Salute Your Shorts

Salute Your Shorts
Title Card
Format	Comedy-Drama
Created by	Steve Slavkin
Starring	Kirk Baily Megan Berwick Michael Ray Bower Christine Cavanaugh Danny Cooksey Venus DeMilo Tim Eyster Heidi Lucas Erik MacArthur Blake Soper Steve Slavkin Henry W. Laster
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	26 (List of episodes)
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Production company(s)	Propaganda Films
Broadcast
Original channel	Nickelodeon
Original run	June 1, 1991 – June 29, 1992

Salute Your Shorts is an American comedy television series that aired on Nickelodeon from 1991 to 1992 and in reruns until early 1999. It was based on the 1986 book, Salute Your Shorts: Life at Summer Camp by Steve Slavkin.

The series, filmed at Franklin Canyon Park and the Griffith Park Boys Camp within Griffith Park in Los Angeles, was set at the summer camp Camp Anawanna. It focuses on teenage campers, their strict and bossy counselor, and the various capers and jocularities they engage in.

The title comes from a common prank campers play on each other: a group of kids steals a boy's boxer shorts and raise them up a flagpole. Hence, when people see them waving like a flag, other kids would salute them as part of the prank.

Cast

• Kirk Baily — Kevin "Ug" Lee
• Megan Berwick — Z.Z. Ziff
• Michael Bower — Eddie "Donkeylips" C. Gelfen
• Venus DeMilo — Telly Radford
• Tim Eyster — Sponge Harris
• Heidi Lucas — Dina Alexander
• Erik MacArthur — Michael Stein (Season 1)
• Blake Soper — Ronald "Ronnie" Foster Pinsky (Season 2)
• Danny Cooksey — Robert "Bobby" Budnick
• Steve Slavkin — Dr. Kahn
• Christine Cavanaugh — Mona Tibbs
• Henry W. Laster — Kent Flankman (There is a person who is pretending to be Kent Flankman when he really wasn't.)

Production

Salute Your Shorts was a relatively unique show for Nickelodeon at the time, as most of its scenes were shot on location. As Camp Anawanna was purely fictional, producers filmed the show at several locations around the Los Angeles area. Scenes involving camp activities, such as baseball and basketball, were shot on location at the Griffith Park Boys Camp within Griffith Park. The lake that was frequently seen on the show was located at the William O. Douglas Outdoor Classroom in Franklin Canyon Park. Interiors were shot on sets.

Episodes

Main article: List of Salute Your Shorts episodes

Season 1: 1991

After the pilot episode was picked up for a full season, all of the actors had to reaudition for their roles.

1. Michael Comes to Camp
2. Zeke the Plumber
3. The Treasure of Sarah Madre
4. Brownies for Thud Mackie
5. Bunk Chief Elections
6. Toilet Seat Basketball
7. The Radio Call-In Contest
8. Donkeylips and Sponge Weigh In
9. Budnick and Michael Fake Being Sick
10. Cinderella Play (note: This was the last time the show's theme song was used in its closing credits)
11. Donkeylips Loves Dina
12. Mail Carrier Mona
13. The Environmental Party

Season 2: 1992

1. Telly and the Tennis Match
2. Goodbye Michael, Hello Pinsky
3. Counselor Budnick
4. Dina and the Rock Star
5. The Cursed Skull
6. Budnick Loves Dina - Part 1
7. Budnick Loves Dina - Part 2
8. Sponge's Night Out
9. Citizen Pinsky
10. Capture the Flag
11. They Call Me Ms. Tibbs
12. The Wrath of Kahn, Jr.
13. Anawanna Incorporated

Availability

In March 2010, six episodes from season two became available for purchase on iTunes, Amazon.com, and Zune marketplace. In August 2010, six episodes from season one became available for purchase on each place. Six episodes are also available on Media Go.

Salute Your Shorts has appeared frequently on "The '90s Are All That," a 1990s oriented program block on TeenNick. Because of the series' relatively short run, the series does not have a permanent time slot, but it has won several U-Picks and has also appeared in holiday blocks.

2012 Reunion

Many of the original cast and crew reunited in September 2012 for a panel at the Comikaze Expo in Los Angeles. Megan Berwick could not attend, but sent a video message for the attendees. Heidi Lucas did not attend, and her absence was unexplained.

Awards

• 1993 — Best Young Actor Co-starring in a Cable Series — Young Artist Awards (Michael Bower)
• 1993 — Best Young Actress Co-starring in a Cable Series — Young Artist Awards (Heidi Lucas)

External links

• Salute Your Shorts at the Internet Movie Database
• Salute Your Shorts at TV.com