BAD JUDGE On Bad Show

Article first published as BAD JUDGE Review on Seat42F.

It’s not hard to figure out what NBC’s BAD JUDGE is about. Obviously, there’s a judge who is bad. But is she bad at being a judge? Is she bad at professionalism? Does she exhibit bad behavior in her personal life, such as drinking too much and sleeping with too many men? Yes.

The similarities between BAD JUDGE and last year’s Bad Teacher are numerous, and do not stop at the title. Both have a female lead in a profession that takes many years of education and evaluation, but somehow, they hold the position, despite having personalities and behavior that would never be tolerated in such a role in a million years. Both women show a tenderness towards children, but also say things they should not in front of said children. Both wear leopard print bras; both have Ryan Hansen (Veronica Mars) portraying a love interest for the protagonist. Both BAD JUDGE and Bad Teacher are not very good shows that have been, or likely will be if there’s justice in the world, quickly canceled.

There are some differences. Whereas Bad Teacher’s central figure is incredibly selfish and greedy, the judge here, Rebecca Wright (Kate Walsh, Private Practice, Fargo), is kind and good-hearted. She makes a ton of mistakes, but not out of cruelty. Her mess is her mess, and it doesn’t automatically negatively affect everyone around her, not really causing problems for them.

Rebecca is rude and crude in the courtroom, asking frequent prosecutor Tom Barlow (John Ducey, Jonas) to keep his voice down because she’s hung over and expecting bailiff Tedward (Tone Bell, Whitney) to dispose of her pregnancy test. However, she makes rulings that benefit people. And she takes her responsibilities so seriously that when a child whose parents she put away calls her for help, she runs to his side at a moment’s notice, repeatedly, much to her boss’s (Miguel Sandoval, Medium) chagrin.

Walsh is experienced at playing a character who is both smart and compassionate, while being someone who can’t get own her life together at the same time. She’s probably the right actress for the role, even more so than co-creator Anne Heche, whom I would have expected to want to star in her own vehicle. I don’t think the problems with BAD JUDGE lie in the her.

That being said, the writing is as messy as Rebecca herself. BAD JUDGE can’t decide what it wants to be, flitting around with different scenarios, then discarding them like a woman trying on many dresses for an important date, the material scattered on the floor, still in sight, but not looking the way it’s meant to be seen. The project suffers from this scattershot approach, whereas if one or two ideas were honed in on (a judge who goes out of her way to help criminal’s disadvantaged families, for instance), the series might still not be spectacular, but at least it would be cohesive. With any structure that could work, this should probably be an hour-long dramedy, not a half-hour sitcom.

The other problem is the complete lack of realism. As mentioned in my comparison of BAD JUDGE to Bad Teacher, there is no way anyone like Rebecca exists in the real world. Judges, like other professionals, may have their dirty little secrets, but for someone to flaunt her antics in the workplace the way Rebecca does and stay employed is completely ridiculous, and it would never stand. BAD JUDGE does a huge disservice to the career it portrays and the legal industry in general. Many viewers will be smart enough to tell the difference between reality and fiction, and I do think BAD JUDGE won’t perpetuate false ideas as much as Bad Teacher does, but the underlying principle remains the same.

In short, I recommend skipping BAD JUDGE, not because I dislike Walsh or Hansen or the others, but rather so this unfortunate experiment in bad comedy can be quickly cancelled and forgotten, and the team behind it move on to projects more worthy of them.

BAD JUDGE premieres this Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

BAD TEACHER Makes For Bad Show

Article originally published as BAD TEACHER Review on Seat42F.

A couple of years ago, a pretty awful “comedy” film hit theaters. Called BAD TEACHER, it followed the antics of an abandoned trophy wife as she became an educator in the public school system. For some inexplicable reason, someone thought a terrible movie would make a great TV show. Hence, we now get BAD TEACHER on CBS, beginning this Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET.

The premise itself is highly flawed. A woman with absolutely no educational training is somehow hired, without license, degree, or credentials, to teach youngsters. She then acts completely unprofessionally in front of staff, students, and parents, and still gets to keep the job. Not only is this completely unrealistic, teaching standards being quite high and requiring much preparation and schooling, but it just isn’t funny.

Perhaps my own feelings about the field of education, having studied to become a teacher myself, color my opinion of BAD TEACHER. I’m sick of teachers being looked down upon, criticized for the “high” pay (low compared to most positions that require a Master’s degree), working hard for little credit, and being blamed for things that are wrong with the system, graded on student performance they often can’t control that much. At a time when press about teachers is not good, it really irks me that a network would be irresponsible enough to put this drivel on the air, further reinforcing negative and untrue stereotypes.

Getting off my soapbox, I guess I’ll tell you a little about the show itself. Ari Graynor (Fringe, Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist) stars as Meredith Davis, the titular woman. She gets nothing in her divorce, due to an iron-clad pre-nup, and so sets about finding herself a new sugar daddy. While crashing with her friends (‘Til Death’s Kat Foster and Luck’s Richard Kind), Meredith discovers that their child’s school is full of eligible, rich dads. Tricking inept sad-sack Principal Carl (David Alan Grier, In Living Color) into giving her a job, Meredith begins trying to land the next big one.

Even though Meredith routinely blows off everyone at her new place of employment, she is slotted into a place in the building’s hierarchy. Dorky Irene (Sara Gilbert, The Big Bang Theory) latches on, forcing herself into position as Meredith’s bestie. A former classmate, Joel (Ryan Hansen, Veronica Mars), decides he likes Meredith and sticks around to be her love interest. Well, he will be when she gets over her obsession with wealth. And the current Top Dog at the school, controlling Ginny (Kristin Davis, Sex and the City), decides Meredith is a threat, even though the blonde shows no ambition whatsoever, and casts herself as the enemy.

Of these people, Joel is the only one that comes across as interesting. Joel has an odd backstory, his penis being posted in photographs all over the school by Meredith’s predecessor, even though he doesn’t come across as the type of guy who would spark such venom. He isn’t pushy with Meredith, hanging around but waiting for her to come to him. He also seems the only one not participating in the game, standing by with a smirk as Meredith makes a fool of herself. He’s a normal, sane guy in a world populated with stereotypes.

Of course, as a series like this must, Meredith finds a heart at the end of the pilot. Unfortunately, there is no build up or character growth to support this. For the entire half hour, Meredith acts like a selfish jerk, and then, without any warning or catalyst, she suddenly pretends to care. If the first episode can’t give her even a hint of an arc, it’s unlikely the rest of the series will correct the mistake.

It isn’t unusual for CBS to present a crass, unfunny comedy. It’s not even unheard of for them to land really good actors and force them into parts that are beneath them, though seldom has been assembled on a bad project a group this good (being a fan of Gilbert, Davis, Graynor, Hansen, and a number of non-central cast members), wasted immensely. But BAD TEACHER has barely any redeeming qualities and is certainly worth no one’s time.

TV Review: ‘The League’ – ‘Baby Geoffrey Jesus’ and ‘The 8 Defensive Points of Hanukkah’

Article first published as TV Review: ‘The League’ – ‘Baby Geoffrey Jesus’ and ‘The 8 Defensive Points of Hanukkah’ on Blogcritics.

FXX’s The League ended season five with a two-part episode this week. In the first, “Baby Geoffrey Jesus,” Ruxin (Nick Kroll) is upset when his young son, Geoffrey, is chosen to play the part of Jesus in his Catholic school play, insisting that Geoffrey practice Judaism like his father sort of does. This battle continues in “The 8 Defensive Points of Hanukkah” as Ruxin tries to bring the holiday into his home and vanquish Christmas.

There are other subplots happening in these two episodes, as The League is about an ensemble cast, but Ruxin is certainly a fan favorite, in that viewers love to hate him, so it’s kind of fun to let him be front and center in the final hour of the year. He earns many a laugh, as usual.

Ruxin isn’t exactly a faithfully practicing Jew, but he does tend to think differently of himself than others do, and gets very upset when people question those characteristics he claims to have. He uses Judaism to get his way more than actually honoring the faith. This is obvious when his rabbi calls him out on his ill behavior towards his friends, and also when he manipulates his brother-in-law, Rafi (Jason Mantzoukas), into converting.

Ruxin’s intention is not to help Rafi bed Ruxin’s sister (Lizzy Caplan, Masters of Sex), which he unintentionally does, but rather, to have Rafi influence Ruxin’s son, Geoffrey (Adam Karchmer), since Geoffrey looks up to Rafi. Ruxin has to go through Rafi because he stands no chance in talking Geoffrey’s mother, Sofia (Nadine Velazquez) into anything, and she wants their child to be Christian.

Ruxin and Sofia have a very strange relationship, and for the longest time I wondered what she gets out of the deal. She’s hot, so that’s Ruxin’s reason for wanting to be with her, but Ruxin, while making a comfortable living, isn’t rich, he’s pretty much a total jerk, and she actually seems to care about him. Maybe she likes getting her way, though, and knows she can with Ruxin, who is vulnerable to the power of her charms.

As usual, Ruxin’s plot fails, though he does get a happy moment when he is able to pass off the Sacko Ruxin trophy to Kevin (Stephen Rannazzisi). The League must toss Ruxin some victories periodically, and his inappropriate dance backed up by a gospel choir in a church is one of his more memorable gloats. It’s moments like these, horribly offensive, and yet terribly funny, that make The League so enjoyable to watch.

While Kevin loses the fantasy football league, thanks to his wife, Jenny’s (Katie Aselton), advice, Jenny wins it all after listening to Kevin. Honestly, who wins and loses isn’t super important, and five years in, it’s hard to keep much weight on that outcome, which is probably why the story point is dropped late in the hour and not the center of the full two episodes. I have to hand it to The League, though; having Kevin and Jenny take home the trophies the way they do is clever and fresh, making this season finale have impact.

Kevin and Jenny do have some martial strife in “Baby Geoffrey Jesus” when Jenny asks her ex-boyfriend, Ben (Ryan Hansen, Party Down), for help with her lineup. Kevin takes this worse than he would learning Jenny has cheated in him, and temporarily crashes with Pete (Mark Duplass) while he pouts. I find it very funny that Kevin lets such a betrayal affect him so deeply, but I also am not surprised, based on the characters, and am glad this is resolved in “The 8 Defensive Points of Hanukkah,” thus leaving the couple intact once more. They seem so good together, overall.

In the last subplot that really counts, Andre (Paul Scheer) stupidly partners with his rival (Parks and Recreation‘s Aziz Ansari) without reading the contract, which results in Andre being sent overseas. At least, that’s what would have happened if Taco (Jonathan Lajoie) and Rafi didn’t accidentally crush the guy’s hand, saving Andre’s job and home. So he has a happy ending, too.

I actually am disappointed by the quick save here. The League walks a delicate balance between allowing their characters to grow but not losing the amazing cast dynamic. In doing so, it is usually conservative in big changes. Yes, only a year ago Andre was facing major upheaval, which took several episodes to work out. But I still would have liked to have seen this go further. After all, there is always a many-months-long break in the action, so Andre could easily just be returning home when the next season begins. And it wouldn’t ruin the show like a Kevin / Jenny divorce would.

Along those lines, it would also be really cool if we had a spring run some time, with installments that weren’t beholden to fantasy football. Much of the regular season has nothing to do with the game, and I’d like some more of that.Maybe six episodes would be appropriate? Though this seems unlikely to happen.

Other than the one minor complaint, both “Baby Geoffrey Jesus” and “The 8 Defensive Points of Hanukkah” are great episodes. The show remains as hilarious as ever, not having lost anything with age, and still finding new ways to go with its story. Andre running a long con on Kevin is fantastic, and so are just about all the other small moments within.  I look forward to whatever they cook up next.

The League has already been renewed will return to FXX for a sixth go-round next fall.

BURNING LOVE Burns Again

Article first published as BURNING LOVE Burns Again on TheTVKing.com

E! presents the second season of Burning Love beginning this week. Initially a web series, Burning Love is a parody of reality dating competitions, like a comedy version of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, with what is a likely a similar scripted to improv ratio. Contestants of one gender compete for the love of a single person of the opposite sex.

Watching seasons one and two, a viewer would be forgiven for thinking there have been at least four cycles of Burning Love. Season one began by profiling the winner of the previous year (which wasn't actually filmed), and in the continuity of the show, another season takes place between one and two, subtitled Hot for Teacher, which again, was never made. This confuses things a little bit, and sent me running to the internet to make sure I hadn't missed anything. But it's hard to blame the writers for extending the mythology without wasting our time with filler.

In season two, the main woman whose affection men are competing for is Julie Gristlewhite (June Diane Raphael, NTSF:SD:SUV), a dental hygienist who was in season one, and was last seen in a lesbian relationship. Ditching her partner, Carly (Janet Varney, The Legend of Korra), Julie is ready to try the penis again, and the producers are happy to oblige.

Host Bill Tundle (Michael Ian Black, Ed) is back, as is the house and set up. While season two definitely has some differences in the way the initial premiere unfolds, there is also consistency in the structure of the show and some of the players. This provides a satisfying through-line for the series.

Many of the faces are familiar, too. Damien (Adam Scott) was a therapist in the first cycle and is now competing, but that's not exactly what I'm talking about. Basically, most of the actors are either stars or major guest stars in projects such as Childrens Hospital and NTSF:SD:SUV, two Cartoon Network shows that also trace their roots to the web. Raphael, Ken Marino, Rob Huebel, Martin Starr, Nick Kroll, Malin Akerman, Michael Cera, and others have that connection. Various other cast members have worked with this group in other projects, too, such as The League, Party Down, and The Greatest Event in Television History.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but seeing all these people pop up alongside one another over and over again makes me think they're an extremely talented troupe who weren't getting enough work and so starting creating some of their own, inviting friends they made along the way to participate, constantly expanding their call sheet. Honestly, I think of them as doing their own, both more and less cohesive, multi-platform version of Saturday Night Live, and I'm loving it.

Burning Love, like all of those I've mentioned in the past couple of episodes is hilarious! From Bill mispronouncing Julie's name and the word 'gentlemen,' to Julie throwing herself all over a disinterested Blaze (Ryan Hansen, Veronica Mars), to Teddy (Nick Thune, Knocked Up) repeating the same song lyrics, to Khris (Nick Kroll) getting tossed out for being drunk, to Allison (Colin Hanks, The Good Guys) defending his name, there is a constant string of laughs packed into the half hour. The best bit may have even been the show-within-a-show's last minute minimal effort to add diversity to the cast. I can't wait to see more.

Burning Love airs Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. ET on E!, and more webisodes are available through Yahoo.

DVD Review: ’2 Broke Girls – The Complete Second Season’

Article first published as DVD Review: ’2 Broke Girls – The Complete Second Season’ on Blogcritics.

CBS’s hit series 2 Broke Girls has just been released in a three disc set. In it’s sophomore year, cash-strapped gals Max (Kat Dennings) and Carolina (Beth Behrs) make some progress on their cupcake business dream after getting an endorsement from Martha Stewart. This leads them to open their own storefront, though it’s a good thing they don’t give up their night jobs waitressing at the diner, because it isn’t long before they need them again.

This is an entrepreneurial tale of two ladies trying to claw their way up the ladder of success. Max has had a rough life, but has a real talent for baking. Caroline was rich, but fell from grace when her father was arrested for financial crimes. Working together, though, they stand a chance, pairing their strengths and offering much-needed emotional support.

Behrs and Dennings are great at the comic delivery. Every time Max opens her mouth, it feels like co-creator Whitney Cumming’s stand up coming out, delightfully delivered with Dennings’ charming lack of charm. Behrs is the queen of physical comedy, in the tradition of Lucille Ball and Laverne & Shirley. While the writing at times lacks cleverness or risk taking, none of the show’s faults can be pinned on its stars, working hard to find the laughs, and often succeeding, always with a terrific chemistry.

They aren’t alone in their efforts, as the second year really sees the supporting cast step up as a help to the main women. There’s: Sophie (Jennifer Coolidge), an independent, business-minded, sex-obsessed neighbor and frequent customer; Oleg (Jonathan Kite), Sophie’s love and the chef at the diner; Han (Matthew Moy), the diner owner who lets the girls push their cupcakes on his customers, usually with good humor; and Earl (Garrett Morris), the kind, flirtatious cash register worker, who is protective of the waitresses. Plus, somehow the girls find the resources to take care of Caroline’s horse, Chestnut, whom they build a barn for off of their apartment.

During The Complete Second Season, the diner is robbed, revealing true character, the ladies audition for the reality show Cupcake Wars, they get a credit card and overuse it, and Carolina begins dating Candy Andy (Ryan Hansen, Veronica Mars), the owner of a candy shop across from their cupcake shop. Then they meet some Amish boys on Rumspringa, develop a pot-based cupcake, vacation in a cabin in the woods, talk to a psychic, ride on a jet with 2 Chainz (himself), fight with a puppeteer (Andy Dick), try out temp work, beg Sophie and Caroline’s Aunt Charity (Missi Pyle) for money, worry about STDs, become extras in Law & Order: SVU, and clean both Oleg’s apartment and the diner.

Yes, that sounds like a lot, and not all of it is realistic for people in their position, especially flying with a famous rapper, being on TV, caring for the horse, and competing on a reality show. It’s these type of touches that makes some viewers and critics scoff and dismiss the series. Well, that and the absolutely filthy language and vagina jokes. Yet, there’s something magnetic about the humor, which is edgier than the typical broadcast network fare, and it is amusing in a cartoonish, classic-sitcom-style-updated-to-modern-sensibilities, kind of way.

There are quite a few extras, spread across all three discs. The deleted scenes are paired with the episodes they belong to, a move more shows ought to do. There are highlights from their PaleyFest 2013 panel, and I really enjoyed the half hour featurette “Max’s Homemade Cupcakes: Go Big or Go Broke!” in which the various actors are interviewed about the show and discuss character development. A gag reel and a light, fluff piece on Sophie are also included.

My biggest complaint about 2 Broke Girls – The Complete Second Season is actually the DVD menus. They look incredibly simple, like they were developed back in 2000, in the early days of the DVD. Some series have gotten too fancy with their releases, but 2 Broke Girls does the opposite, with apparently little effort put into a decent release. It doesn’t affect the content, but presentation matters, and this one sucks. I hope they improve it before next year’s set.

2 Broke Girls – The Complete Second Season is available now.

Parenthood keeps on rowing

Parenthood - "Keep on Rowing"
Grade: 88%

NBC's Parenthood returns this week for the final few episodes of the fourth season with "Keep on Rowing." Kristina (Monica Potter) tries to reward her husband, Adam (Peter Krause), for putting up with her behavior lately. Crosby (Dax Shepard) considers helping out his mother-in-law, Renee (Tina Lifford). Julia (Erika Christensen) begins to have second thoughts about adopting Victor (Xolo Mariduena). And Hank (Ray Romano) helps Sarah (Lauren Graham) get over her ex.

Parenthood has gone a little more melodramatic this season, taking the story into areas it doesn't necessarily need to go to keep the drama up, and getting a bit preachy at times. Thank goodness the Bravermans remain the same engaging, lovable characters they always have been, or else this slightly less than stellar storytelling could begin to drag the series down.

The most frustrating arc has been Kristina's cancer. It's a common card pulled out in a family drama after a few years on the air, when the ideas start to run a bit dry. However, without the drama behind the scenes, a la Brothers & Sisters, there seems little chance that Kristina will actually perish, as the sensibilities of the show are lighter than that. Thus, each attempt to make her situation seem dire just comes across as hokey.

That being said, it's sweet to see Adam being a good husband. I mean, we know that Adam is a good husband, but it's nice to be reminded of just how sweet he is. And then for Kristina to not only acknowledge that, but also to try to repay him a bit for his patience and support, well, that gets genuinely moving. Plus, she looks good with the red hair, and the surprise cameo by Ryan Hansen (Veronica Mars, 2 Broke Girls), hitting on a vivacious Kristina in the bar, is fun.

The sucky story of "Keep on Rowing" goes to Crosby. Adam has to talk him into agreeing to loan Renee money, and then Jasmine (Joy Bryant) practically bullies her mother into their house. Taking care of family is important, something Crosby ought to understand, given his upbringing, and the people that make up his own relations. Perhaps he may not want Renee in his house, and that's understandable. But that doesn't mean that he can protest and still be a sympathetic character. In the end, Crosby does the right thing, but it feels a bit too little, too late for viewers who have to sit through his selfish whining.

I also am not a fan of Julia turning against Victor. I can see why she'd be upset, with Victor throwing a bat near Sydney (Savannah Paige Rae). I even feel Joel (Sam Jaeger) may have under-reacted at first to the incident. However, stretching this into Julia considering not keeping Victor may just go too far, especially after only one occurrence of this nature, and one that can so clearly be chalked up to an accident.

The thing is, everything about this incident is understandable. From Sydney being a brat and running her mouth, to Victor's response and feeling bad about it later, to Julia's fear for her daughter, it all makes sense, given the characters and the circumstances. I don't like the story because I want to see Julia win Victor over, and Victor to eventually feel like part of the family. Yet, it's done in such an authentic way, and acted well, that it doesn't deserve to be complained about.

I am extremely disappointed to see things between Sarah and Mark (Jason Ritter) come to an end. There is so much working against them, it is satisfying when they finally find a way to be happy as a couple. Still, there are enough issues in the relationship that the fact that it ends isn't entirely surprising, even if there is also real love present.

Now that Mark is gone, though, the door has really opened for Hank, who seems a much better match for the elder Braverman daughter. He relates to Sarah, and it seems like he feels lucky to be with her. This means that he will treat her well, and she is certainly smitten with him, too. They started things way too soon, to be sure, with Sarah and Mark having only recently split, but at the same time, they kind of act like soul mates. Hank also brings a new personality to the series that isn't there until he arrives, which should shake up the dynamics nicely.

Only time will tell if Parenthood can find a way to make Hank a main character, as he deserves to be. That is, should Parenthood get a fifth season, which is not a certainty at this point.

"Keep on Rowing" is a solid episode in a solid season. Even when the plots stray a bit too far away from where I'd like them to go, this show remains compelling, and I look forward to watching each new episode. I think the missteps are just disappointments because I know how amazing Parenthood is at its best, so when it stumbles to only better than average, it feels like a slight let down. If it does go off the air, I will be disappointed and miss it. I consider that the true test for if a show is good or not, and on that scale, Parenthood definitely passes.

Parenthood airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

Want to read some of my fiction? It's on my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Also, for the latest updates and article links, as well as commentary on episodes I don't fully review, please follow me on Twitter!

Article first published on TheTVKing.com

Jane Lynch Parties Down once more

     The second season finale of Starz's Party Down brought back first season character Constance Carmell (the spectacular Jane Lynch, Glee).  The episode was called "Constance Carmell Wedding", as every episode is named after the event they Party Down crew caters.  Constance was becoming the tenth wife of a rich producer (Alex Rocco), a man much older than her, carting around an oxygen tank, but still with a youthful, even lecherous, spirit.  Constance hires her old buddies to cater the event to make sure they attend, but spends more time catching up with them than socializing with the wedding guests.

     This episode was full of great moments, from Patrick Duffy (as himself) breaking in and trying to stop the wedding, to Kyle's (Ryan Hansen) tribute song to Constance being an Aryan anthem, making her new husband and his other Jewish friends very uncomfortable, and the groom dying ten feet down the road after the car left the wedding.  Don't worry.  He wrote a fake name on the prenup his daughter made them sign, so Constance is now loaded!  My favorite moment was when Lydia (Megan Mullally) tells Constance that she's her replacement, and Constance replies that she doesn't think she's replaceable.  And she isn't.  As much as Lydia is finally starting to grow on me, no one can really replace Jane Lynch in anything because she is truly one of a kind.

     Other plots came to a head, too, giving each of the main characters important changes.  Casey's (Lizzy Caplan) scene is cut from her Judd Apatow film, taking away the chance at a big break that she longed for.  Henry (Adam Scott) decides to come out of acting retirement and go for a big role, although is it for his own sake, or to prove himself to Casey?  Roman (Martin Starr) gets incredibly high and writes an opus of a screenplay on toilet paper.  Ron (Ken Marino, who also directed this episode) declares his love for the engage daughter of his boss, Danielle (June Diane Raphael).  And Lydia makes the moves on Danielle's soon-to-be-divorced father, Bolus Lugozshe (Michael Hitchcock, United States of Tara).

     The brilliant comedy co-created by Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) has not yet been picked up for a third season, and while I sincerely hope that it gets renewed, it will face some challenges if it does.  For one thing, Adam Scott will be a series regular on Parks and Recreation next year, so his character of Henry will appear in no more than three episodes and will become the second principal that has to be replaced.  However, even with a reduced Scott quotient, I would very much miss the show if it went away.

     Party Down airs on Starz, which is a premium subscription channel.  If you have Netflix and a TiVo, XBox, etc. with streaming connection, both seasons, including last night's finale, are available to watch instantly.  If you don't subscribe to Netflix or Starz, I highly recommend signing up for Netflix immediately and at least take the free month trial and watch Party Down.