''Camp Midnite'' is a Friday late night, ninety-minute

variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

talk show A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...

on the

USA Network USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madison ...

in 1989. Its twenty-six episodes were hosted by Dick Wilson, a radio personality from

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

(not to be confused with

Dick Wilson Dick Wilson (July 30, 1916 – November 18, 2007) was an American actor who was best known as grocery store manager Mr. George Whipple in more than 500 Charmin bathroom tissue television commercials (1965–89, 1999–2000). Biography Dick Wi ...

, the actor who played "Mr. Whipple" in commercials). The show featured skits that were done by cast members Tony Forkush and Caroline Schlitt. They did such take offs on television shows like "The Love Connection" and "Gilligan's Island," as well as celebrities

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

and

Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is ...

in "Singing in the Rainman". The series was produced by

Dick Clark Productions Dick Clark Productions (DCP, stylized in lowercase as dick clark productions or dcp) is an American multinational television production company founded by radio and TV host Dick Clark. The studio primarily produces award shows and other music en ...

and its music provided by Scooter Pietsch.

Format

The show was set to look like it took place on the backstage side of another TV show, and generally had an intentionally "cheap" feel meant to distinguish it from equivalent programs. There was a

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. S ...

maker behind the host and members of the audience were encouraged to get up in the middle of the show and get themselves a cup of coffee. Guests on the show were encouraged to sign a

styrofoam Styrofoam is a trademarked brand of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), commonly called "Blue Board", manufactured as foam continuous building insulation board used in walls, roofs, and foundations as thermal insulation and water barrie ...

cup and bite the cup to leave a dental record for future identification if needed. The cups of all guests where displayed on the wall behind the host. Each show included calling a local L.A. restaurant and ordering food for the audience members.

Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American radio and television personality, television producer and film actor, as well as a cultural icon who remains best known for hosting ''American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 198 ...

appeared on the first show and took a pie in the face from the host.

Production

The show's writers included Tim Conway Jr., Warren Bell, David Hirsch, Tim Maile, and Gary Basmajian. The production coordinator was Mark Walberg. The producers were

and

Larry Klein Larry Klein (born March 17, 1956) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is based in Los Angeles. He began his career as a bassist, playing with jazz artists Willie Bobo, Freddie Hubbard, Carmen McRae, Joe Henderson, Bobb ...

Broadcast history

''Camp Midnite'' premiered on January 6, 1989, and was one of two respective shows that replaced ''Night Flight'' on Fridays and Saturdays; ''

USA Up All Night ''USA Up All Night'' (also known as ''Up All Night'' and ''Up All Night with Rhonda Shear'') was an American cable television series that aired weekly on Friday and Saturday nights on the USA Network. The show aired from 1989 to 1998. Synopsis ...

'' starring

Gilbert Gottfried Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried (February 28, 1955 – April 12, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian and actor, known for his exaggerated shrill voice, strong New York accent, and his edgy, often controversial, sense of humor. His numerous r ...

was the other. After ''Camp Midnite'' ended its run about half-way through 1989, cast member Caroline Schlitt was given her own Friday night edition of ''USA Up All Night'', before she was ultimately replaced by

Rhonda Shear Rhonda Honey Shear (born November 12, 1954) is an American television personality, comedian, actress, and entrepreneur. She is known for her role as a host in the 1990s USA Network's weekend B-movie show, ''USA Up All Night''. In 2001, she start ...

a year and a half later in January 1991; ''Up All Night'' lasted until 1998.

References

External links

Archive.org''Caroline Schlitt''
* {{USANetwork Shows 1989 American television series debuts 1989 American television series endings 1980s American television talk shows 1980s American sketch comedy television series 1980s American variety television series USA Network original programming Television series by Dick Clark Productions Television series by Universal Television