# Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (2015)

> A raucous 1980s prequel to the cult summer camp comedy, following counselors and campers at Camp Firewood on its first day.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/55178

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 8
- Episode runtime: 30 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: David Wain, Michael Showalter
- Network: Netflix
- Cast: Janeane Garofalo, Molly Shannon, Eric Nenninger, Paul Rudd, Christopher Meloni, Ken Marino, Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper
- TMDB rating: 7.3/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4341500/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: campy, absurdist, irreverent, goofy, self aware, cheerful

## What critics say

Audiences rate this Netflix prequel positively, enjoying its absurd, gleefully silly take on the 2001 cult comedy.

## Synopsis

Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (2015) is a United States Netflix comedy miniseries created by David Wain and Michael Showalter. Set at Camp Firewood in the 1980s, this eight-episode prequel to the 2001 cult classic film follows a sprawling ensemble of counselors and campers as the first day of camp spirals into romantic rivalries, petty feuds, and absurd mishaps. Janeane Garofalo plays Beth, Molly Shannon plays Gail von Kleinenstein, and Paul Rudd plays Andy, while Amy Poehler as Susie, Bradley Cooper as Ben, Chris Pine as Eric, and Jason Schwartzman as Greg fill out the camp's interlocking romances and rivalries. Christopher Meloni as Gene and Ken Marino as Victor Pulak add more eccentric energy to the mix. The engine of each episode is simple: a crowd of overeager young adults wants to win a girl, a job, or a bit of status, and every scheme collapses in ever stranger ways. Each half-hour episode feels like a loose, cheerful sketch built around a single day, with a deliberately campy visual register. The tone is goofy, irreverent, and self-aware, a parody that embraces its own silliness. Fans of Wet Hot American Summer, Stella, and Mr. Show with Bob and David will find resonance in its absurdist sensibility and ensemble cast.

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