CBS: WKRP- Turkeys Away (1978)

Source:IMDB– WKRP News on the spot reporter Less Nessman (played by Richard Sanders) covering the attack on the flying turkeys, that has just invaded Cincinnati, Ohio.

Source: The New Democrat

“This is the signature episode, the one that first comes to mind when one thinks of WKRP in Cincinatti. On air, Dr. Johnny Fever tells his fellow babies about Turkey Day doings. Out on the streets, “oh the humanity”… Mr. Carlson stages a top-secret holiday promotion and ends up ruffling a lot of feathers.”

From IMDB

“This is it… the infamous 1978 “turkey Thanksgiving giveaway” as reported LIVE from the Pinedale Shopping Center by crack newsman Les Nessman for WKRP (in Cincinnati)! The full episode is “Turkeys Away” from season one. A classic clip!”

Source:Nells Stuff– WKRP News on the spot reporter Less Nessman (played by George Sanders) covering the attack on the flying turkeys, that has just invaded Cincinnati, Ohio.

From Nells Stuff

Mr. Arthur Carlson: “As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.” If you are familiar with the WKRP show, you wouldn’t be surprised that Arthur Carlson would say something like this and be completely serious. He always seemed like he was operating about 6 beers short of a six pack. And maybe that’s because he already drank all the beers and lost some brain cells.

Source:CBS– Mr. Arthur Carlson returning back to Planet Earth and facing reality. Perhaps he found his brain on the way back.

I don’t believe there has been a funnier episode in TV history and certainly not on WKRP. This is the episode that this show is known for that was a hit for I believe five seasons. And this show is one of the best sitcoms of all-time as far as being able to make people laugh. And having the writers and cast that can deliver the lines and perform the scenes. So this show had a very good record at simply making people laugh being about a small market radio station in Cincinnati that is just struggling to get noticed and get positive attention.

To be clear, WKRP was not about successful people, winners who run into funny situations. Like Seinfeld or Cheers or MASH. WKRP is really about assholes who can’t help themselves who are way in over their head and probably should be driving cabs or waiting tables or working at grocery stores. If anyone would hire them, except for Andy, Jennifer, Johnny, Venus who could probably be successful working at major radio stations in big markets.

But with WKRP, it’s these assholes who think way more of themselves that they could ever be in their best drunken or marijuana fantasies, who happen to be working at a radio station in a major city, but small market in Cincinnati who regularly find themselves in these impossible, hysterical situations because they can’t help themselves. They don’t know what the hell they are doing, they are in way over their heads and have way too much responsibility. And as a result are always screwing up and the turkey drop episode is the perfect example of that.

The whole line with Arthur Carlson the General Manager at WKRP (played by Gordon Jump) saying that “God as my witness, I thought turkey’s could fly”, is the perfect example of what this show was about. Carlson gets this braindead idea that as a promotion for his station he’s going to give out free turkey’s for Thanksgiving by dropping them in the street from a helicopter. “What could possibly go wrong with that?” Is what you would be thinking when you don’t know any better.