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Rating: 
Summary: Good Overall, a Bit Light on New Info
Review: I'm a huge fan of WKRP, and I was excited to get this book and learn some behind the scenes stuff. This book has that, of course, but I was hoping for more. More on the specific episodes, maybe, but the writers didn't seem to be interviewed much for the book. He gets the stars, of course, and the producers to a degree, but it's not as chock-full of stuff as I'd like it to have been.If you're a huge fan, it's fun enough for the money. If you're a casual fan, I wouldn't bother. And if you're not a fan at all, why are you reading this review at all? (And what's wrong with you?) :)
Rating:
Summary: Good Overall, a Bit Light on New Info
Review: I'm a huge fan of WKRP, and I was excited to get this book and learn some behind the scenes stuff. This book has that, of course, but I was hoping for more. More on the specific episodes, maybe, but the writers didn't seem to be interviewed much for the book. He gets the stars, of course, and the producers to a degree, but it's not as chock-full of stuff as I'd like it to have been. If you're a huge fan, it's fun enough for the money. If you're a casual fan, I wouldn't bother. And if you're not a fan at all, why are you reading this review at all? (And what's wrong with you?) :)
Rating: 
Summary: A Fascinating Look...although.....
Review: It's great to finally see a behind-the-scenes look at one of the best television shows ever made. The book is filled with stories about individual episodes, stories from the actors, as well as a complete episode guide. It's a great way to remember this classic series. That being said, the major problem with this book is its numerous grammatical errors, and primarily problems with apostrophes and possession. For example, referring to a guest appearance by Bert Parks, the book refers to "Park's performance" rather than "Parks' performance." Another page refers to the success of the television program "Happy Day's." There are problems with some of the arguments put forth in the book as well. At one point, the author supposes that part of the reason "WKRP" received higher ratings in summer repeats after its cancellation was that "viewers, realizing that the episodes would be edited for time in syndication, may have wanted to get one last look at the full-length shows." Trouble is, most viewers don't really konw that "syndication" is, much less do they know that episodes are edited for rebroadcast. Overall, for a dedicated fan, or even for just the casual fan, it's a great book that will provide behind-the-scenes information. Readers with any English education beyond high-school, however, will find themselves struggling to get past the apparent lack of proofreading.
Rating: 
Summary: For anyone who knows who Gordon Sims really is....
Review: Like a lot of people, I first truly discovered one of the best sitcoms in television history a year or two after it was cancelled. Every night, at 6:30 pm, I'd turn the TV over to channel 21 and catch reruns of WKRP in Cincinatti and I'd find myself enthralled by everything from the sleaziness of Herb Tarlek, the well-meaning insanity of Les Nessman, the drug-addled flashbacks of Johnny Fever, and the likeable foolishness of Art Carlson. (And even though Loni Anderson's Jennifer may have been the officially recognized sex symbol, my crush was reserved for the much more quiet Bailey Quarters who proved that intelligence is the ultimate aphrodisiac.) As a child, I often wished that I could be a character on that show and even today, I often find myself thinking how much more fun I'd have at work if I'd moved up to Ohio and gotten a job at that low-rated radio station. Much like the later Newsradio, WKRP In Cincinnati was distinguished by a mixture of character-driven plots and surreal humor. And much like Newsradio, WKRP was treated like a redheaded stepchild by its parent network and ended up getting canned without a proper chance to build up an audience. Even today, WKRP is overshadowed by other, increasingly dated '70s sitcoms (basically anything produced by Norman Lear). With all that in mind, I was delighted when, recently, I came across a copy of Mike Kassel's entertaining behind-the-scenes history of WKRP in Cincanniti. Along with the prerequisite episode guide (which was very nicely detailed without getting overly obtuse as seems to happen with so many fan guides), Kassel provides some wonderful anecdotes and gives some nice insights into the cast. It was strangely heartwarming to discover that, behind-the-scenes, the show was apparently as enjoyable to work on as to watch. As well, most of the trivia found inside the book was new to me and made for some interesting speculation. (For instance, Gary Sandy was originally a candidate for Herb Tarlek -- a character as far away from Sandy's Andy Travis as possible. At the same time, one can see Sandy playing the Herb role as it was originally detailed in the pilot's script. One can see Sandy playing the role to good effect without discounting the absolute brilliance of Frank Bonner's Herb.) Anyway, if you hated WKRP, this book won't change your mind. Kassel's a fan and he's not attempting to be objective in his analysis of the show. And more power to him! After all, the point of a fan guide like this is to celebrate the nostalgia that people feel for their favorite TV shows, even years after they've been cancelled. And this book certainly succeeds at that. It is true that if you want to be nitpicky, you can find quite a few typos in the book. If that bugs you to a state of distraction, I can only suggest that you follow the (paraphrased) advice of Mystery Science Theater 3000, keep telling yourself its just a TV show, and you really should relax.
Rating:
Summary: For anyone who knows who Gordon Sims really is....
Review: Like a lot of people, I first truly discovered one of the best sitcoms in television history a year or two after it was cancelled. Every night, at 6:30 pm, I'd turn the TV over to channel 21 and catch reruns of WKRP in Cincinatti and I'd find myself enthralled by everything from the sleaziness of Herb Tarlek, the well-meaning insanity of Les Nessman, the drug-addled flashbacks of Johnny Fever, and the likeable foolishness of Art Carlson. (And even though Loni Anderson's Jennifer may have been the officially recognized sex symbol, my crush was reserved for the much more quiet Bailey Quarters who proved that intelligence is the ultimate aphrodisiac.) As a child, I often wished that I could be a character on that show and even today, I often find myself thinking how much more fun I'd have at work if I'd moved up to Ohio and gotten a job at that low-rated radio station. Much like the later Newsradio, WKRP In Cincinnati was distinguished by a mixture of character-driven plots and surreal humor. And much like Newsradio, WKRP was treated like a redheaded stepchild by its parent network and ended up getting canned without a proper chance to build up an audience. Even today, WKRP is overshadowed by other, increasingly dated '70s sitcoms (basically anything produced by Norman Lear). With all that in mind, I was delighted when, recently, I came across a copy of Mike Kassel's entertaining behind-the-scenes history of WKRP in Cincanniti. Along with the prerequisite episode guide (which was very nicely detailed without getting overly obtuse as seems to happen with so many fan guides), Kassel provides some wonderful anecdotes and gives some nice insights into the cast. It was strangely heartwarming to discover that, behind-the-scenes, the show was apparently as enjoyable to work on as to watch. As well, most of the trivia found inside the book was new to me and made for some interesting speculation. (For instance, Gary Sandy was originally a candidate for Herb Tarlek -- a character as far away from Sandy's Andy Travis as possible. At the same time, one can see Sandy playing the Herb role as it was originally detailed in the pilot's script. One can see Sandy playing the role to good effect without discounting the absolute brilliance of Frank Bonner's Herb.) Anyway, if you hated WKRP, this book won't change your mind. Kassel's a fan and he's not attempting to be objective in his analysis of the show. And more power to him! After all, the point of a fan guide like this is to celebrate the nostalgia that people feel for their favorite TV shows, even years after they've been cancelled. And this book certainly succeeds at that. It is true that if you want to be nitpicky, you can find quite a few typos in the book. If that bugs you to a state of distraction, I can only suggest that you follow the (paraphrased) advice of Mystery Science Theater 3000, keep telling yourself its just a TV show, and you really should relax.
Rating:
Summary: 50,000 clear channel watt book of a great tv show
Review: This book was hard to find but worth the search. It shows all the battles it took to get the show on the air. Why they video taped it instead of filming the show, so they could use the actual songs and not sound a likes. If you like books about how your favorite shows were created you will love this one. Thank goodness it was so good because it is the only one written about it I have ever seen.
Rating:
Summary: WKRP: The Best Radio Station on TV
Review: We all enjoyed this great TV show in 1980s and many of still do in reruns on TV. Author Mike Kassel has done an excellent job of interviewing the cast and crew and put it all in the form of a book so that millions of fans of the show can read and enjoy. The book gives history of the show's casting, and what went on during each year of taping of the show. Many fans know that this show had an uphill task of convincing CBS executives to give it a stable and steady time slot in weekly program grid, but CBS chose to do what they wanted to do. In spite of that, the show emerged as winner and entertained millions of fans. We are glad to know that Howard Hesseman got the role of WKRPs DJ and Jan Smithers won the hearts of producers of the show to play the role of Bailey Quarters (producers were considering other actors to play these roles). Tim Reid and Richard Sanders wrote several episodes of the series and Frank Bonner directed many shows of WKRP. The author left out Jan Smithers in the list of "WKRP Creative Alumni" on Page iii, which is sad. The book gives episode (story) descriptions of all 90 shows. I encourage the reader to have this book added to his/her personal library.
Rating:
Summary: WKRP: The Best Radio Station on TV
Review: We all enjoyed this great TV show in 1980s and many of still do in reruns on TV. Author Mike Kassel has done an excellent job of interviewing the cast and crew and put it all in the form of a book so that millions of fans of the show can read and enjoy. The book gives history of the show's casting, and what went on during each year of taping of the show. Many fans know that this show had an uphill task of convincing CBS executives to give it a stable and steady time slot in weekly program grid, but CBS chose to do what they wanted to do. In spite of that, the show emerged as winner and entertained millions of fans. We are glad to know that Howard Hesseman got the role of WKRPs DJ and Jan Smithers won the hearts of producers of the show to play the role of Bailey Quarters (producers were considering other actors to play these roles). Tim Reid and Richard Sanders wrote several episodes of the series and Frank Bonner directed many shows of WKRP. The author left out Jan Smithers in the list of "WKRP Creative Alumni" on Page iii, which is sad. The book gives episode (story) descriptions of all 90 shows. I encourage the reader to have this book added to his/her personal library.
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