Camping - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

The place to discuss the US version of Camping!

[formerlyfreedom]

David Tennant to Play Jennifer Garner's Husband in HBO Comedy Camping.

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Doctor Who alum David Tennant has been cast in HBO’s upcoming comedy from Girls‘ Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner, TVLine has learned.

Tennant will play Walt, the husband of controlling Los Angeles mom Kathryn Siddell-Bauers. As previously reported, Kathryn will be played by Jennifer Garner, in her first series regular TV role since Alias.

 

[formerlyfreedom]

We have an airdate!

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You can now mark your calendars for Jennifer Garner’s highly anticipated return to primetime. Her HBO comedy, Camping, is set to premiere on Sunday, Oct. 14, the network announced at the Television Critics’ Association press tour on Wednesday.

More here at TVLine.

[scrb]

Interesting, didn’t know Dunham and Konner are running this.

[formerlyfreedom]

Eight episodes, premiering Sunday, October 14.

This is the topic to discuss all the episodes of Camping!

[scrb]

Bad review 

 

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/camping-review-1150195

[LilaFowler]

After 6 reviews, RT score is 0%.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Given the cast, this show should have been awesome but it wasn't funny at all.

[Armchair Critic]

I found Garner's character too annoying, and this comes from a person who watched Girls and Divorce.

[Kathira]

I kind of admire Jen Garner for being willing to go there with such a dislikeable character, but this shaded over into nearly unwatchable. Why is Walt still married to her? Walt really seems like a sweet guy with some nice guy friends, but I don't see why any of their wives/partners would be willing to subject themselves to such a shrew for a whole weekend. (Is that why the character is named Katie? Could this be a kind of modern post-marriage Taming of the Shrew? That would actually be clever, so I don't hold out much hope for it.) Maybe they're going to soften her as she learns some lessons over the course of the show, or give some background that would make her more understandable/sympathetic but driving away your audience in the first episode doesn't seem like a good idea.

I'll stick with this, but only because I love David Tennant. 

Edited October 15, 2018 by Kathira

[Silly Angel]

I'm not being snarky here, but honestly asking whether this is supposed to be funny. How did any of these people saddle themselves with Jennifer Garner's character to begin with? I would understand if they are all micro-managing yuppie horrorshows, but she's a straight-up tight-ass they all seem semi okay--a little problematic, as we all are, but not impossible. And why would Nina-Joy (that name! Ugh) even show up if Katie was EVEN MORE of a cooze to her personally than she usually is to everyone? I'll watch the next one, but if it doesn't involves Miguel and Manic Pixie Juliette Lewis Girl (also known as Juliette Lewis 97% of the time) just doing their own thing and ignoring Katie and having fun, I'm out.

So many cliches among the characters! I'm not a huge Lena Dunham fan but she is capable of imagining more nuanced characters. The whole pilot read to me as a '90s "yuppies-in-the-wild" comedy, and about as unfunny.

[Lemons]

10 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Given the cast, this show should have been awesome but it wasn't funny at all.

I thought the cast mostly sucked.  The guy playing the husband is not funny at all.  Why not cast comedians in a comedy?  The two owners of the camp and the wife were the only ones who seemed comfortable with comedy.  

[izabella]

I am watching to see Kathryn get her comeuppance at some point.  That has to happen, right?!

[atlantaloves]

I'm just watching it for Tennant as well. Blaughhhhhhhh....I'll give it one more episode.  It isn't that bad.

[cpcathy]

I was a Girls fan but I did NOT like this at all. I cannot stand Kathryn and I could be out just because of her, but I didn't like the rest of the cast, and I can't imagine where they have to go with this premise.

[NeenerNeener]

Between Juliette Lewis and Garner this is almost unwatchable. I hope it gets better by episode 4 or I'm out. And I say this as someone who finds Kidding charming even though it's awfully sad.

[MBayGal]

11 hours ago, Kathira said:

l'll stick with this, but only because I love David Tennant. 

I didn't even recognize him!  He was good in Broadchurch, all brooding and rumpled, but his character here is just lame.  

I can't decide if the characters are cliched stereotypes or stereotypical cliches.  

[EtheltoTillie]

Awful show!  And I really liked the cringiness of Girls. This is Lena's adaptation of a British show, rather a than her own creation. I wonder if the original was so bad.

[Moxie Cat]

So we get this instead of another season of Togetherness? Even less likable and nuanced LA yuppies.

I can't understand why Kathryn would think it was a good idea to bring her son on a weekend of (likely) drinking with her husband's brother and friends. She deserves seeing him see Juliette Lewis naked.

And I groaned a little seeing JL starkers, while her partner (and the other men) only strips to his underwear. Puh-leeze. I am tired of this crap.

[Not4Me]

I wouldn’t mind Jennifer Garner’s annoying stick-in-mud role if the show didn’t actually center around her character. Juliette Lewis always  plays a free-spirit flakey type role, so it’s not much of a welcome relief. And none of the other characters were particularly interesting enough to counter Jen’s. HARD PASS.

[blueroses]

I feel like this premise has already been done to death. Mid-life celebration. One guy shows up with his new “free spirit” girlfriend no one has met before. Uptight wife. Blah, blah, blah. Come on, show. Surprise me. 

[vb68]

Yeah,  I completely agree. I expected to like this. I always enjoyed Girls, especially the writing, but this just didn't work for me. Jen Garner is usually a bright, sunny type, and I can see maybe how it's an interesting idea to cast her against all of that. but I'm not sure she's a strong enough actress to pull it off. There was something lacking. And I actually found David Tennant rather bland.Say what you will about Juliette Lewis, but at least she added some much needed energy. 

[Ophanim]

This is one weirdo show. I like the premise, but on the other hand, some characters were over the top. I will give another episode try, but so far is meh from me. JG's character is definitely annoyance embodied, and a little or nothing to like about her. Did I was only one who saw something-ish between her sister and her husband played by awesome Tennant, like some weird "I like YOU" vibe?

Edited October 17, 2018 by Ophanim

[MBayGal]

On 10/15/2018 at 5:59 PM, Moxie Cat said:

And I groaned a little seeing JL starkers, while her partner (and the other men) only strips to his underwear. Puh-leeze. I am tired of this crap.

Then watch The Deuce.  The full monty in the gay bathhouses and a few other times. There may have been more full male nudity than female this season, tho I haven't kept score ;-)

[Lemons]

13 hours ago, vb68 said:

Yeah,  I completely agree. I expected to like this. I always enjoyed Girls, especially the writing, but this just didn't work for me. Jen Garner is usually a bright, sunny type, and I can see maybe how it's an interesting idea to cast her against all of that. but I'm not sure she's a strong enough actress to pull it off. There was something lacking. And I actually found David Tennant rather bland.Say what you will about Juliette Lewis, but at least she added some much needed energy. 

I thought Jennifer Garner was funny.   She played this type of character before in a movie called Butter where she was funny.  Otherwise I don't think I've seen any of her other stuff.  David Tennant, that's the husband's name!  So not funny, why was he cast?    Juliette Lewis was playing herself.   Does anyone know where you can see the Camping UK version?

[msrachelj]

why does jennifer garner look so odd. i was getting sick watching the beginning when she was jumping up and down for the picture (for some odd reason) and they kept showing the inside of her big mouth. dear god, stop. that was one of the most unflattering things i have seen. she is really unlikable in this and juliette lewis is always the same character. what a waste of david tenant who is actually a GOOD actor. 

[scrb]

So is the entire season or series going to be set at a campsite?

do people still go camping?

[butterbody]

Hmmm....

I just watched it and thoroughly enjoyed it, and came here to read all the comments from everyone else who thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll take my seat in the back. 

[atlantaloves]

Yeah, I kinda liked it,, I'll give it a couple of episodes to see where it goes. 

[Dminches]

On 10/17/2018 at 10:44 PM, scrb said:

So is the entire season or series going to be set at a campsite?

 

That's what I was wondering.  Seems like the title is somewhat limiting.

[MBayGal]

On 10/17/2018 at 12:59 PM, msrachelj said:

why does jennifer garner look so odd. i was getting sick watching the beginning when she was jumping up and down for the picture (for some odd reason) and they kept showing the inside of her big mouth. dear god, stop. that was one of the most unflattering things i have seen. she is really unlikable in this and juliette lewis is always the same character. what a waste of david tenant who is actually a GOOD actor. 

I think she wanted to have a picture of her HAVING!! FUN!!!! for FBook or Instagram or whatever.

[scrb]

The Watch podcast talked a little about this show.

I guess it's suppose to be only a limited series, just this one season, unless it takes off like Big Little Lies and draws good ratings.

However, as they were wrapping up production or right after they wrapped up, Dunham and Konner announced they were ending their partnership, so even if there is another season, one or both of them wouldn't be involved.

Also apparently they were green lit before Garner even signed on so maybe HBO was just accommodating Dunham/Konner who wanted to adapt this British series.

[The Mighty Peanut]

On 10/15/2018 at 2:05 PM, izabella said:

I am watching to see Kathryn get her comeuppance at some point.  That has to happen, right?!

I think people swimming on birdwatching day is her comeuppance. I think that's the worst thing that's happened to her in her life. Maybe throughout the course of the show she will have to deal with making only the second best macaroni craft. 

I mean I'm not high brow here, I watch American Vandal which is about an investigation of penis graffiti. But this? I can't. If I hear pelvic floor again I'll be a danger to myself and others.

[Dminches]

I found nothing remotely funny about this episode.  I have no interest in characters who are so far from believable.

[cpcathy]

I was ready to give up but my husband, surprisingly, said, "I think this show has potential, I WANT to watch." LOL.

This episode was actually better than last episode. I still hate Kathryn.

Why does everyone have absurd names. Orvis??? Jandice?

[iMonrey]

I thought the pilot had potential - I cracked up when I saw the bear standing behind Kathryn at the end. But there was no follow-up to that, and Kathryn is increasingly unbearable (no pun intended). Maybe her husband has just become desensitized to her personality but I can't imagine why any of their "friends" would have agreed to spend a vacation with her. They must really really like her husband to put up with her. 

[heatherchandler]

2 hours ago, cpcathy said:

 

Why does everyone have absurd names. Orvis??? Jandice?

Because Lena Dunham probably came up with them.

 

34 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I thought the pilot had potential - I cracked up when I saw the bear standing behind Kathryn at the end. But there was no follow-up to that, and Kathryn is increasingly unbearable (no pun intended). Maybe her husband has just become desensitized to her personality but I can't imagine why any of their "friends" would have agreed to spend a vacation with her. They must really really like her husband to put up with her. 

I don't "get" the show, mostly because I don't believe these people would ever hang out with each other.

[cpcathy]

Oh, they absolutely would not hang out with each other! They are random characters that seem good on the page, with silly names, in a silly situation. Would this show be better as an anthology, where we get different characters every week? I'm not sure.

[iMonrey]

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I don't "get" the show, mostly because I don't believe these people would ever hang out with each other.

Yeah, there's that. Having an oddball assortment of "friends" makes for good TV or the occasional good movie but how do these people even know each other? We've already seen enough of Kathryn to know she's way too uptight to hang with anyone who didn't conform to her standards of behavior. If I had to rationalize I'd guess that Joe, Miguel and George are old friends of Walt's, and that Kathryn only knows them and their spouses through him. It's understandable she'd have no friends of her own. Maybe on some level she knows these are the only friends she's ever going to have. Or she's too unaware to fathom that they only just tolerate her for her husband's sake. 

I do like Jennifer Garner though, I've had a soft spot for her ever since 13 Going On 30. I think she's very adept at comedy - I just think the character she's playing is ridiculously abrasive and neurotic to a degree that's not really believable.

[heatherchandler]

51 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

 

I do like Jennifer Garner though, I've had a soft spot for her ever since 13 Going On 30. I think she's very adept at comedy - I just think the character she's playing is ridiculously abrasive and neurotic to a degree that's not really believable.

She is funny.  It is very subtle.  I almost don't even notice some of it.  That actually makes me appreciate her as an actress.

Yeah the character is not well-written.  I don't love Lena Dunham's writing, so I am blaming that.

[Kathira]

OK, I'm out. I couldn't make it more than 10 minutes in. It was just excruciating. I hate all of them and don't want to spend another minute hanging out with them. And much as I love David Tennant, he seriously needs to give up on American accents. It's just painful to listen to. He (or his agents) should tell any future directors, producers etc. that he can either do a London English accent, ala Jessica Jones, or just use his natural Scottish accent. They can either say he's an immigrant, or just go with it with no explanation.

[MBayGal]

10 hours ago, iMonrey said:

do like Jennifer Garner though, I've had a soft spot for her ever since 13 Going On 30. I think she's very adept at comedy - I just think the character she's playing is ridiculously abrasive and neurotic to a degree that's not really believable.

"not really believeable" -- or enjoyable!!!

[The Mighty Peanut]

I decided to give this another chance after hating the pilot, and I still reserve the right to occasionally hate watch if I'm really bored, but this show is painful.

Maybe Jennifer Garner is doing too good of a job, but her character actually physically repels me. It's not like Larry David or Michael Scott where you have to look away, but always look back. It's more like I want the tv equivalent of leaving the state.

I feel so bad for Orvis. That poor kid is already damaged for life. His mom is a helicopter, a car, a hot air balloon, a service dog, and every other kind of smothering parent.

Is it bad to send black people black emojis? I don't think I ever have but I don't want to do it wrong. 

[Silly Angel]

Aaand I'm out. These people are hateful and never mind why they would spend one minute with each other, I don't have to spend one more minute with them. I was willing to give Kate a chance to show she's a human being but I absolutely loathe women who are always undefinably "sick" and make everybody scramble to attend to their non-existent medical needs in order to get emotional attention. 

[Armchair Critic]

On 10/23/2018 at 8:57 AM, The Mighty Peanut said:

I decided to give this another chance after hating the pilot, and I still reserve the right to occasionally hate watch if I'm really bored, but this show is painful.

Ditto. Except for the son and the beaten down sister they all are unlikable and this show isn't interesting/funny enough to make up for that.

[scrb]

Seems like they’re going for satire of certain hipsters, like Jandice.

[The Solution]

This show makes me realize that I have fantasies about how rude I would be to Lena Dunham if I ever met her in person. Including giving her the tongue in the finger-V. For starters.

[The Solution]

I find Miguel to be an incredibly offensive stereotype from his fake accent to his stupidity.

I might be the only one still watching, huh?

[NeenerNeener]

I think I hate every character Juliette Lewis has ever played and every wacky character she ever will play when Carol Kane passes on and those parts go to Lewis.

[edhopper]

I guess Lena Dunham can't write charaters that everyone won't hate.