Kyle sings a song with lyrics that have unintentional Nazi overtones to an audience predominantly composed of Jews.
* MushroomSamba: Over the course of the series, there is at least one instance for ''every character'' in which they're tripping on some substance, either inadvertently or on purpose.
* TheNeidermeyer: Ron.
* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: Constance.
* OnlySaneEmployee: Casey
* OnlySaneMan: Henry.
* PopularIsDumb: Kyle.
* ProductionPosse:
** Many of the actors have past connections with Rob Thomas, in particular with Veronica Mars. Ryan Hansen (Kyle) and Kristen Bell (Uda) were main characters, Ken Marino (Ron) had a recurring role, Adam Scott (Henry) and Jane Lynch (Constance) guest starred. Enrico Colantoni and Jason Dohring, both main characters on VeronicaMars, guest starred in episodes 1 and 2, respectively. Ed Begley Jr., who had a recurring role in season 3 of VeronicaMars, guest starred in episode 3. Also, Daran Norris (Cliff) and Ryan Devlin (Mercer) show up in episode 4.
** Several of the stars and guest stars have also been associated with Apatow productions: Martin Starr, Lizzy Caplan, Jane Lynch, Adam Scott, Ken Jeong, Kristen Bell, & Christopher Mintz-Plasse.
** Various members of ''TheState'' appear in one-shot roles. Ken Marino is a veteran of that group.
* PutOnABus: Constance after episode 8 of season 1. TheBusCameBack at the end of season 2, [[spoiler:for her wedding.]]
* RagTagBunchOfMisfits
* RuthlessForeignGangsters: The staff caters an event for a gang of Eastern European gangsters of unspecified ethnicity, though the name "Zoltan" suggests that they're Hungarian. They're celebrating their leader getting away with murder, and the staff has reason to suspect that they're plotting another.
* SensitivityTraining: Ron in "Willow Canyon Homeowners Annual Party."
-->'''Ron:''' I learned things that blew my mind. The term ''Mexican''? Not offensive.
* TheSlacker: Henry in season 1, Ron in the early parts of season 2.
* TomatoInTheMirror: When Roman consumes a large quantity of marijuana, he starts ranting about his new idea "and when they get to the planet, they realize the alien civilization is themselves!"
* SeriousBusiness: Valhalla Catering, Party Down's rival catering company, is intense.
* SitcomCharacterArchetypes:
** The Wisecracker: Henry/Casey
** The Bully/Charmer: Kyle
** The Square: Ron
** The Dork: Roman
** The Goofball: Constance/Lydia
* SpeakNowOrForeverHoldYourPeace: Happens ''twice'' during Constance's wedding, the second time for ''the wrong couple''.
* StageMom: Lydia.
* StereotypeReactionGag: Unintentionally implemented in an attempt to avert it by Ron in episode 1. Having just attended a racial sensitivity seminar, he spends the episode avoiding anything that can be construed as using stereotypes.
-->''(An African-American man at the party drops a piece of chicken on the floor, Ron picks it up)''
-->'''Ron:''' Can you get this man some more fried chick-- ''(Looks up and sees the man)'' ...Appetizers that are not shrimp?
* StraightMan: Henry, usually.
* TheStoner: Ron makes frequent allusions to his past as a stoner. In the first part of Season 2 [[spoiler:he reverts to his old ways until getting trapped in a coffin while smoking in "James Ellison Funeral."]]
* StupidBoss: Ron.
* TechnicianVersusPerformer: Kyle and Roman are constantly arguing about this; in this case Roman, as a writer, is the technician and Kyle is the performer.
* ThrowTheDogABone: Just as Ron bemoans his fate to a seemingly callous and unfeeling God, fate intervenes. It's still not completely without humiliation and pain though.
* VomitIndiscretionShot:
** Ron downs a bottle of whiskey a la Bluto Blutarsky in ''AnimalHouse''. It ends exactly how you expect it would.
** A company picnic champion learns that there are downsides to winning the hot dog-eating contest just before a softball game.
* WaitingForABreak: All of the main characters are waiting for their big break, with the exception of Henry, who has given up. Casey is an aspiring comedic actress. Ryan is an aspiring actor/musician/model. Roman is an aspiring writer. Ron is aspiring to run a "Soup-R-Crackers" chain restaurant. Constance is a former B-movie actress who is still on the prowl for roles. Lydia is completely invested in getting her ''daughter's'' big break.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: PaulRudd and SteveCarell were originally attached to play Henry and Ron when the show was first being developed (circa 2004), but moved on while it was stuck in DevelopmentHell . Rudd, however, remained attached as a producer.
* YankTheDogsChain: Happens to all the characters at least once.
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Each episode is structured around a different party they have been assigned to cater, with the lives of the affluent party hosts becoming entangled with the sad-sack lives of the caterers.
Despite great writing, great acting and a devoted (if small) following, the show was TooGoodToLast.
However, there is [[TheMovie a movie]] in the works.
It was created by [[VeronicaMars Rob Thomas]] and contains a mini ProductionPosse
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!!This Show Provides Examples Of:
* ADayInTheLimelight: One episode has the crew catering a Russian(?) Mafia, where they are immediately recognized by all the work they have done (except [[ButtMonkey Ron & Roman]]). They are treated like celebrities, and it gives Constance her "Big Break".
* ActorAllusion: For some of the series, Casey talks about how she's trying to get a spot in a Judd Apatow movie. In reality, Lizzy Caplan has been in several Apatow productions, and is part of his ProductionPosse.
* AdamWesting: Steve Guttenberg plays himself as an almost cartoonishly cheerful and generous host, who takes a group of strangers under his wing for a night. [[spoiler: Then he steals one of their dates]].
* AllWorkVsAllPlay: Henry vs. Ron. In season one, Ron is all work, Henry is all play; [[spoiler:in the beginning of season two, their roles flip.]]
* AsHimself: Steve Guttenberg and Patrick Duffy.
* BastardBoyfriend: Casey's husband plays the part of the bastard boyfriend for the first few episodes of season 1 until [[spoiler:they get a divorce.]]
* BerserkButton:
** Ron goes off when the group is in danger of getting poor client feedback cards or when his reputation is at stake. Examples of this include threatening to destroy the teen girl's life in "Willow Canyon Homeowners Annual Party" and desecrating the American Flag in "California College Conservative Union Caucus."
** Roman can't stand it when people mix up his precious science fiction with hated fantasy. He even ruins a sure thing with a porn star when she mentions that she likes dragons.
* BettyAndVeronica: Henry with Uda and Casey. Uda is the Betty and Casey is the Veronica, although this applies more to the nature of his relationships with them than the characters' actual personalities.
* BiTheWay: At the end of season 1, Kyle tells a gay producer he would do anything for a part in a movie (and yes, it's implied what would happen), and in Season 2 the movie has been released. Also Roman is hinted as such every so often, having a guy giving him hickeys, to his relationship with his co-writer, and watching a guy masturbate. Also the ThreeHundred Gay test.
* BiggerIsBetterInBed: Possibly the one good thing to ever happen to Ron.
* BiggusDickus: It was just a glimpse, but holy hell, Ron!
* BrainlessBeauty: Kyle.
* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Lydia's daughter, Escapade.
* BreakTheHaughty:
** Roman does this when he tricks Kyle into shaving his eyebrows.
** Joe Munt, Roman's former writing partner, does this to Roman over the course of an episode.
* ButtMonkey: Kyle and Roman.
* TheChewToy: Ron is a pedantic, sycophantic, socially inept loser who thinks he may well be the next Donald Trump. He's also put through more mental and physical trauma than any other character on the show.
* CareerVersusMan:
** Casey has this dilemma in season 1, as evidenced in the episode "California College Conservative Union Caucus," when she has to choose between moving to Vermont with her husband or taking her chances as an actress in LA.
** This is also one of Henry's big conflicts, mainly explored in Season 2. He's clearly disheartened by his experiences, but also clearly loves acting. He struggles with choosing to either pack it up and go home or to give it one more try.
* CatchPhrase: Subverted. Henry was in a beer commercial where he said, "Are we having fun yet?" Whenever people recognize him they ask him to say it, which he hates doing.
* ChekhovsGun: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]], then [[TheDitz Kyled]], with regards to Baretta's Beretta.
-->'''Ron:''' Okay, so, I'm putting this gun in a bag here, and it stays here, and nobody touches it for the rest of the evening.
-->'''Casey:''' Well, [[GenreSavvy you know what they say about]] a gun in the first act, Ron.
-->'''*beat*'''
-->'''Kyle:''' First act of what?
* ClusterFBomb: Leonard Stiltskin's dialogue in "Taylor Stiltskin Sweet Sixteen Party" and "Precious Lights Pre-School Auction."
** Lampshaded by Roman at the end of "Sweet 16" when he assumes the customer feedback card to be nothing but insults, and gets it right word-for-word.
* ControlFreak: Uda Bengt.
* CringeComedy
* DeadpanSnarker: In a show which is about marginalized people living downtrodden lives and regularly abasing themselves when serving food to people richer, more powerful and more successful than they are, this is pretty much a given. Casey and Henry do their fair share, but Roman is probably the best example.
-->''(Discussing Henry's outfit)''
-->'''Henry:''' I was going for "helpful, gay pirate."
-->'''Casey:''' You don't look helpful.
* DiagonalBilling: Done for Adam Scott and Ken Marino in the closing credits.
* DidNotDoTheResearch: The football episode, although a minor one. At the beginning of the episode, the talking heads on the sports network announce that it's the fourth day of the draft, but at the end of the episode, [[spoiler: Cole Landry ends up getting drafted by San Francisco]] at the end of the first round. [[CaptainObvious The first round of the draft happens on the first day of the draft,]] and seldom takes longer than 3 hours.
* TheCynic: Henry and, to a lesser extent, Casey.
* TheDitz: Constance in Season 1 and Lydia in season 2. Although both Jane Lynch and Megan Mullaly were playing a ditzy female character, both brought their own brands of ditziness.
* DoingItForTheArt: Henry is implied to have been a talented actor who turned his back on acting after being unable to shed his image as a beer commercial mascot. Roman, similarly, is unable to sell any of his scripts because of his commitment to "Hard Sci-Fi," which apparently comes at the expense of quality.
* DrinkOrder: In "California College Conservative Union Caucus," the names of the drinks that Henry is serving, for example, the "freedom-tini."
* DumbBlonde: Kyle
* EuropeansAreKinky: Ron is approached by a European porno producer.
* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: Whenever a character hopes they can get their big break this episode, you know it will end horribly for them.
* GagPenis: Ron's is briefly visible as he hastily stuffs it back into his pants.
* GeniusBruiser: Roman is extremely irritated to meet a hulking college football player who is better-read than he is, as well as a pre-med student.
* HilariousInHindsight: In the 6th episode, Henry's old acting buddy Michael talks about playing EdgarAllanPoe in an adaptation of a graphic novel where Poe an Lincoln deal with mystical amulets and vampires. Considering an adaptation of both ''AbrahamLincolnVampireHunter'' and a fictionalized thriller version involving Poe entitled ''The Raven'' are about to come out, this isn't quite as far fetched.
* HollywoodNerd: Roman.
* IceQueen: Uda Bengt.
* IgnorantOfTheirOwnIgnorance: Kyle, Ron, Constance and Lydia.
* ImportantHaircut: While Ron is a slacker, he wears his hair shaggy. When he's an insufferable jobsworth, he sports his signature flat-top.
* InformedAbility: Averted with [[spoiler: Henry's acting. You hear a comment here and there about his talent and then he blows everyone away in "Steve Guttenberg's Birthday Party"]].
* InformedJudaism: Casey Klein's religion is never brought up in season one. In season two, she makes two references to being Jewish, though it never factors into her actions at all. Actress Lizzy Caplan is Jewish in real life.
* JerkAss: Roman, and also most of the hosts of parties. But not Steve Guttenberg.
* JustFriends: Henry and Casey for much of the series, especially [[spoiler:after they first sleep with each other.]]
* TheLoser: Roman.
* LoveTriangle: Henry, Casey, & Uda.
* ManlyTears: According to the [[http://www.details.com/celebrities-entertainment/movies-and-tv/201102/complete-oral-history-starz-comedy-party-down Oral History of Party Down]], Adam Scott (Henry) cried when the show was canceled.
* MatzoFever: None of the other male waiters are Jewish, but they all have the hots for the smoking semite Casey Klein.
* MistakenForRacist: Kyle sings a song with lyrics that have unintentional Nazi overtones to an audience predominantly composed of Jews.
* MushroomSamba: Over the course of the series, there is at least one instance for ''every character'' in which they're tripping on some substance, either inadvertently or on purpose.
* TheNeidermeyer: Ron.
* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: Constance.
* OnlySaneEmployee: Casey
* OnlySaneMan: Henry.
* PopularIsDumb: Kyle.
* ProductionPosse:
** Many of the actors have past connections with Rob Thomas, in particular with Veronica Mars. Ryan Hansen (Kyle) and Kristen Bell (Uda) were main characters, Ken Marino (Ron) had a recurring role, Adam Scott (Henry) and Jane Lynch (Constance) guest starred. Enrico Colantoni and Jason Dohring, both main characters on VeronicaMars, guest starred in episodes 1 and 2, respectively. Ed Begley Jr., who had a recurring role in season 3 of VeronicaMars, guest starred in episode 3. Also, Daran Norris (Cliff) and Ryan Devlin (Mercer) show up in episode 4.
** Several of the stars and guest stars have also been associated with Apatow productions: Martin Starr, Lizzy Caplan, Jane Lynch, Adam Scott, Ken Jeong, Kristen Bell, & Christopher Mintz-Plasse.
** Various members of ''TheState'' appear in one-shot roles. Ken Marino is a veteran of that group.
* PutOnABus: Constance after episode 8 of season 1. TheBusCameBack at the end of season 2, [[spoiler:for her wedding.]]
* RagTagBunchOfMisfits
* RuthlessForeignGangsters: The staff caters an event for a gang of Eastern European gangsters of unspecified ethnicity, though the name "Zoltan" suggests that they're Hungarian. They're celebrating their leader getting away with murder, and the staff has reason to suspect that they're plotting another.
* SensitivityTraining: Ron in "Willow Canyon Homeowners Annual Party."
-->'''Ron:''' I learned things that blew my mind. The term ''Mexican''? Not offensive.
* TheSlacker: Henry in season 1, Ron in the early parts of season 2.
* TomatoInTheMirror: When Roman consumes a large quantity of marijuana, he starts ranting about his new idea "and when they get to the planet, they realize the alien civilization is themselves!"
* SeriousBusiness: Valhalla Catering, Party Down's rival catering company, is intense.
* SitcomCharacterArchetypes:
** The Wisecracker: Henry/Casey
** The Bully/Charmer: Kyle
** The Square: Ron
** The Dork: Roman
** The Goofball: Constance/Lydia
* SpeakNowOrForeverHoldYourPeace: Happens ''twice'' during Constance's wedding, the second time for ''the wrong couple''.
* StageMom: Lydia.
* StereotypeReactionGag: Unintentionally implemented in an attempt to avert it by Ron in episode 1. Having just attended a racial sensitivity seminar, he spends the episode avoiding anything that can be construed as using stereotypes.
-->''(An African-American man at the party drops a piece of chicken on the floor, Ron picks it up)''
-->'''Ron:''' Can you get this man some more fried chick-- ''(Looks up and sees the man)'' ...Appetizers that are not shrimp?
* StraightMan: Henry, usually.
* TheStoner: Ron makes frequent allusions to his past as a stoner. In the first part of Season 2 [[spoiler:he reverts to his old ways until getting trapped in a coffin while smoking in "James Ellison Funeral."]]
* StupidBoss: Ron.
* TechnicianVersusPerformer: Kyle and Roman are constantly arguing about this; in this case Roman, as a writer, is the technician and Kyle is the performer.
* ThrowTheDogABone: Just as Ron bemoans his fate to a seemingly callous and unfeeling God, fate intervenes. It's still not completely without humiliation and pain though.
* VomitIndiscretionShot:
** Ron downs a bottle of whiskey a la Bluto Blutarsky in ''AnimalHouse''. It ends exactly how you expect it would.
** A company picnic champion learns that there are downsides to winning the hot dog-eating contest just before a softball game.
* WaitingForABreak: All of the main characters are waiting for their big break, with the exception of Henry, who has given up. Casey is an aspiring comedic actress. Ryan is an aspiring actor/musician/model. Roman is an aspiring writer. Ron is aspiring to run a "Soup-R-Crackers" chain restaurant. Constance is a former B-movie actress who is still on the prowl for roles. Lydia is completely invested in getting her ''daughter's'' big break.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: PaulRudd and SteveCarell were originally attached to play Henry and Ron when the show was first being developed (circa 2004), but moved on while it was stuck in DevelopmentHell . Rudd, however, remained attached as a producer.
* YankTheDogsChain: Happens to all the characters at least once.
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