This critical episode guide is based on the author's viewing of the broadcast syndicated versions of all 90 WKRP episodes. Additional information for this guide was obtained through the author's interviews with the cast and production crew.

This episode guide is not in any way affiliated with the cast, crew, producers, distributors, or owners of the series WKRP in Cincinnati; information is presented here for critical review purposes only.

WKRP has climbed to tenth place in the Cincinnati market, but the staff does not feel that they are sharing in the station's success — they want more money. Invited to join the Brotherhood of Midwestern Radio Workers, Fever, Venus, and Bailey seriously consider it. When Carlson, who was planning on giving everyone raises, discovers that his staff is thinking of joining a union, he becomes upset. How could his "family" turn on him like this?

The resolution to this problem all turns on Andy, who has to walk a fine line between his affection for the workers and his responsibility to Mrs. Carlson. It seems that Andy has made a deal with Momma — he keeps the union out of the station and she pours more money into the place. By playing on their loyalties and emotions, Andy gets Carlson and the crew back together and the union is defeated by a vote of 5-4.

Additional Cast
Momma Carlson.................Carol Bruce
Delivery Man..................Robert Starr
Los Amigos Mariachis..........Ray Sanchez
..........Alberto Leyva
..........Pedro Salas

Episode 0070
Episode 0071
"An Explosive Affair, Part I"
"An Explosive Affair, Part II"
Written by Steve Marshall
Directed by Linda Day

Joyce Armor, former WKRP receptionist, has returned to Cincinnati to look up her old boss Arthur Carlson. Carlson begins to think that Joyce wants to have an affair and he spends the better part of the episode wondering whether he should go through with it. Meanwhile, the station has received a bomb threat from a terrorist group known as Black Monday, which last month blew up Channel 73 right in the middle of the John Davidson Show. Just to be on the safe side, Andy has the station evacuated and sends Fever and Venus out to the station transmitter to keep WKRP on the air.

Out at the transmitter, Fever tries desperately to reach his bookie — he just has to place a hunch bet on a horse named "Fever's Break." Fever, unable to contact his bookie, looses control when he hears the horse has won. Meanwhile, Andy learns that the bomb is out at the transmitter and tries to call Fever and Venus, but to no avail — Fever, angry at his bookie, has destroyed the phone.

Carlson, of course, has his own problems. Sitting in Joyce's hotel room, he begins to get uncomfortable with the idea of cheating on his wife. When he finds out that Joyce only wants to talk with him about becoming a client of her ad rep firm, Carlson begins to feel foolish. Joyce makes Carlson feel better when she admits that she is flattered by the misunderstanding.

Back at the station, Andy is going crazy trying to get a hold of his DJ's. A tense moment occurs when the signal goes dead and the gang at the station fear the worse. Just when all hope is lost, Fever and Venus return to the station — it seems Fever began to run off when he heard the approaching sirens of the bomb squad; he thought they were the telephone cops coming after him for destroying the phone.

Episode 0072
"Rumors"
Written by Peter Torokvei
Directed by Linda Day
When Johnny stays with Bailey for a few days while his house is being fumigated for lizards, rumors start to fly that the two are having an affair. Even Andy and Venus participate in the off-color gossip and cat-calls. When Bailey finds out about this, she decides to put on a good show and make it look like she and Fever are sleeping together. Unfortunately, her plan backfires, and Johnny, who is depressed because he thinks Andy is trying to replace him with a younger man, starts to think that he has a chance with Bailey.

Episode 0073
"Straight from the Heart"
Written and Directed by Dan Guntzelman
While Herb tries to tell everyone that he is going away on vacation, Les is shocked to find out that the tacky salesman is going into the hospital for heart tests. About to depart for Omaha to receive the Agrarian Broadcasters Copper Cob Award, Les decides to visit Herb.

Not willing to give up on life, Herb leaves the hospital and he and Les go off to a see a 3-D porno film. Concerned about his best friend, Les calls the rest of the WKRP gang to join them at the theater to convince Herb to return for his tests. Before they can get anywhere, the place is raided and they all end up in jail. Thinking the better of the situation, Herb decides to return for his tests.

Episode 0074
"Who's On First?"
Written and Directed by Dan Guntzelman
In a continuation of "Straight from the Heart," Herb is upset to find that Andy has placed a want ad soliciting a new salesman. Carlson assures Herb that the appointment is just temporary, and, back at the station, the Big Guy gets mad at Andy for placing an ad that made it look like WKRP was looking for a permanent replacement. Determined to keep Herb's job open, Carlson agrees to take over for sales until Herb can return.

When Carlson and Jennifer go off to meet a concert promoter at a local stadium, Carlson is shocked to find out that Herb has arranged a kick-back scam with the promoter. To keep from ruining the deal — and to keep from looking like an idiot to Andy — Carlson poses as Herb and goes along with the sleazy promoter. But that isn't enough — the promoter wants to be sure that Carlson is as stupid as Herb has said he is and demands to go back to the station to meet him. Getting Les to pose as Carlson, Jennifer confuses the promoter enough to follow through on the deal.

Additional Cast
Pat Perillo...................Dennis Lipscomb
Dave..........................Mickey Morton
Howard Liske..................E. A. Sirianni
Nurse.........................Bonnie Urseth

Fever has finally come into a big chunk of money — $24,000 to be exact, the amount that was left from the $56,000 settlement Fever's attorney obtained from the L.A. station that fired the DJ for saying "booger" on the air. Not content to sit by and see his pal fritter away the money, Venus gets Johnny to invest in a condo from one of Herb's new clients, Gone with the Wind Estates.

Fever, not your average "condomaniac," ends up hating the place, but his landlords won't let him out of the deal. However, when Fever and Venus pose as homosexual lovers, the Gone-with-the-Winders are only too happy to see the DJ leave.

Additional Cast
Ms. Archer....................Constance Pfeifer
Mr. Wainwright................Weldon Boyce Bleiler
Nadyne........................Maryann Furman
Roberta.......................Denise McKenna

When Jennifer's 80-year-old companion Colonel Buchanan dies, Jennifer is named as the executrix of his will. The task is not an easy one, however, and Jennifer must fight against the Colonel's petty, greedy relatives. Things get particularly nasty when the family finds out that Buchanan has left the bulk of his estate to his buddies from the old "Fighting 42nd." Though the family promises to contest the will, Jennifer, who was only awarded one dollar of the estate, vows that she will honor the Colonel's last request.

Additional Cast
Howerton......................John Terry Bell
Andre'........................Roger Til
Chester.......................Brian Wood
Cloris........................Janet Clark
Cedric........................Ernie Brown
Skip..........................Charles Alvin Bell
Violinist.....................Shony Alex Braun

Episode 0077
"The Consultant"
Written by Hugh Wilson
Directed by Dolores Ferraro
With her bigger financial involvement in the station, Momma Carlson decides to spend more time protecting her investment and hires a consultant to monitor the station. Andy is furious when he finds out about this until he learns that the consultant is Norris Breeze, an old friend. When Norris turns out to be a coke snorting ingrate who threatens to give the station a bad report unless Andy buys his programming service, Andy realizes he has to take matters into his own hands.

By getting Carlson, Nessman and Tarlek to act like professionals — and getting the rest of the crew to act like they are out of their minds — Andy makes Norris' report on the station look ridiculous, much to Momma's dismay.

Additional Cast
Momma Carlson.................Carol Bruce
Norris Breeze.................David Clennon
Hirsch........................Ian Wolfe

Andy has been seeing a lot of Momma Carlson lately — and not on just a business basis. He's taken her to dinner and to the opera. Venus thinks Andy is crazy, and Andy begins to think that he is becoming the victim of sexual harassment.

When Momma learns about Andy's suspicions, she decides to play it out to the hilt. Asking Andy to run away with her, Lillian scares the program director to death. Coming clean, Momma admits that she likes to be seen in the company of a younger man but that she is not interested in having a relationship.

Episode 0079
"You Can't Go out of Town Again"
Written by Dan Guntzelman
Directed by Howard Hesseman
Carlson is dreading his college reunion, and with good reason. His old college buddy Hank is a big blow-hard who is destined to ruin the affair. When Hank tells Arthur that Carmen only asked the Big Guy out as part of a sorority prank — Arthur was on the "dip list" — it's up to Carmen to convince Arthur that she really did end up falling in love with him at first sight.

Additional Cast
Hank..........................Claude E. Jones
Fluff.........................Joy Claussen
Jackie Winston................Rene Jones
Mrs. Hutchenson...............Alice Nunn

Episode 0080
"Pills"
Written by Steve Marshall
Directed by Asaad Kelada
Herb has come across a lot of sleazy clients before, but Dave Wickerman is the lowest of the low. When Fever finds out that Wickerman's diet pills are nothing more than over-the-counter speed, he refuses to voice the spots. By the time Carlson and Andy find out that Wickerman is pushing legal speed, it is too late — they have already agreed to run 18 spots per day for two weeks.

Ironically, if WKRP cancels the contract, they will be in the ones in legal trouble. When Carlson learns that one of Wickerman's teenage clients collapsed from taking the diet pills, the Big Guy decides to risk the law suit and cancel the account. When Wickerman's landlord throws the sleazeball out, the gang at WKRP feel that they have won the fight. They later learn that Wickerman, who has the law on his side, merely relocated his business to the other side of town.

Episode 0081
"Changes"
Written by Peter Torokvei
Directed by Will MacKenzie
Venus is worried when he has to face a reporter from a militant Black magazine; working around white people for so long, Venus feels that he has forgotten what Black life is all about.

Meanwhile, Herb faces an identity crisis of his own — out on a mercy date lunch with Jennifer, Herb decides that it may be time to change his wardrobe. When Herb and Jennifer return after lunch, the rest of the WKRP gang is shocked to find Herb decked out handsomely in a three-piece suit. However, the change backfires on Herb when his clothes put-off one of his sleazy clients.

Back at the interview, Venus, who has changed into a more radical outfit, is surprised to find that the reporter from the magazine is white. Venus is further shocked to find that the reporter is working under the same sort of conditions as Venus. The moral of the story — don't pretend to be something you're not.

Trivia: Tom Dreesen, who used to be Tim Reid's comedy partner, is reunited with his friend in this episode, playing the role of the magazine reporter Rick Jesperson.

Episode 0082
"Jennifer and Johnny's Charity"
Written by Blake Hunter
Directed by Will MacKenzie
When Johnny's friends at the Vine Street Mission lose their kitchen in a fire, Johnny decides to spearhead a campaign to raise the $40,000 needed to make the necessary repairs. Jennifer joins in the fight and, by inviting a few select people to a party at her house, promises Johnny she will provide the needed funds.

At the party, the two rich couples get carried away and decide to build the derelicts a new building out in the Price-Hill area, a fashionable Cincinnati suburb. Fever, who shows up at the party with a few of the Mission's "clients," is appalled at the idea — all the Mission needs is a kitchen, not a new building in the suburbs. As the rich folks begin to rub elbows with their benefactors, they soon learn the real meaning and purpose of charity.

Additional Cast
Charlie.......................Perry Cook
Judge Randall.................Richard Derr
Percy.........................Carmen Filipi
Mrs. Mittenhoff...............Helen Heigh
Shelia........................Gloria LeRoy
Mr. Mittenhoff................John Vivyan
Mrs. Randall..................Lynn Wood

Herb is desperate to try out the services of his new client, the I'll Take Romance dating service. In order to see if they are any good, Herb decides to submit his application under Les' name. Les, who has not had a date in two years, is a bit apprehensive, yet he agrees to give the computer date a try. When the girl turns out to be gorgeous, Les falls in love — that is, until Jennifer tells Les that the woman is really a hooker.

Les soon gets depressed, particularly since the hooker has called him up for another date. When Jennifer explains how that must mean that the lady really liked Les — no hooker would ever call a John for a date — the newscaster's spirits are buoyed.

Meanwhile, Andy, who has not had any luck lately in finding a date, decides to give the service a try. When he finds out that his perfect match is the same as Les', Andy gets suspicious. Les, aware of the situation, sits Andy down to explain the facts of life.

The Flem building is on fire and the WKRP staffers are stuck on the fourteenth floor. To make matters worse, Herb and Jennifer are stuck in the building's elevator. Though he begins to lose his cool at first, Herb finally pulls through when Jennifer begins to get scared. Even though he admits that he tells everyone he meets that he and Jennifer have sex on a regular basis, Jennifer develops a new respect for the tacky salesman.

Meanwhile, Johnny Fever has mounted a daring rescue attempt to save Jennifer and Herb. Coming through the trap door at the top of the stuck elevator, Johnny sees the two former rivals huddled in a close embrace. The fire out, Fever gets the elevator moving and all are safe.

Episode 0085
"Dear Liar"
Written by Steve Marshall
Directed by Frank Bonner
Les is upset because Andy wants to pull him off the newscaster's insightful report on vanishing vegetables and put him on a human interest story involving the Northside Children's Clinic. Not wanting to be bothered with the story, Les sends Bailey out to cover it.

After Bailey convinces the hospital director that a story on the center will do some good, Bailey is shocked to find the desperate conditions that some of the children are facing. Back at the station, Bailey comes up with an embellished story that could cost the station its license. Les, desperate to get Andy off his back, finds the story and reads it on the air — and lands the station in big trouble.

When the local newspaper wants to run a copy of the heart-wrenching story, Bailey comes clean and tells Andy that she made it all up. Not saying whether she would have changed the story even if she had the opportunity to broadcast it herself, Bailey offers her resignation. Andy refuses to accept it, saying that even though a woman was fired from the Washington Post for a similar incident involving an eight-year-old junkie, WKRP has a different form of journalistic integrity from the Washington Post.

Additional Cast
Edna Parkins..................Barbara Cason
Clerk.........................Iona Morris
Doctor........................Bill Ewing
Secretary.....................Susan McIver

When a beautiful girl frames Venus as the ringleader of a burglary ring, the DJ must clear himself from the charges. When an eyewitness identifies a Black man with a beard as the culprit of a previous burglary, Venus has his work cut out for him.

After the judge rules that there is sufficient evidence to hold Venus over for trial, the detectives take Venus back to his cell in the county jail. On their way, they run into another man who has been arrested for burglary — the Black man bears a striking resemblance to Venus. The detectives realize the mistake they have made and Venus is freed.

Additional Cast
Prosecutor....................Robert Hooks
Judge.........................Jack Kruschen
Frank Bartman.................Max Wright
Jessica Langtree..............Daphne Maxwell
Detective Alcorn..............Michael Pataki
Detective Davies..............John Witherspoon

When Momma catches Venus and Andy in some after hours horsing around at the station, the trio eventually begins discussing the truth behind the day Andy hired Venus. Via an inventive flashback sequence, we are transported back to the untold story that took place during the pilot.

As the episode unfolds, we find a disillusioned Andy trying to break the lease on his new Cincinnati apartment. When Gordon Sims, a full time teacher/part-time DJ from New Orleans arrives, Andy decides to give the station one more try. Announcing that he is going to change the station's format to top-40 rock-and-roll the following day, Andy tries to build a new persona for Gordon — he decides to call him "Venus Rising."

After an interesting reprise of Fever's historic format change scene, we see how Venus reacted while he was waiting for Andy to finish convincing Momma to stick with the new format. It is during this scene that Andy introduces the new DJ as Venus Flytrap; Andy went on to claim that Mr. Flytrap had a great following down in New Orleans.

Back to the present, Momma says that she was wise to the scam all along and proves it by rattling off some embarrassing histories of both Andy and Venus. After Momma departs, the two pals go back to their horseplay.

Les, who is celebrating another birthday, is depressed because his career is going nowhere. Saying that he plans on going to New York to audition for The CBS Evening News, Andy, who was counting on going on a skiing trip, reluctantly agrees to trade vacations with Nessman.

Jennifer plans a surprise birthday/going away part for Les, who arrives at Jennifer's early and ruins the surprise. When the rest of the gang arrives, Les decides to show the air-check video tape he had made for his trip to New York. After Les sees the tape, which is both comic and pathetic at the same time, he becomes even more depressed and leaves the party.

The next day, as the rest of the gang wonders whether Les left for New York, Mrs. Nessman (who looks exactly like Les) shows up at the station to blame the WKRP gang for putting this impossible dream in Les' head. When Herb arrives, he thinks that Mrs. Nessman is Les dressed in drag; thinking his buddy has gone nuts, he gooses her rear end. Almost immediately, Les enters, and Herb realizes the error he has made.

Additional Cast
Tiffany.......................Carol Carrington
Adele.........................Eleanor McCoy
Mrs. Nessman..................Richard Sanders

Herb has done it again — this time he has messed up a very important account for a black hair care product. Where the promotional posters for the ad campaign were supposed to feature Venus Flytrap, Herb, in a terrible mistake with his printer, has wound up on the stand-up display himself. Carlson is so furious that he decides to finally fire Herb.

Jennifer, for some strange reason, is upset at the idea of Herb being fired. In order to save the salesman's job, she tells Herb to run over to the client and try to salvage the account. When Herb arrives, he discovers that the advertiser, Hester Sherman, is blind. Figuring that there is no way Mr. Sherman could realize how bad the stand-up displays look, Herb arrogantly tries to bluff his way out of the mess.

When Jennifer learns that Herb has made matters worse, she takes it upon herself to save Herb's job. Even though Mr. Sherman is blind, he can still sense the beauty of Jennifer Marlowe, and he decides to give WKRP one last chance.

Additional Cast
Hester Sherman................Tom Sullivan
Ms. Beeler....................Sue Anne Gilfillin
Salesman......................James Gallery

Episode 0090
"Up and Down the Dial"
Written by Dan Guntzelman
Directed by George Gaynes
WKRP has risen to sixth place in the Cincinnati market. While the gang is elated, their celebration is short-lived when Charles Von Sanker shows up to say that he is the new program director of WKRP — it seems that Momma is planning to change the station to an all-news format.

Though Momma promises that all current employees will have jobs with the new WKRP, the crew goes into a depressed tail-spin. A little bit drunk and a great deal angry, Johnny Fever arrives at Mrs. Carlson's home to have it out with the old lady. After Momma explains to Johnny the finer points of managing a complex business operation, Johnny realizes that Momma wants WKRP to lose money -- that's why she's changing the format. When Carlson and Andy arrive at the house, Johnny threatens to tell Arthur Momma's real reason for the format change. Not wanting to disillusion her boy, Momma nixes the news idea and says that WKRP will remain as it is.