Blue Mountain State - Blue Mountain State

Blue Mountain State is an American/Canadian comedy series that premiered on Spike on January 11, 2010. The series producers include Chris Romano and Eric Falconer, and it is produced by Lionsgate Television. The series is about a fictional university, Blue Mountain State, and its football team, "The Mountain Goats". It portrays certain aspects of American university life, including American football, sex, binge drinking, drugs, wild partying, and hazing.

In February 2012, it was reported that Blue Mountain State would not be renewed for a fourth season. On April 8, 2014, The BMS Movie was announced and a Kickstarter launched on April 15, 2014. The Kickstarter campaign reached its goal of $1.5 million on May 11, 2014.

Cast

Main

• Alex Moran (Brooks): A Junior starting quarterback, acting Captain, from Cheyenne, Wyoming. He was the first 10,000 yard passer in Wyoming High School history. Unlike the rest of the characters, Alex does not see college football as a stepping stone for the NFL and is content to spend his days as a back-up player and a life as an "Average Joe" once he graduates from college. Instead, he is dedicated to having as much fun as humanly possible while in college, which includes getting drunk and having sex. He embraces being the back-up quarterback in season 1 and doesn't want to start. In the second-season finale, he begins dating Mary Jo, but this ends once she turns out to be a lesbian. He lives at the Goat House with Thad and Sammy, who also use it as a frequent place to hold parties. As of Season 3, Alex holds the school passing touchdown record for a single game with 7 touchdowns, a record previously held by John Elway. His junior year, he became starting quarterback. He wanted to be red shirted at first, then he saw the perks of being Blue Mountain State's starting quarterback so he decided to keep his role. After episode 4 of season 3, "The Peak", he realizes that he can go far in football. He decides that he should work towards playing in the NFL.
• Sammy Cacciatore (Romano): The team mascot (Billy, The Mountain Goat Mascot) from Cheyenne, Wyoming and Alex's roommate, childhood friend and Mary Jo's half brother. He's constantly searching for girls and excuses to get drunk, with his drinking often leading him into misadventure. He lives in a closet at the Goat House with Thad and Alex. Sammy is often used by Thad to conduct favors and chores to keep his old closet at the Goat House. Sammy suffers from severe personal, deep-seated mental health issues and borderline mental retardation which lead to him getting him into difficult situations. In season 1, without Alex around, Sammy and Craig get into a confrontation with another student to which Sammy worms his way out by stating that he would "jerk another person off". In Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland, he ends up eating Billy the Goat, live mascot, after Billy had raped Sammy previously when strapped to a bed naked and left alone.
• Kevin "Thad" Castle (Ritchson): A Senior linebacker/team captain from Connecticut. Despite his status as a two time consensus All-American and team record holder for most tackles in a game (a game which he was subsequently ejected from for calling referees "butt faces "), Thad often annoys his teammates due to his bullying and high strung antics when things do not go his way. However, he harbors a great love for his team and understands what it takes to be a leader in desperate situations, which garners respect from his comrades despite his behavior. His father died in the military while deployed to Bosnia, where he had an affair resulting in Thad's attractive half-sister, Alma, of whom he is overly protective. He is also heavily prone to engage in excessive homoerotic behavior, especially in the hazing rituals of freshman players. His dedication to the team and willingness to sacrifice anything to ensure the team wins prompted coach Marty Daniels to name him Captain at th e beginning of his sophomore year. This is the only time Daniels ever named someone so young captain. Thad lives at the Goat House with Alex and Sammy. His nickname "Thad" came from a childhood lisp that he came to embrace after some kids at school made fun of him for the way he said "sad."
• Martin "Marty" Daniels (Mariano): Marty is the coach for Blue Mountain State. He is a six-time national champion football coach from New Jersey, and pillar of the BMS community. He was formerly a running back for the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys. He is dating his ex-wife Debra and they have a son named Joey. He is also the father of Pauline's child.
• Radon Randell (Kennedy) (Starring Season 2) : Radon was the new freshman starting quarterback from Detroit, Michigan whose talent is matched only by his outrageous behavior and huge ego. He apparently served time in prison, and once stated he played football at Rikers. Radon also has a Hyperbaric Chamber in his dorm room, which he uses for his own entertainment. In the 3rd-season premiere, it is said that Radon has a permanent shoulder injury that will no longer allow him to play football.
• Craig Shilo (Jones) (Starring Season 1) : A running back from Columbus, Ohio. National High School Player of the Year, Craig Shilo was the team's star freshman player. Unlike his teammates, Craig is rather straight-laced and committed to his ultra-manipulative girlfriend Denise, with whom he breaks up when he finds out she cheated on him with other men, including a man from her marketing class whom she tells Craig is an NFL scout. It is revealed by the coaches in the Season 2 premiere that Shilo has apparently transferred to University of Georgia, but Alex corrects them and states he has transferred to Georgia Tech (his character being written out due to Jones' major drug-related arrest).
• Denise Roy (Dennis) (Starring Season 1) : Denise is Craig Shilo's high school girlfriend. A former homecoming queen and star business student at Blue Mountain State, Denise is a cold and calculating figure who only wants to marry Craig for his money, and withholds sex to make him play better, all the while sleeping around behind his back (having three-ways with two other women and sleeping with a guy from her marketing class). She was often at odds with Alex Moran, who sees through her facade.
• Mary Jo Cacciatore (Shaw) (Starring Season 2, Recurring Season 3) : Mary Jo is Sammy's younger sister. She is slightly ditzy and interested in Alex, whom she has known since childhood. She is a cheerleader, though the other girls do not like her due to her laziness and coming to practice drunk. In the second season, she had sex with Alex Moran in the drunk tank's elevator. In the third season, she becomes a lesbian and it is implied that she had slept with Debra as payment for "vagazzling" her vagina. In the Rise of Thadland, it is revealed that she was just experimenting and is still in love with Alex.
• Debra Simon (Richards) (Recurring Season 2; Starring Season 3): Debra is Marty's ex-wife and current girlfriend. After divorcing Marty, she married Dean Simon, and enjoyed using him to get payback on Marty. She slept with Alex, and later divorced Simon and reunited with Marty. In Season 3, it is implied she slept with Mary Jo as a thank-you for "vagazzling" her vagina. She and Marty have a son named Joey.

Recurring

• Harmon Tedesco (Cade): Harmon Tedesco is the drug-abusing kicker for the football team. Harmon exploits in anything to get him high, from smoking weed to sticking ice rods up his rectum. Harmon lives at the Goat House with Thad, Alex, and Sammy.
• Donald "Donnie" Schrab (Ramsay): Donnie Schrab is the center for the Blue Mountain State football team. He is somewhat childish and very easygoing. Donnie lives in the Goat House. It was revealed in Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland that Donnie is gay.
• Larry Summers (Newton): Larry lives in the Goat House, is Thad's best friend, and is often seen following him around. He has shown to do anything to help his team, even diving his finger up Thad's butt on Coach Daniels's orders.
• Jon Jon Hendrix (Sangui): Coach Jon Jon is Coach Daniels's best friend and second-in-command. He is extremely loyal to his boss
• Pauline (Chantal Quesnelle) (Seasons 1-2): Pauline is the resident cougar at the Blue Mountain State Goat house. She loves it when people pee on her, which is what made her become attracted to Sammy since he peed on her while she was drunk. She's had sex with all the football players and Sammy. In Season 2, she becomes pregnant and leaves a message at the Goat House. She ultimately decides to raise the baby on her own, until it is announced that Coach Daniels is the father.
• Kate (Heffern): Kate is Captain of the cheerleading squad. She has shown great disdains towards both Sammy and Mary Jo. In Season 2, it is revealed that she is Thad's personal cheerleader after she sprains her ankle, and makes Mary Jo fill in for her.
• Warren Simon (Ted Atherton) (Season 2): Warren is the dean of Blue Mountain State. He was a nerd in his youth and resents Coach Daniels. He tried to humiliate Alex by holding a banquet in his honor and giving a speech on a paper he knows Alex didn't write, and he convinces the nerds to turn on the jocks. His plans were ruined by a prank led by Sammy. Warren was dating Debra, Daniels' ex-wife, but she and Daniels eventually got back together.

Special cameo appearance

• Bill Romanowski as Himself
• Bill Parcells as Himself
• Brian Bosworth as Himself
• Boomer Esiason as Himself
• Craig Carton as Himself
• Chuck Liddell as Himself
• Chad Ochocinco as Himself
• Clay Travis as Himself
• Dan Patrick as Himself
• Stacy Keibler as Herself

Seasons

Reception

Metacritic gave the series 38 out of 100, from the four reviews it collected. Brian Lowry of Variety found that "Blue Mountain embraces that (crude comedy) aspect of Spike's mandate over all else â€" putting the bodily function/semi-nudity cart before the sitcom horse." Lowry also stated: "[Spike] has simply made this too-blue "Mountain" into a comedic molehill." Mark A. Perigard of the Boston Herald gave the series a favorable review saying, "Blue is also frequently funny in a raunchy American Pie way. It's a college comedy in which the guys want to get wasted and laid, in whatever order." Joe Walljasper of the Columbia Daily Tribune describes the series as appealing to those who viewed the film Porky's and "felt that the jokes were a little too high-brow.".

In its first season, the show averaged 949,000 viewers in its first six episodes while improving on the time slot by 165% among men 18â€"24. In its second season, its premiere drew a 1.34 rating in Men 18â€"34, up 34% compared to the first season average and was ranked No. 2 in its timeslot. Over the season it showed significant ratings growth compared to season 1, delivering a +33% increase in Men 18â€"34, +50% in Men 18â€"24, and +14% in Men 18â€"49. Season 3 of Blue Mountain State started airing on September 21, 2011 on Spike.

The show has gathered a small cult following after it was released on Netflix. Fans of the show often start petitions and Facebook pages to make Spike bring the show back for a fourth season. Many members of the cast, especially Page Kennedy, hinted at a reunion project in the month leading up the announcement of the film. Kennedy made Vines and tweeted with show stars Darin Brooks, Alan Ritchson, Frankie Shaw, Chris Romano and Sam Jones III.

Filming locations

• Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec
• John Abbott College, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec (Practice field) (Fraternity House Ext.)
• McGill University (Macdonald Campus), Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec (Dorm, Class Room)
• Lower Canada College (Chamandy Ice Rink), Montreal, Quebec (Ice Rink)
• Cunninghams Pub, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec (Bar)
• Mel's studios (Fraternity House Interiors)

Broadcast

The series premiered on Spike on January 11, 2010 in the United States. In Australia and New Zealand, the series airs on MTV Australia and MTV New Zealand, respectively, beginning April 22, 2010. The series began airing in the United Kingdom April 18, 2010 on MTV. MTV Germany and Viva (TV station) also broadcast the series with great success in Germany and The Netherlands. MTV Brasil began airing the series August 3, 2010. The show also began airing on The Score in Canada in October 2011.

Season 3 began airing September 21, 2011 on Spike at 11 pm.

Feature film

In March 2013, Ed Marinaro stated in an interview with Class Act Sports that he was working on a Blue Mountain State film. He continued to hint on Twitter at some 'behind-the-scenes' work being done on said movie. In early March 2014, Page Kennedy started hinting at Blue Mountain State reunion project on Instagram, Vine and Twitter along with Darin Brooks, Kelly Kruger, Alan Ritchson, Sam Jones III, Frankie Shaw and Romanski.

On April 8, 2014, Blue Mountain State: The Movie was officially announced. To help make the announcement, Alan Ritchson, in character as Thad Castle, made a fake video featuring Jimmy Kimmel (the Kimmel footage was from a 2013 interview with Kanye West).

On April 15, the production launched a Kickstarter campaign, much like the hugely successful 2013 campaign by Veronica Mars to get the cancelled show made into a feature film. The project's goal was to raise $1.5 million by May 15 in order to fund the film. There were rewards for donating to campaign, such as personalized tweets from the cast (for donating $10), shot and pint glasses with the BMS logo ($20), and a speaking role in the film (for a $10,000 donation).

On May 11, 2014, the Kickstarter goal of $1.5 million was reached. On May 15, 2014 the Kickstarter campaign ended, with the final funds raised being $1,911,827 from 23,999 backers.

In May 2014, it was announced Jay Chandrasekhar would be the director of the film. However, on September 28, 2014, Lev L. Spiro was announced as the new director of BMS: The Movie. The crew started filming in late 2014 on location in Wilmington, North Carolina. Filming was reportedly complete by December 14, 2014.

The film, titled Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland, was officially released on February 2, 2016.

References

External links

• Official website
• Blue Mountain State at TV.com
• Blue Mountain State at the Internet Movie Database
• "Blue Mountain State To Return For Season 3 Starring Denise Richards" on SpikeTV.