In a world where people are afraid to laugh at anything anymore, it's nice to see this thread still has traction.
Actor problem / dispute?So, my final thesis in all this is that somewhere between the initial filming and airing, it was determined that it had to be cut by a minute because of this - and for some reason (instead of trimming the episode) it was re-written and re-filmed.
After a few years, I've been getting back into this, and re-reading this thread which brought back some great nostalgic memories of...late 2014.
Anyway, in digging into this a little more, I did want to share that I think I might have a plausible explanation for "The Contest" redo. I noticed that, if one combines the uncut Shout first act with the presumably uncut (though music changed) Fox second act+tag+final theme, that the total time is 24:06, which is consistent with the 8:30 ET time slot episodes. Although WKRP vacillated between the 8:00 ET and 9:30 ET timeslot in S1, there was one episode which aired on 1/29/79 ("The Contest") in the 8:30 ET timeslot (I believe those episodes airing at that time were shortened by a minute for CBS newsbreak at top of the 9:00 hour). So, my final thesis in all this is that somewhere between the initial filming and airing, it was determined that it had to be cut by a minute because of this - and for some reason (instead of trimming the episode) it was re-written and re-filmed. Why that would happen I don't know, but it sort of makes sense.
As far as I can tell, "The Contest" was never re-run on CBS, so I would guess that the Shout version never actually aired.
Anything else of interest there such as perhaps an episode that FOX somehow slipped up during the butchering process and managed to do a better job of presenting it on DVD than Shout Factory did?
Yeah i heard that horn from pattonAll the info you're providing is terrific, Brian, thanks so much!
With Jennifer's "Fly Me to the Moon" doorbell music now confirmed as intact, I'm most curious if the 'distant bugle' call from PATTON is present in Season 1's "Young Master Carlson", when Arthur Carlson tells his young son, as an incentive to attend, that there will be girls in public school.
As far as I know, the Les On A Ledge episode never had the word 'homo' in it. That topic was bantered back and forth and if you read Herb's lips it looks like he was saying 'homo' but it was edited over to say gay. If I remember correctly, it was finally decided that this was edited from the get go and never aired with the word 'homo'. While it would have been completely in character for Herb to have used that word, I think the creative team decided to be a bit more PC about it.
My list does indeed show that Remember was in the Venus & The Man episode and it was edited out. Jaime Weinman's blog doesn't mention it and he claims he's using an original off the air recording from 1981 (when the episode first aired). So, this might be an error on our lists. I tried to rewatch the episode on the blog and was unable to do so. The link doesn't work anymore. It did when I first worked on the Shout set since I used it as a reference guide.
The Jive Ass comment is the first I've heard of this. However, I seriously doubt that the network censors in 1978 would allow the word 'ass' to air in a prime time sitcom.
Those are my takes on the questions you asked. At this point, I'd say you have a complete version of the series.
P.S. I did send you and email. Did you get it?
As far as I know, the Les On A Ledge episode never had the word 'homo' in it. That topic was bantered back and forth and if you read Herb's lips it looks like he was saying 'homo' but it was edited over to say gay. If I remember correctly, it was finally decided that this was edited from the get go and never aired with the word 'homo'. While it would have been completely in character for Herb to have used that word, I think the creative team decided to be a bit more PC about it.
There's a new weekly podcast called "WKRP-Cast" which takes a detailed look at each episode in original airing order. The episode released today discusses The Contest and the 2 different versions. They invited the writer Casey Piotrowski to be a guest on the podcast and even give me shout-out for suggesting they contact him. Here's a link to the podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1274579/...OVk4HARLW6UPXXJcZRltaVpeLooM_1AaGl7-rSexmZD4MAfter a few years, I've been getting back into this, and re-reading this thread which brought back some great nostalgic memories of...late 2014.
Anyway, in digging into this a little more, I did want to share that I think I might have a plausible explanation for "The Contest" redo. I noticed that, if one combines the uncut Shout first act with the presumably uncut (though music changed) Fox second act+tag+final theme, that the total time is 24:06, which is consistent with the 8:30 ET time slot episodes. Although WKRP vacillated between the 8:00 ET and 9:30 ET timeslot in S1, there was one episode which aired on 1/29/79 ("The Contest") in the 8:30 ET timeslot (I believe those episodes airing at that time were shortened by a minute for CBS newsbreak at top of the 9:00 hour). So, my final thesis in all this is that somewhere between the initial filming and airing, it was determined that it had to be cut by a minute because of this - and for some reason (instead of trimming the episode) it was re-written and re-filmed. Why that would happen I don't know, but it sort of makes sense.
As far as I can tell, "The Contest" was never re-run on CBS, so I would guess that the Shout version never actually aired.
When you mention how poor MTM was with their archival of things, that may explain also why The Lou Grant Show's 5th season on DVD was just home-taped recordings.I know this thread is old but I just wanted to say that I recently got ahold of the 80s syndicated recordings that have been floating around for some time now, after examining them I decided to list edits on the Shout! Factory DVD that are highly likely baked in
-A Family Affair - when Johnny plays Hendrix
-Dr. Fever and Mr. Tide - when Johnny plays Sympathy for the Devil (couldn't locate where La Freak played)
-Patter of Little Feet - when Carlson and his wife dance in the office
-Real Families - when Bailey is being interviewed and Jackson Browne plays instead of Rolling Stones
-The Airplane Show - pretty much almost every song
-You Can't Go Out Of Town Again - when Satisfaction plays at the very end
All of these sounded exactly the same on the DVD as the 80s recordings that I have so it's possible that for these the original recordings were no longer available due to poor archiving on MTM's part
When you mention how poor MTM was with their archival of things, that may explain also why The Lou Grant Show's 5th season on DVD was just home-taped recordings.
~Ben
Yup...the irony being their highest rated episode WAS the final episode lol.been on a total 'KRP spree lately: watched all four seasons for only the second time in the seven years (!) since the shout set came out -- took two weeks, finished up january 1st. i'm also reading michael b. kassel's 1993 book and listening to the "WKRP-cast" podcast. (regrettably, i even sat through the first season of the 1991 revival!)
most notable thing about this go-around was that i got a little impatient with year three: had good memories of "real families" & "hotel oceanview" etc. but found those first five eps a particularly barren stretch in terms of laughs this time. i knew going in that "the airplane show" never did much for me; not sure any of the subsequent fairman/sanders les-centered scripts ever matched their classic "date with jennifer"... similarly, an aversion to fantasy/outside elements in sitcoms means "daydreams" and the A CHRISTMAS CAROL riff "bah, humbug" leave me fairly cold. the double-ep, "dr. fever & mr. tide" has always been my season three (maybe even series) low-point. it's a decent idea, just too out-of-character, unhip, and the multiple-personality stuff is way OTT.
i get a wonderful cozy feeling from season four. by this time, they know the characters inside out and they're making real attempts to shore-up the continuity... oh, if it'd only been renewed for another year!