Ep. 88 - Up and Down the Dial

December 25, 2020

Writer: Dan Guntzelman
Director: George Gaynes
Original Air Date: April 21, 1982

**VERY IMPORTANT**

I propose that in television the difference between a "finale" and a "final episode" is forewarning. When the creators of a show know this is its last season and last episode, they can build to it, wrap up all the loose ends and say a tear-filled goodbye to the audience.  M*A*S*H, Cheers, Newhart and Seinfeld all had finales. Even WKRP's mother show "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" had a famous finale that shows up every year on "Best Finales Ever" lists. But other beloved shows like The Jeffersons or Taxi just ended because the writers and producers didn't have the forewarning. They didn't know it was the end.

"WKRP in Cincinnati" is in a somewhat different position. The producers and writers "kinda" knew this was the end. There were strong indications the show was about to be cancelled, but not enough to promote it as a "finale." So now I make another proposal: "Up and Down the Dial" should be considered a finale, and moreover, should be considered as great of a finale as any of those above mentioned classics. If not a finale, then perhaps as the greatest final episode of all time!

Throughout 88+ blog entries, I have tried to steer clear from ever proclaiming this show, or any of it's episodes as the greatest anything. There are certainly classics and I have my own favourites, but I make this point now because I don't know of any other final episode which is used to explain why the show exists. This episode doesn't answer questions like "Will Bailey and Johnny get together" or "Does Les ever get walls." It answers this question: Why does a station like WKRP even exist?

Everybody who works there knows it's screwed up. They know there should be more than one salesman (even the smallest stations have two or three)! They know Les is incompetent - not just poor at his job but dangerously unqualified for anything beyond farm reports. They know the format is all over the place - there is no station in America on which Johnny's music and Venus' music is both played, and neither of those is "a Top 40 Rocker" like Andy claims. They know the General Manager is asleep or playing with toys. Once you get over the comedy of all of this, a reasonable person should ask, why would Mama Carlson allow this to happen?

In this final episode, we get the answer. It's so simple it is elegant. The answer is delivered beautifully, with stakes on the line. The episode ends with the characters in a place they should all be in. Even the title of the episode feels like the end.

"WKRP in Cincinnati" did get the finale it deserved. We just didn't realize it at the time.

------

As it opens, Andy calls a meeting in his office because the new ratings book has come out. At first he pretends to be angry saying there are going to be some changes around here. That's called foreshadowing, kids.  Notice nobody is surprised that the ratings might be bad. Herb says "he could feel it on the streets for weeks now." Instead they should all be shocked the ratings might be bad. But Andy was kidding!  He's thrilled the station has risen to sixth in the market. Johnny's #1 overall. Venus is #3 overall and #1 with women 18-35 (of course he is). After four years, the station is finally making some money. 

Andy keeps putting Les off when he asks how the news ratings are until Andy finally conceeds that news "never does that good on a Top 40 Rocker. " That raises a lot of points: so this is already not a destination station for anybody wanting the news. That will come up later. Also, if that's the case, why does Andy care whether Les does rutabaga stories or not? The audience isn't tuning in for the news anyhow. Or is it that the ratings could be even higher if news, and mostly Les, wasn't dragging them down?

But this is WKRP and good news can never last for long. Jennifer comes in and tells Andy there is a man in the lobby claiming to be the new News Director.

Charles von Sanker looks like a man who would expect his office to have walls. Andy is convinced by his story of being hired over the phone by Mrs. Carlson that he is a legitimate hire because that's the way he was originally hired. Mr. von Sanker is a well-spoken family man from Fargo ND who would have jumped at the chance to get to market like Cincinnati and sounds reasonable enough to know what a actual news story is. Also, he is heavily sucking up to Mama Carlson even when she isn't there. I'm sure that's something that she would like after four years of Andy Travis.

Les is paranoid his bad ratings mean he's going to be fired and that's also what Andy thinks as he tears out of the station to confront Mrs. Carlson and fight for Les' job.

By some bizarro logic, Herb thinks that the station being more popular means he can do even less work. "The phone's gonna ring off the wall!" he says. He wants to pal around in the DJ booth (which of course he sees as fun and not real work) to the irritation of Johnny and Venus. When asked why he's there Herb advises "Enjoy this John. It sure as hell can't last." (Is that character to character or actor to actor? Given the real life situation, it's pretty profound). In the funniest sight gag of the episode, the DJ's silently roll Herb out into the hall.

Symbolism alert: When Andy gets to the Carlson mansion, Hirsch is sharpening a knife. Cuts are coming!

Mrs. Carlson intended to discuss Mr. von Sanker with Andy next week, but he demands answers now. He asks if she has three solid reasons why Les should be fired "Yes, he's incompetent, unprofessional and very weird." It didn't take her even a second to rhyme those reasons off.

But she then pulls out a 660 pages report she has had prepared by one of the top radio consultant firms in the country, all about the Cincinnati market and WKRP's place in it. It concludes: "WKRP's Top 40 audience is at its peak. The sound quality of the AM signal can not compete with FM stations. If WKRP is to remain profitable in the long run, we recommend changing to a non-music format: All News."

Von Sanker wasn't hired to replace Les. He was hired to replace Andy. 

Andy is in shock and angry! they are finally making some money at the station and she wants to throw away all of that hard work, mostly HIS hard work to move to a format he knows nothing about. She asks "Are you through?" and Andy replies "Well you tell me." Next shot is him cleaning out his office.

Everyone comes back in from the party celebrating the good ratings, tipsy and thrilled. Even Les has a little glow about him. When Andy delivers the news of the format change, they all think he's pranking them again, like he did at the beginning of the day. Once the news settles in, Herb delivers what might be his most Herb-defining line: "Wait, wait wait a minute. How does this effect me?"

Some time has passed and Johnny, Venus and Andy are commisserating drunkenly in the booth when Mr Carlson comes in. He's been talking to his mother about the changes for the station. He believes his mother is doing what's best for the station. "She wants us to be #1!" Andy can stay on as public relations director. Venus would become traffic reporter. Arthur talks about how being number one is the American Way, but each example he gives is wrong. Johnny asks "Were you this effective with your Mother?" and it gets a big laugh. 

Arthur says "I'm just trying to make a point" to which Johnny replies: "So am I." He leaves the booth with no further explanation. It seems like a joke, but as we've learned about Johnny, he's faster when he's drunk. 

I'm so happy that Hirsch made one final appearance in WKRP! This is one of his best! Greeting Johnny at the door, he assumes it's a homeless man coming to beg for money. But when he learns this is Johnny Fever, his manner changes dramatically. "You're the DJ who has caused her so much discomfort over the years. Please make yourself comfortable!"

What follows is the single most important conversation in the history of the show. That is not an overstatement. It is between two characters at the farthest spectrum from each other, economically, socially and politically. One is the boss, the other the employee. But where do they connect? They are both survivors. Both are willing to go to extremes for what they believe in. And most importantly, and oddly, they both actually care about Arthur Carlson.  Somehow all of that seems appropriate for the final episode that explains why WKRP is the way it is and has been for years

Johnny doesn't come in with much of an argument other than to say that this decision is going to hurt the existing staff. "Probably the farthest things from your mind was the people who work for you."

Mrs. Carlson says everybody gets to keep a job with the new format "If you're an announcer, you can announce." She says this in a way that makes her seem charitable. "I didn't have to do that." But Johnny sees through that, pointing out if she wants the new format to work, people like Venus, Andy and himself are all gone. He's trying to explain that if the profit is all that counts, what she will have to do is... But she firmly cuts him off.

"The profit is NOT all that counts!"

Johnny is confused but Mrs. Carlson explains: "Profit and loss are merely theoretical terms in a diversified conglomerate like Carlson Industries. It's not the plus and minus, Mr. Fever. It's the plus and plus IF the minuses are played correctly."

And Johnny finally gets it! It's a way for thinking the dungaries crowd just doesn't do and suits in the station would be too stupid to think of. But Johnny is older, has seen more in life and is certainly not stupid. "This is so deeply warped even I get it."

" 'KRP is not suppose to make money! That's the deal! We're set up to lose. But we didn't. And that's why your changing the format! So you can lose money for two more years."

We can see Johnny mind spinning at the news. She has said several times through the years that she doesn't trust her son to ever do the right thing. Why give him a job like General Manager? Why keep a nitwit like Les on the air? No radio station of WKRP's size, in a market the size of Cincinnati would have one salesman. There should be four or five, on top of a General Manager who would be in charge or maintaining relationships with the existing clients. Why only keep one, especially when that one is a lazy con man like Herb? The receptionist should not be the highest paid employee. Why hire a washed up old hippie as a drive time DJ? Finally FINALLY it all makes sense.

Except for the lying.

"You're telling your own son that you want him to be the General Manager of the number one station in the market, and you'd be happier if it were sixteenth.

How do you think he'd feel if he knew?"

I don't think that notion had ever occurred to her before. All Arthur has ever wanted to do is make his mother happy and the thing that makes her happiest is his continued failure. "How do you think he'd feel if he knew?

It has not been a funny conversation, so Hirsch, breaking the fourth wall for the first time ever on the show is a relief. "An very interesting turn, don't you think?"

Arthur comes to the door. Andy and Venus follow, staggeringly drunk. He brought them so Mama could explain to them, the way she had to him, why this format change will be good for everyone. Johnny is playing Chicken with her. He has nothing to loose. Everything he cares about is going to be taken away if she doesn't change her mind, so he barrels forward in telling Arthur what he's learned. The whole time, he's keeping his eye on Mama.

"Oh was our conversation confidential?"

Finally she relents. She tells Arthur to keep the format as it is. Johnny is very proud "Ah! A Mother's Love!"

The final scene of the series takes place the next morning in Andy's office. He is nursing a terrible hangover. As the staff starts filtering into his office, he thanks the guys for talking Mama out of changing the format and Johnny gives all the credit to Mr. Carlson. He has spun the story that she has decided to believe in her son's decision making and faith in the format. But then Andy started to wonder why everyone is coming into his office. 

It's a party for Andy! He missed the first one and everyone wants to congratulate Andy for turning the station around and making everything great at WKRP! Even Herb is thrilled to present Andy with a congratulatory cake. But he trips on Les' tape recorder and throws the cake, covering Andy! As the credits role, each staff member trickles out of the office, including a hung over Venus who crawls away. Finally like a naughty boy, Johnny scoops a handful of cake off and skips away as Andy sits alone and stunned, covered in his own cake. This is the life that one day before Andy had fought so hard to keep.

I think it's wonderful that, after everything we've watched, "WKRP in Cincinnati" end with a classic,old fashioned, lowbrow cake-in-the-face gag!

Roy

Other notes: Charles von Sanker was played by Nicholas Hormann. He is mostly a theatre actor with over 75 credits on IMDB, mostly in TV guest spots. Sadler, Selman and Cardone is a made-up radio consulting firm. This is George Gaynes' ONLY directing credit. You would recognize his from "Police Academy," "Punky Brewster" even a guest shot on the "Jennifer Home for Christmas" episode of WKRP. But his closest connection to the show is he was the real-life husband of Carmen Carlson, Allyn Ann McLerie!

I want to thank everyone who took some time to read any or all of the blog posts. I have made nothing from it but friends, so I feel very rich indeed. Thank you all! May the good news be yours.

Ep. 87 - To Err Is Human

December 15, 2020

Writer: Lissa Levin
Director: Linda Day
Original Air Date: April 14, 1982

***VERY IMPORTANT***
*** FAMOUSLY FUNNY***

Here's another episode that feels like two separate episodes stapled together, and those staples are a staple remover salesman! The first half is extremely funny but the second half comes off like a "very special" episode about treating the disabled with dignity, which although important, isn't really funny. 

Should we even discuss how advertising shampoo on the radio is a ludicrous notion to begin with? So at least WKRP and the Soul Suds company are putting cardboard standees of Venus Flytrap and his laid back hair in every grocery store and and drug store in Cincinnati. The attention this will bring the station should be huge!

But Herb messed it all up by being greedy, cheap, lazy and incompetent. Instead of hiring a professional photographer, Herb paid himself to take the pictures of Venus with his own personal camera. Instead of checking up with the printers to proof their work, he was in his backyard barbequeing. So when Herb showed up that morning and is ushered into Mr. Carlson's office, he is faced with dozens of cardboard standees of himself saying "I'm Venus Flytrap and I use Soul Suds Shampoo."

As Mr. Carlson questions "This is a shampoo marketed EXCLUSIVELY to the hip, young black customer. So why am I looking at a picture of a really idiotic looking white man?" And later  "We can't even tell how the shampoo works on you, Herb, because you've got a hat on!!"

Then Venus steps into Mr. Carlson's office. Nobody is quite sure how to react until suddenly, Venus screams and runs to attack Herb! The next couple of seconds before the credits may seem like nothing, but they really sum up how Herb survives at the station: Andy and Arthur literally come to Herb's defense, holding Venus back while Herb nonchalantly dusts off a standee, pretending to not notice the chaos in his wake.

The thrust of this episode is to see just how incompetent Herb can actually get. This whole stunt with Soul Suds has cost the station $5000 ( which is worth about $13,500 in 2020). Bailey asks Herb if he thinks he should be fired and he thinks he's surprising her by saying Yes. But Herb is confident and comfortable that management will never fire him. "Carlson is a marshmallow. Andy is too nice of a guy." Herb even dares Bailey to pretend to fire him and even she can't bring herself to do it. And that is Herb's whole argument. "Nobody ever gets fired around here."

But I'm getting ahead of myself. We're passing some very funny scenes, including the very first scene in the show. A salesman comes into the lobby trying all of his best lines to get past Jennifer to see Mr. Carlson. But she's heard them all before and each rejection is funnier than the last. How this gets woven in later is just great writing.

Coming back from the commercial, Johnny is playing the Soul Suds ad as Venus is walking down the hall dragging a Herb standee. He comes into the both and shows Johnny while the commercial says "so look for a life-sized poster of me wherever they sell Soul Suds shampoo." Hysterically Howard Hesseman waits and waits before telling Venus "You've got to stop using this stuff right away." The entire exchange in the booth is worth the price of admission on it's own, whether it's Johnny telling Venus he's now washed up as a black man or the end with Venus punching cardboard Herb in the face.

Getting back to Herb, Carlson confides to Jennifer that this time, he really is going to fire him. Jennifer knows he means it this time and she's shocked., because like Herb, she has come to believe that nobody ever gets fired from WKRP. Carlson asks her to send Herb in from the lobby. But Jennifer hatches a wacky scheme. She makes Herb go right away down to the offices of Hester Sherman, owner of Soul Suds to apologize and fix the situations and then she sends Les into Carlson's office to discuss the metric system for an hour and a half. She wants to distract Carlson, let him cool off and maybe Herb can right the ship.

This is where the first half of the show ends, the second half starts and two me, these feel like two totally different episodes that were jammed together. My notations calling this episode "Very Funny" and "Very Important" are all about the first half. Although the second half does have some funny things, there are some real jumps in logic and timing. Don't get too caught up trying to figure out for how long Herb, and then Jennifer are out of the office. But the split is so distinct, it occurs at the 11:35 mark of the episode.

That's when Herb walks into the offices of Hester Sherman, someone we have only heard described as "tough as nails..." twice! How has Herb never met this person before? How did he get the sale without knowing more about him. Herb is as rude to Sherman's receptionist as the first salesman was to Jennifer, but when she realizes he's the man on the standee, she sends him right in!

Sherman is blind. His guide dog barks at Herb loudly... dogs always know best. What comes next I think is only funny because it makes Herb look like a jackass; I don't believe Sherman is being belittled at all, but I do see the bullying taking place. Herb thinks he's being clever but he's obviously being a fool.

Herb obnoxiously "tests" Sherman to see if he really is blind. He waves his hand in front of his face. He spins in his chair. He takes papers off of Sherman's desk to pretend they are letter of praise from customers who love the standee. He pulls faces, shoots finger guns and even dances by the door. What is Herb thinking?!? He is so confident in his place in the world, he's not even offering the man behind one of his biggest accounts some basic human respect.

Sherman had already settled the issue with Andy on the phone but sarcastically tells Herb he's so delighted he came down there, he's going to call Andy up and change all that! Then he makes a face and shoots finger guns at Herb, indicating he's known what's been going on all along.

Andy had settled the issue with Soul Suds not pulling their ads, but Herb's visit changes that.

Jennifer now feels guilty because her wacky scheme has lost WKRP the client, so she goes to try to Sherman's office to change his mind with her feminine wiles.

This next bit in Sherman's lobby is the funniest bit in the second half and what ties the two sides together. Jennifer uses all the same tactics we saw used against her but Sherman's receptionist is as experienced as Jennifer and will not be fooled. So then Jennifer just waits... until that very same salesman comes in to see Mr. Sherman. So being A receptionist, she just sends him right in! In the confusion she gets into Sherman's office where, even blind, he knows this is a beautiful woman and agrees to meet with her. 

Jennifer's treatment of Hester Sherman is the polar opposite of Herb's. She respectful, heartfelt and honest. She truthfully tells him "WKRP hires some people whole otherwise couldn't get jobs at another radio station." She also admits why she is fighting for a jerk like Herb: "I like him. It's crazy, but I like him." which is kind of what we saw in the "Fire" episode with them trapped in the elevator together.

But the episode quickly gets bogged down into a discussion of how the handicapped are perceived and treated by society. Sherman tells Jennifer "When you're handicapped, you're always trying to show the world you can be a little bit better. " The sentiment is nice, but it's not very funny. However, the worst thing about it is Jennifer relating being visually impaired with being beautiful.

"I'm a pretty blonde so when people meet me they naturally think I'm dumb." 

"I didn't think that."

"Well, that's because you can see through all that." Jennifer jokes, and now the two of them are equals in society! But not really, right? I mean, I don't think most people think of being pretty and blonde as a handicap. Otherwise Loni Anderson would still be a brunette!

Very quickly, Sherman becomes as creepy as any salesman who has ever ogled Jennifer. "Can I feel your face?" Eeew. She rightly calls it out as "some sort of sightless come-on?"

When we get back to the station and everything has been sorted out (back to the arrangement Andy agreed on, I believe), we get the best call back of the show, and a bit of writing that takes this from a average to an above average episode. The original salesman comes back! He rightly tells Jennifer she owes him and she agrees, sending him into Mr. Carlson to pitch his "Super New Staple Remover," right after Carlson just finished discussing the metric system with Les. What should normally have been a one-off salesman-and-Jennifer joke to be quickly forgotten actually becomes a running gag that gooses the plot along and ties two separate plotlines together!

And that's how Herb kept his job!

Roy

Other Notes - Tom Sullivan was something of a celebrity in the late '70's and early '80's, primarily famous for being a blind musician and comedian. He appeared on many game shows and talk shows around that time, especially "The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson." A movie based on his memoir, both called "If You Could See What I hear," was released in in 1982 (same as this episode!) starting Marc Singer.

According to the Michael B. Kassel book, "America's Favorite Radio Station," this is the final episode actually filmed.

Also, we only see two people, but are there no black people working at Soul Suds Shampoo? 

I don't usually write about all the music on an episode, but this episode includes the first network airplay for Huey Lewis and the News with "Do You Believe in Love."

Ep. 86 - The Impossible Dream

 December 8, 2020

Writer: Richard Sanders and Michael Fairman
Director: Nichlas Stamos
Original Air Date: April 7, 1982

When I started this blog, I was very hard on Richard Sanders. My memories of him were as someone who went out of his way to show he was acting. I then saw he had written five episodes of the show, most of which like "A Date With Jennifer" focus on Les. But over the seasons, I had somewhat mellowed on Sanders as I felt he had gracefully blended into the ensemble.

Then I watched "The Impossible Dream." This is Les' last real mark on the series and it end with Richard Sanders in a dress. Sigh.

The whole episode revolves around Les' birthday and with the major life changes Les wants to take on, I'm guessing it's suppose to be his 40th birthday (Sanders was 41 years old in real life). He has rashly decided to finally go out to New York City and break into big time broadcast journalism. He feels like it's now or never for him to give it try.

This is the modern version of the "Special Dream" he and his mother had shared that he would become a writer with the "New York Times." Oh yes, it is important to know that Les' mother has travelled to Cincinnati to celebrate her son's birthday. What influence has she had on this sudden decision?

There are a couple of obstacles in Les' way. The first is that he doesn't have any vacation time right now - Andy does. And as Andy will whine for the next ten minutes "There's an eight foot base with a two foot powder at Aspen!" I have no idea if Andy is suppose to know what that means.

The second, and certainly more pressing issue is that Les is not very good at journalism and has no idea what he's doing. Hundreds of journalists across America dream about what Les is dreaming, but they've put in the years of work to even have a chance at that kind of job. Les is giving himself a two week vacation to make that dream come true. Everyone, especially Andy, knows he's going to fail "They're going to ship him back in a body bag!" Andy says charitably.

Yet with this all happening, Jennifer decides to throw a surprise birthday party for Les, mostly so she can meet his mother. As cloying as the script is with Les' character, it gives Loni Anderson a lot to play with. It's always fun to see the cool, in-control Jennifer get frazzled and this party gives us that. She invites the staff over to her apartment for seven o'clock and tells Les to bring his mother by at eight.

However, Les arrives at the party before even 7 o'clock! She's not ready at all! Also, that's when Les tells  Jennifer how much he hates birthdays, and begs her not to tell anyone else. That's about when Jennifer headache starts.

The rest of the staff starts to trickle in. Andy and Mr. Carlson are trying to think of the best way to tell Les not to go. Jennifer tells them not to mention Les' birthday. Herb shows up hoping he might be early and get some alone time with the hostess. Jennifer tells him not to mention Les' birthday. Johnny and Bailey show up with party hats and serpentina! She admits to Les that everyone knows it's his birthday,  but now he's fine with it! The headache worsen.

This gives us her great delivery when Andy doesn't want to wear a party hat: "Put on the damned hat!"

Les is in a giddy mood. He's about to start an adventure and he has has a video audition reel made up to sell him in New York. He's had it professionally produced at "Twilight Video Arts," a client of Herb's. You have to remember, this is still a time when having a private video made was a big deal. You had to have money to even have a video player. So of course, Jennifer has five. Les is excited to get the gang's opinions.

But he doesn't even wait to hear they have to say. Cheaply made, it shows Les miss pronouncing President Reagan's name (he says REE-gan). The script is inane and opinionated. The wrong photos are shown on the screen behind him mixing up a car with an anteater. I like that Herb is sitting front and centre for the whole thing, loudly encouraging Les' name on the screen. But he's also the first to turn it off. Everyone know it is a disaster, unusable and, most sadly, an accurate portrayal of what Les Nessman would be like on the news.

Les is humiliated and runs out of the apartment. Jennifer turns back to her guests, giving up on the party she had planned and just says "Whaddya say guys? Triple vodkas all around?"

We know from Bailey earlier that Venus is on the air at the station and that's where Les winds up. I'm guessing he doesn't want to go back to his apartment and his mother quite yet. Venus is having Chinese food with two beautiful women in the control booth, but he has learned something from a couple of episodes ago. This is actually a meeting with his broker Adele and Tiffany his bookkeeper. And he really is having a business meeting this time! You tell Andy!

Venus is the first person to straight up ask Les "Why do you want to go to New York?" Venus is also the only person Les has asked "Do you think I'm good enough to go to New York?" Venus has fulfilled a "trusted advisor" role on the show before. Venus is also someone Les believes he can learn from.

Perhaps the best written joke in the episode occurs when Venus goes on the air and tells the audience "I hear you asking yourself Am I good enough? Should I take the chance? Will I Fail? Well, only you know your true worth. So seek not reflection in another's eyes." He then turns to Les and asking if that helps and Les replies "Oh I'm sorry Venus. I wasn't listening"

But the ladies are the most honest with him, telling him stories about how tough New York can be. Tiffany even says "Maybe those guys are just fifty times better than you are." Perhaps because they aren't his close friends, they can be a little most honest with Les. 

Next morning, in the lobby, Carlson, Jennifer and Andy are wondering if Les really wen to New York. Johnny comments how when Bailey did the news this morning it's the first time it's made sense in years!

I'm about to reveal a sixty year old spoiler, so please be ready. At the end of the movie "Psycho," Norman Bates runs out wearing his dead old mother's dress. I'm telling you this to prepare you for the next shot.

In walks Richard Sanders wearing old woman drag- permed, grey wig, pinched glasses and white gloves. The audience howls with laughter. Johnny asks "Nessman, are you going to New York or San Francisco?"

"I'm Lester Nessman's mother. I came here on the bus!"

Les did not go to New York after all. His mother has come down to the station to blame them for putting these "silly ideas" about New York in his head and Mr. Carlson says he thought New York was her idea.

"Mothers don't create false expectations in their childrens' minds. Although, Lester would make an interesting anchorman, wouldn't he?" She grins and sounds like Mother Bates as she says it.

In a final trick, Herb walks in and like Johnny, he also thinks this is just Les in a dress. He mocks her and gooses her as she's leaving. The director, believing no one in the audience has ever seen a camera trick before, has Les angrily walking into the lobby a second later. See? It wasn't the same person after all!

Roy

Other notes - Every newsman Les mentions (Roger Mudd, Charles Kuralt) is or was a CBS newscaster. Even Andy asks are you going "to replace Dan Rather?" The end credits read "Mother Nessman as Herself"