Storyline
When a Cincinnati radio station switches from sedate music to top-40 rock 'n' roll, its staff of oddball characters is forced to switch gears quickly. New programming director Andy Travis brings in a new DJ named Venus Flytrap to work with the station's burned-out veteran, Dr. Johnny Fever. Neurotic newsman Les Nessman, eager beaver Bailey Quarters, sleazy salesman Herb Tarlek, blonde bombshell Jennifer Marlowe, who serves as the station's ultra-capable receptionist, and station manager Arthur Carlson, whose domineering mother owns WKRP, round out the eccentric bunch.
Episodes
Specials
No overview available for this season.
DVD: Do My Eyes Say Yes?
Jun 28, 2026
"Do My Eyes Say Yes?" is a brief celebration of the Jennifer character.
DVD: A Fish Story Story
Jun 28, 2026
"A Fish Story Story" lets Wilson explain why the famous episode is his least favorite.
Cast Reunion at Paley Center
Jun 04, 2014
WKRP in Cincinnati cast reunion discusses memorable moments, including the WHO concert episode and network objections to controversial content.
A Look Back at WKRP in Cincinnati with Gary Sandy
Sep 10, 1991
Interview with Gary Sandy (Andy Travis of WKRP)
Season 1
No overview available for this season.
Pilot (1)
Sep 18, 1978
Andy tries to convince WKRP's owner that rock and roll will cure the station's ailing ratings.
Pilot (2)
Sep 25, 1978
Andy faces a fiscal crisis: Carlson won't finance a breaking-in period for the new format.
Les On a Ledge
Oct 02, 1978
Les is barred from locker-room interviews when his manhood is questioned.
Hoodlum Rock
Oct 09, 1978
Andy books a rock band whose members attack their audiences.
Hold-Up
Oct 16, 1978
A broadcast from a stereo shop is disrupted by a holdup.
Bailey's Show
Oct 23, 1978
Bailey's show brings out the weirdest people in town.
Turkeys Away
Oct 30, 1978
Carlson thinks up a wacko Thanksgiving promotional gimmick.
Love Returns
Nov 06, 1978
Andy may have to leave WKRP when he rekindles his love for a touring rock star.
Mama's Review
Jan 15, 1979
In flashbacks, Andy and Carlson update WKRP's owner Mrs. Carlson on recent station happenings.
A Date With Jennifer
Jan 22, 1979
Les invites Jennifer to a banquet, then suspects she only accepted out of pity.
The Contest Nobody Could Win
Jan 29, 1979
Johnny accidentally offers listeners $5000 instead of $50 as a contest prize.
Tornado
Feb 05, 1979
A tornado strikes while Japanese businessmen are touring the station.
Goodbye, Johnny
Feb 19, 1979
Johnny is offered a job in California, so the staff devises a scheme to keep him in Cincinnati.
Johnny Comes Back
Feb 26, 1979
Johnny comes back to WKRP expecting to get his job back. Instead, he is assigned to the predawn show.
Never Leave Me, Lucille
Mar 05, 1979
Temporarily separated from his wife, Herb envisions a fanciful bachelorhood.
I Want to Keep My Baby
Mar 12, 1979
Johnny refuses to relinquish an abandoned baby left at WKRP until he can contact the mother.
A Commercial Break
Mar 26, 1979
Andy has doubts about an upbeat ad campaign for a mortician.
Who is Gordon Sims?
Apr 02, 1979
Venus refuses to pose for an ad because he's wanted by the law.
I Do, I Do... For Now
Apr 23, 1979
Jennifer tries to discourage a beau by revealing she's married--to Johnny Fever.
Young Master Carlson
Apr 30, 1979
Momma Carlson insists her grandson be allowed to roam around the station after he's booted out of military school.
Fish Story
May 28, 1979
Andy tells a journalist that WKRP is just a "run-of-the-mill" station, even though a staffer is running around in a "carp" suit.
Preacher
Jun 04, 1979
A wrestler turned preacher uses his radio sermon to sell merchandise.
Season 2
No overview available for this season.
For Love or Money (1)
Sep 17, 1979
Johnny forgets about his date with Bailey when he gets a call from Buffy, his old girlfriend from California. He borrows Jennifer's apartment to impress Buffy; however, that plan ends when she tells him she's suing him for palimony.
For Love or Money (2)
Sep 24, 1979
Johnny calls his friends over to Jennifer's apartment to help him deal with Buffy and her threat of a lawsuit. Buffy arrives and, after having a drink with Johnny, tells him that she put poison in his drink.
Baseball
Oct 15, 1979
The staff plays against the team from rival station WPIG in a softball game.
Bad Risk
Oct 22, 1979
Herb starts selling insurance as a sideline, and sells a comprehensive policy to Les, who promptly has an accident.
Jennifer Falls in Love
Oct 22, 1979
For the first time in her life, Jennifer is in love, with a penniless but handsome repairman who turns out to be even more of a gold digger than she is. Meanwhile, Les tries to get a raise, and Johnny becomes convinced that he's the man Jennifer is in love with.
Carlson for President
Nov 05, 1979
Mr. Carlson runs for Cincinnati City Council. When Bailey discovers a potentially damaging piece of information about the front-runner in the election, Mr. Carlson considers using that information in a televised debate.
Mike Fright
Nov 12, 1979
During a citywide garbage strike, Johnny jokingly suggests that his listeners dump their garbage on the steps of City Hall. The joke is on him, and the station, when hundreds of listeners take him seriously. Johnny becomes aware of his power and develops a serious case of mike fright.
The Patter of Little Feet
Nov 26, 1979
Mr. Carlson's wife Carmen announces that she is pregnant. Mr. Carlson is overjoyed, and certain that Carmen feels the same way. However, Mama Carlson points out the potential dangers of middle-aged pregnancy and recommends an abortion.
Baby, If You've Ever Wondered
Dec 03, 1979
The new ratings book arrives, and WKRP has climbed from 16th to 14th place in the Cincinnati market. Everyone is happy about the gain except Andy, who knows that the station has not improved enough, in part because of his own unwillingness to fire incompetent employees like Herb and Les.
Bailey's Big Break
Dec 10, 1979
When WKRP needs an assistant news reporter, Bailey applies for the job and gets it. Les, who doesn't want to work with anyone, least of all a woman, tries to keep Bailey from going on the air.
Jennifer's Home for Christmas
Dec 17, 1979
Jennifer tells her friends that she has nothing special planned for Christmas, and that she doesn't have a tree this year. Everyone begins to suspect that she might be alone for the holidays.
Sparky
Dec 24, 1979
Mr. Carlson hires legendary baseball manager Sparky Anderson as the host of a new sports interview show. But when the show proves a complete disaster, it falls to Mr. Carlson to fire his hero.
God Talks to Johnny
Dec 31, 1979
When Johnny thinks he's heard God's voice talking to him, everyone, including Johnny, thinks he's going insane.
A Family Affair
Jan 07, 1980
Andy's sister Carol visits Cincinnati, and Andy sets up a date for her and Johnny. But Carol winds up going out with Venus instead, and Andy becomes instinctively angry about it.
Herb's Dad
Jan 14, 1980
Herb's father, a lifelong salesman who shares Herb's taste in clothes, runs away from the Shady Hills Rest Home and visits the station.
Put Up or Shut Up
Jan 21, 1980
Bailey convinces Jennifer to accept a date with Herb in the hope that he'll get scared and back down.
The Americanization of Ivan
Jan 28, 1980
Bailey and Les attend a press conference given by a group of visiting Russian hog experts. One of the Russians falls for Bailey and asks her to help him defect to the United States.
Les' Groupie
Feb 04, 1980
Les goes out on a date with a female fan, who proceeds to move into his apartment and take over his life.
In Concert
Feb 11, 1980
At a concert by the Who in Cincinnati on December 3, 1979, eleven kids were trampled to death when the crowd rushed to get seats. The first part of this episode takes place before that concert; the second act takes place the day after, and presents the characters' reactions to the tragedy.
The Doctor's Daughter
Feb 18, 1980
Johnny's daughter shows up and moves in, and Johnny has to decide whether to express his disapproval of the shiftless boyfriend she's brought along.
Filthy Pictures (1)
Mar 03, 1980
Mr. Carlson convinces Jennifer and Andy to pose in bathing suits for a ""Surf's Up in Cincinnati"" poster. After the photo session, the photographer secretly takes nude photos of Jennifer while she's changing.
Filthy Pictures (2)
Mar 03, 1980
Mr. Carlson convinces Jennifer and Andy to pose in bathing suits for a ""Surf's Up in Cincinnati"" poster. After the photo session, the photographer secretly takes nude photos of Jennifer while she's changing.
Venus Rising
Mar 10, 1980
Venus is offered a job as program director of WREQ radio, but is disillusioned when he discovers how the station is run and why they want to hire him. Meanwhile, Herb circulates a rumor that he, too, has received a job offer.
Most Improved Station
Mar 31, 1980
Everyone starts bickering after the station loses a broadcasting award.
Season 3
No overview available for this season.
The Airplane Show
Nov 01, 1980
Trying to compete with WPIG's traffic helicopter, Les starts doing traffic reports from a World War I biplane piloted by a crazy war veteran.
Jennifer Moves
Nov 08, 1980
The staff helps Jennifer move into her new $125,000 house in the quiet suburb of Landersville. But she soon finds out that life in Landersville isn't as pleasant as she thought it would be.
Real Families
Nov 15, 1980
When Herb's family is featured in the show ""Real Families"", he is sure that they can serve as an example of a clean living family. Unfortunately, the image Herb wants to convey is different from the reality shown on screen.
The Baby
Nov 22, 1980
Mr. Carlson's wife goes into labor and the WKRP staffers all visit the hospital to be there when she gives birth.
Hotel Oceanview
Nov 29, 1980
Andy, Mr. Carlson and Herb visit Dayton to try and land the advertising account for Vicky Von Vickey jeans. While Mr. Carlson worries about the notorious Dayton poisoner, Herb romances an old high school acquaintance and Andy has trouble with his slide projector.
A Mile in My Shoes
Dec 06, 1980
When Herb is called for jury duty, Andy takes over as sales manager and soon discovers just how tough it is trying to sell advertising time or collect from deadbeat clients. Meanwhile, Venus becomes acting program director and has to deal with Les's plan to disguise himself as a black man so that he can do a series of reports based on the book Black Like Me.
Bah, Humbug
Dec 20, 1980
Once again, Mr. Carlson plans to give the staffers almost no Christmas bonuses. But in a dream brought on by eating one of Johnny Fever's brownies, the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future visit him to show him the error of his ways.
Baby, It's Cold Inside
Jan 03, 1981
On a day when the furnace has broken down, Mama Carlson pays a surprise visit to the station and catches Johnny drinking in the broadcast booth.
The Painting
Jan 10, 1981
At Mr. Carlson's church auction, Herb buys a painting that Bailey loves. He tries to get Mr. Carlson or Bailey to buy it from him...until he learns that it might be valuable.
Daydreams
Jan 17, 1981
When Mr. Carlson rehearses a dull speech in front of the WKRP staff, all the staffers drift off into daydreams about what they would most like to be: Herb as a Latin-American dictator, Jennifer as a '30s movie star, Les as a reporter covering the Blitz in 1940, Bailey as the President of the United States, Andy as a radio Mafioso, Venus as a standup comedian, and Johnny as a rock star.
Frog Story
Jan 24, 1981
Herb has accidentally spray-painted his daughter's pet frog Greenpeace pink, and brings the frog to the station trying to find a way to save its life. Meanwhile, Les convinces Johnny that he is suffering from the dreaded ""schistosomiasis.""
Venus and the Man
Jan 31, 1981
The station's cleaning woman asks Venus to convince her big, tough teenage son not to drop out of school.
Dr. Fever and Mr. Tide: Part 1
Feb 07, 1981
Johnny signs a contract to host a music TV program unaware that the songs will be disco.
Dr. Fever and Mr. Tide: Part 2
Feb 07, 1981
Johnny signs a contract to host a music TV program unaware that the songs will be disco.
Ask Jennifer
Feb 14, 1981
When Herb's choice as host of a new call-in advice show proves unable to go on the air, Jennifer takes over and becomes an instant success.
I Am Woman
Feb 21, 1981
When it is announced that the Flimm Building is to be torn down, Bailey starts a campaign to have the building declared a Cincinnati landmark. Everyone pitches in to help, until Mr. Carlson gets his mother's permission to build a new and better building.
Secrets of Dayton Heights
Feb 28, 1981
The Secret Service refuses to grant Les credentials for a Presidential press conference, suspecting him of having radical affiliations. It turns out that the man who raised Les wasn't his father, and that his real father was a card-carrying Communist.
Out to Lunch
Mar 14, 1981
Herb's three-martini business lunches with an ad agency representative are causing him to mess up even more than usual, and it begins to seem that his use of alcohol as a sales tool is turning into a drinking problem.
A Simple Little Wedding
Mar 21, 1981
In honor of their 25th anniversary, Arthur and Carmen Carlson plan to get married again. They want a small, private ceremony, but Mama Carlson has other ideas.
Nothing to Fear But...
Mar 28, 1981
Everyone is in the grip of urban paranoia after the station is robbed.
Til Debt Do Us Part
Apr 05, 1981
When Johnny learns that his first ex-wife is planning to remarry, he is overjoyed at the thought of not having to pay alimony, and celebrates by inviting Bailey to take a trip with him. But he feels less happy about the situation when he meets the obnoxious womanizer his ex-wife is going to marry.
Clean Up Radio Everywhere
Apr 12, 1981
Dr. Bob Halyers, head of the organization Clean Up Radio Broadcasting (CURB), visits Mr. Carlson with a list of obscene songs that he wants the station to stop playing.
Season 4
No overview available for this season.
An Explosive Affair (Part 1)
Oct 07, 1981
After the station receives a bomb threat, Andy sends Johnny and Venus to broadcast from the transmitter tower while the station is being searched.
An Explosive Affair (Part 2)
Oct 14, 1981
Andy is unable to warn Johnny and Venus when he realizes that the bomb is at the transmitter.
The Union
Oct 21, 1981
The staff of WKRP considers joining a union. Mr. Carlson is furious and rushes to his mother for advice, while Andy tries to appear neutral in this labor-management conflict.
Rumors
Oct 28, 1981
While his apartment is being fumigated, Johnny accepts Bailey's offer to stay at her place, causing everyone at the station to think that the two are sleeping together. Johnny's also afraid that he's in danger of losing his time slot to Rex, the afternoon DJ, and when Bailey tries to cheer him up, he mistakes her friendliness for a come-on.
Straight from the Heart
Nov 04, 1981
Herb tells everyone that he's going on vacation, but Les and Jennifer discover that he's actually checked into the hospital for heart tests.
Who's on First?
Nov 11, 1981
With Herb in the hospital, Mr. Carlson pretends he is Herb and is impersonated by Les for an advertising client.
Three Days of the Condo
Nov 18, 1981
When Johnny receives $24,000 in a legal settlement, Venus convinces him to use the money to invest in a condominium at Gone With the Wind Estates.
Jennifer and the Will
Dec 02, 1981
Colonel Buchanan, Jennifer's elderly gentleman friend, dies suddenly. As executrix of his will, Jennifer must deal with the press and with the Colonel's money-grubbing, rumor mongering relatives.
The Consultant
Dec 30, 1981
Mama Carlson hires a professional radio consultant to evaluate WKRP. The man she's hired, Norris Breeze, is an old friend of Andy's who also runs a radio programming service. Andy soon realizes that Breeze intends to give the station a bad report unless it subscribes to the service.
Love, Exciting and New
Jan 06, 1982
Andy starts taking Mama Carlson out after hours in the hopes of getting her to pay for a new transmitter for the station. But he begins to suspect that she might have more-than-businesslike expectations of him.
You Can't Go Out of Town Again
Jan 13, 1982
Mr. Carlson goes with Carmen to a college reunion where he learns the disillusioning truth about how he and Carmen first met; Bailey is frustrated in her attempts to get a computer for billing; Venus can't get a moment alone in the booth with his latest date.
Pills
Jan 20, 1982
Herb sells ad spots to a seller of ""diet pills""; after it turns out that the pills are a legalized way of selling speed to teenagers, it also turns out that the station can't legally get out of running the ads.
Changes
Jan 27, 1982
When Venus learns that he's going to be interviewed by a militant black magazine, he adopts a new wardrobe and manner in order to seem more in touch with black culture. Meanwhile, Jennifer offers to change Herb's image, starting with picking out new, tasteful clothes for him.
Jennifer and Johnny's Charity
Feb 03, 1982
When a fire destroys the kitchen at the Vine Street Mission, Johnny recruits Jennifer to help raise the $40,000 dollars to rebuild it. Jennifer throws a party for her rich friends and asks them to contribute, and everything is going fine until the contributors meet the people involved.
I'll Take Romance
Feb 17, 1982
Herb fixes Les up with a date through his latest client, the I'll Take Romance Dating Service. Les hits it off with his date immediately, not knowing that the dating service is a front for prostitution.
Circumstantial Evidence
Feb 24, 1982
Venus's latest date gives him an expensive diamond earring as a gift and then runs out on him; it turns out that she's a thief who has used the stolen earring to frame Venus as her accomplice.
Fire
Mar 17, 1982
Herb and Jennifer are trapped in an elevator when a fire breaks out in the Flimm Building.
Dear Liar
Mar 24, 1982
When Bailey writes a news story on the Northside Children's Clinic, Les steals it and reads it on the air. This turns out to be a blow to the station's integrity in more ways than one when Bailey admits that she fictionalized part of the story.
The Creation of Venus
Mar 31, 1982
When Venus lets it slip that he was a schoolteacher before he came to WKRP, Andy has to tell Mama Carlson the truth about how he hired Gordon Sims as a DJ and how they came up with the persona of Venus Flytrap.
The Impossible Dream
Apr 07, 1982
On his birthday, Les announces that he's going to New York to pursue his dream of becoming a world-famous broadcast journalist by auditioning for The CBS Evening News.
To Err is Human
Apr 14, 1982
After Herb screws up an important advertising account, Mr. Carlson finally intends to fire him, but Jennifer takes pity on Herb and tries to help him keep his job.
Up and Down the Dial
Apr 21, 1982
Just as WKRP hits #6 in the ratings, Mama Carlson announces that she plans to switch the format of the station to 24 hours a day of news.