In an era before cellphones, the internet or i-things, this was a little slice of heaven. The small, ensemble cast mesh wonderfully together. It takes a while for the angles and humour to work themselves out in the first few episodes, but like M*A*S*H or Friends, the cast stealthily grow on you until you catch yourself aping their mannerisms and quotes in daily life.The basic premise is a family-run classical music radio station that has to reinvent itself as a rock station to survive, for which they hire Gary Sandy as a new station director. He inherits a dysfunctional but enthusiastic set of individuals, including utterly self-possessed advertising salesman Frank Bonner, much loved but totally ineffectual office manager Gordon Jump, gorgeous secretary Loni Anderson and utterly gullible and forever earnest news presenter Richard Sanders.As a comedy it never makes the mistake of taking itself too seriously, but does have quiet fun having a crack at racism, sexism and gay issues occasionally. It's really a character driven affair, and one watches episode again and again for the pleasure of seeing how the crew of the station either wind each other up or manage to pull together when crises hit.In spite of finishing a third of a century ago, it still comes over as fresh, and a league above many far more plush and 'daring' comedies of recent times. It doesn't have the answer to life, the universe and everything in it, it is just plain, heart-warming fun.

Running only four short seasons from 1978-1982, this was one of the most perfect shows of its time, and a near dead on commentary on small media outlets.The story is supposed to be about Andy Travis (Gary Sandy), as he leaves the Southwest to become program director of small station WKRP. When he arrives it is playing elevator music and nothing works well, which is how station owner Mama Carleson wants it - it is later revealed that WKRP is supposed to operate as a tax write-off and that's why she's put her rather incompetent son (Gordon Jump as Arthur Carleson) in charge of the station. The whole show is really about the comic conflict between "the jeans" and "the suits". Andy, Bailey, and DJs Venus Flytrap and Doctor Johnny Fever are "the jeans". "The suits" are Arthur Carleson, sales manager Herb Tarlek, and news director Les Nessman. The whole show is just a comic take on the younger characters trying to right the station in spite of the hang-ups and incompetence of the older ones. By "young" and "old" I'm really talking young at heart versus old at heart. Chronologically, Dr. Johnny Fever is probably older than Herb Tarlek, but they are definitely on different sides of the establishment/anti-establishment demarcation line. Although that doesn't mean that the younger characters are not without their comic quirks. In the middle, never really taking sides, is secretary Jennifer Marlowe (Loni Anderson) who knows many wealthy men, lives way beyond the means of a secretary, and who is a good soul and a woman whose private life is shrouded in mystery.Don't think that these guys are adversaries though. When they have to they can work together, and everybody honors Les' fake walls - marked by tape on the floor - regardless of what they think of his abilities. WKRP was a refreshing little show during a time when many of the sitcoms were taking on serious tones. Its writers understood the comedy part of situation-comedy. Although I was sad when it was canceled, the fact that it was on just four seasons meant that it never really had to change its format and in retrospect probably had a perfect show life. All the actors were hilarious and they complemented each other extremely well. One of the reasons WKRP remains popular and beloved today is because it didn't wear out its welcome. Three's Company is a perfect example of a sitcom that made that mistake. It was just as hilarious, but it just hung around way too long.The sad thing is this show in its entirety will remain only in our memories unless you had an early VHS recorder and had the foresight to record episodes. That is because the music, so integral to the show, had no legal provisions for release to home video in any form. In 1978 such an idea was just a concept not a reality. Someone who worked at CBS and should be in the know said that the masters of the film containing the music were destroyed years ago. That's one reason the only season ever released on DVD lacked the original music and was a complete failure.

In the late 70s, before FM stations were selling for nine figure sums and bands like The Rolling Stones and The Who were still putting out good albums (not CDs!), there was still hope for radio. Of course, the whole industry went into the toilet not long after this program went off the air. Terrestrial radio is now practically unlistenable and millions of subscribers pay good money to receive satellite broadcasting from commercial free music providers.Hugh Wilson was far from done after the mighty WKRP stopped airing new episodes (he created "Frank's Place" and "The Famous Teddy Z" in the 80s), but this show alone would have earned him a place in the hearts of many. This wacky cast, with some of the best writing in the biz, made sitcom humour rise above the nonsense and be adult with a strong childish (in the best sense of the word) streak keeping us in stitches.The out of touch with everything station manager, fashion eyesore sales rep, stuck in the 1940s reporter, ladies who always seemed a lot smarter than their male co-workers, program director always fighting a losing battle against the smothering of what made FM good in the first place and DJs whose celebrity usually works to their disadvantage. They make up a much better cast of the medium's castaways than "Gilligan's Island" had buffoons on a deserted isle.In the first season disc watching marathon I was having a couple years ago, I had to stop the action and go back with subtitles to make sure I really heard what I thought I had...there's a character named "Howard Sternworthy" of all things! Bizarre coincidence or not? (Had somebody on the show crossed paths with the "King Of All Media" that far back?) And look at how Wilson reacted to network pressure to have a more traditional kind of comic episode with "Pig Story", a relentless finger in the eye of formula sitcom BS.There are a lot of complaints about how the syndication didn't include ancillary rights to keep using the same music that was featured in the original airings. And now on disc, those songs aren't there either. I don't really mind, to tell you the truth. The acting is far more important than some pop tunes and any adjustments that have been made for replacing the missing cues doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. Shame on all those songwriters and/or performers who want a ridiculous amount of money for the future licensing. I bet not one of them turns down any company who wants to put their tunes in commercials for cereal, beer or cars!This show is much fresher than many comedies which came in it's wake, those without the style and richness of our wacky gang in Cincinnati. My favourite episode of all, "Hotel Oceanview", from season 3 (why didn't they just call it "The Dayton Poisoner"), with Mr. Carlson, Herb and Andy going to, you guessed it, Dayton, isn't available to watch right now. But when it is, I'll be the first to wear out a DVD. Other memorable stories? 1: "Jennifer Moves." And a nut in the new neighbourhood is pretending to work for the phone company. 2: "Real Families." Herb, wife Lucille and the two little ones are in over their heads as the focus of a reality show (before that term existed). And 3: "Hoodlum Rock." Actor/singer Michael Des Barres (of "The New WKRP" fame, as well as "Roseanne" and "MacGyver", all on at the same time of year back in 1991 I believe) appears as "Dog", leader of "Scum Of The Earth", the British group who play "gutter rock", but dress impeccably.Ah, so many wonderful memories. They don't make shows like this anymore! R.I.P., WKRP.

I wouldn't say that it was a religious experience, but it was a series that planted the seeds of my future. Today, I work in Radio, in part because I wanted to be Dr. Johnny Fever. I loved the way the characters worked together and played off of each other. It was a rare series.Even today, I would like to program a station like Andy Travis, do mornings like Fever, write like Bailey, and sell like... OK, I still don't want to be like Herb. Shows like WKRP and News Radio have one thing in common, They were both written by people who know what real radio is like. I think its that touch of reality that made WKRP so memorable to me.