Salute Your Shorts

***Salute Your Shorts*** is an American comedy television series that aired on Nickelodeon from 1991 to 1992. It was based on the 1986 book *Salute Your Shorts: Life at Summer Camp* by Steve Slavkin and Thomas Hill.

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 children steal a boy's boxer shorts and raise them up a flagpole. Hence, when people see them waving like a flag, other children would salute them as part of the prank.

## Contents

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* 1Cast
* 2Production
* 3Episodes
* 4Reception
* 5Availability
* 6Reunions
* 7Awards and nominations
* 8References
* 9External links

## Cast[edit]

* Kirk Baily as Kevin "Ug" Lee, first in rank of the camp counselors
* Megan Berwick as Z.Z. Ziff
* Michael Bower as Eddie "Donkeylips" C. Gelfen
* Venus DeMilo as Telly Radford
* Trevor Eyster (credited as Tim Eyster) as Eugene "Sponge" Harris
* Heidi Lucas as Dina Alexander
* Erik MacArthur as Michael Stein (season 1)
* Blake Soper as Ronald "Ronnie" Foster Pinsky (season 2)
* Danny Cooksey as Robert "Bobby" Budnick
* Steve Slavkin as Dr. Kahn, the unseen camp director

## Production[edit]

*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 mostly fictional, producers filmed the show at several locations around the Los Angelesarea.[*citation needed*] 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.[*citation needed*]

The series was not renewed for a third season due to the cast members not wanting to relocate to Orlando (the site of Nickelodeon Studios) in order to have the show continue.[2]

## Episodes[edit]

Main article: List of Salute Your Shorts episodes

The pilot for the series aired as a special on Nickelodeon in October 1990.[3][4] After the pilot episode was picked up to series, all of the actors had to re-audition for their roles.[5]

## Reception[edit]

The series was the second highest rated cable TV series in kids 6–11 during its second season.[6] Despite having not aired new episodes in four years, *Salute Your Shorts* was among the top 15 highest-rated, regularly scheduled basic-cable series in 1996 according to *Variety*.[7]

## Availability[edit]

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 Splat," formerly The 90's 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.

## Reunions[edit]

Many of the original cast and crew reunited in September 2012 for a panel at the Comikaze Expo in Los Angeles.[8] Megan Berwick could not attend, but she sent a video message for the attendees. Heidi Lucas did not attend, and her absence was unexplained.

Another reunion occurred in 2015 with most of the cast, including Heidi Lucas, attending Portland’s Everything Is Festival. Danny Cooksey did not attend as he was recording an album with country and western band Shelter Dogs. Blake Sennett declined to attend.[9]

## Awards and nominations[edit]

* 1993 — Award - Best Young Actor Co-Starring in a Cable Series — Young Artist Awards (Michael Bower)[10]
* 1993 — Award - Best Young Actress Co-Starring in a Cable Series — Young Artist Awards (Heidi Lucas)
* 1993 — Nomination - Best Young Actor Co-Starring in a Cable Series — Young Artist Awards (Danny Cooksey)
* 1993 — Nomination - Best Young Actress Co-Starring in a Cable Series — Young Artist Awards (Venus DeMilo)
* 1993 — Nomination - Best Young Actor Co-Starring in a Cable Series — Young Artist Awards (Trevor Eyster)

The series was also ACE Award-nominated.[6]