Turkeys Away
- Episode aired Oct 30, 1978
- TV-PG
- 24m
Feeling left out by all the recent changes, Mr. Carlson decides to launch his own Thanksgiving promotion. With the aid of Herb and Les, the Big Guy turns a routine turkey give-away into a co... Read allFeeling left out by all the recent changes, Mr. Carlson decides to launch his own Thanksgiving promotion. With the aid of Herb and Les, the Big Guy turns a routine turkey give-away into a comic catastrophe.Feeling left out by all the recent changes, Mr. Carlson decides to launch his own Thanksgiving promotion. With the aid of Herb and Les, the Big Guy turns a routine turkey give-away into a comic catastrophe.
Featured reviews
Excellent in every way. If you can watch this episode without being inclined to watch the rest of the series, or at least watch this episode again, I would be very surprised.
Prepare to laugh!
This episode was different. WKRP was a comedy about a bunch of incompetents and a few competents working at a rock and roll radio station. And yet a Thanksgiving show done the way that this was done fit perfectly with the personalities of the characters involved. The main issue is that Arthur Carleson, titular manager of WKRP, is feeling more and more titular ever since Andy Travis (Gary Sandy) came to work there a few months ago to get the radio station into reasonable shape. Carleson is the son of the actual owner of the station, and as one character mentioned one time "WKRP employs people who would otherwise be out of work." So Carleson gets an idea for a Thanksgiving promotion that he won't share with anybody else, with chaotic and hilarious results.
And it spawned a great final line that anybody over 15 in 1978 will immediately recognize - "As God is my witness I thought turkeys could fly". Highly recommended.
Did you know
- TriviaAfter this show aired, many radio stations across the country started the same Thanksgiving promotion, but dropping certificates redeemable for turkeys at their local supermarket, as opposed to live ones. Richard Sanders was often paid by stations to appear in his Les Nessman character and broadcast the event live.
- GoofsWhile Johnny and Venus are discussing the blonde wig giveaway and the Guatemalan earthquake, through to the turkey drop, the record labels switch randomly, starting with a yellow label in the front and a red label in the back, which Johnny replaces with an LP with a blue-green label. In the next cut two seconds later, the rear one is now the yellow label, with a black rainbow MCA label in front. This immediately switches back to the original yellow label. Johnny then replaces that LP with one with a red label, which changes instantly to one with a white label to end the scene.
- Quotes
Les Nessman: I'm here with hundreds of people who have gathered to witness what has been described as perhaps the greatest turkey event in Thanksgiving Day history. All we know for sure is that in a very few moments there are going to be a lot of happy people out here. Now the crowd is...
[passers-by gawk at Les]
Les Nessman: The... the crowd is uh... curious but well behaved. And I think I hear something now. Uh... The crowd is moving out into the parking area. And... oh yes! I can see it now. It's a... it's a... helicopter and it's coming this way!
Andy Travis: A helicopter?
Les Nessman: It's flying something behind it and I can't quite make it out. It's a large banner and it says H a p p y... T h a n k s... giving... from W... K... R... P! What a sight, ladies and gentlemen. What a sight. The 'copter seems to circling the parking area now. I guess it's looking for a place to land. No! Something just came out of the back of a helicopter. It's a dark object, perhaps a skydiver plummeting to the earth from only two thousand feet in the air... There's a third... No parachutes yet... Those can't be skydivers. I can't tell just yet what they are but... Oh my God! They're turkeys! Oh no! Johnny can you get this? Oh, they're crashing to the earth right in front of our eyes! One just went through the windshield of a parked car! This is terrible! Everyone's running around pushing each other. Oh my goodness! Oh, the humanity! People are running about. The turkeys are hitting the ground like sacks of wet cement! Folks, I don't know how much longer... The crowd is running for their lives. I think I'm going to step inside. I can't stand here and watch this anymore. No, I can't go in there. Children are searching for their mothers and oh, not since the Hindenburg tragedy has there been anything like this. I don't know how much longer I can hold my position here, Johnny. The crowd...
Dr. Johnny Fever: Les? Les? Les, are you there? Les isn't there. Thanks for that on-the-spot report, Les. For those of you who've just tuned in, the Pinedale Shopping Mall has just been bombed with live turkeys. Film at eleven.
- Alternate versionsIn the 90's redistribution package, two songs (the ones just before and just after the turkey drop) are replaced.
- ConnectionsFeatured in WKRP in Cincinnati: Mama's Review (1979)
- SoundtracksWKRP In Cincinnati Main Theme
(uncredited)
Composed by Tom Wells
Lyrics by Hugh Wilson
Performed by Steve Carlisle
[Series main theme song played during the opening title card and credits]