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.
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The peak run. Top 40% of seasons by average rating — consecutive, with an average of 6.55.
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Gary Sandy
Andy Travis
Howard Hesseman
Dr. Johnny Fever
Tim Reid
Venus Flytrap
Loni Anderson
Jennifer Marlowe
Frank Bonner
Herb Tarlek
Gordon Jump
Arthur Carlson
Richard Sanders
Les Nessman
Jan Smithers
Bailey Quarters
All 90 episodes plotted by IMDb rating
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22 episodes • 1978Avg: 6.6Golden Era
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot (1) | Sep 18, 1978 | 7.0 |
| 2 | Pilot (2) | Sep 25, 1978 | 7.0 |
| 3 | Les On a Ledge | Oct 2, 1978 | 6.0 |
| 4 | Hoodlum Rock | Oct 9, 1978 | 5.5 |
| 5 | Hold-Up | Oct 16, 1978 | 7.7 |
| 6 | Bailey's Show | Oct 23, 1978 | 7.0 |
| 7 | Turkeys Away | Oct 30, 1978 | 9.0 |
| 8 | Love Returns | Nov 6, 1978 | 6.0 |
| 9 | Mama's Review | Jan 15, 1979 | 6.0 |
| 10 | A Date With Jennifer | Jan 22, 1979 | 7.0 |
| 11 | The Contest Nobody Could Win | Jan 29, 1979 | 7.0 |
| 12 | Tornado | Feb 5, 1979 | 6.0 |
| 13 | Goodbye, Johnny | Feb 19, 1979 | 6.0 |
| 14 | Johnny Comes Back | Feb 26, 1979 | 7.0 |
| 15 | Never Leave Me, Lucille | Mar 5, 1979 | 6.0 |
| 16 | I Want to Keep My Baby | Mar 12, 1979 | 6.0 |
| 17 | A Commercial Break | Mar 26, 1979 | 6.0 |
| 18 | Who is Gordon Sims? | Apr 2, 1979 | 7.0 |
| 19 | I Do, I Do... For Now | Apr 23, 1979 | 6.0 |
| 20 | Young Master Carlson | Apr 30, 1979 | 6.0 |
| 21 | Fish Story | May 28, 1979 | 6.0 |
| 22 | Preacher | Jun 4, 1979 | 7.0 |
24 episodes • 1979Avg: 5.5Valley of Despair
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | For Love or Money (1) | Sep 17, 1979 | 5.0 |
| 2 | For Love or Money (2) | Sep 24, 1979 | 5.0 |
| 3 | Baseball | Oct 15, 1979 | 7.0 |
| 4 | Bad Risk | Oct 22, 1979 | 5.0 |
| 5 | Jennifer Falls in Love | Oct 22, 1979 | 5.0 |
| 6 | Carlson for President | Nov 5, 1979 | 5.0 |
| 7 | Mike Fright | Nov 12, 1979 | 5.0 |
| 8 | The Patter of Little Feet | Nov 26, 1979 | 5.0 |
| 9 | Baby, If You've Ever Wondered | Dec 3, 1979 | 5.0 |
| 10 | Bailey's Big Break | Dec 10, 1979 | 5.0 |
| 11 | Jennifer's Home for Christmas | Dec 17, 1979 | 6.8 |
| 12 | Sparky | Dec 24, 1979 | 5.0 |
| 13 | God Talks to Johnny | Dec 31, 1979 | 5.0 |
| 14 | A Family Affair | Jan 7, 1980 | 5.0 |
| 15 | Herb's Dad | Jan 14, 1980 | 5.0 |
| 16 | Put Up or Shut Up | Jan 21, 1980 | 5.0 |
| 17 | The Americanization of Ivan | Jan 28, 1980 | 6.5 |
| 18 | Les' Groupie | Feb 4, 1980 | 5.0 |
| 19 | In Concert | Feb 11, 1980 | 8.0 |
| 20 | The Doctor's Daughter | Feb 18, 1980 | 5.0 |
| 21 | Filthy Pictures (1) | Mar 3, 1980 | 6.5 |
| 22 | Filthy Pictures (2) | Mar 3, 1980 | 6.5 |
| 23 | Venus Rising | Mar 10, 1980 | 5.0 |
| 24 | Most Improved Station | Mar 31, 1980 | 5.0 |
22 episodes • 1980Avg: 5.7
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Airplane Show | Nov 1, 1980 | 5.0 |
| 2 | Jennifer Moves | Nov 8, 1980 | 6.5 |
| 3 | Real Families | Nov 15, 1980 | 7.5 |
| 4 | The Baby | Nov 22, 1980 | 6.5 |
| 5 | Hotel Oceanview | Nov 29, 1980 | 3.0 |
| 6 | A Mile in My Shoes | Dec 6, 1980 | 5.0 |
| 7 | Bah, Humbug | Dec 20, 1980 | 5.0 |
| 8 | Baby, It's Cold Inside | Jan 3, 1981 | 5.0 |
| 9 | The Painting | Jan 10, 1981 | 5.0 |
| 10 | Daydreams | Jan 17, 1981 | 5.0 |
| 11 | Frog Story | Jan 24, 1981 | 7.0 |
| 12 | Venus and the Man | Jan 31, 1981 | 7.7 |
| 13 | Dr. Fever and Mr. Tide: Part 1 | Feb 7, 1981 | 6.5 |
| 14 | Dr. Fever and Mr. Tide: Part 2 | Feb 7, 1981 | 6.5 |
| 15 | Ask Jennifer | Feb 14, 1981 | 6.5 |
| 16 | I Am Woman | Feb 21, 1981 | 5.0 |
| 17 | Secrets of Dayton Heights | Feb 28, 1981 | 5.0 |
| 18 | Out to Lunch | Mar 14, 1981 | 5.0 |
| 19 | A Simple Little Wedding | Mar 21, 1981 | 5.0 |
| 20 | Nothing to Fear But... | Mar 28, 1981 | 5.0 |
| 21 | Til Debt Do Us Part | Apr 5, 1981 | 5.0 |
| 22 | Clean Up Radio Everywhere | Apr 12, 1981 | 7.0 |
22 episodes • 1981Avg: 5.4
| # | Episode | Air Date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | An Explosive Affair (Part 1) | Oct 7, 1981 | 8.0 |
| 2 | An Explosive Affair (Part 2) | Oct 14, 1981 | 8.0 |
| 3 | The Union | Oct 21, 1981 | 5.0 |
| 4 | Rumors | Oct 28, 1981 | 5.0 |
| 5 | Straight from the Heart | Nov 4, 1981 | 5.0 |
| 6 | Who's on First? | Nov 11, 1981 | 5.0 |
| 7 | Three Days of the Condo | Nov 18, 1981 | 5.0 |
| 8 | Jennifer and the Will | Dec 2, 1981 | 6.5 |
| 9 | The Consultant | Dec 30, 1981 | 7.3 |
| 10 | Love, Exciting and New | Jan 6, 1982 | 5.0 |
| 11 | You Can't Go Out of Town Again | Jan 13, 1982 | 5.0 |
| 12 | Pills | Jan 20, 1982 | 5.0 |
| 13 | Changes | Jan 27, 1982 | 5.0 |
| 14 | Jennifer and Johnny's Charity | Feb 3, 1982 | 5.0 |
| 15 | I'll Take Romance | Feb 17, 1982 | 5.0 |
| 16 | Circumstantial Evidence | Feb 24, 1982 | 5.0 |
| 17 | Fire | Mar 17, 1982 | 5.0 |
| 18 | Dear Liar | Mar 24, 1982 | 5.0 |
| 19 | The Creation of Venus | Mar 31, 1982 | 5.0 |
| 20 | The Impossible Dream | Apr 7, 1982 | 5.0 |
| 21 | To Err is Human | Apr 14, 1982 | 5.0 |
| 22 | Up and Down the Dial | Apr 21, 1982 | 5.0 |
