WKRP

Last night, I found Cowgrit on the den sofa watching TV. What really caught my attention was that she was watching WKRP in Cincinnati, so I plopped down on the sofa with her. Unfortunately, she was also watching the Emmy Awards, flipping back and forth between the two shows. But I decided I could put up with the Emmies for the glimpses back at WKRP. WKRP has a place in my heart for a few reasons.

One, it was a show my dad and I used to regularly watch  together back in the late 70s and early 80s, and beyond — he has every episode recorded on VHS tape (personally recorded with his own VCR).

Two, my dad used to be a radio salesman. He worked at a radio station in my hometown, so I think we felt as though we had an inside feel for the show. I remember many times having people identify what my dad did (“What does your father do?”) with Herb Tarlek. I’d always make sure to state, “But my dad dresses better than Herb.”

Three, WKRP is the source of my favorite line from television: “As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.” If you’ve never seen that episode of that show, the line won’t be funny to you, but it’s freakin’ hilarious to most anyone who’s seen the context.

Whenever I see the show, I think of those evenings sitting in my dad’s den watching and laughing together. I think the next time I visit, we should put one of those tapes in and watch together.

Bullgrit
bullgrit@totalbullgrit.com