WKRP in Cincinnati - The Complete First Season
by Asaad Kaleda, Will Mackenzie, Rod Daniel
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DVD details
Actor: Gary Sandy, Gordon Jump, Howard Hesseman, Loni Anderson, Tim ReidDirector: Asaad Kaleda, Rod Daniel, Will Mackenzie
Brand: Fox
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 532 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-04-24
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Reviews of WKRP in Cincinnati - The Complete First Season
DVD Review: Maybe WKRP on dvd was never meant to be...
Summary: 2 Stars
I don't know if there's anything left to be said about this dvd release, but having recently rented and viewed all three discs (including the extras), I thought I'd reluctantly add my voice to the disgruntled chorus. Here's the breakdown:
The show: It's hard to be completely objective about a show that one grew to love during adolescence, but I'd have to say, all in all, it's still pretty great after all these years. In an admirable inverse of what usually happens with a sitcom, where characters become caricatures as mannerisms and formulas crystallize, the characters on WKRP actually acquired dimension and depth over time. Not all of the attempts at seriousness worked -- the episode where Andy reconnects with an old flame was unintentionally laughable -- but many of them did, with special kudos going to "Never Leave Me Lucille" and the episode where one of Johnny's fans leaves him her baby. In addition to a reliable reservoir of gags, these stories were genuinely (and surprisingly) moving. As for the show's most famous episode, I found "Turkeys Away" a little lackluster... there was a lengthy and relatively unfunny buildup to the punchline, but the last five minutes or so (with Les Nessman's riotous play-by-play) pretty well make up for it. "A Date with Jennifer" would probably get my vote for best episode on this set.
The dvd: The two commentaries featuring Loni Anderson, Frank Bonner and creator Hugh Wilson were enjoyable and reflected the easy-going camaraderie that seemed to exist between the cast members and crew during the show's run. The featurettes on Loni Anderson and "The Fish Story" were entertaining, but at a total of 10 minutes, a little flimsy. As others have noted, the image is, like many shows from the era shot on video, a little soft... occasionally VERY soft. The last episode on disc three almost looks like a dream sequence! (There's a problem with shifting color tones on that episode, as well.) Not sure what kind of restoration is possible with the format, but overall, it's certainly watchable, though far from spectacular. The audio is likewise adequate, although the levels from show to show could have been matched a little better.
The music: Here's where the set seriously falters, and not always for the most obvious reasons. The note on the back of this and many other television dvd sets is absurd and misleading: "SOME of the original music content has been changed for this dvd release." What they mean to say is: "Nearly every song originally used has been replaced with music that has no resemblance whatsoever to the music of the era. Furthermore, scenes have been cut, and actors' voices have occasionally been dubbed by ineffectual celebrity impersonators." THAT disclaimer, however, would take up a quarter of the back cover and probably dissuade many prospective buyers. Incidentally, I counted four songs that remained from the original episodes: one each from Aretha Franklin and Bob Marley, a full minute or so of "Boogie Oogie Oogie" by Taste of Honey (cool!), and Chuck Mangione. (To paraphrase Triumph the Insult Comic Dog: "Chuck Mangione... what a freakin' coup!") The most glaring substitutions have been mentioned elsewhere, but are so egregious that they're worth repeating:
1) Van Morrison "Caravan" -- Johnny Fever is holding a copy of "Moondance" and singing enthusiastically and pounding his chest to this track on the original show.
2) "Dogs" Pink Floyd -- This is probably the one that suffers the worst: not only is the song gone, but so is 2/3 of the scene!
3) "Old Fashioned Rock and Roll" Bob Seger -- On the original version, Johnny is doing one of his extended pre-song raps and after he concludes with "What do you take?", the famous line "Just take those old records off the shelf..." kicks in.
4) "Your Smiling Face" James Taylor -- Again, a copy of "JT" is clearly visible, but the song is replaced by a repugnant "sound-a-like"... sabotaging a very poignant moment.
5) "Hot Blooded" Foreigner -- A classic Les moment ruined by the substitution.
(If you haven't viewed the scenes with the original music, clips are widely available on the internet... check 'em out before The Man pulls the plug.)
There are other, slightly less injurious, substitutions. Johnny makes references to "Brother Ray" and "Jerry Lee" after playing Ray Charles and Jerry Lee Lewis in the original episodes. On the dvd, the references remain, but the music has been replaced -- not by an incredible simulation, mind you, or even a reasonable facsimile... and that's what adds insult to injury, here. There was no attempt, as others have noticed, to replace the original songs with comparable (but cheaper) songs of the era or even have a competent studio band do a respectable knock-off. The songs have instead been replaced with completely anachronous tracks, replete with drum machines and cheesy late 80s synths or wildly off-the-mark hair metal replications... just awful.
Even worse, in those instances where the original actors were unavailable to dub their voices over the new music tracks, celebrity impersonators have been used -- it was glaringly conspicuous on several occasions. And even worse than THAT were those instances where parts of the scene had been removed (to facilitate a music change, presumably). I didn't keep a scorecard of how many awkward edits there were, but it was not insubstantial. I did take note of the running times on most of the episodes: many hovered around the 24 or 25 minute mark; there were more than a few, however, that fell in the 22 to 23 minute range, suggesting that numerous edits had been done.
(The story that had been circulating about creator Hugh Wilson participating in the music substitutions seems to have been largely bogus. In an interview I found online, Wilson indicated that the studio assured him they would attempt to keep as much music as possible, but he expressed genuine shock when the reporter informed him that "Hot Blooded" had been replaced!)
A previous reviewer mentioned what a lose-lose situation this is for everyone: the makers of the show lose because their original vision is corrupted; the owners of the recordings lose because they don't receive royalties OR have their music promoted; the producers of the dvd lose because many will boycott the release; consumers lose because they have to content themselves with an inferior product or else not buy the set at all. And after watching the episodes, I've reluctantly chosen the latter option. There are plenty of good folks who won't mind the substitutions or the edits and I can understand that for many, having an altered version is better than none at all. The bottom line is this: if the music is irrelevant to your enjoyment, I'd recommend buying the set, with some reservations; edits and other quibbles aside, you'll likely enjoy it. If you feel the music was an intrinsic part of the show, I strongly recommend renting first -- especially if your local store is generous enough to include the entire set as one rental. For WKRP devotees, you'll probably want to rent the set to check out the extras, even if you already possess the truly "complete" bootleg version (which, um, incidentally, is now priced to compete with the "legitimate" release).
As a final note, let me add that while I am sympathetic to the notion that "this is JUST a tv show", I also believe that this program, like ANY program, was not created in a vacuum. Part of the charm and historical value of the show is the manner in which it incorporated facets of the zeitgeist which prevailed at the time: the clothes, the political references, and yes, the music. So whether it's the result of greed on the part of 20th Century Fox or the owners of the copyrights... or for any other reason, removing the music is not simply a matter of tampering with people's memories; it represents a significant alteration of an important and compelling document of late 70s/early 80s American culture and on that count, it stands as a minor tragedy.
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