Attention "WKRP In Cincinnati" Fans: Season One to be released April 3rd

[Penndems]

Just got this message from the folks over at tvshowsondvd.com in our mailbox:

"We knew that fans would get excited over the news that WKRP was finally coming out, so we know they'll love this - the date, specs, and a list of extras, thanks to one of our retail friends.

The 3 disc set will feature all 22 episodes (561 mins) from the first season, including the famous Turkey episode. The set will retail for $39.98 when it's released on April 3rd.

Disc 1, Side A

1. Pilot (Part 1)
2. Pilot (Part 2)
3. Les On A Ledge
4. Hoodlum Rock

Disc 1, Side B

1. Hold-Up
2. Bailey's Show
3. Turkeys Away
4. Love Returns

Disc 2, Side A

1. Mama's Review
2. A Date With Jennifer
3. The Contest Nobody Could Win
4. Tornado

Disc 2, Side B

1. Goodbye, Johnny
2. Johnny Comes Back
3. Never Leave Me, Lucille
4. I Want To Keep My Baby

Disc 3, Side A

1. A Commercial Break
2. Who Is Gordon Sims?
3. I Do, I Do For Now

Disc 3, Side B

1. Young Master Carlson
2. Fish Story
3. Preacher

Special Features include:

1. Commentary on Pilot (Part 1) by creator and cast members

2. Commentary on "Johnny Comes Back" by creator and cast members

3. "Don't Touch That Dial - The Making of WKRP"

4. "Turning A 'Turkey' Into A Classic"

5. "Doctor Johnny Fever, And I Am Burning Up In Here"

********************************************************************
Link: http://tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=6770

[Ryano42]

1. WOOO HOO!

Bailey! :loveya:

[tekriter]

35. Back off, Ryano42...

she's mine...

:evilgrin: :evilgrin:

[Eric J in MN]

2. I didn't know that "Hoodlum Rock" was one of their first episodes. NT

NT

[GreenTea]

3. Always been in love with the sexy blue-eyed, earthy "Bailey Quarters" (Jan Smithers)

[pokerfan]

56. Mary Ann or Ginger? Bailey or Jennifer?

The best part about the Jennifer character was that she was not a dumb blonde bimbo and was actually the highest paid employee of the station. "I am a receptionist. Receptionists receive. They offer comfort, provide support, answer a few telephone calls. But they do not type, unless it's for a very good cause."

And Jan Smithers? C'mon, she had stunning looks. They just played down the glamor aspect on the show. Her breakout as a model:

[hlthe2b]

4. Oh, I just loved the Turkey Episode...

My dear late mother just laughed and laughed over that one, years ago...

[uppityperson]

5. As god is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly

Never could see why people wanted to watch old tv shows on dvds, but this one may make it to my house I am almost ashamed to say. Thanks.

[hlthe2b]

6. That's the one!

:rofl:

[BlooInBloo]

7. Saw the turkey-drop-from-helicopter episode again-for-the-first-time...

... a few weeks ago.

GODFUCKINGDAMN that was a funny show - I forgot just how "clean & crisp" humor was back then. They just smacked the viewer upside the head with hilarity.


EDIT: :rofl: :rofl: The turkeys organized a counter-attack... :rofl: :rofl:

[wakeme2008]

20. on you tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZByndN_ffyw

[peacebaby3]

8. What is the episode where there is a bomb threat so Johnny goes to

the tower site? He thinks there is some kind of plot...LOL. The bomb goes off at the tower and everybody thinks something may have happened to him, but he's alive because he heard sirens and thought "the man" was after him so he ran out. Anyone know?

God, how I love Dr. Johnny Fever. One of the best characters ever!

[Penndems]

10. That episode is from Season Four

Here's a list of episodes with a plot synopsis:

http://epguides.com/WKRPinCincinnati/guide.shtml

[peacebaby3]

51. Thank you! n/t

[mcscajun]

23. Johnny's paranoia...

Johnny (hearing all the sirens): It's the phone company. They know what I did here today.
Venus: What are you talking about?
Johnny: They're coming to get me, man!
Venus: That's paranoia, man!
Johnny: Wake up, sucker, this is the phone company we're talking about! They see everything, they know everything, they got their own covert police force! I'm probably wired for sound right now! I gotta get out of here!
Venus: Johnny!
Johnny: Don't use my name!!

Johnny: Don't you people get it? It's the phone cops!!

Andy: There is no such thing as phone cops!
Johnny: Oh sure. Cover for them.

[Penndems]

25. ROFL - Priceless!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[peacebaby3]

52. Oh, that's it!!! One of the funniest things I've ever seen! Thanks! n/t

[achtung_circus]

9. It seems to be available now, 90 episodes worth.

http://www.tvdvdplanet.com/movie/comedy/WKRP_In_Cincinnati.html?gclid=CMvXt_SxwIkCFR1EWAodF1SvxA

Complete 4 season collection
90 episodes
18 DVDs.

WKRP in Cincinnati The Complete Television On DVD

[Penndems]

11. I wonder how good the quality is

There seem to be so many bootlegs of this show floating around. I'll probably wait for the April 3rd release.

[TheMightyFavog]

12. One question...

Are these the original episodes, with the original music, or are these the episodes that were cut for syndication, which had much of the original music edited out?

[Penndems]

16. From tvshowsondvd.com:

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=6708

[PSPS]

13. Unfortunately, they're likely not the original version.

Because of licensing issues, the syndicated episodes have all the music removed and replaced with "generic" music. Then they hired voice-overs (by different people) where necessary when the dialog was over, say, a song in the background that Johnny was playing. (One of the voice-over talents has a distinctly spanish accent!)

It's the primary reason this excellent program was never successful in syndication.

[mcscajun]

24. This won't be the music from the syndicated version, apparently.

Yet not quite the original music, either.

However, a recent TVShowsonDVD.com report has stated that a DVD release of WKRP in Cincinnati Season 1 is slated for April 2007. While the DVD set will include the original music that the current syndicated version lacked, there will be some musical substitutions, but Fox has tried hard to keep the music within the spirit of the original song used in the scenes where music must be replaced. Unlike the recent syndicated run, which used a limited number of generic rock music to replace the original music, Fox has hired a music coordinator to replace the music they were unable to get rights to with appropriate sound-alike numbers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WKRP#Music_licensing

Rumor has it that Hugh Wilson has approved the substitutions; I'm reserving judgment on this release until I see the reviews of the music. I just would hate to buy this without the proper music. :(

[liberalpress]

14. Judging by the price...

...they did not or could not negotiate the original music (as played by the DJ's) so it won't quite be the same

[liberalpress]

15. BTW

as one who works in the bidness, the producers made sure all the incidents (including the turkey drop) were true and actually happened.

[Penndems]

18. Didn't Hugh Wilson have as a client a radio station in Atlanta that actually

did this stunt?

Seems as if I read that somewhere.

[dsc]

17. Some great episodes in that set

I might well buy that.

[Penndems]

21. "WKRP" was such a great show

Funny and intelligent, with wonderful character development. They don't make 'em like that anymore.

I wanted to put in an advance order for Season One over at amazon.com, but they're not showing the release date yet.

[wakeme2008]

19. Watch the turkey clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZByndN_ffyw

:)

[ikojo]

22. This is one TV show many didn't think would

make it onto DVD due to all of the copyrighted music used in the show, not to mention the posters and such in the studio.

[mcscajun]

26. This release won't have the original music, apparently.

See my post upthread. (#24).

[Penndems]

27. If there are SOME musical substitutions, I can handle it

If every song was replaced, Fox wouldn't get my money. :)

[Oeditpus Rex]

33. Yeah

If it's just the incidental background music, no big deal. But there were songs that were integral to the theme, like Les getting all duded up, wig included, for his date with Jennifer (to the banquet where he'd receive the Silver Sow award) to "Hot Blooded." :rofl:

That was Foreigner's one and only contribution to the arts, btw. :)

[Penndems]

36. That was a GREAT episode

and YES - the music was an intregal part of it. Hope they keep the "Hot Blooded" segment in!

[Oeditpus Rex]

37. Just thought of another one

How could they do "Les's Groupie" without Johnny Mathis singing "Chances Are"? :shrug:



"Would you like to hear a record?"

:rofl:

[Penndems]

40. ROFL - Who'd have thought Les could be so suave?

Yes, they HAVE to keep the Mathis song in. :)

[ikojo]

59. That sucks. I wont buy it if it does not have the

original music. I hate generic TV music.

[Oeditpus Rex]

28. Without the original music?

Pass. :thumbsdown:

I taped a mess of episodes from a marathon on Nick At Nite years ago, when they first subbed the music. Wrecked it for me.

[Penndems]

29. Fox is replacing some, but not ALL, of the original music

See Post #24.

[Oeditpus Rex]

30. Tell me which ones

Then I'll decide.

Will they keep "Hot Blooded" in "A Date with Jennifer"? "Tiny Dancer" in "The Americanization of Ivan"?

[Penndems]

32. Tell ya what . . . when the DVD is released, I'll write a review

and let everyone know which episodes have the music replaced. They're probably won't be many, because Hugh Wilson wants to keep the show as true to the original episodes as possible.

I'm just glad to have "WKRP" out on DVD. It was a real pain to watch the grainy episodes on youtube. :(

[mcscajun]

34. I'm waiting until the release is out for a while and reviews of the music

in the episodes clarify the musical situation. Until then, my $$$ stay in my pocket.

[Crunchy Frog]

31. Are they possibly going to be able to include the original music

for the originally aired programs? I thought I had read somewhere that, due to copyright issues, the costs would be prohibitive.

I recently got a couple of seasons of Northern Exposure and was dismayed to discover that much of the originally aired music had been replaced by elevator music.

The music on WKRP is so integral to the program, IMO.

And are the young'uns going to even "get" a program that's premised on a small, family owned radio station, whose programming is not dominated by RW blowhards?

[Penndems]

39. Fox is replacing SOME (but not all) of the music

Twentieth Century Fox, Hugh Wilson and and a music programmer have worked together to ensure that whenever a musical sequence had to be replaced, it stayed true to the original piece. We'll see.

Nobody had the foresight in the mid-1970s to realize that fifteen years down the road DVDs would make it possible for people to enjoy entertainment endlessly and with crystal clarity. The musicians probably never thought "WKRP" would be in reruns twenty-nine years after the initial broadcast. A lot of the groups whose songs were used have disbanded, and the members may be in litigation over ownership rights. Some of them have passed away.

Will the younguns "get" KRP? Hard to tell. Not to sell Gen-Xers and Milleniums short, but the humor in that show is very cerebral, with occasional slapstick. However, the characters are presented in such a way that the audience feels a certain empathy (and sympathy) that can transcend generations. That didn't seem to be the case in shows like "Friends" or "How I Met Your Mother", but maybe more so in "Scrubs" or "The Office".

There are issues discussed in the episodes (e.g., busing) that aren't as red-hot as they were in 1979, or in the early 1980s. The prevailing public opinion at that time probably wouldn't have the same impact for a young adult in 2007 as it did in 1978. One episode on the Season One compendium, "Les On A Ledge", deals with homosexuality. That one still resonates.

The pilot episode (SPOILER ALERT), where Johnny Fever utters the word "booger", would seem pretty innocuous to today's teens, who listen to gangsta rap. They might not understand what the big deal is, LOL.

[QMPMom]

50. my son is 19 and absolutely loves WKRP and has since he was

in grade school. It is one of our family's favorite shows.

[Penndems]

53. "WKRP" was clean, but it was still hip

You don't find many shows like that these days. :(

[sarge43]

38. YES! n/t

[pokerfan]

41. WKRP Trivia question

'The Contest Nobody Could Win'

What was the contest and what was the winning answer?

[Penndems]

42. Lemmie get my "cheat sheet" out, LOL

O.K.: Johnny misread a memo - instead of saying "$50", he said "$5,000".

Don't remember what the prize was.















(edited for typo)

[Oeditpus Rex]

43. Name the six songs

from like quarter-second bits of them spliced together. They made it as difficult as they could because Johhny inadvertantly announced a prize of $5,000, which was the entire prize budget for the year.

The songs were "Too Wild to Tame" by the Buoys, "Tumbling Dice" by the Stones, "YMCA" by the Village People, "Danke Schoen" by Wayne Newton, "Straight On" by Heart and "The Star Spangled Banner" by Francis Scott Key.

The winner was Mr. Donald Pesola of... Covington? But they gave the $5,000 to another dude who showed up claiming to be him — that guy who always plays the death-warmed-over principal and stuff in teen movies.

[Penndems]

44. Ding, ding, ding! Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!

Excellent job, Oeditpus! A true WKRP aficionado!

:thumbsup: :hi: :toast: :yourock: :applause:

[Oeditpus Rex]

45. Thankew, thankew

There're three teevee shows I'm rather obsessed with: "I Love Lucy," "M*A*S*H" and "WKRP in Cincinnati."



Note that "Monty Python's Flying Circus" isn't a teevee show. It's...

[pokerfan]

46. Yep that's it

I loved the way the guy delivered the line, "Star Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key."

ETA the sound clips:

http://www.littleshopofvoices.com/6songs.wav
http://www.littleshopofvoices.com/6songanswer.wav

[Oeditpus Rex]

48. I'm wracking my brain

trying to remember the name of the woman who called before him and the one song she didn't get. :banghead:

[Penndems]

49. Thanks for posting these wav files

It was fun to hear those clips again!

[mcscajun]

58. At first I thought you meant Ben Stein (the principal from Ferris Bueller)

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0825401

who certainly could be described as "death-warmed-over", but in this case, it was the late, great Vincent Schiavelli.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001704

[Penndems]

60. Was Ben Stein the principal in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"?

I thought it was Jeffrey Jones. :shrug:

[mcscajun]

61. My error. Ben Stein was the teacher callling out "Bueller? Bueller?"

Jeffrey Jones Was the Principal. I sit Corrected. :)

[QMPMom]

47. WooHoo! I know what I want for my birthday!

*QMPMom marks April 3 on her calendar with stars!*

[Penndems]

54. Put your order in early, QMPMom

This one's gonna be a best seller!

[Kat45]

55. Remember the episode about the Who concert,

at which folks were trampled to death--which really happened. (It was general admission seating.) That concert was in Cincinnati and they did an episode in which WKRP had given away tickets to the concert, then in the aftermath they felt especially bad about what happened because they had done that. That episode was so well-done.

[Penndems]

57. Sure do - another memorable episode

It was gut-wrenching. That episode aired during the second season, on February 11, 1980, about two months after eleven people were killed during The Who concert at Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.

The title of the episode is "In Concert".