The staff find themselves consumed with guilt for promoting a Who concert at Riverfront Coliseum when its general admission policy causes a terrible tragedy.The staff find themselves consumed with guilt for promoting a Who concert at Riverfront Coliseum when its general admission policy causes a terrible tragedy.The staff find themselves consumed with guilt for promoting a Who concert at Riverfront Coliseum when its general admission policy causes a terrible tragedy.
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- TriviaDeals with a real-life tragedy in which several concertgoers were either injured or killed during a stampede while attending a concert in Cincinnati by The Who. As the camera is focused on one of the station windows at the end, the story of the real-life concert is given in brief, as well as what came of it.
- GoofsThe seemingly ever-lonely Les Nessman's wedding ring is obvious in the scene where he hugs Bailey.
- Quotes
[last lines]
[Mr. Carlson and Venus are in the control booth the night after the tragedy]
Venus Flytrap: One question. You gonna change us back to elevator music?
Arthur Carlson: We're a rock and roll station, Venus. We're going to stay that way.
Venus Flytrap: Good. I'm glad to hear that.
Arthur Carlson: Yeah, so was Andy.
Arthur Carlson: [as he turns to leave to head to meet the staff to go to the candlelight vigil] Well, I guess I better get over there, everyone's probably waiting on me.
Venus Flytrap: [handing Mr. Carlson a candle] Do me a favor? Take this over for me, will you?
Arthur Carlson: Yeah, you got it.
Arthur Carlson: [looking at the map of Cincinnati on the control booth wall] You know, Venus, there's been a lot of talk about setting up a commission to look into what happened. It's not going to be just talk, this town's gonna do it. Ah, it's a good town, Venus. We're responsible people.
Venus Flytrap: Yeah.
Arthur Carlson: [softly] Good night.
Venus Flytrap: [after Mr. Carlson exits the control booth and Venus returns to listening to his on-air music] Good night.
[cut to epilogue denoting tragedy over camera shot of window overlooking outside downtown area]
- Alternate versionsIn some versions, "The Wait" by the Pretenders has either been shortened or eliminated right before Johnny announces it. The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil", which also plays in the teaser, has been replaced in all versions since the 80's syndication package with generic music. Bailey's dialogue remains intact (though you can still hear some of Mick Jagger's voice on top of hers). The Bill Evans piece which Venus plays at the end is still there.
- ConnectionsReferences The Lone Ranger (1949)
- SoundtracksThe Wait
(uncredited)
Written by Chrissie Hynde and Pete Farndon
Performed by The Pretenders
[Johnny plays the song in the episode's opening scene]
First of all, though, Johnny wasn't promoting a concert by The Pretenders, he had just finished playing a song by them prior to taking calls for the Who concert ticket giveaway.
Second of all, I think (as the type of comedy show WKRP was and at the time it was on the air) that they did what they could to help draw attention to the long-standing problem with festival seating that this incident threw into sharp relief.
Third, I think "lost their lives" is perfectly appropriate, considering the time period. And in the closing text summation to the incident and Cincinnati's response, the producers use the words "On December 3, 1979, eleven people died outside Riverfront Colosseum". The point is made perfectly clearly what happened.
Yes the episode was kind of cheesy and awkward, but it was a cheesy and awkward era, and they were handling a tragic issue. It was not a great WKRP episode, but it was an important one, I think.
- busta_cap
- Nov 28, 2008