Writer: Bill Dial
Director: Michael Zinburg
Original Air Date: June 4, 1979
These last two episodes aired a month after the rest of the series was originally shown, when the producers and even the network weren't sure the show was coming back. These were the episodes the creators of the show felt were their weakest. With the previous episode "Fish Story" they misjudged its quality and eventual popularity. With "Preacher," they did not.
Just as a small indication, check out the credits at the end of the show. They are blue - something we hadn't seen used since "Mama's Review". That means this was 1) produced at the time of the original 9 episodes and 2) thought so lowly of that it wasn't worth updating the credits. I mean, it's not like 35 years later, some guy with a computer will ever see this episode and write about it...
But like pizza, a bad episode of "WKRP in Cincinnati" has some good to it and we get a few nice gags along the way.
The build up to revealing the Reverend Little Ed Pembrook works well. Johnny and Mr. Carlson both know him and are terrified of him, both claiming he's crazy. Venus is the one to tell Andy that he is a 300 lb former wrestler whom he once saw drive Haystacks Calhoun through a soda pop machine.
Finding the Sinners
So when we meet him, it's kind of a disappointment. The actor, Michael Keenan, did a fine and over-the-top job, but he doesn't come across as a gigantic lunatic. He's just a fat loud-mouth. He's shorter than Mr. Carlson even. It leads to a bunch of lame fat jokes, like having his backup choir, the Merciful Sister of Melody each be heavyset, for no particular reason. Pembrook states at one point that the sisters are "waiting for me down in the Honda" which was a notoriously small car for 1979. Four fat people driving in a Honda?!? Har-dee har har!
"Ahem!"
The big joke is the Reverend seems more interested "selling" "religious artifacts" on the air than providing any real spiritual guidance. I can imagine a session in which the writers sat around trying to come up with the most ridiculous items imaginable: John the Baptist shower curtains; The World is Coming to an End lawn furniture; My favourite: the St. Peter and Paul spice racks. But these items never seem like they are anything more than a string of punchlines.
Speaking of punchlines, did you hear the one about the priest, the minister and the rabbi? When the three members of the Greater Cincinnati Inter-Faith Council (there's no such thing. I looked it up) arrive at the station to complain about Little Ed and his "Church of the Mighty Struggle," it again looked like the writers creating stereotypes to joke with, rather than real characters. Why was a Cincinnati priest Irish? Stereotype.
Crisis of Faith
I completely understand that WKRP is not a documentary on the inner workings of the late 70's radio scene, but more than most episode, thing happen in "Preacher" that make even a casual observer say "really?" Of all the characters, VENUS watches wrestling? Why would Mr. Carlson put an exercise cycle in his office, and then ride it in a three-piece suit?
But most importantly, what rock station carries a religious service on Sunday mornings? Why would a religious service want to stay on a rock station? Why bother with the threat of an IRS audit when an Inter-Faith Council is complaining about Little Ed? That should be enough to void any contract the station might have.
The only part that felt genuine is that Bailey is the one who comes up with the idea of an IRS audit. Her shyness is exaggerated, but the enthusiasm she has in delivering her plan to take down Little Ed shows how wild she will be one day.
This ended the first season. Spoiler alert: the show didn't get cancelled.
Other notes: No Herb in this episode. I believe this is the only episode Frank Bonner missed. Haystacks Calhoun was a real wrestler in the 1950's and 1960's. He was one of the first famous Big Men, like Andre the Giant and the Big Show later on. There is no way Little Ed would even have been able to put his head through a pop machine.
Roy
I can't speak about other markets than the one in which I live (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada). But in my teen years--and right about when WKRP was first airing--I would commonly go to bed at night with Halifax's CJCH radio AM, a rock station, playing. Except for Saturday nights when I would be sure to leave it turned off! Because at 7:00 Sunday morning would come a solid hour of religious music, which a "preacher" type talking throughout. Not being particularly Christian, it was not how I wanted to wake up!
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, I do believe this one was produced early in the season. When I watched the series in syndication years later, this was always the third episode in order--right after the two-part pilot. I suspect that was the original production order.
So the choices for the third episode were either this one about a questionable religious leader, or (what they went with) a man being persecuted for possibly being homosexual. CBS must have been thrilled with either choice.
DeleteSuzanne Kent, who was in a famous episode of "Taxi" is one of the Rev's backing singers. Her character in Taxi was called Angela, and the music they wrote for her became the theme to the show.
ReplyDeleteRight on Hamlet. IIRC, the Preacher to which you refer was Perry F. Rockwood of Rock Church. Later on after we'd launched CFRQ (Q104) Keith Wells hosted "The Fire Escape" which aired early Sunday mornings, just before "The Billy-Bob Happy Hour Sunshine Show" (which Hal Harbour and later on, I produced.)
ReplyDeleteWell, hello! It's almost four years since I wrote that comment, so it's a surprise to get a response now! Thank you. Were you one of the on-air people with CJCH in those days?
DeleteNaw, I was soundguy at CFDR and Q104. 'DR carried Perry F. Rockwood Sunday mornings.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Pittsburhgh in the 1970s and 1980s. At the time, it was common practice for radio stations all over the AM dial especially to play religious fare on Sunday mornings, regardless of their Monday to Friday format. Because the airwaves were considered publicly property in the US, in order to broadcast on them, stations were required to broadcast so many hours of cultural programming, which included religious broadcasting.
ReplyDeleteThe antics and merchandising of the preacher might seem outlandish and hard to believe, but you'd be surprised. They're not that far off from stuff that gets hawked by these religious charlatans all the time.
Not the best, most original humor the show ever displayed; but not as bottom-of-the-barrel as your post seems to suggest.