Thanks, Ken. A truly inspired moment. And one of the most subversive Pop Culture references ever. Only Les Nessman could get away with uttering the phrase "Oh,the Humanity" as turkeys plummet to earth & get a laugh.
Agreed. I enjoy the Cheers food fight more, but I am still amazed at the creativity of the WKRP episode.
The episode was so well done, using radio to cover the bloody smashes, no doubt lots of people today remember the images of turkeys hitting the pavement, which never happened. Sort of like War of the Worlds with fowl.
This episode aired after we'd had a major advertising flop at work involving an elephant. Yes, a real elephant at a car dealership. I will always have a picture in my head of my boss in the service dept using the big window squeegee to push a flood of elephant pee out the back door. I laughed at this episode for days. It was definitely one of my favorite episodes in any show ever.
Fun fact! The store owner that shooed Les away from his store was played by Michael Fairman who later gained fame with the geek demographic as Adelai Niska on "Firefly.
As the clip ended (and it really should have had the "I thought turkeys could fly" tag line) a little window popped up saying "Google It! Operation Clambake." For those who don't know, OC is the best anti-Scientology sites extant. Check it out.
Word Verification: trubj. Better than a faux bj any day.
Yeah, what became of Richard Sanders? A few minutes later he returned to the station to deliver my favorite line: "A man and his two children tried to kill me."
This one, and Chef of the Future. I could watch them all night.
The whole cast of "WKRP" was great but my fave will always be Jan Smithers aka Bailey Quarters. http://www.hissandpop.com/celebrities/s/jansmithers/photos/006.jpg
A tangental comment, slightly off the subject, but this episode is mentioned in a really good new book called TIM AND TOM, about Tim "Venus Flytrap" Reid and Tom Dreesen and their days as America's first and last interracial standup comedy team.
It's got highs--Emmys and the Tonight Show--and lows--working the Comedy Store for free and sleeping in sombody else's Rambler; doing a 6 AM show for mostly pimps and hookers in Atlantic City--with the later chapters covering things like WKRP and Hugh Wilson. It's a great book about the appeal and perils of show biz.
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As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!
ReplyDeletei've always thought the Cheers foodfight is the best Thanksgiving episode, ever.
ReplyDeleteYears ago I went to a Boston radio station Turkey Drop....paper turkeys from a crane. But they did have Richard Sanders there for commentary.
ReplyDeleteAn ACTUAL word for veriifcation...."prose"
Thanks, Ken. A truly inspired moment. And one of the most subversive Pop Culture references ever. Only Les Nessman could get away with uttering the phrase "Oh,the Humanity" as turkeys plummet to earth & get a laugh.
ReplyDeleteDang! Fraiser Fan beat me to it!!!
ReplyDeleteThat show is one of my all-time favorites!
It's WKRP's equivalent of MTM's "Chuckles Bites The Dust"...sitcom nirvana.
ReplyDeleteVerification word: "hystinen" -- sheets and towels with an incredibly wild sense of humor.
One of the best shows ever. Too bad you can't buy it on DVD, uncut with the original music.
ReplyDeleteI liked Everybody Loves Raymond's season 8 Thanksgiving episode "The Bird" Lots of memorable lines in that one.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I enjoy the Cheers food fight more, but I am still amazed at the creativity of the WKRP episode.
ReplyDeleteThe episode was so well done, using radio to cover the bloody smashes, no doubt lots of people today remember the images of turkeys hitting the pavement, which never happened. Sort of like War of the Worlds with fowl.
This episode aired after we'd had a major advertising flop at work involving an elephant. Yes, a real elephant at a car dealership. I will always have a picture in my head of my boss in the service dept using the big window squeegee to push a flood of elephant pee out the back door. I laughed at this episode for days. It was definitely one of my favorite episodes in any show ever.
ReplyDeleteThe delivery of the actors was amazing in that clip. I've seen it online somewhere for the last couple of Thanksgivings and laugh harder each time.
ReplyDeleteI also just caught the Cheers food fight. Great stuff!
WKRP...the station with more music and Les Nessman!
ReplyDeleteFun fact! The store owner that shooed Les away from his store was played by Michael Fairman who later gained fame with the geek demographic as Adelai Niska on "Firefly.
ReplyDeleteAs the network exec who greenlit MY OWN WORST ENEMY must have said: "As God is my witness, I thought this turkey would fly."
ReplyDeleteCatch me on the Crazy Bill Show @ youtube.com Im Bill fuller class clown, stand up boy do I got some things in my head, thanx
ReplyDeleteCrazy Bill Show On you tube is way funny, lots aof turkey stuff and his Joe Pesci is great
ReplyDeleteAs the clip ended (and it really should have had the "I thought turkeys could fly" tag line) a little window popped up saying "Google It! Operation Clambake." For those who don't know, OC is the best anti-Scientology sites extant. Check it out.
ReplyDeleteWord Verification: trubj. Better than a faux bj any day.
Richard Sanders was great, wasn't he? Howard Hesseman and Loni Anderson got most of the press, but that whole cast was terrific.
ReplyDeleteYeah, what became of Richard Sanders? A few minutes later he returned to the station to deliver my favorite line: "A man and his two children tried to kill me."
ReplyDeleteThis one, and Chef of the Future. I could watch them all night.
The whole cast of "WKRP" was great but my fave will always be Jan Smithers aka Bailey Quarters.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hissandpop.com/celebrities/s/jansmithers/photos/006.jpg
Richard Sanders did a wonderful job as a voice on the "Day Of The Tentacle: Maniac Mansion" video game.
ReplyDeleteIt only took the still pic from that video to make me start cracking up.
ReplyDeleteVerification word: afieri. Don't know what it is, but it sounds HOT.
A tangental comment, slightly off the subject, but this episode is mentioned in a really good new book called TIM AND TOM, about Tim "Venus Flytrap" Reid and Tom Dreesen and their days as America's first and last interracial standup comedy team.
ReplyDeleteIt's got highs--Emmys and the Tonight Show--and lows--working the Comedy Store for free and sleeping in sombody else's Rambler; doing a 6 AM show for mostly pimps and hookers in Atlantic City--with the later chapters covering things like WKRP and Hugh Wilson. It's a great book about the appeal and perils of show biz.