Starz Lands Tob Thomas’ Party Down

Starz Entertainment is adding to its scripted slate with Party Down, a half-hour series from Veronica Mars and Cupid creator Rob Thomas. The cable network has handed out a 10-episode order to the comedy, which is slated to premiere early next year. Party Down follows a sextet of Hollywood wannabes who make ends meet by working at a Los Angeles catering company. Each episode is set at a catered event. “We’ll have opportunity for satirical lampooning of whatever subset the party represents as we tell the ongoing stories of our catering crew,” Thomas said. “If the original British version of ‘The Office’ was a show about people who have given themselves over completely to the rat race, ‘Party Down’ is a show about people who have chased the dream for far too long. ”

Thomas co-created the show with Paul Rudd and John Enbom and Dan Etheridge. The four are executive producing, with Enbom set to run the series. Two other frequent Thomas collaborators, Jennifer Gwartz and Danielle Stokdyk are co-executive producers, and Jennifer Dugan serves as producer. The pilot for Party Down was financed by ABC Studios through Thomas’ deal there last year. It was shot on spec at Thomas’ home and was shopped to cable networks, landing at Starz.