Starz Orders Series From 'Veronica Mars' Creator

Starz Entertainment has picked up a 10-episode scripted series from the creator of Veronica Mars.

Party Down, scheduled for first quarter of next year, is a scripted half-hour comedy about a six-pack of would-be stars who work for a catering company--for mixers, parties, "video porn awards"--while chasing their elusive first big break.

The show is the first from the Starz premium channel's co-owned Starz Media. Both are owned by Liberty Media, but in separate companies. 


Starz, which began life as a movie channel, is launching its first original drama series, Crash, Oct. 17. Another original comedy, Head Case, is also targeted for a 2009 launch.

Party Down is created/executive produced by Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars, Cupid) with John Enbom, Paul Rudd and Dan Etheridge. Enbom will be the showrunner and co-executive producers are Jennifer Gwartz and Danielle Stokdyk. Jennifer Dugan will produce, with William J. Hamm, executive VP, original productions, for Starz Media, overseeing all the production.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.