# Where are the WKRP staff now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 13, 1999, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318 "1999-12-13T04:12:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jois](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea666f/32.png) [@Jois](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jois)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/1 "1999-12-13T04:12:00Z")
Just hearing Johnny Fever’s name made me laugh again… But where are they now? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/2 "1999-12-13T04:17:00Z")
The only cast member I see regularly is Gordon Jump (Mr. Carlson), who is now the Maytag Repair Man (having taken over years ago for the late Jesse White). ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/3 "1999-12-13T06:33:00Z")
In a related question, does anyone know if there really IS a WKRP out there somewhere in the country? ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/4 "1999-12-13T06:42:00Z")
[WKRP in Cincinnati](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0077097) [Gary Sandy](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Sandy,+Gary) … Andy Travis Insider, The (1999) … Lawyer Against the Law (1997) … Chief Leitner [Gordon Jump](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Jump,+Gordon) … Arthur Carlson (“Big Guy”) Bad Lie (1998) … Will Bitter Vengeance (1994) (TV) [Loni Anderson](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Anderson,+Loni) … Jennifer Marlowe _Everyone knew that, right?_ 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain (1998) … Medusa Night at the Roxbury, A (1998) … Mrs. Butabi [Richard Sanders](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Sanders,+Richard) … Les Nessman Lover’s Lane (1999) Black Circle Boys (1997) … Mr Dukel [Tim Reid](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Reid,+Tim) … Gordon Sims (Venus Flytrap) Alley Cats Strike (2000) (TV) “Linc’s” (1998) TV Series … Priest [Frank Bonner (I)](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Bonner,+Frank+(I)) … Herb Tarlek Motel (1998) Best of Ed’s Night Party, The (1996) (V) [Jan Smithers](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Smithers,+Jan) … Bailey Quarters Mr. Nice Guy (1987) … Lise Love Tapes, The (1980) (TV) … Carol [Howard Hesseman](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Hesseman,+Howard) … Johnny Caravella (Doctor Johnny Fever) Sky Is Falling, The (1999) … Yogi Cook On the 2nd Day of Christmas (1997) (TV) … David [Carol Bruce](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Bruce,+Carol) … Lillian “Mama” Carlson (1979-1982) Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists, The (1996) (V) (voice) … Old One Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) … Joy [Ian Wolfe](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Wolfe,+Ian) … Hirsch (1980-81) Dick Tracy (1990) … Forger Checking Out (1989) … Mr. D’Amato * * * Your Official Cat Goddess since 10/20/99. “I get along well with everybody.” --I.M.F. ---
**Author:** ![Jois](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea666f/32.png) [@Jois](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jois)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/5 "1999-12-13T07:50:00Z")
Thank you, Kat, and that site will save bloodshed and wild arguements around here! Every now and then a sit-com will have a near perfect mix/match of people and that group came pretty close. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/6 "1999-12-13T10:14:00Z")
According to the Federal Communication Commission’s [Call Sign Query](http://dettifoss.fcc.gov:8080/cgi-bin/websql/prod/callsign/prod/mainch.pl) page, the only station currently using any variation of the “WKRP” call is [WKRP-LP](http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=WKRP), a low-power TV station assigned to channel 42 in Washington, DC. The current FCC rules allow for there to also be an AM or FM station using the call sign “WKRP” or “WKRP-FM”, but they would first have to get permission from the owners of WKRP-LP to use the common call sign. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/7 "1999-12-13T12:56:00Z")
Jan Smithers (Bailey) married James Brolin, and dropped out of the movie and TV world. Tim Reid had a pretty successful TV run immediately after WKRP went off the air. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/8 "1999-12-13T14:02:00Z")
Gary Sandy was recently in town on a touring musical troupe. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/9 "1999-12-13T17:24:00Z")
Tim Reid is the _producer_ of “Linc’s”. * * * John W. Kennedy “Compact is becoming contract; man only earns and pays.” – Charles Williams ---
**Author:** ![KeithB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/48db29/32.png) [@KeithB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KeithB)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/10 "1999-12-13T19:34:00Z")
Tim Reid is _also_ the producer of “Linc’s.” He does play a bit part. He was also “Downtown Brown” on “Simon & Simon”. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/11 "1999-12-13T19:48:00Z")
And as far as “Where were they before. . . .” (Not that anyone’s asking) Frank Bonner was in a looow-budget Lovercraftian horror movie called “The Beast” or “Equinox,” depending upon which copy you see. I think Ed Begley, jr was also in it. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/12 "1999-12-13T20:47:00Z")
Isn’t Tim Reid also the father on “Sister, Sister”? ---
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/13 "1999-12-13T22:28:00Z")
WKRP was inspired by real-life Cincinnati station WKRC. I think they even had someone named Art Carlson as the GM at one time. ---
**Author:** ![Jois](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea666f/32.png) [@Jois](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jois)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/14 "1999-12-13T23:36:00Z")
Tim Reid seemed to hit the Venus Flytrap part just perfectly. He was Venus without being a parody of Venus? _He was also “Downtown Brown” on “Simon & Simon”._ I love the show, it runs around supper time, he was good in that part, too. * * * Oh, I’m gonna keep using these #%@&\* codes 'til I get 'em right. ---
**Author:** ![Phydeaux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@Phydeaux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phydeaux)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 1999, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/15 "1999-12-14T13:28:00Z")
Although this is a bit off topic, I worked in radio for eleven years as a morning jock and programmer (I’m a college prof now). It was an unwritten law in the business that you had to be able to perform large sections of WKRP dialogue. It was a lot of fun when three or four jocks would sit around and go through their favorite shows. My favorite line came from Les who said “I call it eyewitness weather because I put my head outside the window and witness the weather”. Every jock who didn’t get their AP weather on time has done just that. Another great discussion was listing the things that were done at WKRP that never happened at true radio stations: 1. Announcing on air without headphones 2. Just dropping a needle onto an LP and it plays perfectly. (you have to cue the sound to the needle to get it that tight) 3. General managers being nice guys. 😉 Trivia question: What are the words to the show-ending music that played over the final credits? * * * There are three kinds of people: Those who can count and those who can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 1999, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/16 "1999-12-14T14:35:00Z")
I actually worked at a station (in Indiana) where the announcers didn’t use headphones. It was beautiful music, not rock, so we didn’t have to worry about talking over the record intros. The idea was that we were supposed to use the studio monitors, but keep them down low enough so that there was no feedback. I never really mastered it, but the old-timers there swore by it. ---
**Author:** ![mipsman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mipsman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mipsman)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 1999, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/17 "1999-12-14T14:57:00Z")
Thank you Kat. On one of those pages, [http://us.imdb.com/Quotes?%22WKRP+in+Cincinnati%22+(1978),](http://us.imdb.com/Quotes?%22WKRP+in+Cincinnati%22+(1978),) it attributes the line “As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly” to Arthur Carlson. A slight misquote of that line is used by somebody here as their signoff. However, I thought Herb Tarlek said that as an explanation after he dropped turkeys out of a helicopter as part of a Thanksgiving Day promotion while Les reported the panic and carnage on the ground. Does my memory fail me? ---
**Author:** ![dwtno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@dwtno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwtno)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 1999, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/18 "1999-12-14T15:03:00Z")
OK, I know the story behind the closing music involoved a demo tape with intentionally garbeled lyrics that the producers liked so much, they used as is, but… These are the lyrics as noted by another netizen: (Guitar intro) (very garbled sounding) "Went to the bartender Friday night ah-yeah (something something) rockin out here in my heart. Said I told the bartender rockin’ night ah-yeah (something something) rocking out in my heart. (Guitar outtro) BTW, I’ve done a weekly, local radio show for the last fourteen years and I’m still amazed by the yahoos here who won’t wear headphones. Of course the 'KRP clan demonstrated that they didn’t _have_ to wear the 'phones - perfect levels and segues every time! Not so with the folks here. At least your old-timers had an alternative, but these morons have no clue. OK. I’m done. ---
**Author:** ![dwtno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@dwtno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwtno)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 1999, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/19 "1999-12-14T15:08:00Z")
Yep, you’ve been failed. “As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly” is the final line from that episode. After Herb and Mr. Carlson stagger into Carlson’s office, the Big Guy pokes his head back out and utters what is probably the most memorable line from any sitcom ever. ---
**Author:** ![Stephen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Stephen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephen)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 1999, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318/20 "1999-12-14T15:17:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Trivia question: What are the words to the > show-ending music that played over the final credits? Intentionally nonsensical, they wanted to leave the fans guessing. * * * Stephen [Stephen’s Website](http://stephen.fathom.org) Satellite Hunting 1.1.0 visible satellite pass prediction shareware available for download at [Satellite Hunting](http://stephen.fathom.org/sathunt.html) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-wkrp-staff-now/5318.md?page=2)