WKRP in Cincinnati, Bah, Humbug

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In 1980, “WKRP in Cincinnati,” one of the funniest television shows of all time, released their take on Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” 1843 as Season 3, Ep. 7, Bah, Humbug.

I will not talk about any of the characters, and I will assume you already know them. If you don’t, please find the show and give it a watch.

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Story – WKRP in Cincinnati

It is the day of the big Christmas party at WKRP. Disc jockey Venus Flytrap (Tim Reid), programmer Bailey Quarters (Jan Smithers), Salesman Herb Tarlek (Frank Bonner), and Newman Les Nessman (Richard Sanders) are snacking and discussing their potential Christmas bonuses.

Disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever (Howard Hesseman) comes in with a plate of brownies. When Venus finds out that Johnny made the brownie, he refuses to eat one. The station manager Andy Travis (Gary Sandy), comes in the room, and Herb asks if they will be getting Christmas bonuses. Andy doesn’t know the answer.

Andy picks up a brownie, and when he finds out that Johnny made them, he puts it back. Venus says he needs the money to buy his grandmother a color television so she can watch “Eight is Enough” in color.

Herb needs the money to get braces for his daughter’s teeth, which are very crooked. Bailey says she just wants the money. Les says that for 25-years, they have been promised a bonus when the station became profitable. Les is towing the Communist line.

Andy is telling the crew that he supports them in getting bonuses, but it is up to the station manager Arthur Carlson (Gordon Jump). Andy says that Carlson’s mother, the owner of the station, is Genghis Khan. Carlson walks in and asks whose mother is Genghis Khan, and they all reply “mine.” Carlson says it may be an epidemic.

Carlson cracks the whip on the staff and tells them to get busy because WKRP is a business. Venus reminds him that last year Carlson said it was a family. He comes back with a shaken, well, it’s a family business. Carlson grabs a couple of brownies and says that the party this year will be great.

Herb laments that without braces, no one will marry his daughter. Venus says he will, and that is Herb’s greatest fear.

Carlson is in his office and has eaten the brownies. He is starting to get sleepy as he writes a letter explaining why the staff will not get a bonus. Carlson drifts off to sleep in his chair.

The lights darken, and the figure of Carlson’s grandfather, played by himself, enters the room wearing chains.

The receptionist Jennifer Marlowe (Loni Anderson), a vision of loveliness, won’t let Carlson be disturbed. She goes into the office and sees Carlson sleeping. Carlson is still seeing his grandfather. Carlson asks if this is going to be another one of those Charles Dickens Christmas Carol things.

His grandfather tells him he has to change his ways before it is too late. The grandfather says that Carlson is buying a new control board to impress his mother instead of giving bonuses. Carlson slaps himself, trying to wake up. The grandfather ghost tells him he can’t wake up because he ate one of Johnny’s brownies.

Carlson runs out of the office, hollering for Jennifer. When he sees her, she is all in white and glowing as the ghost of Christmas past. He goes back into his office; she is already there. She takes him to a Christmas in 1954 at WKRP. Carlson is the sales manager and wins the Volkswagen account. The newsman says nobody will buy VW’s. Carlson is trying to please his mother.  

The station manager Mr. Armor (Parley Baer) comes in with a turkey and is very jolly. He is the Fezziwig character. Mr. Armor complains that the disc jockeys are playing rock and roll as a crooner like Perry Como sings Christmas songs.

Les comes in, and he is promoted from newsboy to cub reporter. Mr. Armor gives Les a bowtie, and he vows never to work without it. Mr. Armor gives out Christmas bonuses even though he knows Carlson’s mother won’t be happy. The ghost of Christmas past reminds Carlson that his mother fired Mr. Armor the next day. Carlson doesn’t want to leave.

The ghost of Christmas past fades away as Carlson says that WKRP is barely making money and can’t afford to pay bonuses.

Carlson hears boisterous laughing from outside of his office. When he opens the door, the Hallelujah Chorus plays. As the ghost of Christmas present, Venus is sitting in a large red chair on top of one of the desks. He is wearing a red and white robe and has a holly crown. Venus tells Carlson he is having a dream.

Herb comes in and is complaining about being Carlson’s yes man and not getting a bonus. Bailey comes in complaining that she works three times as hard as any man in the office and is not getting a bonus. Herb calls his wife and says their daughter will have to go to a convent when she grows up because no one will marry her.

Les enters the room and tells Bailey that one of them will have to work Christmas Day. Bailey says she will do it because she doesn’t have enough money to fly home without the bonus. 

Andy comes in and says he went to talk to Carlson, but he was taking a nap. Bailey asks how Carlson can sleep at a time like this? Invisible Carlson says it’s the brownies. The staff starts talking about taking other jobs. Andy says he is a tightwad. The ghost sends him back to his office.

Carlson looks for his checkbook to write bonus checks. Johnny arrives as the ghost of Christmas future. The ghost says this trip is about seeing how large the bonuses will be. Carlson says he is only in this mess because of Johnny’s brownies. The ghost says there is nothing wrong with the brownies, and everyone jumps to the wrong conclusion about Johnny Fever.

The ghost takes Carlson to WKRP in the future. The station is almost entirely automated. The only human there is Herb. Herb is making automated sales calls, and he looks at a girly magazine. The ghost says that one by one, Carlson forced them to quit. Bailey is running a television station in Chicago, Travis is raising guard dogs in New Mexico, Venus owns a clothing company, Jennifer married well and bought an island, and Les is the Republican whip in the Senate. The ghost says Johnny just disappeared.

Herb talks to himself, saying little Herb is home from the forest service and Bunny is home from the convent. Carlson believes things can be different.

Carlson wakes in his office with Jennifer patting him on the back. She helps him find his checkbook to write bonus checks. Jennifer says it was just a dream. Johnny comes in, and Carlson is happy to see him. Carlson says his mother will be mad, but he is in charge. He wants the brownies to take to his mother’s house.

Jennifer kisses Johnny on the mouth and wishes him Merry Christmas. Johnny is gobsmacked and says, God bless us, everyone.

Summary – WKRP in Cincinnati

Bailey was insecure about her abilities in many episodes and the future has her running a television station in Chicago. Andy has gone back to the simple life he craved back in New Mexico, and there was an episode about some girlfriend and a dog. Venus, who was always sharply dressed, owns a clothing company in the future. There was at least one episode about him trying to dress in a super hip style when a magazine was interviewing him. Jennifer always dated very old and rich men. In the future, she married well and bought an island. Johnny was always mysterious about his past, from living in a trailer to spending time in a Mexican jail. So, him just fading away fits well.

Little Herb works for the forest service doing manly work. There was an entire episode about Herb trying to hide the fact that his son played with dolls.

Les being the Republican whip in the Senate is the funniest part. He was always seeing McCarthy-style plots and worrying about the Russians. In one episode, he met his biological father, and the man was a Communist.

World-Famous Short Summary – Who made the brownies?

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