Creative Team
Rob Thomas was the mastermind behind Mars, and for his new show he's brought along a few above-the-line staffers from his old gang. First there's Dan Etheridge, credited as an eventual co-producer on Mars and now an executive producer of Party Down along with Thomas. And then we have John Enbom, a writer on Mars who has worked his way up to showrunner of Party Down! Apparently Rob Thomas is damn loyal.

Major Guest Stars!
What would a Veronica Mars reunion be without some heavyweight cameos? In the premiere, we've got Enrico Colantoni (also known as Mr. Keith Mars) as disenchanted homeowner Gordon McSpadden, host of the Willow Canyon Homeowners Association Annual Party. Then in the second episode Jason Dohring, the one and only Mr. Logan Echolls, drops in as a member of the California College Conservative Union. And who helps wrap up the season in the finale episode but Miss Veronica Mars herself, playing the ruthless owner of a rival catering team? Ah, the memories.

In addition, quite a few regular and guest cast members have spent a decent amount of time in Neptune, CA in the course of their careers...

Ryan Hansen
Also known as the nefarious and slimy Dick Casablancas, Hansen will play Kyle Bradway, one of the six cater-waiters. An annoyingly handsome actor/model/indie band frontman, as long as Hansen's new character can avoid drugging the drinks of female partygoers a la his previous incarnation as (the aptly named) Dick, he should be fine.

Ken Marino
Better known to Mars viewers as rival private investigator Vinnie Van Lowe, Marino plays Ron Donald, the straight-laced Team Captain of Party Down who has cleaned up his former hard-partying ways by the time the show begins. Vinnie often got in the way of Veronica's investigations, but occasionally he managed to help the Mars Team (when he wasn't almost getting Keith killed). Marino's new character almost sounds like a reformed version of Van Lowe -- you know, without the questionable morals.

Alona Tal
Viewers didn't get to see much of Alona Tal (or as she was known back on Mars, mentally-abused cheerleader Megan Manning) during the second season, as she was in a coma after a lethal bus crash and then died of a blood clot shortly after waking up after delivering her daughter. Alona will make an appearance in the second episode of Party Down as a clean-cut member of the California College Conservative Union. Which Megan Manning might have gone on to join, had she lived... and not birthed a child out of wedlock by Duncan Kane...

Ed Begley, Jr.
Mars viewers will surely remember Cyrus O'Dell, Dean of Hearst College and eventual ally of Veronica. He will appear in Episode 3 as a former flame of Constance (the very funny Jane Lynch, we'll get to her later) who inspires her to leave her husband and make a pass at lead cater-waiter Henry (Adam Scott, we'll get to him too). Poor Cyrus... if only he hadn't been murdered by an angry teaching assistant, he might have lived to see this day.

Daran Norris
Though never given a huge part, Cliff McCormack -- a Neptune Public Defender and frequent client of the Mars family -- was a reliable standby in the world of Veronica Mars. Daran Norris will guest star in the fourth episode, when the gang caters an investors' dinner that turns out to be run by a con man.

Adam Scott
As Henry Pollard, a former Party Down employee who is forced to return to his old job after eight years of very nearly making it as an actor, Adam Scott has top billing on this new series. And though he never spent much time in Neptune, he did make an appearance in the Season 1 episode "Mars v. Mars" as Mr. Rooks, a teacher accused of having an affair with a student. His case pitted father against daughter when Keith was hired to prove Rooks' guilt while Veronica swore she'd prove his innocence.

Jane Lynch
Most know Jane Lynch from her many Apatow film appearances, but this veteran character actress has been lighting up the screen for years. In Party Down she plays Constance Carmell, an actress who's spent thirty years in roles as an extra but who never lets her lack of breakout success get her down. On Mars in the Season 1 episode "Return of the Kane," she played Mrs. Donaldson, a teacher at Neptune High.

And in addition to these fine thespians, a grand total of eight other Mars alums will appear during the course of Party Down including Ryan Devlin (a.k.a. college-radio-DJ-turned-underground-casino-mogul Mercer Hayes), Paula Marshall (a.k.a. Neptune High guidance counselor and one-time love interest of Keith Mars), and Martin Yu (a.k.a. Neptune High's Mr. Wu).

In fact, the only major characters on the show who are in no way connected to Veronica Mars are True Blood's Lizzy Caplan, who plays aspiring comedienne/cater-waiter and Henry's love interest Casey Klein, and Freaks and Geeks' Martin Starr, who plays the uber-judgmental Sci-Fi writer/cater-waiter Roman DeBeers. And hey, if Veronica Mars hadn't been tragically canceled before its time, these two would have quite likely made an appearance.

Thoughts about these many connections? Let us know below!