Here's Johnny.... Fever

Where's Johnny?

Back in 1978 I caught the premiere of WKRP in Cincinnati, an American sit-com about a fictional struggling radio station. The show, with its offbeat style of humour and rock radio backdrop, carved out a spot on my viewing schedule and in TV history. The great cast of actors defined their roles so perfectly that they are still best remembered as those characters:

Dr. Johnny Fever - wacked-out aging hippy DJ
Venus Flytrap - well-dressed, slick and funky DJ with a past
Herb Tarlek - the station's sales manager who does little but obsess over his hair and coordinate his necktie and belt 
Les Nessman - the incompetent bow-tied news director who always sports a bandage somewhere on his person
Jennifer Marlowe - the pin-up girl receptionist who didn't really work much, but got the attention of every red-blooded male in the vicinity
Bailey Quarters - the cute and shy on-air news reporter who quietly got the job done
Arthur Carlson - the father figure station manager with a weak will but a heart of gold... and a controlling mother who owns the station
Andy Travis - the new program director who brings rock'n'roll and feathered hair to WKRP

The colourful characters were strong enough to carry the series, even when a script was a little sub-par, which it rarely was. 

Johnny Fever will forever remain ingrained in my mind for his comic insanity in the episode about the "phone cops", when his paranoia peaks as he seeks to evade those who he believes are enforcers from the phone company. 

And station manager Mr. Carlson, who innocently thought turkeys could fly, and had them dropped from a helicopter as a Thanksgiving publicity stunt. Oops!

Les Nessman, nerd-o supreme-o, was the lovable misfit of the station, eliciting wise-cracks from Herb most of the time. One of his defining moments was when he put lines on the floor of the shared office area to mark his personal space, which he felt everyone was invading.... and interrupting his work. 

WKRP ran for four seasons, and I believe I saw every episode.... several times each once the show reached syndication. 

Something I loved about WKRP were the popular songs of that time played by Johnny Fever when he took over the DJ booth. On more than a few occasions, I heard songs I loved on the show, then the next day I'd go hunt down the record (because there were no CDs back then) of the song. I distinctly remember a few of those tunes that had an impact on me.... first, there was Foreigner's Hot Blooded, which I bought on 45 rpm single... then there was Jefferson Starship's Jane, a not-so-well-known rocker from their not-so-well-known album Freedom at Point Zero (which I bought solely on my exposure to Jane on WKRP).... and there was the catchy Lonesome Loser, by The Little River Band. So thanks, Johnny!

WKRP was briefly revived in the early 90's, but it obviously stunk, for I can't remember a single thing about it. A shame that ever happened.... the show should only be remembered for its classic '78-82 run.

Booger!