HOW TO WATCH: Middletown preparing for national spotlight on tonight’s ‘Lip Sync to the Rescue’

Middletown and the nation will know where the police department’s viral lip sync video will rank on the CBS special broadcast, “Lip Sync to the Rescue.” airing tonight on WHIO-TV.

Middletown police Chief Rodney Muterspaw said the “goofy little video” that brought the city of Middletown and its police department national attention will be featured on the one-hour special to be hosted by Cedric the Entertainer.

Muterspaw said the police department will host a community-wide watch party at 8 p.m. at the Middletown High School gym. He said the doors will open at 7:30 p.m. and nearly all of the officers in the video will be there.


What: Middletown police community lip sync challenge watch party

When: 8 p.m. tonight. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.

Where: Middletown High School gym

Admission: Free; Refreshments will be available


MORE: ‘I never expected this’: The story behind Middletown’s viral police lip sync video

The show is an interactive countdown special in which viewers vote for their favorite video of performances featuring first responders lip-synching to hit music, a trend that began with the Lip Synch Challenge, the network said.

During the show, the Top 10 videos will be revealed in front of an audience of first responders, family and friends. Two videos will advance to the live final vote.

Muterspaw said the first place winner will receive $100,000, and the second place finisher will receive $50,000. If Middletown police places first or second, their winnings will be donated to benefit the city parks.

Last year, the police department was featured in a lip sync video performing country music group Lady Antebellum’s hit song, “Need You Now.” The video was viewed more than 10 million times, and it recently was selected as one to be featured on the CBS show.

“We thought this should be a good time for people to come out and it will be fun to see the city represented,” Muterspaw said. “We’re in the dark on how we’ll be featured on the show but we still need people to vote on Twitter.”

Muterspaw added that “even if we don’t place in the top two, it’s been an awesome ride for us.”

Admitting he’s biased in this case, Muterspaw thinks the MPD video “is the most original and creative” considering it was done in a few hours during the course of the day.

The video was also the brainchild of his daughter Maddie, 20, who is a junior at Mount St. Joseph University majoring in criminology. Muterspaw said his daughter suggested making the video as a story as many of the videos had first responders singing and dancing. He said she also came up with the donut angle.

They huddled with communications supervisor Shelley Meehan, and Average Joe Films donated their services to film and produce the video. Muterspaw, Meehan and Maddie also selected the Lady Antebellum song to use in the video.


HOW TO GO

WHAT: Middletown police community lip synch challenge watch party

WHEN: 8 p.m., Monday, Sept. 9, 2019; Doors open at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Middletown High School gym

ADMISSION: Free; Refreshments will be available

WHY: An opportunity for the community and police to watch the national first responders lip synch challenge and see the MPD video featured on CBS.

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