'WKRP' Is The Most Unjustifiably Canceled Show of All Time!!!

[Dr. Thong]

I suspect that someone high up at the network didn't like WKRP and kept changing the time slot to sabotage it.

Funnily enough, when the show was left alone to languish in the summer reruns, it became a hit again.

[Surface]

I have to say that I disagree with the OP on this thread. Having just finished the original 4 seasons over the last few months, I felt like the show really fell off in the final season. It was like a completely different show. Too much drama involved in almost every episode and not enough laughs.

[dlemond]

Originally Posted by Surface

I have to say that I disagree with the OP on this thread. Having just finished the original 4 seasons over the last few months, I felt like the show really fell off in the final season. It was like a completely different show. Too much drama involved in almost every episode and not enough laughs.

While the 4th season may not have been it's best, it was very strong.
There were a few episodes that had some serious overtones - "Pills" and "Changes," for example- they were never all serious and humor was always a part of it. Even these were well done and not overly preachy.

And there are some excellent episodes here - "Who's On First," "The Consultant," "An Explosive Affair," "Up and Down the Dial" - very funny quality episodes. And I don't think it dropped off, or was completely different. If anything the character became stronger and more defined.

The show still had a lot more to give.

[Dr. Thong]

Originally Posted by dlemond

While the 4th season may not have been it's best, it was very strong.
There were a few episodes that had some serious overtones - "Pills" and "Changes," for example- they were never all serious and humor was always a part of it. Even these were well done and not overly preachy.

And there are some excellent episodes here - "Who's On First," "The Consultant," "An Explosive Affair," "Up and Down the Dial" - very funny quality episodes. And I don't think it dropped off, or was completely different. If anything the character became stronger and more defined.

The show still had a lot more to give.

I thought "The Consultant" was one of the best episodes of the series. Pure farce. Loni Anderson was a standout perfomer, portraying Jennifer as a bubble headed blonde. I loved when Venus was "holding up" Johnny in the hall. Pure genius.

[SitcomsHeydayfan]

Gilligan's Island is up there too but I agree this is a pretty awful basis for cancellation.

What did Loni Anderson go on to do?? WKRP is the only thing she's really known for.

[Jamey Greek]

Originally Posted by dlemond

While the 4th season may not have been it's best, it was very strong.
There were a few episodes that had some serious overtones - "Pills" and "Changes," for example- they were never all serious and humor was always a part of it. Even these were well done and not overly preachy.

And there are some excellent episodes here - "Who's On First," "The Consultant," "An Explosive Affair," "Up and Down the Dial" - very funny quality episodes. And I don't think it dropped off, or was completely different. If anything the character became stronger and more defined.

The show still had a lot more to give.

Yes it did and basically the show was hitting its stride then.

[Jamey Greek]

WKRP should have came back in syndication with new episodes in the mid-80s. Kevin Tannehill tried to bring it back twice before launching the New WKRP. When he was with MTM. He was working with two different syndication companies at the time and both times MTM said no.

[SitcomsHeydayfan]

Originally Posted by Surface

I have to say that I disagree with the OP on this thread. Having just finished the original 4 seasons over the last few months, I felt like the show really fell off in the final season. It was like a completely different show. Too much drama involved in almost every episode and not enough laughs.

Not enough laughs is a problem for LOTS of sitcoms.

[James28]

Anyone else think if All in the Family had ended after season 8, it would have been easier for WKRP in Cincinnati to be given a consistent timeslot on the CBS schedule? Under that scenario, Archie Bunker's Place would not exist, and it'd be WKRP in Cincinnati on Sundays at 8pm instead.

[SitcomsHeydayfan]

Originally Posted by glickmam

Well, as mentioned above, Howard Hesseman, Loni Anderson, and Gary Sandy were already involved with other projects. At that rate, Grant Tinker probably had too much respect for the program to just offer up replacements for them.

They should've stayed with WKRP because obviously those other projects bombed in comparison!

[Jamey Greek]

Originally Posted by James28

Anyone else think if All in the Family had ended after season 8, it would have been easier for WKRP in Cincinnati to be given a consistent timeslot on the CBS schedule? Under that scenario, Archie Bunker's Place would not exist, and it'd be WKRP in Cincinnati on Sundays at 8pm instead.

Yes! Would be great for young people to find it! Especially with 60 minutes as a lead in!

[Dr. Thong]

Originally Posted by SitcomsHeydayfan

They should've stayed with WKRP because obviously those other projects bombed in comparison!

They left because the show was cancelled and they were released from their contracts.

As an actor, once a job ends, you have to look for the next one and CBS realized too late that they made a mistake, so you should really be blaming CBS for sabotaging the show in the first place by constantly moving it around their prime-time schedule.

WKRP could have had a good seven or eight year run if the network let it have a permanent slot on the schedule.

[Dr. Thong]

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

Never realized this factoid about WKRP, but if it is 100% true, then the title of this thread stands pat!

[b]Soon after WKRP was cancelled in June of 1982, summer reruns of the series shot into the top ten and stayed there throughout the summer. The reason, most likely, was that after CBS executives cancelled the show, they stopped moving it around the schedule; they left it in one time slot for the whole summer, and viewers finally knew where to find it. The last CBS broadcast of WKRP was # 1 in its timeslot, and # 7 in the ratings for the week.

This could just have been a rumor/urban legend, but I remember hearing that creator/executive producer Hugh Wilson was asked about bringing it back when the summertime ratings spiked, but he was so disgusted with the network's treatment over it that he turned them down.

[MIKEPR]

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

Never realized this factoid about WKRP, but if it is 100% true, then the title of this thread stands pat!

Soon after WKRP was cancelled in June of 1982, summer reruns of the series shot into the top ten and stayed there throughout the summer. The reason, most likely, was that after CBS executives cancelled the show, they stopped moving it around the schedule; they left it in one time slot for the whole summer, and viewers finally knew where to find it. The last CBS broadcast of WKRP was # 1 in its timeslot, and # 7 in the ratings for the week.

- According to one book (whose title I currently forget but which I'll locate as soon as possible), CBS executives attempted to bring back WKRP after the summer reruns took off, but by that time it was too late; Howard Hesseman, Loni Anderson and Gary Sandy had all become involved with other projects.

The show ran 4 years so I don't see what the big fuss is.

[MIKEPR]

Originally Posted by Yong Fang

From what I have read, the brass of CBS didn't like WKRP for whatever reason and moved it around the schedule to try to kill it, but being that it was an MTM Enterprises series, didn't want to cancel it outright to ruin CBS' relationship with MTM. So they moved it around the schedule to confuse the viewers so in the end they could go to MTM and state that ratings were the issue, even though it was them who sabotaged the show.

I think the show had one more year to it. Actually the "New WKRP" syndicated show wasn't bad and Howard Hesseman was actually a semi-regular on that show, and the new supporting characters were not that bad.

Why did they even pick up the show in the first place?