Camp Wilder

Infobox Television
show_name = Camp Wilder


caption =
genre = Sitcom
starring = Mary Page Keller
Jerry O'Connell
Meghann Haldeman
Tina Majorino
Jay Mohr
Hilary Swank
Margaret Langrick
opentheme =
country = USA
language = English
num_seasons = 1
num_episodes = 20 (Only first 19 aired in the US)
list_episodes =
exec_producer =
co_exec =
producer =
runtime = 30 mins.
channel = ABC
first_aired = September, 1992
last_aired = February 26, 1993

"Camp Wilder" is an American sitcom about a family living in suburban Los Angeles, California, airing as part of ABC's "TGIF" lineup for half a season (right after "Step by Step"). The show is notable for featuring early appearances by Jerry O'Connell, Jared Leto, and Hilary Swank. It was canceled after the 19th episode aired on February 26, 1993, due to low ratings. A 20th episode was produced but was never aired in the US. "Camp Wilder" was also shown in the UK and Germany, where it actually became a hit.

ynopsis

Ricky Wilder (Mary Page Keller) was a 28-year-old nurse and single mother, raising her family in the childhood home of hers, left by her deceased parents. Ricky's only actual child was her cute-as-a-button 6-year-old daughter Sophie (Tina Majorino), but she was also the principal guardian to her younger, teenage siblings Brody (Jerry O'Connell) and Melissa (Meghann Haldeman). From the time their parents died, Ricky understood that she couldn't change out of her persona as the "cool, approachable" older sister and mixed parenting tactics in with the setting of a casual, laissez-faire household. In fact, the atmosphere in the Wilder house was so laid back that many of Brody and Melissa's friends saught it as a refuge from the stricter, more confining homes run by their traditional parents. Ricky thus welcomed them all in with open arms, where they regularly sat around the family's kitchen table, kicked back, and talked about life, while Ricky helped them sort out their issues and dispensed sound advice; albeit in a non-judgemental, friend-like way. As a result, the neighborhood youth nicknamed their home "Camp Wilder".

The "hangers-out" that showed up regularly were Brody's best pal Dorfman (Jay Mohr) and Melissa's friends Beth (Margaret Langrick) and Danielle (Hilary Swank). Many other friends and classmates of theirs passed through "Camp Wilder" in guest appearances, most notably Dexter (Jared Leto), a hip, motorcycle-riding bad boy whom Melissa had the hots for. Other stories focused on the escapades of the Wilders, and especially on little Sophie, who was beginning to look up to Brody as a surrogate father figure rather than just as an uncle. Throughout the show's 20 episodes she began exhibiting tomboyish traits, and at Christmas, she told the family that all she wanted was to be a boy. The storylines of such variety were also dealt with meetings and morals learned around the "mess hall" of "Camp Wilder".

Cast

*Mary Page Keller ... Ricky Wilder
*Jerry O'Connell ... Brody Wilder
*Meghann Haldeman ... Melissa Wilder
*Tina Majorino ... Sophie Wilder
*Jay Mohr ... Dorfman
*Hilary Swank ... Danielle
*Margaret Langrick ... Beth

External links

*
* [http://www.retrojunk.com/details_tvshows/1017-camp-wilder/ Camp Wilder] intro from Retrojunk