I liked Party Down a lot when it ran for two seasons back in 2009–10, and I like it now upon its return for a long-delayed third season. This Starz comedy concerns a small catering company called Party Down, whose crew works a different event in each episode. The series manages to be both honest and affectionate as it satirizes the lives of Hollywood aspirants working dead-end jobs in Los Angeles.

Some of the events Party Down caters are Hollywood-related, such as “Steve Guttenberg’s Birthday Party,” a highlight of the second season, and the third season opener “Kyle Bradway is Nitromancer,” in which one of the cast regulars, Ryan Hansen as the fatuous himbo Kyle, celebrates making it by scoring a rote superhero franchise. But most of the events represent the larger and more varied world of LA subcultures beyond the mainstream movie industry. Episode titles from the first season include “Willow Canyon Homeowners Annual Party,” “California College Conservative Union Caucus,” “Pepper McMasters Singles Seminar,” “Brandix Corporate Retreat,” “Stennheiser-Pong Wedding Reception,” and the “Sin Say Shun Awards Afterparty,” the latter of which takes place at an adult entertainment industry awards show reception where trophies were handed out to porn stars for “Best Blowjob” and other achievements.

Created and mostly written by Veronica Mars team John Enbom, Rob Thomas, and Dan Etheridge, plus actor Paul Rudd, Party Down was a critically lauded show that did badly in the ratings. But it became a cult favorite, with persistent fan demands that the show be renewed somehow, or extended as a stand-alone Party Down movie. As with the higher-profile cult-favorite show Arrested Development, when the belated new season finally arrived, it seemed strange and astonishing that fans succeeded in bringing it back.