WKRP in Cincinnati
A work place situation comedy that aired from 1978 - 1982. In this case the work place was a low-rated rock radio station. It was an MTM (Mary Tyler Moore) production and followed a formula a little like the
Mary Tyler Moore Show (the work place in that case being a television news room).
WKRP was born during the backlash of the disco craze of the mid-1970s. The creators of the show plugged into the "
disco sucks" attitude that was rapidly spreading across the nation. Also affecting the show's content was the trend in sitcoms of "teaching a lesson" while entertaining. This was a popular tactic used in the late 1970s (and continued through the mid-1980s) in an effort to deflect criticism of the value of television.
The cast of characters included the following:
Dr. Johnny Fever (Howard Hessman- see "
One Day at a Time") - a burnt out rock n roller dee jay.
Venus Flytrap (Tim Reid- see
black tv characters from the 70s and 80s) - A former school teacher turned smooth, cool talkin'
quiet storm radio host.
Jennifer Marlowe - (
Loni Anderson) The secretary who looked like
Jane Mansfield but "busted" through "dumb blond" stereotypes with her intelligence and wit.
Andy Travers (Gary Sandy) - The good-looking "country boy" program director who comes to town to shake things up by changing the radio station's format to rock n roll, all while wearing extremely tight jeans and a shiny satin jacket.
Herb Tarlek (Frank Bonner) - Donning white dress shoes and a matching white belt, Frank Bonner's portrayal of the stereotypical slimy, tacky salesman was his greatest contribution to society. Herb, along with "Larry" from
Three's Company, perfectly personified 1970s sleaze.
Les Nessman (Richard Sanders) - The nerdy, goody two shoes newsman. Richard Sanders greatest contribution to society.
Mr. Carlson (Gordon Jump see also
The Maytag Man)- Wimpy yet lovable boss with a heart of gold.
Mrs. Carlson - Mr. Calrson's controlling mother who is the actual owner of the radio station.
Baily (Jan Smithers) - The dowdy yet, quietly hot "cool chick" who works at the station. I really have no idea what her job was supposed to be.
Memorable episodes:
- The one where Venus teaches his gang member nephew about the makings of an atom by comparing it to "the hood." To this day I refer to neutrons as "The New Boys." and electrons as "The Electric Ones". Lesson learned - no kid is unteachable, they just need better teachers.
- The one where Dr. Johnny Fever "sells out" and becomes the host of a local disco dancing TV show. In order to avoid compromising his personal ethics, Dr. Fever creates an alter-ego to host the show but then temporarily has multiple personality disorder (DID). Lesson learned - don't die only the bottom half of your hair- it looks weird and can make you a little crazy.
- The one where Venus "sells out" to take a job at an automated radio station. They had enormous computers with those reel to reels. Lesson learned - being an essential component of a rag tag team is sometimes more meaningful than being a small cog in a slick machine.
- The one where Venus invites a "hot lady" up to the station to make out while he plays a pre-recordered version of his show. Surprise! Hot Lady sets him up to take the fall for her boyfriend (a bank robber) who looks sort of like him (only in that he is black and has a beard). Lessons learned about racism and trusting "hot ladies".
- The one where Mr. Carlson decides to throw live turkey's from a helicopter as a Thanksgiving promotion for the station. Lesson learned - turkeys don't fly.
In summary - WKRP formed my perception of what working in a radio station is supposed to be like and is probably why I went into radio in the first place.
Loni Anderson - An American television actress that is one of a triumvirate of blond TV "poster babes" of the late 1970s (Farrah Fawcett & Suzanne Summers are the other two). None of these ladies were able to transfer their popularity to successful film careers.
Loni grew up in my neighborhood in Roseville, MN but she lived there before I lived there (see also
Richard Dean Anderson and
the main guy from Six Feet Under). She was also married to
Burt Reynolds, which was pretty much the other highlight of her career.
Burt Reynolds - Hairy-chested American actor / sex symbol of the 1970s and early 1980s and my first male crush. <3 <3 <3
Reynolds starred in a series of trucker,
CB and country music-themed films most notably "Smokey & the Bandit" and "Cannonball Run" which in turn spawned a billion knock-offs ("Convoy," "Any Which Way But Loose," "BJ & the Bear," "
The Dukes of Hazzard") and a widespread love affair with
urban cowboy country culture (see- "Urban Cowboy", "The Electric Horseman", "Rhinestone Cowboy", etc).
Mr. Reynolds has many claims to fame including his famous hairy nude centerfold in
Cosmo Magazine, a May-December relationship with
Dinah Shore, a love affair with
Sally Field, the horrible wig that he wore throughout the 1980s and well into the 90s, his spectacular career nose dive, his interesting comebacks (including a stint as the voice of an alien father to a half-alien girl on the syndicated sitcom "Out of this World", a starring role in a semi-successful sitcom "Evening Shade" and a couple of "hip" film roles in the late 90s "Boogie Nights" and "Strip Tease") and finally his weird, very public divorce with
Loni Anderson in which she accused him of "homosexual" affairs.
Burt also starred in "
Deliverance" which I've never been able to bring myself to watch although I've seen key clips.
Jayne Mansfield - Actress from the 1950s and early 1960s who was commonly referred to as "the trashier Marilyn Monroe"
though in retrospect Marilyn Monroe was far more talented and actually strove to have a serious career as an actress. Mansfield seemed content to simply be ogled and adored for her good looks and bombshell status (at least that's what the Jayne Mansfield Story told me). She is best known for having everything surrounding her drenched in the color pink, owning miniature toy dogs, and meeting death by "possible" decapitation (with previously mentioned miniature dog at her side). She was also reportedly extremely intelligent.
People of my generation may better remember
Loni Anderson's portrayal of Mansfield in the 1980 made for TV movie "The Jayne Mansfield Story" which costarred
Arnold Schwartzeneger as her body building husband Mickey.
Quiet Storm - A term for radio programming that features smooth, sexy soul ballads. This trend began in the mid-1970s and was named after
Smokey Robinson's landmark album and song of the same title.
Disco Sucks - A backlash against the over saturation of disco music in the media. Disco took hold in the mid-1970s and had overtaken every aspect of American society by the late 1970s. Some have accused the "Disco Sucks" movement of being racist and homophobic. It was. But it was also a reaction to everyone on the planet recording a disco single and or LP. Sorry
Ethyl Merman.
The Disco Sucks movement culminated in "Disco Demolition Night" on Thursday, July 12, 1979 at Comiskey Park when a bunch of jerks burned a giant pile of disco records. Probably very toxic.
