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America's Favorite Radio Station: WKRP in Cincinnati
Although it became one of the most successful programs in syndicated television history, WKRP in Cincinnati faced an uphill struggle trying to obtain prime-time success. Kassel chronicles the decisions and problems that affected WKRP's primetime success, and explores the reasons why it went on to become a classic.
214 pages, Paperback
First published June 15, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 10, 2016
…If You’ve Ever Wondered …
I watched “WKRP in Cincinnati” as a youth when it originally aired, but never really appreciated (or understood) it’s content until I was older and re-watched the series in syndication (much like “All in the Family”). A show with such a strong and intact ensemble cast that tackled contemporary issues whit humor seemed destined for a long run, but the series was cancelled after only four seasons. I picked up AMERICA’S FAVORITE RADIO STATION simply as a resource for a show I fondly remember and maybe find out why it didn’t get the chance to run its natural course.
As a fan of the show, Michael Kassel’s book provided everything I wanted and expected. Those who enjoyed “WKRP in Cincinnati” undoubtedly look back and remember that the entire cast, working together, was pure TV magic. Maybe it’s me, but all the cast members seem iconic: Venus Flytrap, Johnny Fever, Les Nessman and Bailey Quarters (who’s character will ALWAYS define the name “Bailey” in my mind). Almost every cast member of WKRP was designed, in some degree, to be a stereotype and many of the issues presented on the show were controversial, yet humor and sensitive issues always seemed to mesh perfectly week after week. Kassel details the genius of WKRP creator Hugh Wilson’s ability to lure the talent needed to write and direct one memorable episode after another and find the perfect cast that made those episodes so fun to watch.
AMERICA’S FAVORITE RADIO STATION is a straight-forward resource. Kassel dedicates individual chapters to chronical the show’s inception and casting. I found the chapter on casting particularly revealing as it probably explains, more than anything, the reason for the show’s success. Subsequent chapters detail each of WKRP’s four seasons and provide the substance behind the episodes along with interesting trivia. I found it interesting that as the show progressed, many of the actors were allowed to incorporate their own ideas for character storylines and many ended up writing and directing episodes. The book covers the last season, attempts to reasonably explain WKRP’s early demise and provides some information on the early 90s reboot (“The New WKRP in Cincinnati”). The later chapters provide an episode-by-episode summary of the show with additional trivia and casting information … this is the main reason I wanted this book.
The book was written in 1993 and the material that comprises most of the book is based on interviews with the creator, staff and cast almost 25 years ago. Regardless, if you are a fan of WKRP in Cincinnati, this resource offers a nice nostalgic trip to the days when television was simple and plain fun … reading it certainly explains why the show was so well-liked. AMERICA’S FAVORITE RADIO STATION is primarily a book for WKRP fans and maybe a way of bringing new fans on board.
I watched “WKRP in Cincinnati” as a youth when it originally aired, but never really appreciated (or understood) it’s content until I was older and re-watched the series in syndication (much like “All in the Family”). A show with such a strong and intact ensemble cast that tackled contemporary issues whit humor seemed destined for a long run, but the series was cancelled after only four seasons. I picked up AMERICA’S FAVORITE RADIO STATION simply as a resource for a show I fondly remember and maybe find out why it didn’t get the chance to run its natural course.
As a fan of the show, Michael Kassel’s book provided everything I wanted and expected. Those who enjoyed “WKRP in Cincinnati” undoubtedly look back and remember that the entire cast, working together, was pure TV magic. Maybe it’s me, but all the cast members seem iconic: Venus Flytrap, Johnny Fever, Les Nessman and Bailey Quarters (who’s character will ALWAYS define the name “Bailey” in my mind). Almost every cast member of WKRP was designed, in some degree, to be a stereotype and many of the issues presented on the show were controversial, yet humor and sensitive issues always seemed to mesh perfectly week after week. Kassel details the genius of WKRP creator Hugh Wilson’s ability to lure the talent needed to write and direct one memorable episode after another and find the perfect cast that made those episodes so fun to watch.
AMERICA’S FAVORITE RADIO STATION is a straight-forward resource. Kassel dedicates individual chapters to chronical the show’s inception and casting. I found the chapter on casting particularly revealing as it probably explains, more than anything, the reason for the show’s success. Subsequent chapters detail each of WKRP’s four seasons and provide the substance behind the episodes along with interesting trivia. I found it interesting that as the show progressed, many of the actors were allowed to incorporate their own ideas for character storylines and many ended up writing and directing episodes. The book covers the last season, attempts to reasonably explain WKRP’s early demise and provides some information on the early 90s reboot (“The New WKRP in Cincinnati”). The later chapters provide an episode-by-episode summary of the show with additional trivia and casting information … this is the main reason I wanted this book.
The book was written in 1993 and the material that comprises most of the book is based on interviews with the creator, staff and cast almost 25 years ago. Regardless, if you are a fan of WKRP in Cincinnati, this resource offers a nice nostalgic trip to the days when television was simple and plain fun … reading it certainly explains why the show was so well-liked. AMERICA’S FAVORITE RADIO STATION is primarily a book for WKRP fans and maybe a way of bringing new fans on board.
June 20, 2024
This was such a fun read! It was pretty much everything I was looking for. Show creation, casting actor by actor, interviews and/or quotes from all the stars, network silliness, highlights of episodes, and season by season rundowns of what was happening in the show and behind the scenes. It was super fun to open this book up and keep reading.
It was definitely headed for a 5 star review from me until the writer started talking about "The New WKRP." The book was published right around the time this was happening, so it couldn't be ignored, but it would have been nicer if it was done 10 years later and the writer could have just given an overview of the revamped show and just said 'hey, it didn't work', or better yet ignored it entirely. He spent a little too much time on the 'new' show for me and was pretty negative. Not that it wasn't warranted. It just took away from the feel good vibes I had for the first 80% of the book.
Still, highly recommended for the WKRP fans out there.
It was definitely headed for a 5 star review from me until the writer started talking about "The New WKRP." The book was published right around the time this was happening, so it couldn't be ignored, but it would have been nicer if it was done 10 years later and the writer could have just given an overview of the revamped show and just said 'hey, it didn't work', or better yet ignored it entirely. He spent a little too much time on the 'new' show for me and was pretty negative. Not that it wasn't warranted. It just took away from the feel good vibes I had for the first 80% of the book.
Still, highly recommended for the WKRP fans out there.
November 1, 2025
If you love WKRP this book is for you. It explains the reasons for the show's success as well as it's bouncing around by the network. Also explores the inspirations for some of the classic episodes with antidotes by many cast members.
October 25, 2012
This is only the second review of this book on the site so I hope actually that fans of this classic TV show will perhaps find it since there is next to no info for a fan to read.
While this book is not particularly well-written and is a drop below what you'd expect quality-wise from a hardback (photos are not glossy pages and are difficult to decipher for one), it has the info on how the gang got together at the Mighty KRP. Well, rather how the writers got together and how the actors got together and made a show still commonly in syndication in the USA. And how then, after four quick seasons, the last one spend literally 'up and down the dial' as the network changed KRP's time-slot almost weekly, cancelled it for poor ratings. Just as the fictional station was rising in the ratings. Well, of course, if you're going to switch a show around each week, even the most ardent fans are going to have trouble finding it let alone allow a Neilsen Family to stumble upon it to give it some ratings.
This is all captured in this modest tome about what in the end was a modestly successful show that has a growing fan-base still to this day it seems. An online friend recently informed me that her kids were howling to 'this radio station show' they found that 'looked like it was made in the 50s'. Kids ... well at least people are still stumbling into it.
It really was a marvelous show overall and the characters are as near and dear to most TV comedy fans as any of the most famous. And of course some of the shows are absolutely all-time classics by any standard of comedy. Need I mention the Turkey Drop, the infamous Thanksgiving Day promotion the Big Guy and Herb (the Little Guy), put on all by themselves ... to find to their horror that 'turkeys can't fly' as Les Nessman, the Cronkite of fictional Cincinnati radio, then reports are 'hitting the pavement like bags of wet cement'. That is an image ... and really, I don't know if there was a funnier half-hour ever on TV than the Turkey Episode.
So, if you've ever wondered about the rest of the story, it's in these pages. Just don't expect Hemingway ... it's average writing at best but it gets the info out there and that is the reason I rated it 4 stars, one more than the only other review on goodreads, because the info is nowhere else and the author did the legwork to fill the book with interviews of those involved.
And I certainly never mind when people tell me, 'You know, you remind me a bit of Dr. Johnny Fever.'
Thank you ... thank you very much ... boogerrrrrrrrrr....
While this book is not particularly well-written and is a drop below what you'd expect quality-wise from a hardback (photos are not glossy pages and are difficult to decipher for one), it has the info on how the gang got together at the Mighty KRP. Well, rather how the writers got together and how the actors got together and made a show still commonly in syndication in the USA. And how then, after four quick seasons, the last one spend literally 'up and down the dial' as the network changed KRP's time-slot almost weekly, cancelled it for poor ratings. Just as the fictional station was rising in the ratings. Well, of course, if you're going to switch a show around each week, even the most ardent fans are going to have trouble finding it let alone allow a Neilsen Family to stumble upon it to give it some ratings.
This is all captured in this modest tome about what in the end was a modestly successful show that has a growing fan-base still to this day it seems. An online friend recently informed me that her kids were howling to 'this radio station show' they found that 'looked like it was made in the 50s'. Kids ... well at least people are still stumbling into it.
It really was a marvelous show overall and the characters are as near and dear to most TV comedy fans as any of the most famous. And of course some of the shows are absolutely all-time classics by any standard of comedy. Need I mention the Turkey Drop, the infamous Thanksgiving Day promotion the Big Guy and Herb (the Little Guy), put on all by themselves ... to find to their horror that 'turkeys can't fly' as Les Nessman, the Cronkite of fictional Cincinnati radio, then reports are 'hitting the pavement like bags of wet cement'. That is an image ... and really, I don't know if there was a funnier half-hour ever on TV than the Turkey Episode.
So, if you've ever wondered about the rest of the story, it's in these pages. Just don't expect Hemingway ... it's average writing at best but it gets the info out there and that is the reason I rated it 4 stars, one more than the only other review on goodreads, because the info is nowhere else and the author did the legwork to fill the book with interviews of those involved.
And I certainly never mind when people tell me, 'You know, you remind me a bit of Dr. Johnny Fever.'
Thank you ... thank you very much ... boogerrrrrrrrrr....
September 3, 2016
I bought this book years ago and skimmed it, but only thoroughly read it this week. It is a great behind the scenes look at the making of the television series WKRP in Cincinnati, and the reasons why there were only four seasons. The book takes a look back at WKRP's success in syndication and legacy since it was canceled in 1982. This book was published in 1993, so the "what are they up to now" section is a little dated. The full episode list & summaries in the back are great (IMDb.com doesn't have summaries for all the eps), but I wish they included original air dates. The author interviewed many of the key actors and staff of the show. Photographs from Blake Hunter's (Who's the Boss?) personal collection are included in the book. A great read for a true fan.
October 15, 2014
Has some interesting behind the scenes anecdotes, but it reads like a research paper, and even for such a short book, it feels awfully padded.
The fact that the show was treated like the red headed stepchild of MTM has been fairly well documented, but that's pretty much glossed over here.
I might mildly recommend it to fellow fans of the show, otherwise stay away.
I suspect a really good book could be written about the series, but this ain't it.
The fact that the show was treated like the red headed stepchild of MTM has been fairly well documented, but that's pretty much glossed over here.
I might mildly recommend it to fellow fans of the show, otherwise stay away.
I suspect a really good book could be written about the series, but this ain't it.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews