An All-Time Classic!
WKRP in Cincinnati is easily in my personal top-10 list for best sitcoms of all-time. The show ran on CBS for only 4 seasons from 1978-1982 which encompass most of my High School years.
Being a male teenager of that era, the thing that kept me coming back to WKRP every week was Loni Anderson. Loni’s poster was a prominent fixture on my wall at home during my High School years. (Poster Below) During the 60′s, teenage boys asked “Ginger or Mary Anne?” In my High School horndog years it was “Jennifer or Bailey?” I, like most guys, answered “Jennifer” although now, as I watch the show, I really should have answered “Bailey”.
The show was a true comedy classic with great characters that are still timeless today. Dr. Johnny Fever, Venus Flytrap, Andy Travis, Bailey Quarters, Jennifer Marlowe, Les Nessman, Arthur “Big Guy” Carlson, and my personal favorite, Herb Tarlek.
My personal favorite episode is one in which Mr. Carlson and Herb bomb a strip mall with live turkeys during a Thanksgiving episode as Les reports live from the mall with a hysterical play-by-play reminiscent of the Hindenburg disaster.
Best Quote: (Mr. Carlson) “As God as my witness….I thought Turkeys could fly!”
The show was not very successful during it’s original run on CBS but really exploded in popularity when it hit syndication. Season 1 has been released on DVD, minus much of the original music, and the show can be seen occasionally on local stations or channels such as WGN AMERICA. Still a great show!
Loni Anderson has since gone public with the news that her and co-star Gary Sandy (Andy Travis) were secretly a couple during much of the shows run.
My father attended High School in Oregon with actor Howard Hesseman who played “Dr. Johnny Fever”. The same High School also produced actor David Ogden Stiers (Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester) of M*A*S*H.
Sadly, we have lost cast member Gordon Jump (Mr. Carlson) who died in 2003.
You remind me that radio isn’t like that anymore either. Computers- a blessing and a curse.
By: rumpydog on August 30, 2011
at 5:32 pm
I have to admit, while I enjoyed the “talents” of Loni, I did always enjoy Bailey just a bit more (jeez, the memory is on the fritz, I can’t think of the actress’ name!). And I always loved Johnny – and can relate QUITE strongly with him on some days!
And here’s one for ya. For a while, I was able to watch WKRP on a superstation version of a hometown TV station, WGN Chicago’s Very Own Channel 9. (Owned by the Tribune Corp., hence the World’s Greatest Newspaper call letters.) So how’s that – a Chicagoan, in Ohio, watching a TV program about an Ohio radio station on a Chicago station? I wrote ‘em and offered it as a commercial blurb, but they stopped running the show instead. Dirty little buggers!
By: John Erickson on August 30, 2011
at 6:58 pm
Funny show. I was going to mention the turkey episode but you beat me to the punch. I should look for this on net flix.
By: Christine Grote on August 30, 2011
at 7:07 pm
No-Hio – Bailey is the great Jan Smithers, who took off from acting to be the longtime wife of James Brolin, before he hooked up with Barbara Striesand.
By: TheIdiotSpeaketh on August 30, 2011
at 7:13 pm
Christine – I sure wish TV land or NICK at NITE would start showing it again……I really miss that show !
By: TheIdiotSpeaketh on August 30, 2011
at 7:14 pm
Oh man…this brings back a lot of great memories. Of all the shows they have “rebooted”, I have to wonder why this one hasn’t been tried. What a classic!
By: Sparrow on August 31, 2011
at 10:58 pm
Just catching up on blog reading. I just loved that show. It was all really so innocent. Thanks for the memories!
By: Judith on September 12, 2011
at 1:49 pm
Kudos! Another great article. I love reading someone, who also appreciates WKRP. Being from the Northern Ky area ( 15 mins from downtown Cincy) That show has always been special to me. Like you, The show ran while I was in High School. Watching Bailey and Jennifer light up the small screen was a joy.
By: BRAIN STEW on September 14, 2011
at 4:36 pm
Brain Stew – My son and I were in Cincy a few summers ago on a baseball road trip and we made a point to hike into downtown so I could see the fountain made famous in the opening credits….. of course, my then 12yr old son had no clue about the show…….
By: TheIdiotSpeaketh on September 14, 2011
at 5:33 pm