WKRP

The DVD release of the cult rock-n’-roll sitcom is much better than fans expected.

One thing you rarely get to hear with TV comedies is an “unsweetened” version. That is, a version that doesn’t have any of the bits of music or canned laughter that are added after the taping. But here are two clips from an old sitcom scene: one as taped, the other as broadcast. This is from a WKRP in Cincinnati episode, and after the taping, some bits of canned laughter were added to fill in the spots where the audience didn’t laugh (usually when the line was too deadpan or not a hard joke: “I sincerely like the frame” gets a bit of canned laughter to tell the home viewer that it’s a joke). Also, the whole scene was underscored with music: “Breezin’” by George Benson.

I’m still looking for a good election-themed drama or adventure episode on YouTube, but haven’t found one so far, at least not a complete episode. I’ll have a dramatic election story up next weekend, though. (If anyone has suggestions for next week, send them my way.) Meanwhile here’s another election-themed comedy episode that is available on YouTube, WKRP‘s “Carlson For President,” which follows the law that every comedy series must, at some point, do an episode where a character runs for City Council, or, at most, Mayor of a small town. (Night Court upped the ante by having Dan run for State Assembly. But that’s the big time; City Council is where the action is.) Another rule is that the campaign for City Council must be run entirely by the person’s friends or co-workers, though at least Mr. Carlson doesn’t make the mistake Ted Baxter made when he let freakin’ Phyllis run his campaign.