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When I was a kid, I wanted to be a radio disc jockey. I’m honestly not sure why, but I suspect it had something to do with “WKRP In Cincinnati.”
Being from Ohio, it was exciting to see these people in a TV show from a place in my state, even rooting for the same sports teams I did. They made working at a radio station seem so cool. And no one was cooler than WKRP’s morning DJ, Dr. Johnny Fever, brought to life by the incredibly talented Howard Hesseman, who passed away last week.
If you never watched “WKRP,” Johnny was the hippie who bounced around radio stations all over the country, coming to Cincinnati after getting fired for saying, “booger,” on the air. Johnny seemed a little shady, but that was just his persona because in reality he had a huge heart.
He always acted like he was too cool for everything, but he actually cared about the station and all the people who worked there. Johnny was based on a real-life Atlanta DJ, and when I did get the chance to work in radio, I met more than one real-life Johnny Fever myself.
It’s hard to believe now, but Hesseman was not the original choice to play Johnny, scoring the role only after the original actor bowed out.
A one-time DJ himself, Hesseman often ad-libbed Johnny’s work in the studio. Though the role could have easily been a one-note character, Hesseman made Johnny iconic and received two Emmy nominations in the process. Though the cultural references and style may be dated, the character of Johnny is timeless and his spirit is still very much alive at radio stations all over the country today.
Of course, Johnny Fever was not Hesseman’s only classic TV character as he also brought his “too cool for school” persona to “Head of the Class” as high school teacher Charlie Moore. Charlie was assigned to teach history to the advanced class, but he insisted on teaching them more than just names and dates. He taught them the stories behind the stories. And he taught them about life, encouraging them to focus on more than just good grades. Hesseman beautifully infused Charlie with both street smarts and heart and as an advanced student myself, I often wished that I had a Mr. Moore to stand up for me and offer me life advice.
We had not seen that much of Hesseman in recent years, but it was still sad to hear of his passing. The news of his death especially hit hard for those of us who have worked in radio, cracking the mic while suppressing the urge to yell, “Booger,” just like our radio idol.
Episodes of “WKRP In Cincinnati” are available for purchase on Apple TV and Amazon Prime. “Head of the Class” is available to stream on HBO Max.
Angela Henderson-Bentley writes about television for The Herald-Dispatch. Contact her at ahenderson-bentley@hotmail.com.
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