Adam Scott Reveals Original ‘Party Down’ Had Shockingly Low Viewership

The Party Down revival series was one of the most-anticipated reboots in a long time, but actor Adam Scott recently revealed that enthusiasm wasn’t always there for the original show. In fact, according to Scott the original viewership numbers for Party Down were so low it “should have been canceled.”

‘Party Down’ featured up-and-coming stars like Adam Scott and Jane Lynch

Party Down premiered in 2009 on Starz. The show followed a group of caterers who are all aspiring actors and writers, working to make ends meet before their big break. In each episode, the group shows up to a different event and interacts with the oftentimes strange partygoers. 

The show might not have been massively popular, but much of Party Down’s cast went on to become big stars. Celebrities who appeared on the show included Scott, Ken Marino, Lizzy Caplan, Martin Starr, Jane Lynch, Jennifer Coolidge, and Megan Mullally. 

Adam Scott admitted ‘Party Down’s series finale had just 13,000 viewers: ‘We should have been canceled!’

Party Down was a hit with critics, but not so much with viewers. During a recent appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Scott admitted that the show was “rightly” canceled in 2010, adding, “Our series finale had 13,000 viewers.”

“We should have been canceled!” the actor laughed. “One concert would dwarf our entire audience!” Party Down’s stars went on to appear in plenty of other projects. Scott became a household name after scoring a role in Parks and Recreation, while Lynch starred in Glee. Years later the show found an underground audience. 

Scott shared that “people were kind of catching on to it” and the show eventually “found its audience.” He even joked that many new fans didn’t know it was canceled in 2010 and would ask him when a new season was coming out. 

Rumors about a new ‘Party Down’ season finally came true in 2023

The growing fandom led to many rumors about potential reboots and sequels for Party Down. In 2012, Mullally told Deadline a movie was in the works. However, Starr followed up by telling Movieline there was “nothing official” happening. 

In 2021, it was announced that Starz had ordered a third season of Party Down. It premiered in February of 2023. Guest stars like James Marsden, Nick Offerman, and Jennifer Garner made appearances in the most recent season. 

“We were delighted to be back with all of our friends,” Scott said of the revival series. “It ended, and we were so deeply bummed, but it also felt very Party Down to be canceled. It kind of fit in with the ethos of the show.”

Critics and fans alike have loved the new episodes of Party Down, with W Magazine calling it “basically miraculous…The episodes are just as funny as they used to be, if not occasionally more so.”