The BEST episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati season 1

Every episode of WKRP in Cincinnati season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati season 1!

A cast of odd characters must run a struggling Cincinnati radio station.

Last Updated: 11/24/2024Network: CBSStatus: Ended
Turkeys Away
star
9.05
257 votes

#1 - Turkeys Away

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/30/1978

Feeling left out at the station, Mr. Carlson comes up with a top-secret Thanksgiving promotion involving twenty live turkeys.

Directors: Michael Zinberg
Writer: Bill Dial
Watch Now:Amazon
Pilot
star
7.76
327 votes

#2 - Pilot

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/18/1978

Andy Travis, a young program director from Santa Fe, takes over at Cincinnati radio station WKRP and changes the format to rock and roll.

Directors: Jay Sandrich
Writer: Hugh Wilson
Watch Now:Amazon
Hoodlum Rock
star
7.73
261 votes

#3 - Hoodlum Rock

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/9/1978

Andy arranges for the station to sponsor a concert by a rowdy English rock group.

Directors: Michael Zinberg
Writer: Hugh Wilson
Watch Now:Amazon
Hold-Up
star
7.72
220 votes

#4 - Hold-Up

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/16/1978

During a live remote from Del's Stereo and Sound, an unemployed DJ shows up with a gun and hijacks the broadcast.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Writer: Tom Chehak
Watch Now:Amazon
Pilot, Part 2
star
7.61
300 votes

#5 - Pilot, Part 2

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/25/1978

While Andy tries to come up with a publicity stunt to get the station in the news, a group of irate former listeners demands a return to the old format.

Directors: Michael Zinberg
Writer: Hugh Wilson
Watch Now:Amazon
Les on a Ledge
star
7.60
224 votes

#6 - Les on a Ledge

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/2/1978

Mortified by a personal accusation, Les climbs out on the ledge of the Flimm building and threatens to jump.

Writer: Hugh Wilson
Watch Now:Amazon
A Date with Jennifer
star
7.47
154 votes

#7 - A Date with Jennifer

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/22/1979

When hot-blooded Les wins an award, he asks Jennifer to be his date for the banquet.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Watch Now:Amazon
Johnny Comes Back
star
7.39
147 votes

#8 - Johnny Comes Back

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/26/1979

Johnny returns to WKRP after being fired in L.A., but he has to settle for the late-night graveyard shift.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Writer: Blake Hunter
Watch Now:Amazon
A Commercial Break
star
7.38
133 votes

#9 - A Commercial Break

Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/26/1979

The staff sings a radio ad for a chain of funeral homes.

Directors: Rod Daniel
Watch Now:Amazon
Tornado
star
7.34
122 votes

#10 - Tornado

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/5/1979

While Japanese radio executives are touring the station, the city experiences a series of tornadoes.

Directors: Will Mackenzie
Writer: Blake Hunter
Watch Now:Amazon
Bailey's Show
star
7.22
177 votes

#11 - Bailey's Show

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/23/1978

Bailey gets a chance to produce a new public-service interview show, but her potential guests all seem to be out of their minds.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Watch Now:Amazon
The Contest Nobody Could Win
star
7.08
132 votes

#12 - The Contest Nobody Could Win

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/29/1979

After Johnny announces the incorrect prize amount for a song-guessing contest promotion, the crew scrambles to make the contest so difficult that no one can win.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Watch Now:Amazon
Goodbye, Johnny
star
7.08
145 votes

#13 - Goodbye, Johnny

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/19/1979

Johnny is offered a job in Los Angeles, so the other staffers throw him a party in which they try to manipulate him into staying.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Writer: Blake Hunter
Watch Now:Amazon
Preacher
star
6.99
106 votes

#14 - Preacher

Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 6/4/1979

WKRP's Sunday morning evangelist (and former wrestler) may be a fraud, but no one has the nerve to fire him.

Directors: Michael Zinberg
Writer: Bill Dial
Watch Now:Amazon
I Want to Keep My Baby
star
6.98
106 votes

#15 - I Want to Keep My Baby

Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/12/1979

After a young single mother leaves her baby at the station, Johnny becomes attached to the infant.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Writer: Hugh Wilson
Watch Now:Amazon
I Do, I Do... For Now
star
6.88
113 votes

#16 - I Do, I Do... For Now

Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/23/1979

To fend off a childhood sweetheart, Jennifer pretends to be married to Johnny.

Directors: Will Mackenzie
Writer: Tom Chehak
Watch Now:Amazon
Who Is Gordon Sims?
star
6.87
110 votes

#17 - Who Is Gordon Sims?

Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/2/1979

Venus reveals that he is a military deserter, and Mr. Carlson helps him clear his name.

Directors: Rod Daniel
Writer: Tom Chehak
Watch Now:Amazon
Fish Story
star
6.82
108 votes

#18 - Fish Story

Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 5/28/1979

Herb wears a carp costume to represent WKRP and fights a rival station's pig mascot, while Johnny and Venus take an on-air test to demonstrate the effects of alcohol on human reflexes.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Writer: Hugh Wilson
Watch Now:Amazon
Never Leave Me, Lucille
star
6.81
110 votes

#19 - Never Leave Me, Lucille

Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/5/1979

Herb separates from his wife Lucille and stays at Johnny's apartment while Jennifer tries to reunite the couple.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Writer: Bill Dial
Watch Now:Amazon
Young Master Carlson
star
6.71
104 votes

#20 - Young Master Carlson

Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 4/30/1979

Mr. Carlson's troubled young son escapes from his military school and visits WKRP, where he manages to offend most of the staff.

Directors: Will Mackenzie
Writer: Hugh Wilson
Watch Now:Amazon
Mama's Review
star
6.68
182 votes

#21 - Mama's Review

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/15/1979

Mama Carlson conducts a quarterly review of WKRP's personnel and profits, with clips from previous episodes illustrating the show's best moments to date.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Writer: Hugh Wilson
Watch Now:Amazon
Love Returns
star
6.64
135 votes

#22 - Love Returns

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/6/1978

Andy falls back in love with an old girlfriend, now a famous singer, and must decide whether to follow her on the road.

Directors: Asaad Kelada
Writer: Bill Dial
Watch Now:Amazon