House Party is a 2008 Canadian comedy TV series created and written by Sarah Constible and Matt Kippen, produced by Farpoint Films and Inferno Pictures Inc. that was originally broadcast on The Comedy Network.[1] The six-episode series is about the chaos around an unplanned house party, with each episode focusing on the experiences of one of five key characters.[2] Events unfold as experienced by the title character of each episode with the viewer intentionally left in the dark about certain things. As the series progresses the viewer gets to see more of the events and what triggered them.[3]
When Adam's parents go away for an overnight trip to Fargo leaving him home alone, he plans for a small gathering of friends in hopes of getting closer to his longtime crush Megan. Things quickly go awry when it turns out his best friend Eric has carelessly invited numerous others. As a full blown house party gets into swing Adam must try to keep it under control, his home intact, the drinks cabinet untouched, get closer to Megan, and Rainbow the cat safe.
In the opening credits the main cast and crew names, as well as their likenesses, appear on album covers that are seen being flipped through by a partygoer. The title sequence changes subtly for each episode, with the hands and arms of whoever is the title character that week being the ones seen flipping through the albums/credits.
Sarah Constible and Matt Kippen created and wrote the series.[13] They came up with the idea for the structure that relies on different characters perspectives from their own experiences at parties where major happenings they were completely unaware of would be related to them by others later on.[3] A friend who was a television producer suggested pitching their script.[3] Constible and Kippen would write material for House Party independently of each other, coming together to combine and discuss changes.[14]
An initial demonstration pilot[15] version with slightly different cast, directed by James Genn and costing $410,000, was shot in July 2006 for The Comedy Network.[16]
Shooting of the series proper took place at the Manitoba Production Centre soundstage for a planned 25 days on an approximate $2.9-$3 million budget and wrapped up on 25 April 2008.[17][18] Additionally exteriors were shot over two days at a house in River Heights.[19] Directing duties were split between Kelly Makin and John Barnard.[17] Producers were Kyle Bornais[20] for Farpoint Films and Brendon Sawatzky of Inferno Pictures.[18] Bornais stated that the party runs from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. and that they intended to shoot chronologically by the hour rather than episodically as is more usual.[21] Production designer for the series was Larry Spittle.[1]