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WKRP in Cincinnati Season 2 Episodes
Season 2 Episode Guide
24 Episodes 1979 - 1980
Episode 1
For Love or Money: Part 1
Mon, Sep 17, 197925 mins
After thinking about doing so for quite some time, Bailey finally has the nerve to ask Johnny out on a date. While Johnny knows that the outing will just be the two of them, he considers it something quite different than Bailey. Their date may end up taking a back seat in Johnny's life when he receives a telephone call from new ageist Buffy Denver, with who he had a two year relationship in Los Angeles after his first divorce and who, in town, wants to meet with him. As Johnny considers Buffy one of the great passions in his life, he does whatever he can to make his reunion with her special. Beyond romance, Buffy may have other things on her mind. These two dates lead to some misunderstandings among the other staff at the station, some thinking "the date" referring to Johnny and Bailey, while others thinking it referring to Johnny and Buffy.
Episode 2
For Love or Money: Part 2
Mon, Sep 24, 197925 mins
It's in the evening at the radio station. Venus is in the control booth finishing up his show. Mr. Carlson and Andy are working late on the financials. And Bailey is wandering around feeling sorry for herself having been stood up by Johnny, the two who were supposed to go on a date - what would have been their first - to see a Humphrey Bogart movie. The quiet at the station changes when Venus receives a frantic telephone call from Johnny, who, at Jennifer's apartment, is trying to figure out what to do about Buffy's vow to sue him for half of everything he has. The four at the station, including Bailey, rush over to Jennifer's apartment to help their friend. While they all do try to figure out how Johnny should deal with the matter, the question then becomes if Johnny will remember that he, in turn, was a heel for standing up Bailey. The situation takes another turn when Buffy returns both with a confession and counter to what she stated she was going to do to Johnny earlier in the evening that may have an even more negative effect on him.
Episode 3
Baseball
Mon, Oct 15, 197925 mins
As he covers all the news including sports, Les unilaterally accepts a $200 wager from Clark Callahan, station manager at WPIG, on a co-ed slo-pitch game between the two radio stations. Les, who never played any sports, including softball, when he was growing up, he stuck inside taking violin lessons instead, sees the game and the challenge as a rite of passage he never went through but should have as a child. No one else at the station wants to play, largely because they don't want to lose as, unaware to Les, WPIG plays in a city league and plays well. But a series of statements leads to the staff changing their minds and agreeing to defend WKRP's honor on the mound. As sports director, Les still wants to lead the team, including pitch, but quickly learns he is way out of his depth. And despite having played in college, Mr. Carlson shows that his softball prowess doesn't live up to the hype that surrounded him. Although they do devise ways to keep the game close, both Mr. Carlson and Les will literally and figuratively have to step up to plate if WKRP has any hope of winning. That task is all the more difficult as all Les can hear in his head is himself playing the violin, which, to him, is the antithesis of what he is now trying to achieve.
Episode 4
Bad Risk
Mon, Oct 22, 197925 mins
To help make ends meet, Herb is selling insurance on the side, he seeing his first potential customers being the staff at the station. While some are able to avoid Herb upon hearing what he's doing, others, like Les and Mr. Carlson, are relatively easy prey for Herb's heavy handed sales tactics, Les in particular who Herb is able to oversell. Part of Les' issue is that he is in a funk, largely in having to gather and report on the largely depressing news, which is getting into his psyche. Once Andy finds out about Herb's moonlighting job, he wants to put an end to it at the station as he is being paid to do other work while he's at the office, and as he believes, if Herb is involved with them, they must be a fly by night operation. Herb may ultimately regret this new sales job and Les may get out of his funk all related to their encounter with a middle aged British couple who just wanted to have a quiet cuppa tea in peace.
Episode 5
Jennifer Falls in Love
Mon, Oct 29, 197925 mins
Jennifer is in a funk because for the first time in her life she believes she may be in love. The problem is is that the object of her affections is not a wealthy, older man who showers her endlessly with gifts like she usually dates, but rather a young, good looking and poor man, he, Steel Hawthorne, her building's new night maintenance man. When together, Jennifer and Steel revel in their collective good looks. An issue that ultimately arises between them makes Jennifer look critically at herself and her dating life. On the description he hears most specifically of "the cutest little 'lower backside,'" Johnny is certain that he is the object of Jennifer's affections. When he learns that he isn't, Johnny goes on a quest to find out the identity of Jennifer's mystery man, leading to a further misunderstanding. And when Les learns that he is the lowest paid broadcast journalist in town, he goes on mission for a raise, using his friends at the station who may have more sway with Mr. Carlson to help his cause. Getting the raise may not be the easiest task, both because of Mama Carlson and thus Mr. Carlson's tight hold on the purse strings in general and because of Les being Les.
Episode 6
Carlson for President
Mon, Nov 5, 197925 mins
Including the incumbent Charles Tillman, Mr. Carlson is one of four people running for the one open city council seat, many at the station believing it solely a measure to gain Mother Carlson's approval. Including Herb as his campaign manager, everyone at the station is helping Mr. Carlson with the campaign, some who have the ulterior motive of Mr. Carlson having less time to spend at the station if he wins. But Mr. Carlson winning is an uphill task as he isn't even registering in the public opinion polls, and he will continue not registering if he uses his preferred tactic of the equivalent of pleading the fifth when asked his opinion about any issue. On Herb's directive in a Hail Mary pass of Mr. Carlson having any chance of winning the election, Bailey looks for some dirt specifically on Tillman. Beyond what is the public record of Tillman's poor attendance at council meetings especially during key votes, Bailey is able to find that dirt which would sink Tillman's campaign. With his friends at the station providing him advice on the matter, Mr. Carlson has to decide whether or not to use the below the belt tactic of publicly disclosing this personal piece of information about Tillman. What Mr. Carlson ends up doing leads to his team working harder on the campaign, but not quite in the way they did before.
Episode 7
Mike Fright
Mon, Nov 12, 197925 mins
In reference to the garbage strike happening in the city, Johnny, on the air, makes a flippant comment that if the city won't pick up people's garbage, the people should bring their garbage to the city by dumping it on the steps of city hall. Much to Johnny's surprise, hundreds of his listeners take the words to heart and dump their garbage at city hall. Their actions have repercussions on the station, Mr. Carlson and Andy who have to deal with the liability of the station by Johnny's words, the situation which is only inflamed by further on-air words by Les. While Mr. Carlson wants to fire Johnny, Andy is able to come up with a workable solution where Johnny needs to apologize on the air. However, getting Johnny to do so is easier said than done, as his realization of the responsibility that he has in this role results in a larger issue for Johnny in his livelihood as an on-air personality: he develops mic fright and freezes in the control booth. While Venus and Andy in particular try to help Johnny, it may be the reminder of words Johnny himself said to shy Bailey that may be the medicine that Johnny needs.
Episode 8
The Patter of Little Feet
Mon, Nov 26, 197925 mins
Mr. and Mrs. Carlson each have some news which will affect their imminent Bermuda fishing trip, Mrs. Carlson's news which has just a little more gravitas and not only with respect to the trip: she's pregnant. Learning about the unexpected pregnancy at this rather late stage of their life, Mother Carlson has a very definite thought about what they should do about it. Even after getting over the shock, Mr. and Mrs. Carlson, who have to factor in Mother Carlson's wishes on the matter, may not get to a point of being truthful with each other about what each wants to do in they always looking after the wants and needs of the other before him or herself. Meanwhile, the day staff - Andy, Johnny, Jennifer, Herb, Les and Bailey - upon learning the news, discuss the situation amongst themselves, the discussion largely focusing on the topic of marital sex in middle age, especially in the Carlsons' case where they have long been married and with Mr. Carlson being their boss. Venus, who knows nothing about the pregnancy, is totally confused in a conversation with and receiving a subsequent request by Mr. Carlson all surrounding the fact of another Carlson possibly entering his life.
Episode 9
Baby, If You've Ever Wondered
Mon, Dec 3, 197925 mins
Like they are every six months, everyone at the station is on pins and needles about the arrival of "the book": the Arbitron ratings, which not only rank the stations overall, but provide detailed breakdowns by show and time slots. Everyone knows their jobs are on the line if the news is bad. But for the first time in seven years, WKRP's ratings have gone up, moving them from sixteenth to fourteenth in the eighteen station market. Each person at the station wants to savor his or her contribution to the ratings increase, especially the on-air personalities who can see in black and white how they are doing against the competition. Mr. Carlson wants to celebrate their collective success. But without telling anyone, Andy is hiding that he is less than happy as the Midas touch he has been able to demonstrate at all the other stations where he's worked has not materialized at WKRP. Upon reflection, would Andy have done anything differently or abandon the slow moving ship that is WKRP?
Episode 10
Bailey's Big Break
Mon, Dec 10, 197925 mins
Because Les is a one man show in the news department covering all facets of it on his own, Andy, against Les' wishes, is in the process of hiring another person to work in the news department, that person who is to be mentored by Les and who will also do some on-air work. Les becomes even more incensed when Andy hires Bailey for the job - gasp - a woman, who Les feels doesn't have a mellifluous enough sounding speaking voice required for on-air work that can only be had by a man. Hard feelings between Les and Bailey escalate as Bailey questions Les' long held beliefs about how the news should be presented, and as Les provides Bailey solely with meaningless jobs and won't let her on the air on any of his ten newscasts per day. Regardless of what Andy and Mr. Carlson decide in the matter, is there a way for Les and Bailey to have an amicable working relationship as the news department? Meanwhile, the staff has just been paid, but Johnny, after an incident with Herb, goes on the search for anyone to lend him money to survive at least until the next payday.
Episode 11
Jennifer's Home for Christmas
Mon, Dec 17, 197925 mins
Christmas is coming up and everyone at the station is anxious to leave and start their holiday plans...everyone, except for Jennifer. Jennifer seems as if she has no holiday plans and is dismayed that the rest of the staff don't want to celebrate Christmas as a family. The gang joins together to give Jennifer a warm Christmas.
Episode 12
Sparky
Mon, Dec 24, 197924 mins
Andy tells Les that Arthur hired someone else to do the sports reporting on the radio - the former manager of the Red's baseball team, Sparky Anderson, who is a hero to Arthur. When Sparky is a disaster on the radio, Arthur has to fire him.
Episode 13
God Talks to Johnny
Mon, Dec 31, 197925 mins
In the middle of the night, Johnny, still in a state of grogginess, is awakened by a noise. On a search for the source of the noise and unable to find anything tangible, he finally comes to the conclusion that God is talking to him. While some of what Johnny hears is clear such as the voice loving him and wanting him to seek knowledge, some of the other messages uttered by the voice are not quite as clear. Johnny goes on a quest for confirmation and affirmation of what he heard - largely in speaking to his station colleagues - without coming right out and stating the issue for fear of sounding crazy. If Johnny in unable to find that confirmation or affirmation, he may take more drastic steps to reconcile his belief with his physical life.
Episode 14
A Family Affair
Mon, Jan 7, 198024 mins
Andy's younger sister, Carol Travis, is in Cincinnati for a visit. As Carol has been stuck for four days hanging out solely with her big brother, Andy, putting some money into the deal, convinces Johnny to take her out. Carol's arrival at the station during a particularly confusing time in the morning (due to Mr. Carlson taking over Jennifer's receptionist duties as he has given her the day off to go shopping) leads to Venus, impromptu, taking Carol out for the day. That day between Venus and Carol leads into night, with that confusion, from miscommunication, forcing Andy at the last minute to take over Venus' on-air shift. When Andy and Venus eventually meet after that fiasco, there is a blow-up between the two. While Andy says that he is angry for having to do Venus' work, Venus believes Andy's anger is racially motivated. Is there any truth to Venus' accusation? Meanwhile, Bailey is trying to get someone at the station, anyone, to take the lead in her promotional campaign, which entails wearing the carp suit while hang gliding.
Episode 15
Herb's Dad
Mon, Jan 14, 198025 mins
Herb is having a mixed day. On the up side, he has come up with a scheme to parlay his paycheck into one thousand tax-free dollars. On the down side, Andy is on the warpath as he wants the ads for Shady Hills Rest Home off the air, they, one of Herb's more lucrative sales, who Andy considers disreputable and the ads in poor taste. The goings-on at the station are completely disrupted with the surprise visit by Herb's three-year widowed father, the first Herb Tarlek. The staffers quickly discover that Herb II inherited more of his father than just his name. Herb II's want to prove himself as a good salesman is largely to impress Herb Sr., who has worked his entire life in sales. While father and son negotiate a fundamental issue of Herb Sr.'s life - the reason for Herb Sr.'s surprise visit - which indirectly affect the negotiations today between Herb II and Andy, the other staffers weigh-in on the issue, they basing their feelings on the emotion if Herb Sr. was their father, and their greater affinity for father more than for son.
Episode 16
Put Up or Shut Up
Mon, Jan 21, 198025 mins
Herb's wife is out of town for 10 days. And he decides this is the time to go wild and get Jennifer to finally go out with him. When Jennifer finds out she has to deal with Herb for 10 days, she tells Bailey she can't make it. Bailey's advice to Jennifer is just to take Herb up on it and he'll chicken out. The next time Herb asks her, she accepts and her troubles begin, because Herb doesn't seem to be backing down. As the time approaches Herb does seem to be backing down, he is thinking about his family and missing them. It's around this time that Les tells Herb what he had overheard the ladies saying about how they expected to put an end to Herb's chasing of Jennifer. With this news, Herb decides he's got to go for it.
Episode 17
The Americanization of Ivan
Mon, Jan 28, 198025 mins
Despite Andy's directive to the contrary, Les continues to broadcast editorials of his own unique views under the guise of they being the station's views. He also wants to use his news credentials to further those views. As such, anti-Communist hog aficionado Les, with Bailey tagging along as his paid babysitter to ensure he doesn't get into trouble, plans to, in his own words, torpedo a news conference being held by a traveling group of Russian hog experts. At the sparsely attended press conference, Bailey, through a note slipped to her, learns that one of the Russians, Ivan Popasonaviski, wants to defect to the US. Bailey is able to sneak Ivan to the station where Ivan hopes to seek political asylum. Most of the staff, with the clear exception of Les, wants to help Ivan. But none of them have a clear idea of what they need to do in this cloak and dagger role, and discover that defecting in Cincinnati, just in its national position as a relative backwater city, is not the easiest place in the country to defect.
Episode 18
Les' Groupie
Mon, Feb 4, 198025 mins
During the morning broadcast, a telephone call is put through to the control booth from an adoring female fan. The call isn't for Johnny, but rather for Les. Darlene, the caller, is enthralled with everything she knows about Les only through listening to his news reports. They make arrangements to meet. His fellow staff in the bullpen, while happy that Les is getting some female attention from an adoring fan, also warn him that groupies can be an unpredictable bunch, the salaciousness of the stories they tell which only piques Les' interest even more about Darlene. Les may end up being way over his head in his encounter with Darlene, and not just because of the potential of sex.
Episode 19
In Concert
Mon, Feb 11, 198025 mins
For publicity, the station has been having contest giveaways for free tickets to The Who's upcoming Cincinnati concert at Riverfront Coliseum. There is general encouragement to arrive at the venue early to get good seats as the concert, with the exception of a few reserved seats, is general admission aka festival seating. Most of those at the station are going to the concert, including Johnny, who is having problems trying to find not even a date but someone, anyone, with who to go, and a reluctant Mr. Carlson - his first ever rock concert - convinced by Carmen to take little Arthur. In his reluctance to go, Mr. Carlson is making himself sick in the process. The morning after the concert, those at the station are having a crisis of conscience upon learning that eleven kids were killed at the venue prior to the concert, the issue having been a stampede to enter the venue to get good seats. At the time, most at the concert, including the WKRP staff and the band, were unaware of the tragedy. Those arguably most affected at WKRP are: Andy, who fears Mr. Carlson will use the tragedy as an excuse to change the station's format back to beautiful music; sensitive Bailey, who, as part of WKRP's news team, has to report on the tragedy from the unique perspective of having been at the concert; and Mr. Carlson, who, before learning of the tragedy, admits that he had a really good time at the concert.
Episode 20
The Doctor's Daughter
Mon, Feb 18, 198025 mins
After being separated for 7 years, Johnny's daughter, Laurie, comes to visit her father, bringing with her a new boyfriend. Johnny immediately steps into the role of the disapproving father and learns that there's a lot he doesn't know about his daughter.
Episode 21
Filthy Pictures: Part 1
Mon, Mar 3, 198025 mins
As part of his volunteer work for the Kiwanis Club, Mr. Carlson asks all of his employees to do him the favor of participating in the club's latest fundraiser, under the theme "Surf City, USA," as models in a fashion show. By process of elimination, he asks Jennifer and Andy to do him the extra favor of posing for the fundraiser's poster, which would entail them wearing skimpy bathing suits in front of a makeshift beach backdrop. Although Jennifer has modeled before and will only do the bathing suit poster for Mr. Carlson, Andy hates everything about the thought of being "beefcake," especially in only wearing a bathing suit. Herb is able to recommend a cut rate photographer, D. Arnold Gonzer, to do the job. The photo shoot is as uncomfortable as Andy envisions. But what's worse is when Mr. Carlson finds that Gonzer has been able to take nude photos of Jennifer, through a two-way mirror while she was getting changed in the seeming privacy of her change room. He gets legal advice that despite Gonzer's possession of a release form signed by Jennifer, they can take Gonzer to court but that the photos will probably get published anyway. Mr. Carlson has to figure out what to do about the photos - he turning to the men at the station for advice - while arguably figuring out how to deal with the harder task of facing Jennifer, who he feels he got into this mess.
Episode 22
Filthy Pictures: Part 2
Mon, Mar 3, 198025 mins
After Mr. Carlson, Andy, Johnny and Venus' unsuccessful attempt to steal the clandestinely taken nude photographs of Jennifer from Gonzer's office, Mr. Carlson has no other choice but to confess to Jennifer the existence of the photographs. Now with Jennifer, Bailey and Les in the know and thus three extra heads to figure out what to do, the next plan is to appeal to the sexual animal in Gonzer. When that doesn't work, they move onto Plan C, devised again by movie buff Johnny, who believes they have to work on Gonzer's greed. But Johnny's plan comes with what may be just as difficult a task: making shy Bailey come out of her shell.
Episode 23
Venus Rising
Mon, Mar 10, 198025 mins
Venus is in negotiations with WREQ - WRECK Radio - a profitable Cincinnati rival AM top-40 station, to become their program director, the negotiations the worst kept secret at WKRP despite Venus not wanting anyone to know until he's actually met with the WREQ folks and has an offer in hand. Upon finding out about the negotiations, Andy, under Mr. Carlson's directive, wants at least to make a counteroffer to WREQ's in order to keep Venus at WKRP. Beyond the issue of money, Venus, who does like his job and WKRP in general, has another motive for wanting the WREQ job about which Andy can do nothing. Venus, however, discovers, upon those negotiations, that WREQ has its own motives which "colors" the way Venus views the job offer. Meanwhile, Herb is not feeling under-appreciated, but rather not appreciated at all upon the reaction especially from Mr. Carlson and Andy after he snags a new client he's been courting a while, and with who he arranges a rather unique sponsorship deal. Seeing what is happening with Venus, Herb takes a chance in putting his job on the line, that chance from which there is no turning back regardless of the outcome. And Les is trying a new announcing style, one even more unique than his already very unique sensibility.
Episode 24
Most Improved Station
Mon, Mar 31, 198025 mins
At an award ceremony for radio stations, Johnny is selected the most popular personality, but the station loses in the most improved station category. At work, everyone starts bickering over everything and they have to work out their issues.