# WKRP in Cincinnati Back on the Air! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 12, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001 "2009-01-12T23:11:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/1 "2009-01-12T23:11:41Z")
If you get WGN America, you can see the show again. I watched this as a teenager. I don’t remember noticing how obvious it was that Loni Anderson was wearing a wig. Of course, at that age, I guess my eyes were somewhere else whenever she was on screen. Btw, “Bailey!” ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/2 "2009-01-12T23:32:05Z")
Thank God! I’m tired of my pronunciation of “Chi Chi Rodriguez” getting weird looks. Les Nessman! Let the turkeys fly! I recall my brother and I using tape to divide our areas after watching the episode where they did that. OMG, That show was way, way too influential in my life. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/3 "2009-01-12T23:40:55Z")
Are they playing the original music? Or the generic stuff they had over the re-runs? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/4 "2009-01-13T01:14:32Z")
That is the million dollar question that \*\*Jack Batty \*\*asked. So **Auntbeast** do you remember the phone police? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/5 "2009-01-13T01:33:55Z")
They are broadcasting the rerun music. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/6 "2009-01-13T01:37:33Z")
mmmm Bailey. A quick check of imdb says she hasn’t done anything since the late '80’s and Wiki says she’s now retired and living in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![uncle\_squeegee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b5e925/32.png) [@uncle\_squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uncle_squeegee)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/7 "2009-01-13T01:40:34Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m tired of my pronunciation of “Chi Chi Rodriguez” getting weird looks. Auntbeast, you must be my long lost sister. I have been doing that for so long I have to stop and think to pronounce it the non-Nessman way. > [@](#): > > …do you remember the phone police? And I remember the phone cops well. I think they are still after me. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/8 "2009-01-13T01:42:04Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Are they playing the original music? Or the generic stuff they had over the re-runs? I assume you are saying that the songs played over the WKRP station in the series re-runs were substituted with other, generic songs at some point. Is that what you were getting at? On the episode I just saw, they played “Just the Two of Us” by Bill Withers, and the Monotones’ “Book of Love.” And a song by Otis Redding of which I don’t know the title, but it was definitely Otis. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/9 "2009-01-13T01:44:15Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > They are broadcasting the rerun music. ☹ In light of my answer to **Jack Batty** , please explain. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/10 "2009-01-13T01:50:43Z")
Every episode I’ve seen has had the generic music. WGNAmerica has it playing at 4pm. I’ll check tomorrows episode to be sure. I have the entire series on DVD, with the original music, so I don’t watch it on broadcast unless I’m bored. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/11 "2009-01-13T02:08:39Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Every episode I’ve seen has had the generic music. WGNAmerica has it playing at 4pm. I’ll check tomorrows episode to be sure. > > I have the entire series on DVD, with the original music, so I don’t watch it on broadcast unless I’m bored. When was the last time you saw an episode on TV? ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/12 "2009-01-13T02:21:14Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Every episode I’ve seen has had the generic music. WGNAmerica has it playing at 4pm. I’ll check tomorrows episode to be sure. > > I have the entire series on DVD, with the original music, so I don’t watch it on broadcast unless I’m bored. I was under the impression that some but not all of the original music is not on the DVDs. In fact many different cites on the web indicate that this is the case. [http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/04/21/115056.php](http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/04/21/115056.php) [http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/WKRP-Cincinnati/7212](http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/WKRP-Cincinnati/7212) ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/13 "2009-01-13T02:26:40Z")
The problem with the music, IIRC, is that it wasn’t licensed for media that hadn’t yet been invented, i.e., DVDs. And there was a _lot_ of music from different sources (duh, it was a radio station, what did you expect?) and each cut had to be tracked down. But if it’s being rerun on TV, I would think this problem would not be a problem. If Jennifer’s doorbell is “Fly Me To The Moon,” it’s the original; “I Dream of Jeannie” is the replacement. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/14 "2009-01-13T02:37:41Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > mmmm Bailey. A quick check of imdb says she hasn’t done anything since the late '80’s and Wiki says she’s now retired and living in Canada. I don’t think she’ll be working soon, she was recently struck by a vehicle while standing naked in the middle of the highway: [http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2007/11/09/james\_brolin\_s\_ex\_recovering\_after\_naked](http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2007/11/09/james_brolin_s_ex_recovering_after_naked) ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/15 "2009-01-13T02:38:40Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > But if it’s being rerun on TV, I would think this problem would not be a problem. [Apparently](http://members.allstream.net/~jacjud/wkrpmusic.html), when the current syndication prints were being prepared, the original licenses had expired, and MTM’s parent company could not afford at the time to license all of the music- hence the replacements. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/16 "2009-01-13T02:55:37Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I don’t think she’ll be working soon, she was recently struck by a vehicle while standing naked in the middle of the highway: [http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2007/11/09/james\_brolin\_s\_ex\_recovering\_after\_naked](http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2007/11/09/james_brolin_s_ex_recovering_after_naked) That incident has been discussed here a couple of times before. In brief, this supposed accident was not reported by any reputable sources, so it’s unlikely to be true. In fact, the Wikipedia entry on Jan Smithers used to cite this report, but this citation was removed because it just wasn’t credible. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/17 "2009-01-13T03:21:10Z")
Thanks for the info. What a strange story for someone to manufacture. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/18 "2009-01-13T03:22:39Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > When was the last time you saw an episode on TV? Well, tonight’s episode on AIN had a Who song on it, so who knows? My DVDs are not exactly kosher, so they have all the original music. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/19 "2009-01-13T03:35:24Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Thanks for the info. What a strange story for someone to manufacture. Yeah! Better to invent one that has Jan Smithers standing in my bedroom. Yeah! And did I mention she was…naked? Yeah, that’s it! Jan Smithers, naked. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2009, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001/20 "2009-01-13T07:46:31Z")
WGN has been airing WKRP for some months now. I do recall that Jennifer’s doorbell does ring to the tune of “Fly Me To the Moon” if that will help settle any arguments. And yes, there has been some actual recognizable music too. “Just the Two of Us,” as previously mentioned. One episode had Venus playing “That’s the Way of the World” by Earth, Wind & Fire. There has been other original music playing, too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wkrp-in-cincinnati-back-on-the-air/481001.md?page=2)