WKRP in Cincinnati

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WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–1982) was an American situation comedy that featured the misadventures of the staff of a struggling radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson. It premiered September 18, 1978 on CBS and featured Gary Sandy, Howard Hesseman, Gordon Jump, Loni Anderson, Tim Reid, Jan Smithers, Richard Sanders, and Frank Bonner. WKRP in Cincinnati was videotaped before a live studio audience at Goldenwest Videotape Division, later moving to the CBS Studio Center.

As was typical of most MTM (Mary Tyler Moore) productions, the humor came more from running gags based on the known predilections and quirks of each character, rather than from outlandish plots or racy situations. The characters also developed somewhat over the course of the series.

The series won a Humanitas Prize and received 10 Emmy Award nominations (including three for Outstanding Comedy Series). It also won an Emmy Award for Videotape Editing in season 3 (by Andy Ackerman, who would go on to direct Seinfeld).

The original WKRP aired for four seasons and 90 episodes through September 20, 1982. During the third and fourth seasons, CBS repeatedly moved it around its schedule, contributing to its cancellation.

When WKRP went into syndication, it became an unexpected blockbuster. For the next decade, it was one of the most popular sitcoms in syndication, outperforming many much bigger prime time hits, including all the other MTM sitcoms.

Jump, Sanders, and Bonner reprised their supporting roles in a spinoff/sequel series, The New WKRP in Cincinnati, which ran from 1991 to 1993 in syndication.

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Q) What are the lyrics to the closing theme?

A) I said, I goto bars and a, ..I like beter than to hit her. I said im gonna do it, ..im goin to hit her in the head, uh huh

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[edit] Characters

• Andy Travis (Gary Sandy). For the most part, program director Andy Travis serves as the straight man for the eccentric staff of the station he has been hired to run. Before coming to WKRP, he had an unblemished record of turning around failing radio stations, but meets his match in his wacky staff members, of whom he becomes distressingly fond. The show's opening theme song is about Andy and his decision to settle down in Cincinnati; in the episode "The Creation of Venus", Andy echoes the opening theme lyrics in talking about his past ("Got kinda tired of packing and unpacking, town to town, up and down the dial").

• Arthur Carlson (Gordon Jump), occasionally called the "Big Guy", is the middle-aged general manager, whose main qualification for the job is that his business tycoon mother is the owner. His bumbling, indecisive management is one of the main reasons the station is unprofitable, although he is a decent man and something of a father figure to his employees.

• Dr. Johnny Fever (Howard Hesseman) is a burnt-out veteran disc jockey who came to WKRP after being fired from a major station in Los Angeles when he said "booger" on the air. After being hired by the station, one of his first on-air words (after being told he would not be fired for saying it) is "booger." Cynical and neurotic, he is usually in one sort of trouble or another.

• Les Nessman (Richard Sanders), the fastidious, bow-tied news reporter, approaches his job with absurd seriousness, despite being almost totally incompetent. For instance, he mispronounces golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez's name as "Chy Chy Rod-ri-gweeze". Les is forever trying to win the fictitious Ohio radio news trophy, the "Buckeye Newshawk Award" and the coveted "Silver Sow Award" (for excellence in farm news, particularly hog reports). He is best friends with fellow employee Herb Tarlek. To protest not having an office of his own, he has marked where walls would be with tape on the floor around his desk, and mimics opening a door whenever he enters or leaves. Mr. Carlson humors him by "knocking" (clicking his heels together) before entering. As a running gag, Nessman wears a band-aid in a different spot each episode.

• Jennifer Marlowe (Loni Anderson) is the station's gorgeous, blonde receptionist, and the station's highest-paid employee. Despite her image, she is informed, wise, and able to handle practically any situation with aplomb, no matter how absurd. Although very aware of her sex appeal, with various wealthy, powerful men at her beck and call, she is friendly and good-hearted with the station staff.

• Herb Tarlek (Frank Bonner), the boorish, tasteless advertising account executive, wears loud plaid suits, with his belt matching his shoes. He can't land the big accounts, usually succeeding only in selling air time for trivial products such as "Red Wigglers — the Cadillac of worms!" Although married to Lucille (Edie McClurg), he persistently pursues Jennifer, who has absolutely no interest in him. In a futile attempt to discourage him, Johnny Fever once tells him she is the result of the most successful sex change operation in history. While Herb is portrayed as buffoonish most of the time, he does occasionally show a sympathetic side.

• Venus Flytrap (Tim Reid), the soulful, funky evening DJ, runs his show with a smooth-talking persona and mood lighting in the studio. His real name, Gordon Sims, is almost never used and he maintains an aura of mystery, which turns out to be a cover for the fact that he is wanted for desertion from the US Army.

• Bailey Quarters (Jan Smithers), the young ingénue of the radio station, is originally in charge of billing and station traffic, but is later given additional duties as an on-air news reporter, in which capacity she proves much more capable than Les. As the series progresses, she overcomes her shyness and develops self-confidence. Beginning with the second season, she becomes linked romantically with Johnny Fever. The dynamic between Jennifer and Bailey has been likened to that between Ginger and Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island.

• Mrs. (Momma) Carlson (Sylvia Sidney in the series pilot, Carol Bruce afterward) is Arthur Carlson's ruthless, domineering mother and the owner of WKRP. An extremely successful and rich businesswoman, her only regret is that her approach to parenting (the "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger" school of child-rearing) backfired; her son ended up indecisive, weak-willed and afraid of her. In the final episode of the series, it is revealed that she had always intended WKRP to lose money (for the tax writeoff), which explains why she allows the incompetent employees to continue working at the station. The only one who is able to get the better of her on a regular basis is her sarcastic butler, Hirsch (Ian Wolfe). She and Hirsch are not regular characters, only appearing in three or four episodes each season.

• Three other DJs at the station are mentioned, but (with one exception) never seen: Moss Steiger has the graveyard shift after Venus; Rex Erhardt (who was finally seen in the fourth season episode "Rumours") hosts a program after Dr. Johnny Fever's morning show; and "Dean the Dream" has the afternoon drive slot.

• Series writer Bill Dial occasionally shows up as engineer Bucky Dornster.