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Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp

{{short description|2015 American comedy television miniseries}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox television

| image = FirstDayOfCamp.jpg

| caption =

| genre = {{Plainlist|

}}

| creator = {{Plainlist|

}}

| based_on = {{based on|Wet Hot American Summer|David Wain and Michael Showalter}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| theme_music_composer =

| opentheme = "Jane" by Jefferson Starship

| endtheme =

| composer =

| country = United States

| language = English

| num_episodes = 8

| list_episodes =

| director = David Wain

| writer = {{Plainlist|

}}

| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|

  • Michael Showalter
  • David Wain
  • Jonathan Stern
  • Peter Principato
  • Howard Bernstein

}}

| producer =

| editor =

| location =

| cinematography = Kevin Atkinson

| camera = Single-camera

| runtime = 27–30 minutes

| company = {{Plainlist|

}}

| channel = Netflix

| released = {{Start date|2015|07|31}}

| related = Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later (2017)

}}

Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp is an American satirical comedy television miniseries written by David Wain and Michael Showalter, and directed by Wain. First Day of Camp is the second installment in the Wet Hot American Summer franchise. The eight-episode Netflix series is a prequel to Wain's 2001 film Wet Hot American Summer, a parody of teen sex comedies which has since developed a cult following.{{cite web |last=Tobias |first=Scott |url=https://www.avclub.com/the-new-cult-canon-wet-hot-american-summer-1798214174 |title=The New Cult Canon: Wet Hot American Summer |website=The AV Club |date=2008-06-11 |access-date=2011-02-20}} Although many of the original film's ensemble cast have gone on to high-profile work, all of the then-adult actors returned for this series, playing even younger versions of their original roles. The episodes were released for online viewing at the end of July 2015.{{cite tweet|last=Black|first=Michael Ian|author-link=Michael Ian Black|user=michaelianblack|number=591670693936369664|title=Campers! Camp Firewood is under quarantine due to an outbreak of mono. Get checked. Camp will now start on July 31|date=April 24, 2015|access-date=April 25, 2015}}

Cast and characters

=Returning cast from the film (in alphabetical order)=

{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}

{{div col end}}

=New cast=

{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}

{{div col end}}

=Guest appearances=

Episodes

{{Episode table |background=#ffff00 |overall= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |episodes=

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 1

| Title = Campers Arrive

| DirectedBy = David Wain

| WrittenBy = Michael Showalter & David Wain

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2015|7|31}}

| ShortSummary = It's the first morning at Camp Firewood, and the horny counselors are already making their moves, while something sinister is going on in the woods.

| LineColor = ffff00

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 2

| Title = Lunch

| DirectedBy = David Wain

| WrittenBy = Michael Showalter & David Wain

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2015|7|31}}

| ShortSummary = Journalist Lindsay goes undercover as a counselor. Beth and Greg make a startling discovery. Coop has his hands full with Kevin and Donna.

| LineColor = ffff00

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 3

| Title = Activities

| DirectedBy = David Wain

| WrittenBy = Michael Showalter

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2015|7|31}}

| ShortSummary = Tensions rise after Blake sees Andy hitting on Katie. Beth goes to an unlikely source for help. Coop is crushed when Donna gives out multiple gifts.

| LineColor = ffff00

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 4

| Title = Auditions

| DirectedBy = David Wain

| WrittenBy = Michael Showalter

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2015|7|31}}

| ShortSummary = Claude helps Susie find new leads for the musical. Gail tries to discover the truth about Jonas. The Falcon lands.

| LineColor = ffff00

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 5

| Title = Dinner

| DirectedBy = David Wain

| WrittenBy = Michael Showalter & Christina Lee

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2015|7|31}}

| ShortSummary = Susie, Claude, Andy and Katie get closer during the evening meal. Jonas overreacts when Victor prank-calls him. Beth and Greg hire a lawyer.

| LineColor = ffff00

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 6

| Title = Electro/City

| DirectedBy = David Wain

| WrittenBy = Michael Showalter & David Wain

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2015|7|31}}

| ShortSummary = Lives change dramatically during the performance of the staff musical "Electro-City." Greg and Beth's lawsuit goes to trial.

| LineColor = ffff00

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 7

| Title = Staff Party

| DirectedBy = David Wain

| WrittenBy = Michael Showalter

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2015|7|31}}

| ShortSummary = Victor and Coop discover that sex is a lot more complicated than they thought. Lindsay has to file her article. Andy and Katie have a moment of truth.

| LineColor = ffff00

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 8

| Title = Day Is Done

| DirectedBy = David Wain

| WrittenBy = Michael Showalter & David Wain

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2015|7|31}}

| ShortSummary = While Beth and Gene fight to save the camp from government forces, Andy and the other counselors take on their Camp Tiger Claw rivals.

| LineColor = ffff00

}}

}}

Production

After years of speculation and reports on a possible sequel to Wet Hot American Summer, shooting began on the miniseries in January 2015.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/01/wet-hot-american-summer-netflix-limited-series-original-cast-return-1201342994/|title='Wet Hot American Summer' A Go As Netflix Limited Series; Original Cast To Return — Deadline|author=Nellie Andreeva|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=January 9, 2015|access-date=April 22, 2015}} The entire adult cast of the film returned in the same roles. Much of the series was shot in Los Angeles. Working around the availability of the cast members, many of whom had seen a significant rise in stardom since the original film, was difficult; some sources report that Bradley Cooper, who plays Ben, had to shoot all of his scenes in one day,{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4341500/trivia|title=Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (2015–) Trivia|website=Internet Movie Database}} although star and co-writer Michael Showalter has since denied this claim.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/features/wet-hot-american-summer-how-netflix-rescued-a-cult-comedy-classic-20150720|title='Wet Hot American Summer': How Netflix Rescued a Cult-Comedy Classic|author=Andy Greene|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=July 20, 2015|access-date=July 22, 2015}}

Along with the series, a making-of documentary on Wet Hot American Summer, titled Hurricane of Fun: The Making of Wet Hot, was released on Netflix on July 24, 2015, consisting of behind the scenes interviews and footage shot during the filming of the movie.

Sequel

{{See also|Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later}}

On April 27, 2016, it was announced that Netflix ordered a follow-up series entitled Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later, set ten years after the events of the film. The series consists of eight episodes, and was released on August 4, 2017.

Reception

Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has a score of 92%, based on 53 reviews, with an average rating of 7.44/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp offers more of the same goofy hijinks that fans of the cult classic crave, but outsiders might not be quite as enamored."{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/wet_hot_american_summer/s01|title=WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER: FIRST DAY OF CAMP (2015)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=June 26, 2018}} On Metacritic, the series holds a score of 74 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/wet-hot-american-summer-first-day-of-camp|title=Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp: Season 1|website=Metacritic|access-date=June 26, 2018}}

For the 6th Critics' Choice Television Awards, John Slattery was nominated for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series.{{cite news|last1=Hipes|first1=Patrick|title=Critics' Choice Awards Nominations: 'Mad Max' Leads Film; ABC, HBO, FX Networks & 'Fargo' Top TV|url=https://deadline.com/2015/12/critics-choice-awards-nominations-2016-full-list-1201666326/|access-date=May 16, 2016|work=Deadline Hollywood|date=December 14, 2015|language=en-US}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Netflix title}}
  • {{IMDb title}}

{{Netflix original ended series (2012–2018)}}

Category:2010s American comedy television miniseries

Category:2010s American satirical television series

Category:2015 American television series debuts

Category:2015 American television series endings

Category:American prequel television series

Category:Cultural depictions of Ronald Reagan

Category:American English-language television shows

Category:Netflix original programming

Category:Live action television shows based on films

Category:Television series about summer camps

Category:American television series about teenagers

Category:Television series set in the 1980s

Category:Television shows set in Maine

Category:Television shows set in summer camps