In article , Mike Coslo writes:

One of the great mysteries of the Universe is how Jan

[Smithers]

got so little
attention compared to Loni Anderson, who has to be one of the scariest
wimmin this lad has ever seen.

It was part of the subtly subversive nature of the show, Mike. All of the
characters were true originals and stereotype-busters.

Part of the subtext was that the more attractive "Bailey" was overlooked
because of people's assumptions rather than the reality. The viewers
saw it, of course. Same for the fact that "Jennifer" was actually in
charge and very intelligent, "Johnny Fever" had an encyclopedic knowledge of
rock and roll, "Venus" had a hidden past that no one suspected, etc.
Appearances were intentionally deceiving.

Remember episodes like the one where Jennifer moves to a new house? Or the ones
with the "Red Wigglers" and "Ferryman Funeral Homes" singing commercials? When
Venus explained the atom in two minutes? Johnny Fever's reaction time after
several drinks? Save The Flim? The list goes on and on..

And truly great music was part of the show, yet never slowed it down.

Yet the show was cancelled even though it was #6 overall in the ratings. The
*overall* ratings. Can you imagine a #6 show that cost almost nothing to make
being cancelled today?

"WKRP" and "Barney Miller" essentially invented the workplace ensemble sitcom
that has no central character.. Before those two shows, almost all sitcoms were
reinventions of the nuclear-family-plus-sidekick based 'The Honeymooners"
and/or "I Love Lucy", (which are quite alike in many respects, except that the
gender roles are reversed in "Lucy"). Most sitcoms today are simply variations
on
Alice, Ralph, Trixie and Ed, or Lucy, Ricky, Ethel and Fred.

73 de Jim, N2EY

"as God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly..."