09/18/2026
Formative Friday:
On this day in 1978, the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati debuted on CBS. The show was centered around a struggling AM radio station in Cincinnati, and many characters in the show were based on people that the creator, Hugh Wilson, encountered while working at a radio station in Atlanta. The show was not an immediate success, initially being shelved after only 8 episodes, despite including some what would be the series' most famous scenes, like "Turkeys Away". However positive reviews and reactions from fans saved the show, particularly from actual radio DJs who hailed the show as the first show that realistically portrayed the radio business. The show was put back on the air, and given the time slot immediately following M*A*S*H, which boosted its popularity. The show would run for 4 seasons, after being cancelled in April of 1982, however a revival series was started in September of 1991, and ran for another two seasons, with some actors like Gordon Jump, Richard Sanders and Frank Bonner reprising their roles from the original series.
