Camping (American TV series)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Camping
GenreComedy
Created by
Based onCamping
by Julia Davis
Starring
ComposerBen Lee
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Travon Free
  • Regina Heyman
CinematographyQuyen Tran
Editors
  • Paul Zucker
  • Kabir Akhtar
  • Christal A. Khatib
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time28–31 minutes
Production companies
  • Hush Ho
  • Baby Cow Productions
  • I Am Jenni Konner Productions
  • Good Thing Going
  • HBO Enterprises
Original release
NetworkHBO
ReleaseOctober 14 (2018-10-14) –
December 2, 2018 (2018-12-02)

Camping is an American comedy television series, based on the British television series of the same name created by Julia Davis, that premiered on October 14, 2018, on HBO. The series was created by Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner and stars an ensemble cast including Jennifer Garner, David Tennant, Juliette Lewis, Ione Skye, Chris Sullivan, Cheyenne Haynes, Arturo Del Puerto, Janicza Bravo, and Brett Gelman.

Premise

Camping follows "Walt, whose 45th birthday was supposed to be a delightful weekend back to nature, at least according to his obsessively organized and aggressively controlling wife Kathryn. But when the camping trip gathers Kathryn's meek sister, holier than thou ex-best friend and a free-spirited tagalong in one place, it becomes a weekend of tested marriages and woman on woman crime that won't soon be forgotten. Plus, bears."[1]

Cast and characters

Main

  • Jennifer Garner as Kathryn McSorley-Jodell, a minor Instagram celebrity and wife of Walt and mother to Orvis
  • David Tennant as Walt Jodell, Kathryn's husband who is celebrating his 45th birthday on the camping trip
  • Arturo Del Puerto as Miguel, a friend of Walt and Kathryn's who recently separated from his wife Margaret. Expected not to attend the trip, he surprises the group after showing up with his new girlfriend Jandice.
  • Juliette Lewis as Jandice, a reiki healer and Miguel's new girlfriend. Not invited to attend, her presence on the trip causes Kathryn great annoyance.
  • Ione Skye as Carleen, Kathryn's sister and Joe's girlfriend
  • Chris Sullivan as Joe, Carleen's husband and Sol's father who is dealing with an oxycontin addiction
  • Janicza Bravo as Nina-Joy, a friend of Kathryn and Walt's and wife of George
  • Brett Gelman as George, a friend of Kathryn and Walt's and husband of Nina-Joy

Recurring

  • Cheyenne Haynes as Sol, the daughter of Joe. She was not initially supposed to come along on the camping trip due to Kathryn's "no kids" rule but is forced to attend after her sleepover plans fall through.
  • Duncan Joiner as Orvis, the son of Kathryn and Walt
  • Bridget Everett as Harry, the proprietor of the Brown Bear Lake camping ground
  • Rhiannon Wryn as Tyler, a girl whom Sol meets in town
  • Yimmy Yim as Nan, the wife of Harry who runs the camping ground with her
  • Rene Gube as Braylen, a man with whom Nina-Joy has been cheating on George

Guest

  • John Riggi as Shopkeeper ("Going to Town"), the co-owner of Antics, a shop that Jandice and Miguel look around and eventually have sex in
  • Mary-Pat Green as Clementine ("Going to Town"), a waitress at Yee Haw's Saloon who brings the group a round of jelly-doughnut flavored shots
  • Busy Philipps as Allison ("Up All Night"), a friend of Nina-Joy on camping trip with Beth-Ann and Nia. She expresses a deep-seated feeling of antipathy towards Kathryn after Nina-Joy mentions she spending the weekend with her.
  • Nicole Richie as Beth-Ann ("Up All Night"), a friend of Allison and Nia's who goes camping with her every year allowing her respite from her kids
  • Hari Nef as Nia ("Up All Night"), a friend of Allison and Beth-Ann's who is accompanying them on their weekend camping trip

Episodes

Camping, season 1 episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Pilot"Jenni KonnerLena Dunham & Jenni KonnerOctober 14, 2018 (2018-10-14)0.544[2]
2"Going to Town"Jenni KonnerLena Dunham & Jenni KonnerOctober 21, 2018 (2018-10-21)0.404[3]
3"Fishing Trip"John RiggiJohn RiggiOctober 28, 2018 (2018-10-28)0.384[4]
4"Up All Night"Wendey StanzlerPaula PellNovember 4, 2018 (2018-11-04)0.265[5]
5"Just Plain Mad"Jude WengTravon Free & Lena DunhamNovember 11, 2018 (2018-11-11)0.246[6]
6"Carleen?!"Wendey StanzlerLena DunhamNovember 18, 2018 (2018-11-18)0.273[7]
7"Birthday Party (Part 1)"Jude WengLena Dunham & Jenni KonnerNovember 25, 2018 (2018-11-25)0.298[8]
8"Birthday Party (Part 2)"Jason BenjaminLena Dunham & Jenni KonnerDecember 2, 2018 (2018-12-02)0.308[9]

Production

Development

On February 8, 2018, it was announced that HBO had given the production a series order consisting of eight half-hour episodes. Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner had been developing the series with HBO for some time prior to the announcement and finally received a green light following Jennifer Garner's commitment to star. The series is based on the British series Camping created by Julia Davis. The series was expected to be written by Dunham and Konner who would also executive produce alongside Julia Davis, Christine Langan, and Ilene S. Landress. Production companies involved in the series were slated to include A Casual Romance, Hush Ho, and Baby Cow Productions.[1][10][11]

On March 19, 2018, it was reported that Tom Lassally had joined the series as an executive producer for 3 Arts Entertainment.[12] On July 25, 2018, it was announced that the series would premiere on October 14, 2018.[13]

Casting

Alongside the initial series announcement, it was reported that Jennifer Garner had been cast in the series' lead role.[1] On March 16, 2018, it was announced that David Tennant had joined the main cast in the lead male role.[14] A few days later, it was reported that Janicza Bravo, Arturo Del Puerto, Brett Gelman, and Juliette Lewis had been cast as series regulars and that Bridget Everett was joining the series in a recurring capacity.[12][15] That same month, Ione Skye also joined the main cast.[16] On May 16, 2018, it was reported that Busy Philipps and Nicole Richie had joined the cast of the series in undisclosed capacity.[17]

Filming

Principal photography was expected to begin in the spring of 2018 in Los Angeles.[1]

Release

On July 25, 2018, the series held a panel at the Television Critics Association's annual summer press tour featuring executive producer Jenni Konner and cast member Jennifer Garner.[13] The following day, a teaser trailer for the series was released.[18]

Reception

Critical response

The series has been met with a mixed to negative response from critics upon its premiere. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds a 27% approval rating, with an average rating of 4.84 out of 10 based on 51 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "The first season of Camping makes it difficult to determine who the least happy campers are: those on the screen or those watching it."[19] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 50 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[20]

In a negative review, Variety's Caroline Farmke criticized the series saying, "the series wastes its potential, showing so little insight or movement that watching Camping becomes nearly as unpleasant as it is for the characters living through it."[21] In another unfavorable critique, Collider's Andrea Reiher was equally dismissive saying, "It truly leaves one wondering: What is the point of this show? If it's not laughs or personal growth, is it just a slice-of-life comedy about unlikable people? That's not enough, especially in this overcrowded TV landscape. Plus, who has the patience to wait half a season or more before finding characters they want to stay with on this journey? Despite high hopes for this combination of Dunham's writing talent and Garner's charisma, there just isn't enough over the first four episodes to really make this a comedy worth tuning into. You can skip this Camping trip."[22] In a more mixed assessment, Indiewire Ben Travers was slightly more positive saying, "Camping is certainly an ensemble-driven comedy, and the supporting cast is easier to get behind, but that's like saying it's easier to build a fire with a piece of glass than two rocks. Both will test your patience, and they don't work well together."[23] In a rare positive evaluation, The Wall Street Journal's John Anderson described the series as "A very funny, quasi-cringy series that takes the Sartre-esque point of view into the great outdoors."[24] Gwen Inhat of The A.V. Club summed up her D+ review, "It’s a waste of a fine cast and a bucolic setting. One possible upside for the series is that Camping might inspire people to go camping themselves, just to get away from TV for awhile". Due to the mostly negative reviews, the show was cancelled after one season.[25]

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of Camping
No. Title Air date Rating
(18–49)
Viewers
(millions)
DVR viewers
(millions)
Total viewers
(millions)
1 "Pilot" October 14, 2018 0.1 0.544[2] 0.267 0.811[26]
2 "Going to Town" October 21, 2018 0.1 0.404[3] 0.181 0.585[27]
3 "Fishing Trip" October 28, 2018 0.1 0.384[4] 0.188 0.572[28]
4 "Up All Night" November 4, 2018 0.1 0.265[5] 0.169 0.434[29]
5 "Just Plain Mad" November 11, 2018 0.1 0.246[6] 0.233 0.479[30]
6 "Carleen?!" November 18, 2018 0.1 0.273[7] 0.177 0.450[31]
7 "Birthday Party (Part 1)" November 25, 2018 0.1 0.298[8] 0.183 0.481[32]
8 "Birthday Party (Part 2)" December 2, 2018 0.1 0.308[9] 0.172 0.480[33]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Andreeva, Nellie (February 8, 2018). "Jennifer Garner To Topline HBO Comedy Series 'Camping' From Lena Dunham & Jenni Konner Based On British Format". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (October 16, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.14.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on October 16, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (October 23, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.21.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on October 23, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (October 30, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.28.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on October 31, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  5. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (November 6, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.4.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  6. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (November 13, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.11.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 13, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (November 20, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.18.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 20, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  8. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (November 28, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.25.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 28, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (December 4, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.2.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  10. ^ Holloway, Daniel (February 8, 2018). "Lena Dunham Lands New HBO Show With Jennifer Garner Set to Star". Variety. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
  11. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (February 8, 2018). "Jennifer Garner to Star in HBO Comedy From 'Girls' Duo Lena Dunham, Jenni Konner". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
  12. ^ a b Petski, Denise (March 19, 2018). "'Camping': Janicza Bravo, Arturo Del Puerto, Brett Gelman Cast As Regulars In HBO Comedy Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  13. ^ a b Littleton, Cynthia (July 25, 2018). "Jennifer Garner Tackles the Great Outdoors With Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner in HBO's 'Camping'". Variety. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
  14. ^ Petski, Denise (March 16, 2018). "'Camping': David Tennant To Star In HBO Comedy Series From Lena Dunham & Jenni Konner". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  15. ^ Petski, Denise (March 19, 2018). "'Camping': Juliette Lewis Joins HBO Comedy Series From Lena Dunham & Jenni Konner". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  16. ^ Petski, Denise (March 20, 2018). "'Camping': Ione Skye Joins HBO Comedy Series From Lena Dunham & Jenni Konner". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 18, 2018. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  17. ^ Gelman, Vlada (May 16, 2018). "TVLine Items: Elisabeth Shue Joins Amazon's Boys, Kimmy Trailer and More". TVLine. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  18. ^ Petski, Denise (July 26, 2018). "'Camping' Trailer: First Look At Jennifer Garner In HBO Comedy Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
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  20. ^ "Camping: Season 1". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
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  22. ^ Reiher, Andrea (October 11, 2018). "'Camping' Review: Lena Dunham's New HBO Comedy Is Not a Trip Worth Taking". Collider. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  23. ^ Travers, Ben (October 8, 2018). "'Camping' Review: Lena Dunham's New HBO Comedy Is More Snores Than S'Mores". IndieWire. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  24. ^ Anderson, John (October 11, 2018). "'Camping' Review: Roughing It in More Ways Than One". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  25. ^ Inhat, Gwen (October 12, 2018). "No One on Lena Dunham's New Show Is Worth Going Camping With". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
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External links