'All right, Cincinnati. It's time for this town to get down!' This was part of Dr. Johnny Fever's speech of sorts to Cincinnati. Dr. Fever was a DJ on the television show, WKRP in Cincinnati. Airing in 1978 and ending its four season run in 1982, WKRP was a great television show for many reasons. It was a groundbreaking show in its time and continues to have a fan following to this day.

The premise for WKRP was a struggling radio station at the bottom of the market. Andy Travis, the program director, blew in from New Mexico, and turned the station around by changing the oldies format to 'Top 40 Rock n' Roll.' The four seasons of this show chronicled the radio station's rise to the top of its market. In the last episode of the series, ironically, the workers at WKRP celebrate the station's excellent ratings.

WKRP in Cincinnati itself didn't have such good ratings when it was running back in the late seventies/early eighties. It had viewers for the first two seasons, but the network moved the show around the timeslots, confusing viewers. In 1982, it was cancelled by the network. However, once in syndication, the show became quite a hit. The stories of the wacky characters appealed to many.

One character that jumps out at me is Bailey Quarters. Starting out in the first season as a very introverted wallflower, she didn't have as much of a part as the other characters. Through the later seasons, however, she gradually came out of her shell and learned to voice her opinions to her co-workers. The other character that continues to draw me to the series is Andy Travis, who was considered the 'Mary Tyler Moore' of the show. He moved to Cincinnati from New Mexico to a job that wasn't guaranteed for him. He tried valiantly to lead the station through the waves that it encountered, working against those who were bent on running the WKRP boat aground. I've found that the funnier episodes have dealt with one character's zany idea and its effects on the station.

WKRP in Cincinnati remains a great show today. It currently plays on AmericanLife TV on Monday nights and WGN on Sunday nights. Many of its storylines relate to problems of today. The characters are memorable and the writing is very well done. WKRP in Cincinnati is worth watching. 'Baby, if you've ever wondered''