Ep.46 - The Airplane Show

May 26, 2017

Writers: Michael Fairman and Richard Sanders
Director: Rod Daniel
Original Air Date: March 31, 1980

Welcome to Season Three of "WKRP in Cincinnati" which begins in, of all places... Cincinnati!

You may also have noticed this episode aired a full seven months since season two ended. Both of these things happened as a results of a Actors' Strike in Hollywood in the summer of 1980. Actors' wanted a piece of the newly emerging "videocassette" revenue stream, among other things. All TV and movie production went into hiatus. Actors were not allowed to work by their union.

But writers and film crews could still work. So Richard Sanders, who played Les Nesman, and his writing partner Michael Fairman (who is also an actor - he played the shopkeeper in the "Turkey's Away" episode as well as Buddy) got special permission to film their scenes for this episode in Cincinnati because they were also the writers. That also explains why the rest of the cast is filmed in just two sets (bullpen and control room) tightly and quickly. The strike ended October 25 and this episode was on the air on November 1st!

Oddly, the final episode of season two was also written by Sanders and Fairman and both episodes place a certain focus on needing therapy. I counted six separate occasions in this episode in which psychological therapy is either suggested for Les, or he is outright called crazy. When I look back at episodes written by Richard Sanders, I can't really tell how he feels about his own character. I think he thinks Les needs help and that he could do something "crazy" at any moment.

I see Les more as a frustrated "doer." He wants to get things done and solve problems. He sees WPIG getting ahead of WKRP in traffic reporting and he wants to DO something about it. He's frustrated management hasn't gotten him the helicopter they promised him two years ago. So he solves the problem by getting a crop duster to fly him over the city. Problem solved, right?

It's strange and random to see where Les applies this "talent." He's prepared to stand up against his bosses to put his career and life in danger. But he can't stand up to pilot Buddy over paying for a cup of coffee.

Buddy is kinda crazy too, and not just because he threatens to take Les and himself down in a murder/suicide pact. On one hand, he criticizes the government, saying "the President's plan of a controlled recession seems to have gotten out of hand" (which is a great line to just drop into conversation) but on the other hand he is fiercely patriotic and proud of the role he played in the war.

One of the most impressive shots ever filmed on this show is from Les' point of view, in which, as Les approaches the airplane on Veteran's Day, he is wiping his glasses. Then we see as he puts them back on, the airplane, with Buddy in full dress uniform, come into focus. It literally refocuses Buddy from a greedy crop duster to a war hero, literally in Les' eyes.  That must have been a stage direction in the script as Rod Daniel, in the many WKRP episode he has directed, has never made another shot like that.

The bulk of the show is taken up with the fact that Buddy is upset nobody is remembering Veteran's Day (and it is "Veteran's Day" in November in the US) and his efforts to remind the people of Cincinnati. He takes off to the tune of The Who's "Had Enough" featuring the line "I've had enough of being nice." As he is buzzing the city, we take in a lot of the sites in Cincinnati, including Riverfront Stadium and Fountain Square. This will be the most we ever see of the city outside of the title sequence, but from what I've been able to learn, the producers had been hoping to show more of the city at a later time because Cincinnati had been so supportive of the show.

The rest of the WRKP staff comes together to help Buddy (and save Les' life) when Johnny calls them all in to plan a parade. What's most interesting here for us is a glimpse into what the staff does on a day off of work just by what they're wearing. Andy was playing football for the Baptists. Jennifer was horseback riding. Bailey was jogging, maybe? Herb was barbecuing with his family in his Kiss the Cook apron (which will get a surprising amount of play in upcoming episodes). Venus is a Boy Scout leader and Mr. Carlson is just in a casual sweater. Johnny is of course working.

The episode ends with Mr. Carlson commenting on a city that blew their car horns to save a crazy newsman and honour its veterans, and that would breed a group of people like the WKRP staff... "Strange town, Cincinnati."

Roy

Other Notes: The show makes a lot of fun that the name has changed to Veteran's Day from Armistice Day, but that happened back in 1954. Armed Forces Day is in May.  Because of the Actor's Strike, it was difficult to find anybody to go up in the plane who looked like Les, so all of those stunts actually do feature Richard Sanders flying over the city! Interesting the producers were willing to feature a Who song so prominently less than a year after the concert tragedy. At one point it is said that WKRP has "2000 listeners, tops." The population of Cincinnati in 1980 was 385,000. That is less that 1/2 of 1%!

Bonus Feature -"Do My Eyes Say Yes?"

May 19, 2017


We have come to the end of the Second Season of "WKRP in Cincinnati," so let's celebrate by taking a look at Loni Anderson. (Does that sound right? That doesn't quite sound right). One of the Bonus Features of the boxset is the featurette "Do My Eyes Say Yes" that looks a little deeper into the phenomena that was Loni Anderson/Jennifer Marlow in 1980. This featurette first appeared in the Season One WKRP box set that was released in 2007 ("The Black Box"). That's why all of the clips used come exclusively from Season One.

Should I read anything into it that the first full minute of this featurette plays before they ever talk to Loni Anderson? Or that this minute includes Frank Bonner, Tim Reid and Hugh Wilson all mentioning how sexy she is, while the first words Anderson uses to discuss her character are "really intelligent woman"?

What is interesting is seeing how much Frank Bonner views his own character of Herb through his relationship to Jennifer. Now, of course, this is a clip about Jennifer, so it's not surprising, but Anderson talks about the real friendship between the two characters. In fact, I think we see that friendship more in the second season than the first. Looking at a very funny reel of clips in which Jennifer shoots Herb down, it becomes apparent that his hitting on her is just a running joke between colleagues. The second season Ep. 38 "Put Up or Shut Up" confirms this.

There's also quite a bit of discussion on which characters Jennifer kissed. Anderson confirms that Johnny is a good kisser, something I'm sure Bailey would like to know.

Tim Reid doesn't say "Jennifer" when he talks about her being "no dumb blonde." He says Loni Anderson is no dumb blonde and that's the point this piece tries to make. Jennifer cared about the staff and relished being the face of the station. She knew she could handle anybody and we are left with the impression that Loni was the same way.

This is just a fun little extra that doesn't add much to our understanding of the character. As I said of the "Fish Story" featureete at the end of Season One, I would have much preferred to get a commentary track instead.

The featurette does concludes with a wonderful little anecdote from Anderson of how she would get drinks sent to her in a bar when she was wearing the blonde wig from a play, but not when she wore her naturally brown hair and how Hugh Wilson took this story and worked it into the Ep. 15 "Never Leave Me Lucille" episode.

Roy

Note: To add more value to this blog, I am going to go back through and make a note at the top, stating if this is a "Very Important" or "Famously Funny" episode. Some might be both; most will be neither.

"Very Important" will mean it is important to the development of the overall story or characters. It does not necessarily mean it tackles an important topic. They are the episodes that I imagine the writers, producers and actors are most proud of.

"Famously Funny" will mean the biggest laughs of the series. These episodes will have the most quoted lines and craziest scenes.

I don't intent to rank the shows but to give a quick guide to those people just wanting to check out a few episodes. The choices are all mine, but I'd love to debate them with you!

Ep. 45 - Most Improved Station

May 4, 2017

Writers: Michael Fairman and Richard Sanders
Director: Rod Daniel
Original Air Date: March 31, 1980

There is a lot I want to discuss about this episode, but I'd first like to discuss an issue in WKRP fandom that is a personal peeve. I have waited specifically for this episode to discuss it, because out of all the WKRP in Cincinnati episodes, this is the only one in which Jennifer and Bailey are made to confront each other.

If you do a cursory Google search on "WKRP in Cincinnati," two things come up most often. 1) "Turkeys Away" is the funniest episode of anything ever. (This usually gets more play around Thanksgiving) 2) Who is hotter: Jennifer or Bailey? Actually, let me rephrase that. It is usually posted by some guy who thinks he is wiser, deeper or more liberal when he posts "Bailey was actually sexier than Jennifer" with a lot of late 70's short shorts pictures to make his point.

A reminder about who I am. I am currently writing my 45th blog entirely about WKRP in Cincinnati. So I think a LOT more about this show than almost anyone on the planet, and I preach that it has a lot more to offer the world than just those two details. Also, I'm a straight white guy in my mid-40's. There is no question both Loni Anderson and Jan Smithers were very attractive (and still are) and that WKRP was not afraid to showcase the beauty of both women to draw their audience.

But this binary meat marketing of the characters (and it's always about the characters, not the actresses themselves), choosing between the curvy blonde bombshell and the smaller, bespectacled brunette is crude and reductive and should be left to the past. I'd say the same thing if I were writing a Gilligan's Island or Scooby Doo blog. I have never read a piece debating if Andy or Venus is sexier. And it does not make any guy "deeper" for opining that Bailey is the true beauty because she isn't as showy about it. This program has gone to great lengths to display both female characters as intelligent and desirable. Please, future bloggers of WKRPs: stop talking about which female cast member is hotter! Neither of them would have had anything to do with you anyway!!!

Thank you for indulging me there. Now, back to the important stuff, like how is Johnny going to get lipstick out of a rented tux.

Having just written the post about Ep. 44 "Venus Rising," I think this episode can be viewed as a companion piece to that one (especially in the crack where Les asks Herb why he doesn't just quit and Herb grits his teeth and says "Shut up, Les.")  That one was about respect. This one is about responsibility. Each member of the staff feels the station is in some way their own responsibility and that by losing the Most Improved Station award, each feels they have neglected their responsibilities.

Bailey considers herself "basically an executive" (which I think would come as a surprise to Mr. Carlson and maybe even Andy) who has been reduced to fetching coffee for DJ's. In Johnny's opinion DJs are "what make radio alive" but that they are disposable and therefore insecure. Les feels the "management is not responsive to the needs of the news department" as demonstrated by his lack of walls. Mr. Carlson worries so constantly about the station he wakes up in mid-argument about his feelings of responsibility. We know from the end of last season how seriously Andy takes the success of the station and feels he doesn't get the support from a divided staff to get things accomplished.

But the solution writers Fairman and Sanders concoct to solve this problem seems very late 70's / early 80's. Today, communications consultants might be brought in to conduct team building exercises, but here the staff use bits and pieces pop psychology to confront their issues. Bailey suggests they break up into "dyads." (Why can't she just use the word "pairs"?) Venus tries relaxation exercises. But nothing actually gets accomplished until Johnny stands up and just speaks honestly from the heart.

This leads to Andy's "Walls" speech, and for my money, if you needed to show someone one minute from the entire series to explain what the character of Andy Travis is all about, this is that minute. Andy 1) confronts Les, 2) makes a heartfelt and intelligent point and then 3)undercuts the whole thing with a joke.

You would think Richard Sanders would give his own character the long climatic monologue of summing up all the characters but wisely he gives that to the character who spends the most time observing the others: Jennifer. She breaks down the family that is the WKRP staff:

• Mr. Carlson - Father - concerned
• Andy - Son - competent and success-oriented
• Les - Brother - bookish
• Herb - (no relationship mentioned) - lovable jackass
• Johnny - Uncle - weather-beaten ("no, I never could nail you down")
• Venus - Brother - spiritual and loving
• Bailey - Sister - beautiful, shy with brains

She doesn't put herself in this family, but the remaining role is clearly the compassionate, watchful Mother of the station. Her description is very specifically structured. Only Carlson and Andy are placed in a father-son relationship. The others are connected as brothers and sisters, apparently of Andy, except for Johnny, who as an uncle is on a near even level to Mr. Carlson as far as wisdom and experiences go, and Herb who, although loved, isn't really part of the family. That matches up to the previous episode in which we the staff wasn't broken up over possibly losing him to another job. Jennifer also leaves the person she was put in a dyad with, Bailey, until the end. Oh, bloggers of the future, please note that Jennifer recognizes Bailey is also beautiful.

It is the last statement of the season. If it had turned out to be the last statement of the series, I feel it would have been a satisfying wrap up, leaving all these characters in a better place than where we found them.

Roy

Other Notes: The station that WKRP loses to, "Those crazies" was WTNA. Twelve year old me likes that joke.

Ep. 44 - Venus Rising

April 12, 2017

Writers: Steve Marshall and Dan Guntzelman
Director: Nicholas Stamos
Original Air Date: March 10, 1980

Before we heard the phrase GMOs, we had "Porker's Paradise Sweet Meat Treats, purveyors of pork-like products." Although they have been in business for at least two years, nobody wants to touch their "meat." Even though it can't spoil! So Herb, being the screw up he has always been, can't imagine why everyone isn't thrilled when he finally landed Porker's Paradise as Les's sponsor. Everybody gets all the ham they will every need! It's a win-win! Right?

Isn't Herb just as valuable as Venus? "Venus is just some DJ - Herb is the only salesman in the entire station. Station WREQ has FOURTEEN salespeople. All the money (or meat) that WKRP brings in is because of Herb. Doesn't everyone understand that? Maybe not that kid Travis, but certainly the Big Guy respects that!" These are the thoughts that get Herb through his work days

But what does respect look like? For Herb, it is about money and title. Simple. He is a forty something white guy in 1980. We saw in the episode with his father that he has been raised to scrounge and scrape for every angle to move up and make money since he was a kid. But Gordon Sims is a different guy. To a black man who just turned 30 last week, respect is a trickier concept.

WREQ is offering him money and title with very little effort. In the words of Johnny, he can become a "young execu-troid" (the term "Yuppie" wasn't coined until 1982; "Buppie" even later). Everyone would be proud of the money and the title. But he would be doing it with the aid of the Affirmative Action program of Meglo Communications. He would be getting all of those things not because of who he is, but because of what he is. Venus would be succeeding in a station that runs the opposite way of everything that led him into radio in the first place.

It plays as a joke when Herb says "that sounds perfect to me," because we are to see him as lazy. But I think it's more that he wouldn't have to struggle anymore. Herb sees respect as the thing you get when you achieve money and title. Venus (and by extension, we the audience) thinks the respect is earned BECAUSE of the struggle and path taken to the goal. Herb thinks he has already earned the respect. He just needs the reward.

So if Carlson is telling Travis "We can't afford to lose Venus!" then Herb believes he himself is even more valuable. When Venus visits the WREQ station, he is shown something that we don't usually see as an audience, but that the character of Herb would be confronted with constantly: the Manager of that station a salesman himself, not some music fan.  Salesmen are the important people in radio! DJs are being replaced by computers but salesmen are the lifeblood.

The greatest character flaw Herb Tarlek has is a lack of self-awareness. He can not see that his suits make him look ridiculous, not professional. He doesn't understand that trading airtime for meat causes more problems than not selling the airtime in the first place. He doesn't understand that what he sees as a struggle is just the requirements of his job. He shouldn't just receive money because he's there and he doesn't just earn respect for showing up.

Respect comes from sacrifice. Herb doesn't sacrifice; he gambles. Venus sacrifices the easy path to stick with something he believes in, ends up with some more money and a little better title. Venus sacrifices some of his money to save Herb's job and earns Herb's respect.

And WREQ earns it's chance to paint MAX brown! You know what I'm sayin'?

Roy

Other Notes: If you wanted to just kill that WREQ station manager, don't worry. It's been done! He's Bernie from "Weekend at Bernie's." I am not going to be able to explain Affirmative Action here. Just know, in the words of Mr. Carlson in Ep. 28 Carlson for President "This was something that was suppose to bring us together. But instead it's tearing us apart." Meglo Communications sounds an awful lot like megalomaniac.

Ep. 43 - Filthy Pictures

April 5, 2017

Story: Hugh Wilson
Teleplay: Dan Guntzelman and Steve Marshall
Director: Rod Daniel
Original Air Date: March 3, 1980

Pin-up pictures of sexy women have been a thing since World War II. But the late 1970's ushered in a short-lived but extremely popular subgenre - the sexy poster. Queen of this phenomena was Farrah Fawcett-Majors, whose poster is still the most popular ever produced. But right behind her, the two actresses with the best selling sexy posters were Heather Locklear and Loni Anderson. Indeed, the success of the show fueled Anderson's sexy symbol status and her sexy symbol status brought success for the show.

WKRP in Cincinnati suffered throughout its entire run from being bounced around the schedule. At the beginning of this, its second season, it aired at 9:30pm, follow mega-hit M*A*S*H, to the best ratings it would ever have. But by March 1980, it had been moved to the 8 pm lead-off spot. Renewal was no longer certain when CBS requested a special hour long episode. This had to be an episode that could both showcase how funny WKRP could be and be guaranteed to attract lots of viewers. What words could be printed in a TV Guide to draw those viewers in? How about "When nude pictures of Jennifer...."?

So for anyone coming to the show fresh, it plays as a showcase for each of the actors, sometimes directly against character type. Jan Smithers gets a big juicy part playing Bailey as "an aggressive, straight-forward woman who's been around" (The hell she can't!), not at all like the shy, unconfident character we first met. Likewise, Gary Sandy plays Andy as shy and easily embarrassed and not as the cock-sure leader of the station. Johnny is the mastermind of a plan and Herb plays both a sexy seducer (of men!) AND the caring person who is most honest with Jennifer. If this really were your first encounter with the show, going back to see episodes from the first season might be very confusing.

This episode is a lovely showcase for the relationship between Mr. Carlson and Jennifer. It's not father/daughter and it's definitely not romantic, but it is full of mutual affection and a very deep friendship. Jennifer is the only person who does not try to leave his meeting at the beginning and ends up willing to pose in a bathing suit to help Mr. Carlson out. Mr. Carlson threatens, begs and ultimately commits a felony to try and help Jennifer. He calls her a "good friend."

Let's discuss D. Arnold Gonzer, the photographer. The very first words we hear from him is his singing "Eat your heart out, Hugh Hefner" under his breathe. That should have been a clue right there! This isn't a chance opportunity for him. His studio change rooms are set up with the two-way glass. Later he tells Carlson "I've been doing this for years. I know all the ins and outs." He's not just sleazy, like Herb. Gonzer is a predator! Today you would expect not just a comeuppance, but an arrest and an investigation. In the late 70's, pornography was hard to obtain. A few episode earlier, the guys are upset they can't borrow Les' projector to watch a dirty film strip Herb has gotten his hands on. The only place these picture of Jennifer could be seen was a cheap girly magazine. Even the term "predator" in this context would have been a foreign idea.

There are a lot of references in this episode that would be way more familiar to a 70's audience. The fact that Johnny presents his "deeply bent idea" as "Watergate it" immediately means breaking in, even without Venus specifically explaining "breaking and entering is a felony!" Today, anything-Gate just means a scandal. Johnny, in an unusual personality trait for him, quotes several 70's movies, including Patton, The Sting, The Big Sleep and Blazing Saddles (which misquotes the "badges" line from Treasure of the Sierra Madre).

The box set shows the episode as it originally aired, in a one hour block. Most people would have seen it in it's syndication form, cut into two half hour episodes with a "To Be Continued" tag. The cut occurs after the break-in, back in the bullpen when Mr. Carlson and Andy are discussing who should tell Jennifer. The cut comes immediately after Carlson decides he will tell her by saying "It's my responsibility." It divides the episode nicely between the Crime(s), and the Sting.

The box set version restores a LOT of cuts, some small and some significant, to the episode. The largest restored scene is Herb's entire flirtation scene at the photographer's studio. Although it is funny in its ridiculousness, it certainly doesn't age well and doesn't really drive the story along, so it's was probably a good thing to be dropped. Other cuts are smaller. Breaking the door during the B&E is shortened as is the whole "I'm a Republican" exchange in the darkened studio. Herb asking Jennifer if he can get a peek at her photos is restored. Andy's "gay panic" breakdown back in the bullpen, when he thinks he was the one Gonzer wanted to see "frolic" is greatly shortened in syndication too.

Finally, it's interesting to see the staff's reactions to the pictures of Jennifer. When Carlson tells the men in the station about the pictures, each jumps up to ask if they can see them. But soon they put the person of Jennifer back into their minds and are willing to commit a crime to save her. Johnny is not being 100% committed to his sting character, "Phillipe" when he asks to see the pictures, and gags when he sees them. Mr. Carlson's reaction is strange because he is willing to peek at the photos when he doesn't know who they will be of, but is instantly enraged when he sees they are of Jennifer. The last shot is of Jennifer, taking a look before she burns them. It's one last laugh, and leaves the audience knowing all is well for our friend Jennifer again. It is, in a word, "perfect."

Roy

Other Notes: Where else have you seen the actor, George Wyner, who plays Gonzer? Frankly, everywhere! From Hill Street Blues to Spaceballs, Wyner may be one of the most prevalent character actors working. As of this writing, his IMDB page lists 187 credits. Bailey uses the alias Ginger Gregg, which sounds an awful lot like the name of long time Associate Director Ginger Grigg. During the photo shoot, Andy calls Jennifer "Annette," which is a reference to Annette Funachello of "Beach Blanket Bingo" and other beach set '50's movies.  Gonzer calls Andy a "regular Troy Donahue" referencing the actor who starred in "A Summer's Place."













If you would like to donate to the Cincinnati Kawanis Club, and there various projects for children in and around Cincinnati, you can go here: http://www.cincinnati-oh.kiwanisone.org/Page/10156

Ep. 42. - The Doctor's Daughter

March 25, 2017

Writer: Lissa Levin
Director: Frank Bonner
Original Air Date: February 18, 1980

Some episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati hold subtle messages that have taken on new meanings over 35 years, and this blog is an effort to peel back those layers to reveal those hidden story telling tricks. This is not one of those episodes. If you can't figure out that Johnny is coming face to face with his younger self, you need to stop reading this blog and go back to high school English.

So much of the show is taken up with Johnny being on the "parent" side of conversations we are certain he had 25 year earlier as the "rebellious teenager," there is almost no more room for anyone else. We've also heard enough about Johnny's first wife / Laurie's mother to imagine that Johnny was the rebellious teenage in arguments with her, when she needed to be the responsible parent to both Laurie and Johnny.

The thing that makes this episode work at all is the actress playing Laurie, Patrie Allen, who comes across as sweet and open. She's not cynical to the world in the least and really believes she can drift through her life in whichever way life takes her. The audience has to believe that SHE believes this is the way life works. We feel just as protective of her as Johnny does. Johnny's life has made him cynical (and it's those cynical bon mots of his that have kept him relevant in the intervening years). She isn't like Justin, who turns out to be not just a burn out, but rude and ungrateful, as we see in the departure scene from Johnny's apartment.

Herb Tarlek himself, Frank Bonner, is the director of this episode. It is the first episode of TV he ever directed, but after WKRP's run, he became a regular television director. There are a few nice touches he includes, most notably the number of two-shots (I counted four) of Johnny and Laurie facing each other, dressed similarly (black sweatshirt and jeans) with similar hair, emphasizing the "mirror" Johnny is looking into. Another is the physical examples showing how old Johnny is getting, like his trouble climbing up on Carlson's desk.

So at what age is someone a grown up? Johnny thinks it's the legal age of 19, but Carlson doesn't think that makes sense. It's a very appropriate point that Jennifer jokes (?) that Mr. Carlson isn't grown up yet! Johnny asks this question to those people he respects the most at the station: Mr. Carlson, Jennifer, Venus and Bailey. The writers show the interestingly point that each character answers with the age each of them believe they became an adult - Jennifer out on her own at 17; Bailey still dealing with father issues.

Does Johnny feel he is grown up? He warns Laurie not to end up living like he is when she "... forty... one." Maybe this is the first time, looking at the woman his daughter is becoming, that he has ever been on the adult side of the conversation.

Roy

Other notes: The episode ends with a terrible dub of obviously-not Gary Sandy yelling that Johnny is finally playing a hit. Shout Factory couldn't get the rights to The Eagles' "The Long Run," so an odd sound alike is being played instead.  That is a real picture of Hesseman with Mick Jagger. It was taken in 1968 when Hesseman was part of the improv group The Committee. Justin says "Keith Richards can't last forever! Am I right?" Keep waiting, Justin! In her letter to Johnny, Laurie writes that she is staying with "Aunt Leela and Uncle Frank." Is that a reference to director Frank Bonner and his wife, Lillian?

Ep. 41 - In Concert

March 15, 2017

Writer: Steven Kampmann
Director: Linda Day
Original Air Date: February 11, 1980
***VERY IMPORTANT***

This is the episode that only "WKRP in Cincinnati" could have made. A vitally important episode in the show's canon, I think most people who know about this tragic event in rock history know it because of this episode.

Before I discuss what happened, I want to look at how the episode itself was constructed and plays out.

Notice everything in this episode is kept in-house. Steven Kampmann is a staff writer credited on many episodes. Linda Day is a regular associate director helming her first episode. There are no guest stars or location shots. This episode aired a mere 70 days after the concert took place.

The episode is divided evenly in half - before and after the concert. Before the concert is very funny, and when you first watch this in syndication, you will have no idea what is about to take place. Mr. Carlson gets a lot of laughs from forgetting he is wearing an European Face Pack to help cure his cold. Johnny, becoming ever more desperate in his search for a date to the show, culminating in his "break-up exchange" with Les, is crisp, if standard WKRP fare. But watch what else is being established.

Venus will be the guest DJ, driven to the concert in a yellow limo with a group of women in "gold ankle braclets." That's sexy fun, but it also sets us up with a voice from backstage, letting us know when and where the band knew what was happening. Carlson is going to his first rock concert, giving the audience his newcomers' view of the experience. One newsperson, Bailey is established as going to the show but Les, in his conversation with Johnny, lets the audience know he will not be there.

The event is referred to in the first half of the show strictly as the "big concert." When Mr. Carlson gives the staff the afternoon off at about the eight minute mark, that is the first mention of general admission seating. The band is specifically not named until the last line of the first half, in which Johnny says of Mr. Carlson, that it looks like he's "going to see The Who in the company of a narc!" Fade to commercial.

As stated in the show, on December 3, 1979, about 18,000 people gathered at Riverfront Coliseum to see The Who on tour in support of their "Who Are You" album. This was the first tour with new drummer Kenney Jones, as Keith Moon had died previous year. Only 25 police officers had been hired for security for the entire event. Although crowds were gathered by every entrance, one set of doors was opened early and people rushed to get through those doors. Eleven people were killed by asphyxiation and another 26 people were injured in the crush. It was at the time the deadliest concert tragedy in U.S. history.

Back to the show and the action opens in the bullpen, with most of the cast discussing the night's events. The box set reveals about ten seconds of dialogue not usually shown in syndication, with Herb blaming rock music for riling up the kids. This scene typically begins where Jennifer says "It just seems so unreal." Mr. Carlson enters humming and happy that he's been to his first rock concert, to the astonishment of his employees. The exposition needed to have the events of this tragedy explained to him is even more important to those of us watching this show 37 years after the fact. Although handled fairly even-handedly, a biggest chunk of the blame is given to "festival seating." Carlson is as shocked as we would be if this were out first introduction to this tragedy.

The episode wraps up with Venus and Mr. Carlson speaking in the booth. It's a gentle conversation and keeping Bill Evans' "Remembering the Rain" jazz song is fittingly gentle - a choice that shows how Venus is in touch with the needs of the city (playing jazz on a rock station). It's also another reason to love that the box set got most of the music rights. Mr. Carlson offering Venus the European Aqua Mask here finally gives us the laugh we have been so desperately waiting for.

In my Ep. 40 blog post, I criticized Richard Sanders' over the top performance of an emotional Les. In this episode, in these scenes with a very upset Bailey, he shows the warmth, compassion and strength he didn't just last week. Bailey is "so sad and so angry" she doesn't believe she can even report properly on this story. Anyone who has ever suffered through a grieving process recognizes that combination of sadness and anger.  When Les says the two of them could handle this story  better than anyone "local or national," he could just as well be talking about WKRP in Cincinnati itself! There will never be another TV show situated in a rock radio station in the city where the deaths took place at the time they took place. Only one show EVER did an episode about this event. Only one show ever could.

Roy

Other Notes: This is the first television episode Linda Day is ever credited with directing. She would go on to direct over 350 episodes of television, mostly sit-coms, most notably on "Married With Children. She would even be nominated for an Emmy later in her career. A memorial plaque was finally installed at US Bank Arena (the new name for Riverfront Coliseum)... in 2015.