The moment I saw Amy Poehler in the teaser for the series "Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp," I knew that I would watch the show without question. But the parade of superstar actors and the show's insanely funny humor made me watch the entire eight-show season in one sitting.
The ensemble cast includes Jon Hamm, Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Rudd, Michael Cera and many, many more. For those fellow "Saturday Night Live" fans, your favorite female veterans are there, too: Molly Shannon, Amy Poehler, Michaela Watkins, Janeane Garofalo, and Kristen Wiig. These 40- and 50-year-olds are playing 16-year-old camp counselors at their beloved Camp Firewood in the summer of '81.
The setting of an aging summer camp is relatable to most people, and I found myself feeling massive nostalgia from my own summer memories at Camp Ton-a-Wohda tucked away in the mountains of the North Carolina. The cabins, the mess hall, swimming in the lake, and morning activities all hit the right note. Somehow, the writers were able to blend those relatable aspects of summer camp with supernatural toxic waste, government conspiracies, and espionage all while being dressed in the um, unique, and often hilarious clothing of the early '80s. The product is ridiculous but ridiculously entertaining.
What sets this show apart from other popular Netflix series like "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmitt" or "Orange is the New Black" is the dense backstory. Also on Netflix is the movie the series is based on, "Wet Hot American Summer," and a one-hour feature on the making of the movie, "Hurricane of Fun: The Making of Wet Hot American Summer."
The movie, made in 2001, features almost exactly the same superstar cast as the mini-series. It's fun to see the actors before many of them had become wildly popular.
The behind-the-scenes documentary shows the actors goofing around on set (unfortunately, goofing around in the rain as it rained almost every single day during filming) and reveals that the most important questions on set, such as "Is there beer? Who's going on a beer run?" And "When are they going?" There are interviews with the cast, the crew, and directors, as well as the writers that are equally entertaining as the movie and the mini-series.
This show has the feel of watching a bunch of friends putting on a skit for their own entertainment and fortunately, we are lucky enough to get a peek. In combination with the movie and the making of the series, there are plenty of hours of "Wet Hot American Summer" fun for all to have this summer.
