I watched three eps so far and his role in the station is very small. He has walked in and acts like a stereotypical jive talking black man with a pimp suit on and was only seen in the beginning and end of the episode

Does his character remain this way all through the show? Does he continue to be this pimp suit jive talking black man every time is on the show?

I watched three eps so far and his role in the station is very small. He has walked in and acts like a stereotypical jive talking black man with a pimp suit on and was only seen in the beginning and end of the episode

Does his character remain this way all through the show? Does he continue to be this pimp suit jive talking black man every time is on the show?
no - its all an ACT he does just to fool everyone at the station !!

no - its all an ACT he does just to fool everyone at the station !!


Well why does he do that? And does his role remain the same? small?-lol

Tim Reid should be embarassed at the character he played when he watches this show

Is Tim Reid the actor who played Tamara's father on Sister, Sister? If so, I liked him in THAT role.

Is Tim Reid the actor who played Tamara's father on Sister, Sister? If so, I liked him in THAT role.


Yes that's him. On this show he was a embarassment

Yes that's him. On this show he was a embarassment
OK, I've never seen him on WKRP in cincinnati. I've only seen a few episodes of the show and he was never on it when I saw it. On Sister, Sister, he was pretty good. His character was kind of uppity and a bit stuffy at times on Sister, Sister so it's hard for me to picture him as some smooth, jive talkin' dude on WKRP like you and the others say he was.

hhbqIJZ8wCM

Well why does he do that? And does his role remain the same? small?-lol


It's been probably 20 years since I watched a run of the series but I think he was a army deserter and was using an alias to evade the authorities and his role did increase.

Well why does he do that? And does his role remain the same? small?-lol
i think he did it for a number of reasons, the deserter thing (which has an important backstory), but also to hide his inexperience as a deejay, and just to plain scare the crap out of everone at the station so no one will mess with him (which worked pretty well except for Johnny and Jennifer)

Venus is definitely one of the main characters throughout the show, and he is so much more than the jive-talking act he does when he first comes to the station, trust me you'll appreciate his character more as the series progresses (especially when he starts to realize how crazy everyone else at the station is and that him and Andy are pretty much the only normal ones there)

Ok I will keep an eye on it on sundays

Tim Reid reprised the role of Venus in The New WKRP in the early 90s. Venus was now a radio station executive and using his real name, Gordon Sims. He didn't really like rehashing his time as "Venus". But everyone here is right when they said that there is more to this character than meets the eye.

his jive talking seemed unreal. it wasn't believable like Freddie Boom Boom

it really seemed like tim reid was acting

his jive talking seemed unreal. it wasn't believable like Freddie Boom Boom

it really seemed like tim reid was acting

Is this your first time watching WKRP?

Is this your first time watching WKRP?


Yes and i was so annoyed with his FAKE JIVE TALK LOL

Yes and i was so annoyed with his FAKE JIVE TALK LOL

That was Venus shtick. Johnny Fever and Venus were my two favorites. Like someone else said, wait until you see the episode about him being a deserter. I think that episode is in the first season.

That was Venus shtick. Johnny Fever and Venus were my two favorites. Like someone else said, wait until you see the episode about him being a deserter. I think that episode is in the first season.


The show only comes on Sundays I think. They need to replace Good Times with the show

The show only comes on Sundays I think. They need to replace Good Times with the show

Well it only had like 4 seasons. So having it come on everyday, the seasons would go by quick and then the show would get old quick and people would get sick of watching it.

Well it only had like 4 seasons. So having it come on everyday, the seasons would go by quick and then the show would get old quick and people would get sick of watching it.


Sanford and Son has 5 seasons and no one has gotten tired of that show LOL

Brieannas is right - the episode "Who is Gordon Sims?", which delves into Venus' past as a deserter, aired in the first season. It is the 18th episode, and it is indeed a good one. Here is the synopsis:

"After Venus refuses to pose for a publicity photo, the truth about his past is revealed: He's wanted by the law as a deserter from the United States army."

Original airdate: April 2, 1979

I guess a JIVE TALKING black character to take when there is another normal black person on the show. So I was hoping that this man wasn't protrayed as a fool being the only black on a white show. You definitely didn't see that when it came to shows like BENSON so that's why I wanted to know does the character continue to act crazy or later becomes normal-lol

I guess a JIVE TALKING black character to take when there is another normal black person on the show. So I was hoping that this man wasn't protrayed as a fool being the only black on a white show. You definitely didn't see that when it came to shows like BENSON so that's why I wanted to know does the character continue to act crazy or later becomes normal-lol


Watch at least the whole first season, things change.

Sanford and Son has 5 seasons and no one has gotten tired of that show LOL

I have along with The Jeffersons and Good Times.

I have along with The Jeffersons and Good Times.

How did you get tired of the Jeffersons and it's never on?-lol

How did you get tired of the Jeffersons and it's never on?-lol


It comes on TV One and on my local station that plays "classic" TV shows.

It comes on TV One and on my local station that plays "classic" TV shows.


Well maybe it's because of your local station because the Jeffersons comes on at 7am and 7:30am. At that time you should either be sleep or getting ready for work. lol

I wish WKRP in Cincinnati had lasted longer. That's why I was excited by The New WKRP on Vh-1 in the early 90s but it didn't last long.

I wish WKRP in Cincinnati had lasted longer. That's why I was excited by The New WKRP on Vh-1 in the early 90s but it didn't last long.
Yeah, our local (then-) CBS affiliate in Cleveland would run the new show on Saturday evenings and I'd watch. Great times. :cool: :D

I remember that now! I had pretty much forgotten that I watched VH-1 back then, and WKRP was on there.

:D

I disagree totally. I find that Venus Flytrap was a bright and very articulate character. He came off as being very real, spiritual and funny. One of the best characters on the show.

The show only comes on Sundays I think. They need to replace Good Times with the showThat would be an excellent change.

I disagree totally. I find that Venus Flytrap was a bright and very articulate character. He came off as being very real, spiritual and funny. One of the best characters on the show.


Well maybe the character changes but it was hard for me as a black man to watch a show that was mostly white with the one black guy acting like a fool. so maybe his character was completely different but I was watching the first 5 or 6 eps and was turned off

Kind of a racist thing to say. You didn't want to watch a show because it had to many white characters??? How can someone say something like that in this day and age?? It's not about color. I watch ALOT of shows that have mostly black casts or all black casts and I'm white. Should I not watch? That's crazy! Leave color out of it.

Kind of a racist thing to say. You didn't want to watch a show because it had to many white characters??? How can someone say something like that in this day and age?? It's not about color. I watch ALOT of shows that have mostly black casts or all black casts and I'm white. Should I not watch? That's crazy! Leave color out of it.


I said it was hard to watch a all white show as a black man and see the only black character acting like a BUFOON. I would prefer him to be a normal black man. And for the record, I don't watch GHETTO Black shows because it's embarassing.


Hope I made myself clear

I don't see Venus as a buffoon. If anything he's playing the whites at the station (everyone but the Gary Sandy character) with his schtick.

I don't see Venus as a buffoon. If anything he's playing the whites at the station (everyone but the Gary Sandy character) with his schtick.


In the first couple of eps he was a "jive talking" black man which was a turnoff

The bigest buffoon on the show was the Mr. Carlson second was Herb. We just have different view points.

The bigest buffoon on the show was the Mr. Carlson second was Herb. We just have different view points.


I explained earlier in this thread that maybe the Venus character was different later in the first season but I was just watching the first 5 eps and couldn't handle seeing a goofy acting black man around a cast full of white people. So i would need to see an example of Venus being a normal black guy


And I don't care if Mr. Carlson or Herb was buffoons, if the only black is a buffoon it stands out a lot more

I explained earlier in this thread that maybe the Venus character was different later in the first season but I was just watching the first 5 eps and couldn't handle seeing a goofy acting black man around a cast full of white people. So i would need to see an example of Venus being a normal black guy


And I don't care if Mr. Carlson or Herb was buffoons, if the only black is a buffoon it stands out a lot more
it might be easier to watch Venus Flytrap if you keep in mind that he's really a former school teacher and Vietnam vet PRETENDING to be a jive-talking pimp to hide out in a radio station and scare the heck out of everyone there so that they are too afraid to ask him any questions about his past - technically he doesn't change, he just doesn't need to keep up the goofy act later on

it might be easier to watch Venus Flytrap if you keep in mind that he's really a former school teacher and Vietnam vet PRETENDING to be a jive-talking pimp to hide out in a radio station and scare the heck out of everyone there so that they are too afraid to ask him any questions about his past - technically he doesn't change, he just doesn't need to keep up the goofy act later on


Why was he hiding out at the station?

If you dont like the show and dont like Tim Reid's character, then dont watch it.

If you dont like the show and dont like Tim Reid's character, then dont watch it.


You need to learn how to read because if you did you would have saw I stopped watching the show a$$hole.

Why was he hiding out at the station?
because he was a Vietnam deserter - a wanted man; you have to watch that episode to get the whole story, but basically when he was in Vietnam, and just before he was about to get released he flipped out and went AWOL, and so he was moving around using different fake names to avoid getting caught.

because he was a Vietnam deserter - a wanted man; you have to watch that episode to get the whole story, but basically when he was in Vietnam, and just before he was about to get released he flipped out and went AWOL, and so he was moving around using different fake names to avoid getting caught.



Saw a season 3 episode on sunday because nothing else was on and he was a normal black guy in that episode

Saw a season 3 episode on sunday because nothing else was on and he was a normal black guy in that episode


You still haven't seen "Who is Gordon Sims?"

You still haven't seen "Who is Gordon Sims?"


Nope I still haven't seen it.

Nope I still haven't seen it.

I believe you can watch it on Hulu. That is the one episode that explains why Venus took on an whole new personality.

I believe you can watch it on Hulu. That is the one episode that explains why Venus took on an whole new personality.


Hulu is like "freezie Jefferson" I can't watch a episode on hulu.com without the episode freezing every 4 secs :lol:

Hulu is like "freezie Jefferson" I can't watch a episode on hulu.com without the episode freezing every 4 secs :lol:


It must be your internet speed. Sorry.

It must be your internet speed. Sorry.


Looks like I have no choice but to go back to comcast because Clear.Com is TRASH

Looks like I have no choice but to go back to comcast because Clear.Com is TRASH


Why did you switch from Comcast?

Why did you switch from Comcast?


Because at the time I was getting free wifi internet access and decided to save some money. Then the free internet stopped and I decided to get clear.com in April. ANd now after two months I decided to cancel Clear.com because it has way too many connection issues. So I will be going back to Comcast tomorrow and cancelling clear.

:mad: The whole deal with "Venus Flytrap" was that he was a gentle polite fellow, a school teacher by day, but he figured that the white people at the radio station were expecting some sort of mack-daddy pimp hood mofo, so to get the job he played up this phony persona. Johnny Fever talked him into it basically, and yes, it was another incidence of the white man projecting harmful roles on our fine black brothers. :mad:

:mad: The whole deal with "Venus Flytrap" was that he was a gentle polite fellow, a school teacher by day, but he figured that the white people at the radio station were expecting some sort of mack-daddy pimp hood mofo, so to get the job he played up this phony persona. Johnny Fever talked him into it basically, and yes, it was another incidence of the white man projecting harmful roles on our fine black brothers. :mad:


Well the character made me stop watching the show

Well the character made me stop watching the show
I liked him better as Ray Campbell in Sister, Sister.

hhbqIJZ8wCM

I loved the episode when Venus goes all teacher on the young hood-wannabe! Tim Reid played it beautifully and walked the fine line between sensitive and Public Service Announcement without sacrificing any comedic elements.

WKRP is allegedly the only sitcom that never jumped the shark, and I beleive it. I love the fact that it was a true ensemble show (before it's time) and the actor's chemistry was wonderful. I tried to get into "The New WKRP", but the chemistry just wasn't the same.

I liked that episode where Venus and Johnny had a cop in the studio, talking about how many drinks it takes to get drunk and using a dexterity machine to test the reflexes, with the cop's astonishment of Johnny's abilities.

Venus is not doing as well and is drunk as **** and wanders into Carlson's office where Carlson and Andy are having an important meeting with a magazine writer.

Venus: "Helloooooo white people!":lol:

Venus "I wannna hat" with Carlson giving him a goofy fishing hat to walk around in.

I drink, and I think Reid did a drunk guy pretty well.

Excuse my ignorance in this painfully ludicris PC world, but is there a difference between "Jive Talk" and "Ebonics"?

Nothing. They called it Ebonics so it would be taught in schools.

I watched three eps so far and his role in the station is very small. He has walked in and acts like a stereotypical jive talking black man with a pimp suit on and was only seen in the beginning and end of the episode

Does his character remain this way all through the show? Does he continue to be this pimp suit jive talking black man every time is on the show?

The Big Guy, Herb, and Les were afraid of "Negros", so he and Andy used that at first to get their way. This premise was dropped very quickly though.

The Gordon Sims episodes is one of my favorite and it allowed Mr. Carlson to shine as a wise, fatherly man who was actually a Marine who saw war service in Korea and knew about the military and helped get Venus out of trouble.

Venus was one of the "straight" characters (him, Andy, Baily, more or less Jennifer) vs, the Goofballs (Fever, Les, Herb and the Big Guy). But Venus was great during the episode where there was that cop with Fever and Venus doing the alcohol test and Johnny refused to be drunk, with Venus charging into Carlson's office wanting a hat! Classic.

The Gordon Sims episodes is one of my favorite and it allowed Mr. Carlson to shine as a wise, fatherly man who was actually a Marine who saw war service in Korea and knew about the military and helped get Venus out of trouble.

Venus was one of the "straight" characters (him, Andy, Baily, more or less Jennifer) vs, the Goofballs (Fever, Les, Herb and the Big Guy). But Venus was great during the episode where there was that cop with Fever and Venus doing the alcohol test and Johnny refused to be drunk, with Venus charging into Carlson's office wanting a hat! Classic.

He was putting on for the white folk. Watch the whole series and you won't make that statement

Unfortunately, however, some people, like TVFactFan, just can't see the forest for the trees, and only pay attention to details that support their arguments.

I think Tim Reid is a great actor - totally underrated and underappreciated; I honestly don't know if Andy was in on the "Venus Flytrap" persona initially - I always read it as that was something that Venus did to initially get the job (fooling Andy and everyone else at the station) and kept up the character act for the radio show.

Certainly it seemed like the whole group was like a family throughout most of the show and Venus wasn't treated like an outsider or anything, and he seemed to act like he cared for everyone else there - even Herb. I do remember occasions where Mr Carlson, Herb or Les said something stupid/ignorant/borderline racist to or about Venus, and he would react by doing or saying something to put them in their place. I always read it as him acknowledging that he was dealing with fools - the show made it clear who was in the wrong and didn't perpetuate negative stereotypes, but that is just from my perspective.

I'd be curious to hear what TVFactfan/Solomon would think of the show if he just watched from the 2nd season on - I think he's missing out on a pretty good classic show and Tim Reid doing a great performance as Gordon Sims, a well-rounded realistic character with an interesting back story and not just a "joke" character to laugh at.

I think Tim Reid is a great actor - totally underrated and underappreciated; I honestly don't know if Andy was in on the "Venus Flytrap" persona initially - I always read it as that was something that Venus did to initially get the job (fooling Andy and everyone else at the station) and kept up the character act for the radio show.

Certainly it seemed like the whole group was like a family throughout most of the show and Venus wasn't treated like an outsider or anything, and he seemed to act like he cared for everyone else there - even Herb. I do remember occasions where Mr Carlson, Herb or Les said something stupid/ignorant/borderline racist to or about Venus, and he would react by doing or saying something to put them in their place. I always read it as him acknowledging that he was dealing with fools - the show made it clear who was in the wrong and didn't perpetuate negative stereotypes, but that is just from my perspective.

I'd be curious to hear what TVFactfan/Solomon would think of the show if he just watched from the 2nd season on - I think he's missing out on a pretty good classic show and Tim Reid doing a great performance as Gordon Sims, a well-rounded realistic character with an interesting back story and not just a "joke" character to laugh at.

Or better still, watch the rest of the first season, instead of just those five or six episodes he's seen. It would be so much better if he learned not to judge a book by its cover.

I think Tim Reid is a great actor - totally underrated and underappreciated; I honestly don't know if Andy was in on the "Venus Flytrap" persona initially - I always read it as that was something that Venus did to initially get the job (fooling Andy and everyone else at the station) and kept up the character act for the radio show.

Certainly it seemed like the whole group was like a family throughout most of the show and Venus wasn't treated like an outsider or anything, and he seemed to act like he cared for everyone else there - even Herb. I do remember occasions where Mr Carlson, Herb or Les said something stupid/ignorant/borderline racist to or about Venus, and he would react by doing or saying something to put them in their place. I always read it as him acknowledging that he was dealing with fools - the show made it clear who was in the wrong and didn't perpetuate negative stereotypes, but that is just from my perspective.

I'd be curious to hear what TVFactfan/Solomon would think of the show if he just watched from the 2nd season on - I think he's missing out on a pretty good classic show and Tim Reid doing a great performance as Gordon Sims, a well-rounded realistic character with an interesting back story and not just a "joke" character to laugh at.

Why no comment from you on how they made Jennifer dress? Which was great BTW. By writing that does it make me a pig? Nope. Does it make the shows producers pigs? Nope. What does it say about Loni? She wanted to work...that's all. Same for Tim

Why no comment from you on how they made Jennifer dress? Which was great BTW. By writing that does it make me a pig? Nope. Does it make the shows producers pigs? Nope. What does it say about Loni? She wanted to work...that's all. Same for Tim

Um, probably because no one else was talking about it before you brought it up?

Um, probably because no one else was talking about it before you brought it up?

I guess I just don't understand

Why no comment from you on how they made Jennifer dress? Which was great BTW. By writing that does it make me a pig? Nope. Does it make the shows producers pigs? Nope. What does it say about Loni? She wanted to work...that's all. Same for Tim
because that is completely unrelated to the topic of the discussion?

but I'll bite - Jennifer was anything but the stereotypical dumb blonde, she dressed fairly conservatively for the most part - she may have shown some cleavage and had some curves, but she was always a classy lady and dressed appropriately.

which does remind me of another point I forgot to mention - the show clearly portrayed Venus as one of the most intelligent people on the show; probably second only to Jennifer.

because that is completely unrelated to the topic of the discussion?

You took the words right out of my mouth, Robyrob.

This thread is from 5 years ago. I completly forgot I had made a comment in 2013!

no - its all an ACT he does just to fool everyone at the station !!

For some reason I am not surprised in the least that this thread was started in 2012..........

Anyone who wants to look for a reason to characterize a black guy, watch Huggy Bear on Starsky and Hutch. Tim Reids WKRP character was never a token black man. His on screen persona was portrayed very well and for the times, very responsibly. Watch the episode about the Atom.......

I wish WKRP in Cincinnati had lasted longer. That's why I was excited by The New WKRP on Vh-1 in the early 90s but it didn't last long.

VH1 didn't air The New WKRP in Cincinnati. That show aired in first-run syndication.

For some reason I am not surprised in the least that this thread was started in 2012..........

Anyone who wants to look for a reason to characterize a black guy, watch Huggy Bear on Starsky and Hutch. Tim Reids WKRP character was never a token black man. His on screen persona was portrayed very well and for the times, very responsibly. Watch the episode about the Atom.......

Or better still, watch the episode "Changes", in which Venus finds out he will be interviewed by an African-American catered magazine with militant leanings, and decides to go all out to impress the reporter, that is, dress as a jive-talking pimp like dude, only for the reporter, who is actually white, and played by Tim Reid's former comedy partner, Tom Dreesen, no less, to ask him if he feels silly dressed that way, and point out that the hippest black guys at the magazine dress in suits.

It only took a few episodes before the character of Venus was established.

And he became a fully developed one at that.
Smart, funny, thoughtful and very cool.

At first even Mr. Carlson was not the beloved inept boss we all know.
In the first episode he was referred to by Jennifer - his biggest protector - as "the jerk that runs this place."