Last week when Party Down’s Ryan Hansen defected to NBC’s upcoming Friends With Benefits — following the previous departures of Jane Lynch (to Glee) and Adam Scott (to Parks and Recreation) — we politely requested that networks stop poaching stars from TV’s greatest-ever catering comedy. Then, last night, CBS stole Lizzy Caplan (for its upcoming True Love), so now we’re changing our position slightly. Since a third season of Down seems increasingly unlikely with four of its six original cast members lost to major networks (the second season premieres on April 23, by the way), we’d hate to live in a world in which Martin Starr and Ken Marino didn’t appear on television. So which existing shows should poach them?
Martin Starr
As Party Down’s smartest, most cynical, and unrepentantly geeky screenwriting caterer, Starr would be a natural fit on any sitcom in which nerds are found (Big Bang Theory, Community). But he was great as a sad dork in Adventureland, too, so we’d almost rather see him do a drama. We’d buy him as a new intern on House or a world-weary forensics scientist on one of the CSIs.
Ken Marino
He’s so good as Down’s lovably inept boss that we’re a little worried somebody might try to put him on The Office, which already suffers from way too much lovable ineptitude. But how about a role as a too-serious school-band director on Modern Family? Or a Kabletown executive on 30 Rock?
Have better ideas? Let us know!