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WKRP in Cincinnati

Updated: 12/11/2025, 10:47:18 AM Wikipedia source

WKRP in Cincinnati is an American sitcom television series about the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional AM radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson. It was based upon his experiences observing at Top 40 radio station WQXI in Atlanta. Many of the characters were based on people at that station. Wilson once told The Cincinnati Enquirer that he selected WKRP as the call sign to stand for C-R-A-P. The ensemble cast consists of Gary Sandy (as Andy Travis), Howard Hesseman (Dr. Johnny Fever), Gordon Jump (Arthur Carlson), Loni Anderson (Jennifer Marlowe), Tim Reid (Venus Flytrap), Jan Smithers (Bailey Quarters), Richard Sanders (Les Nessman) and Frank Bonner (Herb Tarlek). The series won a Humanitas Prize and received 10 Emmy Award nominations, including three for Outstanding Comedy Series. Andy Ackerman won an Emmy Award for Videotape Editing in Season 3. WKRP premiered on September 18, 1978, on the CBS television network and aired for four seasons and 90 episodes, ending on April 21, 1982. Starting in the middle of the second season, CBS repeatedly moved the show around its schedule, contributing to lower ratings and its eventual cancellation. When WKRP went into syndication, it became an unexpected success. For the next decade, it was one of the most popular sitcoms in syndication, outperforming many programs that had been more successful in prime time, including all the other MTM Enterprises sitcoms. Jump, Sanders, and Bonner reprised their roles as regular characters in a sequel series, The New WKRP in Cincinnati, which ran from 1991 to 1993 in syndication. Hesseman, Reid, and Anderson also reprised their roles as guest stars.

Infobox

Genre
Sitcom
Created by
Hugh Wilson
Starring
Gary SandyGordon JumpLoni AndersonRichard SandersTim ReidFrank BonnerJan SmithersHoward Hesseman
Theme music composer
Tom Wells Hugh Wilson
Composer
Tom Wells
Country of origin
United States
Original language
English
No. of seasons
4
No. of episodes
90 (list of episodes)
Executive producer
Hugh Wilson
Producers
Rod DanielBill DialBlake HunterSteven KampmannPeter TorokveiHugh Wilson
Camera setup
Multi-camera
Running time
24–25 minutes
Production company
MTM Enterprises
Network
CBS
Release
September 18, 1978 (1978-09-18) –April 21, 1982 (1982-04-21)

Tables

First released
First released
Season
First released
Episodes
Last released
1
1
Season
1
Episodes
22
Episodes
September 18, 1978
Originally released
June 4, 1979
2
2
Season
2
Episodes
24
Episodes
September 17, 1979
Originally released
March 31, 1980
3
3
Season
3
Episodes
22
Episodes
November 1, 1980
Originally released
April 12, 1981
4
4
Season
4
Episodes
22
Episodes
October 7, 1981
Originally released
April 21, 1982
Special
Special
Season
Special
Episodes
1980
Season
Episodes
Originally released
First released
Last released
1
22
September 18, 1978
June 4, 1979
2
24
September 17, 1979
March 31, 1980
3
22
November 1, 1980
April 12, 1981
4
22
October 7, 1981
April 21, 1982
Special
1980
· Awards and nominations
1979
Role(s)
Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
Notes
Loni Anderson
1980
Role(s)
Outstanding Comedy Series
Notes
Hugh Wilson and Rod Daniel
1981
Nominated
Role(s)
30 Minute Network or Syndicated Television
Notes
Hugh Wilson (for "God Talks to Johnny")
Outstanding Comedy Series
Role(s)
Hugh Wilson, Rod Daniel, Blake Hunter, Steven Kampmann, and PJ Torokvei
Notes
Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series
Role(s)
Howard Hesseman
Notes
Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series
Role(s)
Loni Anderson
Notes
Nominated
Role(s)
Rod Daniel (for "Venus and the Man")
Notes
Nominated
Role(s)
Andy Ackerman (for "Bah, Humbug")
Notes
Won
1982
Hugh Wilson (for "Venus and the Man")
Role(s)
Won
Outstanding Comedy Series
Role(s)
Hugh Wilson, Blake Hunter, PJ Torokvei, Dan Guntzelman, and Steve Marshall
Notes
Nominated
Outstanding Video Tape Editing for a Series
Role(s)
Andy Ackerman (for "Fire")
Notes
Nominated
2005
Role(s)
Classic TV Broadcaster of the Year
Notes
Tim Reid
2006
Broadcaster of the Year
Role(s)
Howard Hesseman
Notes
Nominated
2008
Broadcaster(s) of the Year
Role(s)
Richard Sanders
Notes
Nominated
Year
Award
Category
Work
Result
Ref.
1979
Golden Globe Awards
Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
Loni Anderson
Nominated
1980
Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Nominated
1981
Nominated
1981
Humanitas Prize
30 Minute Network or Syndicated Television
Hugh Wilson (for "God Talks to Johnny")
Nominated
1982
Hugh Wilson (for "Venus and the Man")
Won
1980
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Comedy Series
Hugh Wilson and Rod Daniel
Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series
Howard Hesseman
Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series
Loni Anderson
Nominated
1981
Outstanding Comedy Series
Hugh Wilson, Rod Daniel, Blake Hunter, Steven Kampmann, and PJ Torokvei
Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series
Howard Hesseman
Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series
Loni Anderson
Nominated
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Rod Daniel (for "Venus and the Man")
Nominated
Outstanding Video Tape Editing for a Series
Andy Ackerman (for "Bah, Humbug")
Won
1982
Outstanding Comedy Series
Hugh Wilson, Blake Hunter, PJ Torokvei, Dan Guntzelman, and Steve Marshall
Nominated
Outstanding Video Tape Editing for a Series
Andy Ackerman (for "Fire")
Nominated
2005
TV Land Awards
Classic TV Broadcaster of the Year
Tim Reid
Nominated
2006
Broadcaster of the Year
Howard Hesseman
Nominated
2008
Broadcaster(s) of the Year
Richard Sanders
Nominated

References

  1. NPR; December 6, 2014; “WKRP in Perpetuity” by Michaelangelo Matos; retrieved June 3, 2023.
    https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2014/12/06/367971595/wkrp-in-perpetuity
  2. The Classic TV History Blog
    http://classictvhistory.wordpress.com/2012/11/21/turkeys-away-an-oral-history/
  3. The Cincinnati Enquirer
    https://www.cincinnati.com/story/tvandmediablog/2014/05/29/wkrp-in-cincinnati-howard-hesseman-loni-anderson-tim-reid-loni-anderson/9714383/
  4. America's Favorite Radio Station: WKRP in Cincinnati
    https://books.google.com/books?id=x-esBmJWj3sC&q=%22bailey+quarters%22
  5. "Humanitas Prize (1981)"
    https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000337/1981/1/
  6. Television Academy
    https://www.emmys.com/shows/wkrp-cincinnati
  7. Los Angeles Times
    https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-09-01-tv-2603-story.html
  8. Season 1, episode 17, "A Commercial Break".
  9. Radio Ink
    https://web.archive.org/web/20090119082255/http://www.radioink.com/HeadlineEntry.asp?hid=133094&pt=archive
  10. Radio Monitor
    https://web.archive.org/web/20090107224234/http://www.allbusiness.com/services/motion-pictures/4486620-1.html
  11. Kassel 1993, pp. 75–76.
  12. Old TV Tickets
    https://web.archive.org/web/20070415230310/http://www.oldtvtickets.com/archives1/2006/01/wkrp_in_cincinn.html
  13. HFPA
    https://www.goldenglobes.com/tv-show/wkrp-cincinnati
  14. Humanitas Prize
    https://www.humanitasprize.org/prize-winners
  15. Emmys.com
    https://www.emmys.com/shows/wkrp-cincinnati
  16. America's Favorite Radio Station: WKRP in Cincinnati
    https://books.google.com/books?id=x-esBmJWj3sC&q=wilson
  17. Billboard
    https://books.google.com/books?id=4AkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA35
  18. Metroactive
    http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/06.04.98/cover/radio2-9822.html
  19. Laradio.com
    http://www.laradio.com/whereh.htm
  20. 440 International, Inc
    http://www.440int.com/namesh.html
  21. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
    https://www.ajc.com/blog/radiotvtalk/former-wqxi-jerry-blum-inspiration-for-art-carlson-wkrp-cincinnati-has-passed/j0ujFjkHVozLevE2OlhmtN/
  22. NorthEast Radio Watch
    http://www.fybush.com/site-030130.html
  23. The Cincinnati Enquirer
    http://www.enquirer.com/editions/1999/07/04/loc_wkrps_back_on_air.html
  24. Hugh Wilson interview on WINA, Charlottesville, Virginia.
  25. 55KRC
    https://55krc.iheart.com/contact/
  26. Q102 101.9 WKRQ-FM
    https://www.wkrq.com/contact/
  27. oldradio.com
    https://www.oldradio.com/archives/stations/slc-hist.htm
  28. Deseret News
    https://www.deseret.com/1989/2/10/18794890/am-radio-when-was-the-last-time-you
  29. John in Arizona
    https://www.johninarizona.com/utah/utah.html
  30. The Cincinnati Enquirer
    https://web.archive.org/web/20081201072506/http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081128/ENT/811280363/1035/LIFE
  31. Oak City Media
    http://www.oakcitymedia.com/about.html
  32. "WKRP in Cincinnati Trivia"
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077097/trivia?tr0792157
  33. "WKRP in Cincinnati theme by Steve Carlisle"
    http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=21830
  34. Archer2000.tripod.com
    https://web.archive.org/web/20110717101713/http://archer2000.tripod.com/wkrp/wkrp5.html
  35. Jim Ellis Music
    https://web.archive.org/web/20080519025208/http://www.jimellismusic.com/Jim-Ellis-TV.html
  36. Quad-City Times
    https://qctimes.com/news/local/ask-the-times/wkrp-in-cincinnati-lyrics-just-gibberish/article_c72da833-e86b-5802-9fe0-68dc766681c0.html
  37. The Quad-City Times
    https://qctimes.com/news/local/ask-the-times/wkrp-in-cincinnati-lyrics-just-gibberish/article_c72da833-e86b-5802-9fe0-68dc766681c0.html
  38. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 – ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  39. Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993
  40. TV Shows on DVD
    https://web.archive.org/web/20140222151753/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/WKRP-Cincinnati/7212
  41. Minneapolis Star-Tribune
    https://web.archive.org/web/20070422030737/http://www.startribune.com/459/story/1131165.html
  42. Against Monopoly
    http://www.againstmonopoly.org/index.php?perm=886089000000001005
  43. ""WKRP in Cincinnati": Frequently Asked Questions"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20030804141401/http://members.allstream.net/~jacjud/wkrpmusic.html
  44. Vox
    https://www.vox.com/2014/11/3/7145231/shows-not-on-dvd-music-rights-wonder-years-wkrp
  45. TVShowsOnDVD.com
    https://archive.today/20130205211644/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=7103
  46. TVShowsOnDVD.com
    https://web.archive.org/web/20170613071655/http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/WKRP-Cincinnati-The-Complete-Series/19780
  47. The Cincinnati Enquirer
    http://www.cincinnati.com/story/tvandmediablog/2014/06/06/wkrp-in-cincinnati-howard-hesseman-loni-anderson-tim-reid-shout-factory-vietnam-war/10019209/
  48. Shout! Factory
    https://www.shoutfactory.com/editorials/wkrp-in-cincinnati-music-update
  49. Consequence of Sound
    https://consequence.net/2014/09/wkrp-in-cincinnati-to-be-reissued-with-most-of-its-original-soundtrack/
  50. TV.com
    https://web.archive.org/web/20141006080320/http://www.tv.com/shows/wkrp-in-cincinnati/forums/music-list-58934-252626/
  51. Hometheaterforum.com
    https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/threads/wkrp-in-cincinnati-the-complete-series-review-see-posts-218-356-for-info.334984/
  52. sitcomsonline.com
    http://sitcomsonline.com/wkrpincincinnatithecompleteseriesdvdreview.html
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