Camp MTV is a 6-hour special[1] (including commercials and music videos) produced byMTV that aired on that channel Sunday, July 30, 1989. MTV's then-current personalities invadedCamp Scatico, a brother-sistersleep-away camp in Columbia County of New York state. During the special, the filmUHF, which was about to be released byOrion Pictures, was promoted. It was the brainchild of executiveDoug Herzog, who was the vice president of programming at the time. Scatico was chosen because Herzog attended the camp during the 1970s.[2]
Adam Curry welcomes viewers to Camp MTV in the radio shack and gives a rundown of things to come. Afterward, he introduces the song “Hey, Ladies” by theBeastie Boys.
Camp director“Weird Al” Yankovic opens Camp MTV with the assembled campers and staff in the dining hall, andStanley Spadowski wants to go hiking. No one else wants to go, so Al offers to take everyone out forbanana-slug burritos.
Colin Quinn,John Ten Eyck,Mario Joyner, andChris Connelly discuss tattoos in their bunk.Ken Ober arrives, personal assistant in tow (played by a camper whose name was misspelled in the article that appeared inThe Times Union—see reference #1), and shakes things up.
Ken settles in and is welcomed by Al and Stanley.
Kevin Seal lectures about fire safety and introduces Ranger Bob (also Ten Eyck) to some counselors. The lecture's boring, so it's drowned out by loud music and a crawl at the bottom of the screen.
Adam and Ken, all but set to win the 3-legged marathon, are interviewed by Kevin at the end of the race and are upset by a pair of campers. Kevin promises to interview the winners, but it never happens.
Colin discusses activities that are against the rules. They lead to punishment in the Hard-Time Box—which turns out to be quite luxurious.
Ken, Mario, and Colin discuss their love of camp and the hardships they suffer at home.
In the radio shack, Adam talks about a mosquito problem and introduces the song “18 & Life” bySkid Row.
Ed Lover,Doctor Dré, Randee, Ken, Mario, Colin, and Chris discuss the women of MTV while stuck in a rowboat.
Victoria and Angela discuss boys at the girls’ waterfront.
Ranger Bob discusses snake bites and faints from one that he suffers.
In the radio shack, Adam discusses rats, the counselors’ bunks, and a toilet-paper shortage. Then, he introduces the song “What You Don’t Know” byExposé.
In the arts-and-crafts shack, Randee makes a paperweight while Ed, Dré, and some campers watch.
Chris discusses film theory andSergei Eisenstein with campers—and then introduces a clip fromUHF.
A visit to Chez Mario's Kitchen, which prepares inedible food.
Ranger Bob has fun with a bear on the potty and its droppings.
Al and Stanley go fishing.
Martians land in Grover's Corners, à laOrson Welles, and possess Adam in the radio shack. He becomes Lorgin, who introduces the song “So Alive” byLove and Rockets.
Ed, Dré, Mario, and Ken play basketball with some young campers and win by cheating, announcing thatDowntown Julie Brown has come to camp.
Angela answers questions about boys forAlicia Coppola (billed as Allicia Coppola) and someClub MTV dancers.
Doctor Al defends the radical surgical techniques that he learned at theSore-Bonie after removing a camper's eye with a bug in it.
Head counselor Mario confronts Al about the radical surgical techniques he learned at the Sore-Bonnie, complete with a different pronunciation of the place from the previous segment.
Colin, Ken, and Mario make deals to acquirecontraband items, such as soft toilet paper.
Smelly sneakers and a funeral for a group of campers who tried to escape make for another round of announcements from Adam in the radio shack, who then introduces the song “Express Yourself” byMadonna Ciccone.
Play rehearsal with Kevin, who hopes that the campers can provide him with a show-business connection after their parents see their performance. An 11-year-oldJulie Klausner is one of the rehearsing campers.
Ken and Colin discuss roasting marshmallows with disastrous and harmful results.
Randee tries to get everyone to sing a corny song, but when Dré begins tobeat box and Al joins in with his accordion, everyone joins in the merriment.
Alicia sings some campfire songs a little too nonchalantly, soSteve Treccase, accompanying her on aRoland keyboard, breaks into a song about dead bodies that ruins the vibe completely.
Executive Producers: Joel Gallen, Doug Herzog (uncredited)
Writers: Bat Mondavi, Peter Gaffney, David DeGiovanni, Peter Elwell, Keith Kaczorek
Associate Producers: Norman Champion, Lisa Erlich Rapkin
Production Manager: Susette Hsuing
Production Coordinators: Beth Greenbaum, Marilyn J. Papa, Jackie Olensky (uncredited)
Editor: Andy Kadison
Technical Manager: George Epley
Technical Coordinator: Harvey Gold
Lighting Director: Bill Berner
Camera: Paul Koestner, Richard Smith
Video Engineer: Roger Miller
Chyron: JT Tavares
Gaffer: John Berry
Electricians: Andy Hiliger, Gerard Macavoy
Talent Assistants: Gerri Bulion, Stephanie Kahn
Props: Jaime Bishop, Dan Fischer
Make-up: Maria Matteos
Director of On-Air Services: Rachel Gruhin
Manager of Operations: Hank Kiechlin
Director of Talent: Drue Wilson
Production Associate: Stacey Wolf
Production Assistants: Wyatt Baker, Jacqueline Barba, Mike Daole, Mike Flanagan, Jack Madrid, Dan Michaels, Bill Miller, Amy Rachlin, Jonathen Swain, Holly Tooker, Eric Whepley, Tony Wilesko, Doug Wilson
Production Support: Lydia Cannito, Barbara Milberg
Interns: Raquel Alvardo, William Costell, Jillian Harris, Scott Mitchell
Concept: Vinnie Longobardo
Special Thanks: John Hickey, Gwenn Howard, the Fleischner family, Camp Scatico
^Trinkhaus, Janet. "MTV Goes to Camp for a Day."The Times Union, July 23, 1989, p. T3. Retrieved fromTimesunion.com[permanent dead link] on March 27, 2009.
^Tomer, Susan E. "Generations Return to Work and Play at Scatico."The Times Union, August 13, 1989, p. F1. Retrieved fromTimesunion.com[permanent dead link] on March 27, 2009.
