What’s really funny is that turkeys can actually fly. When I saw things flying near my house that look like turkeys I had to verify. Because I remembered this episode.
3:02 "Thanks for that on-the-spot, Les. And, uh, for those of you who just tuned in, the Pinedale Shopping Mall has just been bombed with live turkeys. Film at 11." The funniest line from the funniest scene of the funniest half-hour sitcom episode in television history.
It was based on a true story. I worked in radio when "WKRP" was on the air and after that episode aired, there were articles in trade publications (pre-internet days, kids) about the real turkey drop.
I got to meet & sit at the same table as Tim Reid at a dinner event in Richmond, & couldn't do anything but babble like a complete idiot about how much I loved this show & Venus. Poor man was so patient, but I know he had to be praying I'd choke on food or something.
That line has been a running joke in my family, anytime one of us says it we all break down in tears of laughter. Been a few years since one of us said it so just went up to my old man who is hitting 90 and very forgetful , got 3 words out and he completed it and roared with laughter. Great memories
"As God as my witness .... I thought Turkeys could fly" One of the all time great TV lines, this never fails to make me laugh and Always funny and imagine that > not a single curse word needed.
I also like the line after Les goes out on a date with Jennifer: "You were wrong Herb, Jennifer doesn't have a round bed, it's rectangular like everyone else's." I guess that was a fad, as I'd only seen one in the movie _Love at First Bite._
Well, wild turkeys can fly a bit, but if these were farm raised turkeys, then they're probably so fat that they wouldn't even be able to slow themselves enough to avoid plummeting to their deaths. Most birds have some ability to fly, with exceptions for ones like kiwis, ostriches and emus. Even chickens can fly a bit, although poorly and not for very far. Still, a chicken would probably be able to handle falling out of a helicopter and gliding down.
The true brilliance of this scene is that we are never actually shown the unfolding disaster, we are TOLD it and we end up visualising the whole scene in our imaginations. This is exactly how comedy (and drama) on radio worked in the medium's golden age. We are experiencing radio comedy through a TV show.
@@tootalltam143 I didn't make the Hindenburg disaster connection back when I first saw this episode until Les says "oh the humanity" and then I laughed so hard and long that it hurt.
I remember being a kid watching this new WKRP episode with my Pops during my Thanksgiving break from school and him laughing in his chair about pissing himself....one of the best episodes ever and one of the greatest times i remember having with my Dad....i love you Pops and still miss you like crazy every day.....
After that it gets a little strange... Richard Sanders created that character out of nothing and Les Nessman is the one is the one I still crack up at. Plus Herb, can't forget Mr. Tarlek.
"Thanks for that on-the-spot report Les. For those of you who just tuned in, the Pinedale Shopping Mall has just been BOMBED with live turkeys." Johnny Fever, always cool in a crisis.
We've been going through the complete series on DVD for about the third time after watching it on broadcast originally. No disrespect to the rest of the cast, all terrific -- a true ensemble -- but I didn't realize during the early run just how much Johnny was the best part of the show.
"As god as my witness.........I thought turkeys could fly...." That is an all time great comedy line...and it was delivered perfectly. RIP Gordon Jump.
The best part of this, the absolute cherry on top, is Gordon Jump delivering that final line. After everything else, laughing until you hurt, he comes out of the office and delivers the perfect punchline. This was such an amazing ensemble cast, everyone took turns as the straight man for the joke, and as the comic lead. Happy Thanksgiving, 2022, y'all!
A great little story, but the cherry on top was Carlson's line over the credits at the end. Took it to another level, and one of the greatest comedy moments in American television history.
It was such a kind & sweet well-meaning but deceptively tragic mistake that most viewers could've easily made - domestic turkeys are just too big & fat to fly. 😳!
Venus Flytrap: What do you suppose he's up to? Dr. Johnny Fever: Carlson? I don't know. You should have been here for the big wig promotion. Venus Flytrap: What happened? Dr. Johnny Fever: Well, naturally, it didn't work, and we ended up with a warehouse full of wigs. Carlson, he couldn't figure out how to get rid of 'em until the Guatemalan earthquake. Venus Flytrap: Say what? Dr. Johnny Fever: Well, the Red Cross called out, you know, for blankets, clothes, anything. So Carlson, out of the goodness of his heart, shipped these destitute earthquake victims in Guatemala three thousand blonde stretch wigs. You know, I still have this picture in my mind of quake victims stumbling through the rubble - all looking like Dolly Parton.
Classic! I even have a T-shirt with the line, "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." on it, that I'm wearing right now. Happy Thanksgiving.
@Roger Finney This episode saved WKRP in Cincinnati from cancellation, they were in hiatus and then next day everybody was talking about it. And afterwards they went back into production.
It's never truly Thanksgiving without it! Richard deserved an Emmy for this scene and the one following it; "Oh the Humanity!" Les Nessman was the Barney Fife of the radio reporting world.
Its not Thanksgiving until you watch this clip and then listening to Alice's Restaurant. Same goes for Christmas, its not the season until I listen to Cheech & Chong Santa Claus and his Old Lady, for me to get in the Christmas spirit
@@mrsignguy1000 They also borrowed the line where Les asks his engineer if he’s getting the recording, which you can hear on the Hindenburg broadcast, too.
If you've watched M*A*S*H you can see a few times where the cast is trying their hardest not to crack up laughing or were surprised on an ad-lib. One of the episodes where you had someone trying not to laugh is Radar when Henry gets a bunch of soot dumped on him and Hawkeye and Trapper crack up, even Henry is trying not to laugh.
We had WKRP in the UK too, not long after it aired in the US. I loved this homely, gentle sitcom so much but of all of the episodes, this one sticks out in my memory. That final line, over the credits was genious. I was just recovering from splitting my sides at poor Les' horror at the scene that was unfolding, only to be ended by Mr Carlson's killer line. Such an underrated show. I have it on DVD and saved to Plex so I can enjoy it anytime. Simpler, happier times.
I love this. In Les Nessman's reporting and Johnny Fever's responses there are references to both the Hindenburg tragedy and the Orson Welles War of the Worlds broadcast. I wonder if there are other references that I missed.
Arguably one of the greatest comedy moments on TV, ever. Everything left to the imagination apart from commentary and reaction, and that golden closer of a line.
The sad thing is that such idiocy regularly plays out in real life. Remember the two biker gangs in Loughlin shooting it out in casinos? They were actually invited there by the casinos as part of a marketing campaign without anyone checking to see that they were killing each other back home in California. You can almost picture the marketing exec after the shootout saying to his co-workers, "As God is my witness, I thought the bikers would be peaceful..."
There was even more that was left out here, where Les recounts for the staff the events following the blackout of his broadcast, which mirrored "Animal Farm." Again, though, it wasn't shown, but Les told the story, and we could see it in our minds' eyes.
And as great as they were at comedy, they were instrumental in helping so many of us heal after the Riverfront Coliseum disaster. Especially, those of us who were there, who didn't know how to explain it to our families, or, even worse, to ourselves. Thank you guys!
The greatest moment in TV sitcom history. I think Comedy Central should run this episode on a loop all of Thanksgiving Day. You know the same way channels do with "It's A Wonderful Life" at Christmas.
The beauty of it is that all through the show, the Big Guy is such a kind, decent sweetheart. In this episode he's feeling left out and bored so he dreams this insanity up. At the end everyone wants to give him a hug because he meant well. Gordon Jump, good stuff
We narrowly missed getting one through our windshield once. Wild, of course. Our local Wildlife Sanctuary was overpopulated with them for a while and they would roost in the trees. It's comical to watch these big birds hanging onto tiny branches that are bent almost vertically downward.
I've always had a sarcastic sense of humor. When Arthur Carlson said his line, I laughed and carried on like a maniac. My wife and children thought I was going to go into cardiac arrest.
WKRP was one of the reasons I originally wanted to go into broadcasting. I studied it at the local community college, and we were told it was an accurate portrayal of how a small radio station works once you strip away the workplace sitcom shenanigans.
WKRP, Barney Miller, and Night Court had accurate portrayals of what goes on at a radio station, police station, and court, respectively. Loved all three shows. Usually, comedies are the ones that have the most accurate portrayals of a workplace rather than drama.
Agreed. My favorite episode is the one where Johnny Fever was drinking Jack Daniels to prove reflexes slow....but his got better with every drink. God I miss the '80's
R,I,P, Howard. Dr. Johnny Fever. I'm watching the Turkey Drop episode to pay tribute to you. I will miss you. I was blessed to be a teenager in the 70s and saw WKRP when it was new.
I always thought the same. Jennifer’s intelligence and the writing for character were refreshing and immensely entertaining for a blonde character with Loni Anderson’s undeniable physical beauty, even if I preferred Jan Smithers’s looks and character as Bailey Quarters. Jennifer started the episode by reminding Gordon Jump’s Carlson she doesn’t get coffee and ended it by offering to do so.
@mrt57rn That's my absolute favorite episode of Barney Miller! I was quite young when it aired & simply couldn't fathom why the fellas were behaving so oddly. My parent's hysterical laughter was equally baffling to me. When I finally saw a rerun years later, I laughed til my sides ached.
Needs talent and effort that's way to hARD ..it's easyer to get some pregnant 15year old on a reality show make em rich and famous for making stupid decisions screwing up there life. Or telling kids bullying is wrong but every tv show is based on bullying making alliances,back stabbing, lying and if you don't have money your worthless and weak fuck true love having someone in your life that would die for you its bullshit go for the money. Tv shows used to be about teaching people there are things in life that aren't very nice ,now those things that aren't very nice are what tv shows are based on? Nothing better than someone on tv that's just a fucking mess.
Well, Tim Conway breaking everyone up while (almost) deadpanning an absurd story about elephants is a sure-fire giggle for me, but this scene is way up there to be sure.
I’m watching this too. The episode is one of my. favorites of WKRP. It’s hysterical! When he said that he thought turkeys could fly, I laughed so hard. I loved WKRP and I’m glad that RUclips found this episode.
James Miller ... Challenge accepted. You demonstrated your poor understanding of the show for decades by making your announcement. I noted that Johnny used the word "live" in the announcement, not even saying that Mr. Carlson's statement at the end would be utterly irrelevant to frozen turkeys. So, because you're an ignorant person, you are compelled to try to insult me for pointing out that the show premise couldn't include frozen turkeys. Every part of the bit, which is absurd fiction, indicated live turkeys. It takes a special kind of stupid to think otherwise. And there we have it. You continue to demonstrate a fact.
I was seven or eight when this aired and I remember laughing along with my parents so uncontrollably that I got scared ‘cause I couldn’t breathe. This is perhaps one of the funniest scenes in tv history. If my parents were still with me We’d watch it together and thirty-plus years later I bet we’d still laugh just as hard. Thank you for posting this. Stay Strong, Boston
Yes. It's like the whole Mary Ann or Ginger, or Velma or Daphne dichotomy. Both women were beautiful. But with Jennifer you have an impression of her as a sculpted and inaccessible woman, whereas Bailey is not only the more natural beauty but cute as hell. Cute goes a VERY long way. She's also got that Girl Next Door vibe going for her as well as the braininess. I wouldn't kick either woman out of my bed, but Bailey's the one I'd prefer to be with.
Earlier, in this same episode, Dr. Johnny Fever was playing Dogs on the air, from the Pink Floyd album Animals. The dogs barking on the track confused Mr. Carlson, his boss....
Unfortunately, the music used in the original episodes were never used by permission. The producers found a loophole in the law and blew it wide open. Thus why you don't see reruns with the original music. Recently though, some of the restrictions have been relaxed and you might find a few out there. Do not, NOT purchase the 1st season on DVD set, all the music is changed, worthless.
@@jimo7593 But wait, though...what about education or using existing art to perpetuate new art...? Such as parodies, for one. I hear there are some that are NOT screwing around, tho. The Russians and classical...they don't care how long he's been dead, either.
"OH the humanity!" The "sacks ofvwet cement," is so brilliant. Almost no one has ever seen a sack of wet cement, especially one hitting the pavement from 2000 feet up, but it's for some reason something almost anybody can visialize...
Приколы
45 years later and it's still stunningly funny.
No way 💀 long time
You took the words out of my mouth. Still funny as all get out 🤣
Thanksgiving 1978, I watched KRP @ 15 years young. This is still cracking me up as it did in 1978.
the good ol 1970s
Still funny as hell today
“As God is my witness, I thought Turkeys could fly.”
“They’re hitting the ground like sacks of wet cement!”
What’s really funny is that turkeys can actually fly. When I saw things flying near my house that look like turkeys I had to verify. Because I remembered this episode.
“I can’t stay out and watch this any longer…. No I can’t go in there!” 😂
October 30, 1978 it was the funniest thing I ever saw on TV.
Thr greatest television moment ever.
They don't make them like WKRP in CINCINNATI anymore. I loved that show.
3:02 "Thanks for that on-the-spot, Les. And, uh, for those of you who just tuned in, the Pinedale Shopping Mall has just been bombed with live turkeys. Film at 11."
The funniest line from the funniest scene of the funniest half-hour sitcom episode in television history.
This never gets old ❤
One of the funniest episodes ever.
It was based on a true story. I worked in radio when "WKRP" was on the air and after that episode aired, there were articles in trade publications (pre-internet days, kids) about the real turkey drop.
I got to meet & sit at the same table as Tim Reid at a dinner event in Richmond, & couldn't do anything but babble like a complete idiot about how much I loved this show & Venus. Poor man was so patient, but I know he had to be praying I'd choke on food or something.
I love this clip!
Never gets old. One of the best written sitcom scenes ever.
Perhaps, THE best...
Some of the best sitcoms of all time were produced in that era, WKRP, Taxi, Cheers, etc.
I totally agree!
The turkeys never got old either.
I agree!
The "sacks of wet cement" part never fails to bring me to tears
That’s the one that got me 😂 I remembered “With god as my witness…” but that one caught me off guard
ONE JUST WENT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD OF A PARKED CAR
@@NormAppleton *chortle*
That line has been a running joke in my family, anytime one of us says it we all break down in tears of laughter.
Been a few years since one of us said it so just went up to my old man who is hitting 90 and very forgetful , got 3 words out and he completed it and roared with laughter.
Great memories
@@NormAppleton you can see Johnny breaking @ 2:16
41 years later, still one of the funniest bits ever done on TV... and I saw the episode on first broadcast. :)
Me, too!
Saved the series. Next 13 episodes were ordered right after this aired.
Me too!
41 years ago 😂
Same. Means I'm almost 39.
As God is my witness, I think this is still the funniest scene in any sitcom ever.
Taxi's Yellow Light is pretty good, but I agree!
If you’re old enough to remember this show, y’all are my peeps! 😆
😆
😂👍
not old enough... but cool enough!
Saw this live. Loved this show.
Oh, I loved it. I worked at a radio station at the time, and it was like A Day in the Life for me.
One of the funniest scenes ever. WKRP was one of the most underrated shows on TV in the early 80s. Never missed an Episode as a kid.
Taken off TOO SOON!!!
Amen, Brother! Amen!
Got that right! I still laugh over that last line!
i was 4 when it aired, but by 1980 i was a fan. Johnny Fever was just too cool
This scene ranks right up with the MTM "Chuckles" funeral scene!!
IT'S THANKSGIVING 2024, ANYONE STILL WATCHING THIS
Its not November yet.
@@doughesson CLOSE ENOUGH
I've seen it about 30 times and it's still funny.
@@danielstewart7163 never gets old
@@ronscurti1269 true, the classics have staying power.
"As God as my witness .... I thought Turkeys could fly"
One of the all time great TV lines, this never fails to make me laugh and Always funny and imagine that > not a single curse word needed.
I also like the line after Les goes out on a date with Jennifer: "You were wrong Herb, Jennifer doesn't have a round bed, it's rectangular like everyone else's." I guess that was a fad, as I'd only seen one in the movie _Love at First Bite._
@@sandal_thong8631 The implication that Les, of all people, scored with Jennifer and Herb's reaction. . . great actors, impeccable writing.
Well, wild turkeys can fly a bit, but if these were farm raised turkeys, then they're probably so fat that they wouldn't even be able to slow themselves enough to avoid plummeting to their deaths.
Most birds have some ability to fly, with exceptions for ones like kiwis, ostriches and emus. Even chickens can fly a bit, although poorly and not for very far. Still, a chicken would probably be able to handle falling out of a helicopter and gliding down.
RUclips videos show you’re wrong. Chickens and wild turkeys can fly the length of a football field & quite fast
If God _was_ his witness, he’d say “That’s not how I made them.”
The true brilliance of this scene is that we are never actually shown the unfolding disaster, we are TOLD it and we end up visualising the whole scene in our imaginations. This is exactly how comedy (and drama) on radio worked in the medium's golden age. We are experiencing radio comedy through a TV show.
I’d like to hear a professional sound engineer add the *_thuds_* in the bg...
The style of the reporting after the Hindenburg account, so well done too :)
Either you lived through that era or,
like me, you're a pop culture historian.
Either way, thank you.
@@tootalltam143 I didn't make the Hindenburg disaster connection back when I first saw this episode until Les says "oh the humanity" and then I laughed so hard and long that it hurt.
It's actually pretty much a quote from the live witness reporting of the Hindenburg disaster in 1939.
"Hitting the ground like sacks of wet cement!" EPIC!!!
Such an EPIC description/play-by-play!!!
The crowd is running for their lives!!!
Les 'on the spot' reporting at its best.
OH MY GOD THEY'RE TURKEYS!
And the fact that they didn't show this at all (thank god); if this scene were redone today we'd get turkey guts everywhere.
RIP Johnny Fever. You got us all through some tough times. 😂
I remember being a kid watching this new WKRP episode with my Pops during my Thanksgiving break from school and him laughing in his chair about pissing himself....one of the best episodes ever and one of the greatest times i remember having with my Dad....i love you Pops and still miss you like crazy every day.....
God bless your Dad and much respect to you for keeping his memory alive. Kind regards sir.
@@Beo420EveryDay Blessings in the form of good memories are with us always!
Mine too.
Beautiful memories. Thanks for sharing.
RIP - Howard Hessman - January 29 2022. Your deadpan comedy was appreciated & will be remembered until turkeys can fly.
My favorite line from this was Les's dazed comment, "It's as if the turkeys were...organzied."
A counter attack…OMG I was rolling 🤣
After that it gets a little strange...
Richard Sanders created that character out of nothing and Les Nessman is the one is the one I still crack up at. Plus Herb, can't forget Mr. Tarlek.
“CREEP”….LOL
"Les, are you OK"
"I don't know. A man and his two children tried to kill me".
Flying turkeys 😂😂😅😅😅its as if they were organized 😅😅😅😂😯😲whatheck😂
"Thanks for that on-the-spot report Les. For those of you who just tuned in, the Pinedale Shopping Mall has just been BOMBED with live turkeys." Johnny Fever, always cool in a crisis.
tommyt1971 Film At 11.
Unless the crisis involves phone cops.
We've been going through the complete series on DVD for about the third time after watching it on broadcast originally. No disrespect to the rest of the cast, all terrific -- a true ensemble -- but I didn't realize during the early run just how much Johnny was the best part of the show.
One of my favorite all time tv characters!
@@rogerfinney6809 Oh INDEED. Hesseman totally nailed the lost in time hippie trying to deal with the late 70s/early 80s.
"As god as my witness.........I thought turkeys could fly...."
That is an all time great comedy line...and it was delivered perfectly. RIP Gordon Jump.
And they ran it under the titles, almost as a throwaway gag. Class.
He was “The Man!”
It's a great line, but it's "As God IS my witness..."
Indeed it is...didn’t realize that, thanks!
@@guyfaulkes3035 Without the extra "my" :D #SkittsLaw
The best part of this, the absolute cherry on top, is Gordon Jump delivering that final line. After everything else, laughing until you hurt, he comes out of the office and delivers the perfect punchline. This was such an amazing ensemble cast, everyone took turns as the straight man for the joke, and as the comic lead.
Happy Thanksgiving, 2022, y'all!
I love how Herb slowly nods his head.
WKRP was a fine blend of writing and acting talent...one of my favorite sitcoms along with Barney Miller...
A great little story, but the cherry on top was Carlson's line over the credits at the end. Took it to another level, and one of the greatest comedy moments in American television history.
Yep.
It was such a kind & sweet well-meaning but deceptively tragic mistake that most viewers could've easily made - domestic turkeys are just too big & fat to fly. 😳!
Venus Flytrap:
What do you suppose he's up to?
Dr. Johnny Fever:
Carlson? I don't know. You should have been here for the big wig promotion.
Venus Flytrap:
What happened?
Dr. Johnny Fever:
Well, naturally, it didn't work, and we ended up with a warehouse full of wigs. Carlson, he couldn't figure out how to get rid of 'em until the Guatemalan earthquake.
Venus Flytrap:
Say what?
Dr. Johnny Fever:
Well, the Red Cross called out, you know, for blankets, clothes, anything. So Carlson, out of the goodness of his heart, shipped these destitute earthquake victims in Guatemala three thousand blonde stretch wigs. You know, I still have this picture in my mind of quake victims stumbling through the rubble - all looking like Dolly Parton.
😆😆😆😆😆
No
Epic
Just got through watching this again. It never gets old. That was comedy writing and delivery at its finest.
LMAO
Classic! I even have a T-shirt with the line, "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." on it, that I'm wearing right now.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Same to you having seen the original with my Mother we laughed till we cried.
Where did you get that? I need one!
If you sell it on tee public, I have one
Wild Turkeys can fly, not very far, but they can fly
Probably one of the funniest episodes in television history.
Jay Hickey
Ever!!
For my money, THE funniest! Nothing even comes close.
@Roger Finney This episode saved WKRP in Cincinnati from cancellation, they were in hiatus and then next day everybody was talking about it. And afterwards they went back into production.
And one of the funniest lines.
This one and Brent Spiner in Night Court.
I love how, while Andy, Venus, and Bailey are reacting with shock and horror as Les describes the turkey drop, Johnny is laughing.
Same!!
It's never truly Thanksgiving without it! Richard deserved an Emmy for this scene and the one following it; "Oh the Humanity!" Les Nessman was the Barney Fife of the radio reporting world.
Yes, the one following it, where he's back at the station, still in a daze, describing what went on after the drop was my favorite part!
Its not Thanksgiving until you watch this clip and then listening to Alice's Restaurant. Same goes for Christmas, its not the season until I listen to Cheech & Chong Santa Claus and his Old Lady, for me to get in the Christmas spirit
*50TH* like!
🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂
@@travismiles5885 Dave's not here.
He mirrored the announcer's voice and story line to the same person who tracked the crashing the Hindenburg in the 30s ....WKRP was a great show
"Oh, the humanity!"......
I will always love the people who played there parts so well
@@ernestconley5327 One of the best cssts of any TV show!
@@mrsignguy1000 They also borrowed the line where Les asks his engineer if he’s getting the recording, which you can hear on the Hindenburg broadcast, too.
You can see how the cast were about to lose it when he said "oh my god they're turkeys"
theatergeek82 Venus does break for just a second, but covers the smile with his hand
I didn't notice because I was too busy cracking up myself.
If you've watched M*A*S*H you can see a few times where the cast is trying their hardest not to crack up laughing or were surprised on an ad-lib. One of the episodes where you had someone trying not to laugh is Radar when Henry gets a bunch of soot dumped on him and Hawkeye and Trapper crack up, even Henry is trying not to laugh.
@@sportsygirl8 "I Hate a Mystery"
@@dallasbrubaker6054 Yep, that's the episode I was referring to. One of my favorites in season 1.
We had WKRP in the UK too, not long after it aired in the US. I loved this homely, gentle sitcom so much but of all of the episodes, this one sticks out in my memory. That final line, over the credits was genious. I was just recovering from splitting my sides at poor Les' horror at the scene that was unfolding, only to be ended by Mr Carlson's killer line. Such an underrated show. I have it on DVD and saved to Plex so I can enjoy it anytime. Simpler, happier times.
Even all blurry and with baggy clothes, Jan Smithers is still stunning.
Do you suppose they dressed her like that, especially in the early episodes, so as not to upstage Loni Anderson/Jennifer? Only reason I can think of.
It’s part of the character design. Bailey was quite shy, particularly in the early episodes.
She stopped my heart in the 80's.
always had a crush on her...
@@wilthompson1778 she's still hot
It has been damn near 50 years (man I'm old), but watching this for the first time is still the funniest thing I have ever experienced...still.
2023 I'm 68 and this kills me every time!.."oh I can't go in there".!
I love this. In Les Nessman's reporting and Johnny Fever's responses there are references to both the Hindenburg tragedy and the Orson Welles War of the Worlds broadcast. I wonder if there are other references that I missed.
"Gone With The Wind", some news tropes, too. Don't think you missed them. They weren't Les' lines.
The cast watched the Hindenburg movie before filming this.
Andy's reaction when Les says, "Oh my God, they're turkeys, " absolutely cracks me up.
Watching Venus try not to crack up was hilarious too!
“As God as my witness, I thought turkeys 🦃 could fly” is still one of the best sitcom lines ever.
Well, here’s a witness report from God:
“I didn’t make ‘em that way.”
Ever!
There is nothing that funny on TV now.
They can fly Mr. Carlson , just not from two thousand feet up !
Les' narrative in the office is hilarious also. "It was like the turkeys mounted a counter attack."
"It's almost as if they were organised."
'Then it got weird'
Which was missing from this clip.
Kamakize turkeys.. the writers of that show were brilliant!!
the line , " Oh the humanity..." Kids today would not even know what that alludes to. WKRP was flipping brilliant. Thanks for posting!
Well, I'm 35 and I certainly do.
It saved the series from an early cancellation, everybody was talking about it around the Water Cooler.
Hindenburg. Obviously.
I know quite a few kids who are aware of the Hindenburg reference....
@@MarkHuber-f8o I saw the movie and know that a few dogs survived. After that gas was banned in blimps.
You’ll never see Comedy like this again.
"It's almost like they were mounting a counter attack!"
Great line, and it's missing from this clip.
Following on the heels of, "It gets pretty strange after that."
Kamikaze turkeys!
@@jackal59 We know they were thinking, "Like it wasn't strange already?"
Best episode ever!!! 🤣😂 Rest in Peace Howard Hesseman, Dr. Johnny Fever. 01/29/2022. 🙏🙏🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️
Arguably one of the greatest comedy moments on TV, ever. Everything left to the imagination apart from commentary and reaction, and that golden closer of a line.
The sad thing is that such idiocy regularly plays out in real life. Remember the two biker gangs in Loughlin shooting it out in casinos? They were actually invited there by the casinos as part of a marketing campaign without anyone checking to see that they were killing each other back home in California. You can almost picture the marketing exec after the shootout saying to his co-workers, "As God is my witness, I thought the bikers would be peaceful..."
There was even more that was left out here, where Les recounts for the staff the events following the blackout of his broadcast, which mirrored "Animal Farm." Again, though, it wasn't shown, but Les told the story, and we could see it in our minds' eyes.
IMO "The Turkey Drop" is the funniest single episode in TV Sitcom History
Definitely one of my top 10 if not top 5. This one and "the Phone Cops" episodes still get me holding my stomach.
Absolutely one of the tops! My other favorite is "The Death of Chuckles the Clown" from THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW.
Never forget Carol Burnett and the curtain dress! She saw it in the window and just had to have it!
Personally, I think the episode were the transmission station was blown up was the best. Johnny Fever running from the telephone cops.
This one and the one where Herb dressed up like a carp and got into a fight with the w pig in the men’s room are my favorites
And as great as they were at comedy, they were instrumental in helping so many of us heal after the Riverfront Coliseum disaster. Especially, those of us who were there, who didn't know how to explain it to our families, or, even worse, to ourselves. Thank you guys!
Yes,that is the other side of the coin.Well done and very memorable.
I was supposed to be there. 😢
The greatest moment in TV sitcom history. I think Comedy Central should run this episode on a loop all of Thanksgiving Day. You know the same way channels do with "It's A Wonderful Life" at Christmas.
Great idea!
TBS runs A Christmas Story on a 24 hour loop on Christmas Eve
That was one of the funniest bits on that show! "As God as my witness.........I thought turkeys could fly." ROFLMAO!!!!🦃🦃🦃🦃
Jan Smithers was SO pretty. I loved her.
My mom told me about this skit, laughing the whole time as she was acting it out and describing it. I GET IT NOW 😂
This just never gets old, especially Mr. Carlson's closing line. Happy Thanksgiving 2022 everyone!
The beauty of it is that all through the show, the Big Guy is such a kind, decent sweetheart. In this episode he's feeling left out and bored so he dreams this insanity up. At the end everyone wants to give him a hug because he meant well.
Gordon Jump, good stuff
After all these years, still hilarious. Poor Les, he had no idea that carnage was about to ensue from a simple promo.😂❤🦃
All-time classic. Never gets old.
I’m old enough to remember watching this when it was originally aired! Still hilarious! 😂😂😂
Wild turkeys do in fact fly. Domesticated turkeys, not so much.
It's the overweight ones that don't fly.😄😄😄
I remember an old joke about domesticated turkeys drowning while standing up.
*The rain confuses them so much they just stare skyward, beaks agape...*
We narrowly missed getting one through our windshield once. Wild, of course. Our local Wildlife Sanctuary was overpopulated with them for a while and they would roost in the trees. It's comical to watch these big birds hanging onto tiny branches that are bent almost vertically downward.
The Virginia Zoo had trouble keeping theirs in the enclosure, till someone finally thought to put a roof on it.
That's 'cause domestic turkeys get their wings cliiped
Les stretching out the call letters is instant classic
Samy with Happy Thanksgiving
Happy thanksgiving to anyone who happens to stop by this awesome clip today
I've always had a sarcastic sense of humor. When Arthur Carlson said his line, I laughed and carried on like a maniac. My wife and children thought I was going to go into cardiac arrest.
As God is my witness, I though turkeys could fly...ROTFLMAO!!
Every Thanksgiving. And still laugh my butt off. 😂
WKRP was one of the reasons I originally wanted to go into broadcasting. I studied it at the local community college, and we were told it was an accurate portrayal of how a small radio station works once you strip away the workplace sitcom shenanigans.
A bit late responding but ... my ( ex ) husband was a DJ in our small midwestern town , first on AM , then on FM . He was Dr. Johnny Fever to a T ! 🤣
WKRP, Barney Miller, and Night Court had accurate portrayals of what goes on at a radio station, police station, and court, respectively. Loved all three shows. Usually, comedies are the ones that have the most accurate portrayals of a workplace rather than drama.
Did the same thing! 25 years in stations small and large. Got out when it became so corporate it just wasn't fun anymore...
Beyond that the characterizations of the owner, salesman and on-air personalities aren't far off the mark either
Hmmm.... worked in radio as well, there were a few shenanigans still.
Absolute classic. I never understood why they cancelled this brilliant little show.
"Oh the humanity!" Les Nesman did I misspell his last name? This brings back so many great memories!!
Nancy Demoss
I’m not certain about the spelling but remember he also won the coveted silver sow award. 😂
That's got to be the first time anyone ever referred to the Hindenburg disaster as a "great memory". Well done.
@@outofbluepills well duh. That's not what I meant
2 esses in Nessman
Out of Blue Pills was nazi blimp anyway
“The Pinedale Msll has just been bombed with Turkeys!” 😂😂😂
It's a shame this show didn't go longer than it did.
They were all great.
Agreed. My favorite episode is the one where Johnny Fever was drinking Jack Daniels to prove reflexes slow....but his got better with every drink. God I miss the '80's
a line from vaudeville: "always leave them wanting more!" WKRP...I can watch it forever, what a great show!!!
One of the funniest gags they ever came up with.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. See you next year.
I remember watching this episode. I wish they would bring this WKRP back on TV. One of my all-time favourite shows.
I have all of the seasons on DVD.
@@heleneclark563 My kind of person !
"The turkeys are hitting the ground like sacks of wet cement." 🤣
I member watching this with mom and dad and all of us laughing like hell. What a great show that needed and DESERVED at least 2 more years.
"Oh my god, THEY'RE TURKEYS!"
Good god that was a great show I’m still laughing
As I came across your comment Les said it. Perfect timing
Carlson uttered the 10 greatest words in television history. As God is my witness I thought turkeys could fly never has anything been funnier.
THE greatest scene in TV sitcom history.
As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could FLY!
Wild turkeys CAN fly. 😅
I think wild turkeys can fly at low levels for short distances. Domestic turkeys probably cannot fly so good or not at all.
I love how after the 'I thought turkeys could fly' line, Loni has her hand in front of her face trying desperately not to laugh out loud!😄
Gary Sandy is smirking as well😅
@@tarnsand440 It probably didn't help that noone told them they'd be covered in turkey feathers.
@@tarnsand440 so was Bailey
R,I,P, Howard. Dr. Johnny Fever. I'm watching the Turkey Drop episode to pay tribute to you. I will miss you. I was blessed to be a teenager in the 70s and saw WKRP when it was new.
Amen. We have the series on DVD and -- even though the rest of the cast was great -- I now realize just how much Howard Hesseman meant to the show.
Jan Smithers! > Loni Anderson
No doubt. Used to think I was the only one who realized that.
I'll take both please. lol
I always thought the same. Jennifer’s intelligence and the writing for character were refreshing and immensely entertaining for a blonde character with Loni Anderson’s undeniable physical beauty, even if I preferred Jan Smithers’s looks and character as Bailey Quarters. Jennifer started the episode by reminding Gordon Jump’s Carlson she doesn’t get coffee and ended it by offering to do so.
Probably the best scene in TV history.
@mrt57rn That's my absolute favorite episode of Barney Miller! I was quite young when it aired & simply couldn't fathom why the fellas were behaving so oddly. My parent's hysterical laughter was equally baffling to me. When I finally saw a rerun years later, I laughed til my sides ached.
@mrt57rn Yes, that scene is right up there in the top as well.
Along with Jim taking his test on Taxi
You don't see the turkeys but you can imagine the holiday carnage! They should show this episode every year like A Christmas Story🤣😋
@@marvingreen3273 : "Slow Down...."
They don’t make amazing television shows like this anymore. Not even close.
They gave up on trying many years ago.
Needs talent and effort that's way to hARD ..it's easyer to get some pregnant 15year old on a reality show make em rich and famous for making stupid decisions screwing up there life. Or telling kids bullying is wrong but every tv show is based on bullying making alliances,back stabbing, lying and if you don't have money your worthless and weak fuck true love having someone in your life that would die for you its bullshit go for the money. Tv shows used to be about teaching people there are things in life that aren't very nice ,now those things that aren't very nice are what tv shows are based on? Nothing better than someone on tv that's just a fucking mess.
I'm sure somebody out there is offended lol
The woke crowd is too afraid of committing dogmatic heresies against the cult of SJW to be innovative and funny.
Finbvvv
Hands down, this is the funniest four minutes on television
Well, Tim Conway breaking everyone up while (almost) deadpanning an absurd story about elephants is a sure-fire giggle for me, but this scene is way up there to be sure.
Anything with Tim Conway and Harvey Corman is absolutely more hilarious.
One of the best times in my life was when reruns of Cheers, WKRP, and Night Court were on back to back to back.
And Barney Miller!
Those Were The Days ( Mary Hopkin )
I’m watching this too. The episode is one of my. favorites of WKRP. It’s hysterical! When he said that he thought turkeys could fly, I laughed so hard. I loved WKRP and I’m glad that RUclips found this episode.
James Miller ... Even though the studio audience was laughing during Johnny's announcement, it's clear that he says "live turkeys".
James Miller ... You've demonstrated a fact.
James Miller ... Challenge accepted. You demonstrated your poor understanding of the show for decades by making your announcement. I noted that Johnny used the word "live" in the announcement, not even saying that Mr. Carlson's statement at the end would be utterly irrelevant to frozen turkeys.
So, because you're an ignorant person, you are compelled to try to insult me for pointing out that the show premise couldn't include frozen turkeys. Every part of the bit, which is absurd fiction, indicated live turkeys. It takes a special kind of stupid to think otherwise. And there we have it. You continue to demonstrate a fact.
The classics never die they just get better over time.😆
Aaamen!
This should be played every Thanksgiving.
Yep, just like Alice's Restaurant was (is it still?) played on the radio .
always thought this was the best WKRP ever done
And the competition for that award is steep.
without a DOUBT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Impossible to top this.
Where’s your Tree Doug ?
My childhood would not have been complete without these people.
I loved WKRP. This was by far their best episode. The writers were incredible.
Without a doubt my favorite Thanksgiving show. These writers were genius.
The greatest TV moment ever….completely original…
They’ll NEVER make television like this again
I was seven or eight when this aired and I remember laughing along with my parents so uncontrollably that I got scared ‘cause I couldn’t breathe.
This is perhaps one of the funniest scenes in tv history. If my parents were still with me We’d watch it together and thirty-plus years later I bet we’d still laugh just as hard.
Thank you for posting this.
Stay Strong,
Boston
Your parents are still laughing with you Doug, and you're keeping their memory alive.
Darren Lee
Thank you.
I was dying when I first saw this when it first aired. Les doing his monologue like the Hindenberg disaster. "Sacks of wet cement" 🤣😂🤣🤣😂😂😂
As God is my witness I thought turkeys could fly funniest line ever in a series
just had another Baily crush moment...sorry.
She was more attractive than Loni Anderson.
Tom//// SHE WAS SEXY!!!!!
Yep!
Perfectly understandable.
Yes. It's like the whole Mary Ann or Ginger, or Velma or Daphne dichotomy. Both women were beautiful. But with Jennifer you have an impression of her as a sculpted and inaccessible woman, whereas Bailey is not only the more natural beauty but cute as hell. Cute goes a VERY long way. She's also got that Girl Next Door vibe going for her as well as the braininess. I wouldn't kick either woman out of my bed, but Bailey's the one I'd prefer to be with.
Earlier, in this same episode, Dr. Johnny Fever was playing Dogs on the air, from the Pink Floyd album Animals. The dogs barking on the track confused Mr. Carlson, his boss....
Unfortunately, the music used in the original episodes were never used by permission. The producers found a loophole in the law and blew it wide open. Thus why you don't see reruns with the original music. Recently though, some of the restrictions have been relaxed and you might find a few out there. Do not, NOT purchase the 1st season on DVD set, all the music is changed, worthless.
ruclips.net/video/1enfo8zn3_g/видео.html
Confused the sh*t out of my dogs, too! Lol
@@jimo7593 But wait, though...what about education or using existing art to perpetuate new art...? Such as parodies, for one.
I hear there are some that are NOT screwing around, tho. The Russians and classical...they don't care how long he's been dead, either.
"Do you hear dogs??"
"*I* do!"
"OH the humanity!"
The "sacks ofvwet cement," is so brilliant. Almost no one has ever seen a sack of wet cement, especially one hitting the pavement from 2000 feet up, but it's for some reason something almost anybody can visialize...
This Show was just EPIC!!!! GREAT CAST!!!!!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂