"WKRP in Cincinnati" (1978) TV series 1978-1982

Creator:

Hugh Wilson

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

18 September 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

The staff of a struggling radio station have a chance at success after the new programming director changes the format to rock music

Plot Keywords:

Radio | Radio Station | Disc Jockey | Radio Reporter | Sitcom

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Gary Sandy	...	Andy Travis (90 episodes, 1978-1982)
Gordon Jump	...	Arthur 'Big Guy' Carlson (90 episodes, 1978-1982)
Howard Hesseman	...	Johnny 'Dr. Fever' Caravella (90 episodes, 1978-1982)
Loni Anderson	...	Jennifer Elizabeth Marlowe (89 episodes, 1978-1982)
Richard Sanders	...	Les Nessman / ... (89 episodes, 1978-1982)
Frank Bonner	...	Herbert 'Herb' Tarlek (89 episodes, 1978-1982)
Tim Reid	...	Venus Flytrap (87 episodes, 1978-1982)
Jan Smithers	...	Bailey Quarters (86 episodes, 1978-1982)

Runtime:

30 min (90 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-PG

Filming Locations:

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Company:

Company Four

Trivia:

Johnny was fired from a previous job because he said the word booger on the air. In fact, when Andy changed the station's format in the middle of Johnny's show he showed his joy by uttering the previously banned word.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Unlike real DJs, the cast of WKRP never wore monitor headphones while broadcasting music.

Quotes:

Bailey Quarters: Have you noticed all the men in Landersville are going bald? I wonder if there's a nuclear power plant in the area.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Wonderland (2003)

A breath of fresh air

Amid the cookie-cutter, assembly-line sitcoms of the late '70s and early '80s, "WKRP in Cincinnati" stood out like a breath of fresh air. It had all the qualities necessary for a classic comedy: the show was character-driven, not dependent on a never-ending stream of glib and not-so-glib one-liners (and, thank God, no "cute" kids); the writing was sharp, clever, and at times absolutely brilliant; the ensemble cast worked together like a well-oiled machine, with each character having its own distinctive--and, unusual for television, three-dimensional--qualities, both good and not so good; and in addition to wringing laughs out of everyday situations, it wasn't afraid to tackle more serious subjects, either, such as parental responsibility, censorship, shady business practices in the industry, drug use and, of course, one of the most barbaric problems to have confronted America in this century: the practice of using live turkeys in promotional campaigns ("As God is my witness, I thought they could fly!").

Many episodes stand out, of course, the main one probably being the above-mentioned turkey extravaganza, but there were others that were equally as memorable: the staff's discomfort at being sponsored by a chain of funeral homes and having to come up with a catchy "slogan" for them; the inspired casting of Bert Parks as Herb Tarlek's charming, but even more obnoxious, father; Johnny Fever's "selling out" by hosting a cheesy TV dance show; Les Nessman's being barred from sports locker rooms because of a false rumor spread around that he was gay; a dark secret from Venus Flytrap's past finally catching up with him; and a host of other brilliant episodes dealing with serious and not-so-serious issues.

This is one of the class acts of sitcomdom, and ranks up there with "Taxi", "Mary Tyler Moore," "Cheers" and "Seinfeld" as among the finest sitcoms ever made. Unfortunately, unlike the aforementioned shows, "WKRP" never really got the respect it so richly deserved. But at least we can keep enjoying it on reruns. Thank God for small favors.