By Kayla DeKraker
A WEEK AWAY: THE SERIES, a new faith-based show that follows teens at a Christian summer camp, just arrived at Angel Studios, and its creators promise that it’s full of nostalgic feels.
“I absolutely went to summer camp. And shooting this was so beyond nostalgic,” Cozi Zuehlsdorff, the series’ writer and producer who also plays the character Lennie, told Movieguide®. “It’s so fun to just get out on the grass. I mean, we all felt like we were eight years old again, you know, playing dodgeball and water balloon fights…But yeah, it was even more fun to shoot it at Widjiwagan, this local camp in Nashville. It’s this beautiful, beautiful property. And the most fun part about it was, while we were shooting, summer camp was still going on for some of the kids.”
The series, which is a musical, released to Angel on Aug. 28.
According to the Movieguide® review:
Related: “Articulating Our Faith Is The Goal” A Week Away Series Interviews
The first episode introduces the teenage campers attending Camp Aweegaway, including camp counselors Jake, Lenny and Savannah, and brothers Max and Charlie. Max, who’s been in the foster system for years, is doubtful about religion. However, he secretly hopes there’s someone bigger than himself looking out for him. Through song and dance, the teenagers explore their faith and doubts, drawing closer to God. Meanwhile, the camp directors worried the camp might lose its funding.
The first episode of A WEEK AWAY is fun. The young cast are talented singers and dancers. Actors David Koechner and Leigh-Allyn Baker give great comedic performances. The first episode of A WEEK AWAY has a strong Christian worldview. Camp Aweegaway is a Christian camp. So, it has many scenes with Christian references, from sharing scripture and testimonies to discussions about faith. One character is unkind to other campers, and one flashback scene features brief smoking and alcohol use. Otherwise, however, the first episode of A WEEK AWAY is family friendly.
Zuehlsdorff, who’s worked on musical content before, believes A WEEK AWAY features top-tier talent.
“This one felt just as special in that we were working with dancers and performers from at the highest level,” she said. “But also, the songs have a message to them. They’re redemptive, they’re beautiful, and they’re meant to some of them are meant to challenge your faith and others are meant to strengthen it.”
She added, “You know, you really go through this journey with these kids that are at this camp to discover who they are, kind of come of age and discover what they want their personal relationship with God to look like.”
Alan Powell, who wrote and directed the series, also shared his heart for the project.
“I love that it’s such a fun world to be a part of and to create…I grew up going to church camp my whole life, and [they are] some of my fondest memories. And so, I think there was a lot more to explore,” he said. “There is a lot more story to tell, and, you know, bring new kids into the experience and hopefully have a lot more fun and do something meaningful.”
Last month, Zuehlsdorff took to Instagram to share photos of the red-carpet premiere.
“The loving and enthusiastic response we received last night meant EVERYTHING. Thank you to every single person I got to speak to—you made me (and all of us) so excited for the release of the show,” she said in the caption, adding, “Last night was the culmination of over a year of hard, passionate work on A Week Away: The Series. I could not be more grateful to everyone involved!!!”
A WEEK AWAY episodes 1 and 2 are available to stream for free on Angel Studios. New episodes drop every Thursday.
Read Next: A WEEK AWAY: Episode 1.1
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