This was the best episode of WKRP ever, in my personal opinion. And this was a well written show, with the best actors around, so that's saying something. Mama Carlson's "You've been a very bad boy" line is her best one of the entire series. The words are simple and hardly unique, but in context it is a perfect line! And Andy's sheepish look as he sits on the couch while she delivers it is perfect. And the guest star displays the most irritating, smug, self-righteous, attitude every second that he's on the screen. I can't say enough good things about this episode.
This show was both entertaining and informative. It gave you a look behind the curtain at how pop radio operated and how much corporate cash lubed the gears....
In my field it was the Efficiency Consultant. Hell, they almost installed timers on our computers that would track when we turned it on and worked of course. Siging in and out at lunch. And them, of course at the end of the day. Clock watchers. Then they proposed rating us "By The Piece" Only problem was were weren't a garment manufacturer. We were an insurance company. Insured the employees, etc. Ridiculous.
@@ToniHunterOne Getting edicts from 'management' telling us to ask doctors if we _really_ need an insured medication; or telling us to restrict refreshment and washroom use to paid breaks. Or even one I saw--"please do not move around the office or look out windows"
Carol Bruce and Ian Wolfe were a couple of old pros. They both knew good writing when they saw it, and they played the hell out of it. You can tell they were having fun.
I was a senior in High School when this show came out...everyone loved the humor. I recall how funny the Thanksgiving Turkey Give Away was to watch...total classic!!!
I sure miss old school radio stations....the conglomerates came in and absolutely destroyed KMOD in Tulsa and they were the stuff of legends in the radio world whom we thought would never sell out to the man. We got disappointed.
moosehand8721 I hear ya man. The same thing happened to the greatest Rock & Roll radio station ever. 94.7 KMET in L.A. KMET broadcasted from the same building that they filmed WKRP in .Metro Media Square. They tore down the building in 1994 and built a high school on the same spot. I hope the kids know what hallowed ground they are walking on . R.I.P. KMET Feb.14,1987 the day that Real R & R died in L.A.
@@lilorbielilorbie2496 that's a station dear to your heart brother, I feel ya, when you gave the date of death there at the end I heard Don McLean sing "the day the music died" in my head.♥️at least we still have our vinyls to hear the old sacred sounds through the stylus needle like it was meant to be heard.
@@moosehand8721 Yes it was a very big part of my youth for sure. I can tell you exactly where I was when they went off the air. I was at the intersection of Ocean Blvd. and Shoreline Drive in Long Beach , CA. I was turning left to go down by the Queen Mary. I was driving my 1985 Ford Mustang GT that I bought brand new on Dec.24,1984. It seems like a life time ago and then some times it's like it was just yesterday.
I used to DX using a little, but powerful, Panasonic desk top radio back in the 80's up here in Toronto at night. I'd listen to WOWO, WBT ("Hello Henry"), WHAS, WCCO, WGZ, WHEE, WCLE, WBAP, WGN, WROC and such like. But before the 80's were through, I couldn't listen any more since almost all the stations had either Suze Orman peddling financial advice, Larry King or one or two other syndicated shows. They were OK but, every single station!? No music, no local news anymore (at night anyway). This was long before the Internet killed anything and I hardly ever listen to radio now and for some years at that.
I love the look on Andy's face when Mrs. Carlson tells him the consultant is already in town and has been monitoring WKRP for the last several days. Andy must have been thinking "Oh s**t". And I love the way Jennifer later perfectly played the stereotyped dumb blonde when talking to the consultant, following Andy's plan to completely screw up his report.
This episode is one of my favorites! It touches on so many things and written, produced, and played extremely well. Lonnie, playing Jennifer, and Jennifer playing an airhead is one of my favorite moments in TV history.
As a radio guy for about 40 years now - got my first gig not long after this went off the air - without a doubt one of my favorite lines comes from Andy, after Norris tells him nobody is programming their music anymore: "We are, and that's the way it's going to stay." Of course, the consultant was pretty much correct, that most stations in larger and medium markets weren't programming their stations by the early '80s. And that's when stations started sounding homogenous, and your rock station in Pittsburgh sounded much like your rock station in Dallas, and it became even more so that way as we got into the '90s and the corporate radio takeover.
my favorite episode, and the point where bailey looks up and to her right and smiles, always makes my knees weak, also, how brilliant is Hirsh, the comic relief in an already brilliant comedy show
They had to fight the network to get to make that episode. Their logic was that the incident took place in Cincinnati and had they been a real station, it would have been them actually covering it.
I had forgotten all about Hirsch, what a funny character he was, I miss the show so much. I have not found the episode of wrestler turned evangelist yet, my favorite.
Anyone who finds the content of the episode interesting should read "FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio" by Richard Neer. In his decades in the radio business he blames these consultants and programmers as what killed radio and he references a few WKRP episodes. Some of his real life stories are as funny as the show.
I remember this episode and I also remember thinking that I must think differently than most males because Jennifer was supposed to be the super hot girl but I couldn't look away from Bailey. I was only like 9 years old but I thought she was the prettiest girl in the world. I don't feel differently now
Too corporate. There was always the corporate factor, but the ratio is so imbalanced, perhaps there's not even a ratio anymore! This started in the mid or late-90s, and was the clear beginning of the end. No more artistic or natural element anymore, or even "free" factor. It's all trash now and due for an overhaul. Radio, television, mainstream music, film, etc.
I noticed as well that a few bits are omitted. Not much, but apparently enough to add at least 60 seconds for your local TV station to insert another ad or two.
Probably came from a syndicated rerun broadcast. Most shows had edits to pack in more commercials. Very bothersome when you’d seen the original first run episode and are looking forward to seeing it again only to find whole scenes missing. The Office had many funny bits just vanish in syndication. Nothing is worse than feature films that start with “This film has been edited for content and to run in the allotted time.” I won’t even bother then.
ok, well two major flaws in the story, one, Venus was a friend of Travis that travis brought to the station, and Venus made the name up his first time on air, so no way that the consultant knew of him.
You must be very proud of yourself for finding and pointing out continuity errors in 40 year old TV shows. Next you'll be telling us that WKRP wasn't a real radio station . Nothing gets by the jerseyguy ! Find a hobby
