ABC-TV’s hit comedy The Goldbergs lather on the suntan oil, cut the sleeves on their T-shirts, and load up their coolers to visit sunny Ft. Lauderdale, FL, to fight for their right to party on MTV’s Spring Break on Wednesday, April 4 at 8 p.m. EST / 7 p.m. CST.
“I vividly remember watching The Beastie Boys party on MTV Spring Break with my brother, Barry,” said Adam F. Goldberg, Executive Producer, The Goldbergs. “MTV’s Alan Hunter made it look like a 24-hour non-stop celebrity-filled party. It became our dream to go. My grandfather had a condo at a retirement community in Ft. Lauderdale and every spring break we’d go visit him. Pops was always the life of the party and we begged him to take us, but my parents flat out refused!”
“I’ve been a die-hard fan of The Beastie Boys ever since their first album took my school by storm when I was entering middle school,” said Goldberg. “I wanted to be a Beastie Boy. After all, they’re members of the tribe that meant even kids like me could be rap stars. I was so obsessed that I have countless hours of video footage where I lip sync every song from (the Beastie Boys’) “License to Ill” and “Paul’s Boutique.” I took on the nickname ‘Ad Rock.’.I saw MTV Spring Break as my one chance to meet them, but of course my smother, Beverly shut down any chance of me going.”
“MTV’s irreverent brand, in stark contrast to the socially conservative stuffiness of the times, had no better showcase for all that was rude and out of control than Spring Break, said Hunter reflecting on his time at MTV Spring Break. “And, no better court jesters than the Beastie Boys to make the poor parents of the day even more convinced that MTV was truly the devil’s workshop.”
“THE GOLDBERGS” is a series based on recreations of Adam F. Goldberg’s real-life experiences of growing up in suburban Philadelphia in the 1980s.
Just like that first MTV Spring Break which aired in 1986, from Daytona Beach, FL, with MTV VJ Alan Hunter and the Beastie Boys, The Goldbergs have their expectations set high and are ready to visit Florida for a similar party.
In this particular episode older brother Barry Goldberg (Troy Gentile) devises a plot with his sister, Erica (Hayley Orrantia) to visit their grandfather in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and attempt to have the craziest spring break ever. They quickly realize that their grandfather’s condo is in a retirement community with grumpy “old farts”. When Barry and Erica rebel, they end up getting arrested for going for a night swim and stealing a knish from the snack bar.
Amazingly, this absurd story is actually 100-percent true. Adam Goldberg’s brother is interviewed at the end of the episode about his run-in with the police.
“It’s a legendary story in our family. My brother went for a nighttime dip and was heating up a knish when a dozen officers stormed the pool,” said Goldberg. “They were told there was at least 20 kids partying, because he was playing The Beastie Boys’ ’No Sleep ’Till Brooklyn’ on his boom box.”
The Beastie Boys’ “No Sleep ‘Till Brooklyn” is prominently featured throughout the episode as the party anthem.
Like all Goldbergs episodes, the incident is perfectly recreated. In the episode, after the police arrest them, Pops bails them out. The two Goldbergs children realize that bigger than Spring Break is the bond they have with their grandfather
“There’s only one thing harder than becoming an adult,” the narrator states in the episode. “That’s growing older. But when you start to slow down, the people who do love you the most will make sure that life continues to be a party.”
Adam F. Goldberg and Doug Robinson are executive producers. The episode is produced by Adam F. Goldberg Productions, Doug Robinson Productions, and Happy Madison in association with Sony Pictures Television.
For more information about “The Goldbergs,” visit abc.com/TheGoldbergs.
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