For those who may remember the 70's & 80's (Cincinnati: apartment, houses)

[mkfarnam]

Back in the 70's and 80's there was a SitCom/Comedy Series that I really enjoyed. It was based on a radio station in Cincinnati. Many of you remember it, it was call "WKRP in Cincinnati"
Scenery shown at the begining, and the theme song of this show was enough to draw anyone to Cincinnati or to Ohio, including myself.
Ohio's a beautiful state, I have a Brother in Ashland,OH.

I was just wondering, does anyone know what kind of promotional effect this show made on Cincinnati and/or the state of Ohio?

Here's the pilot. You can also watch all of the full episodes here (free)

Watch Pilot, Part 1: WKRP in Cincinnati Full Length Episodes Online | Free on Fancast (http://www.fancast.com/tv/WKRP-in-Cincinnati/92679/564172532/Pilot%2C-Part-1/videos - broken link)

[goyguy]

I doubt it had any effect on local tourism whatsoever. What it did do was cause people to make an attempt at humor when they found out where I grew up: "Hey, WKRP! Is that a real station?" Hilfrickenlarious.
I don't suspect that it helped the radio ratings for WKRC and WKRQ either.

[mkfarnam]

Originally Posted by goyguy

I doubt it had any effect on local tourism whatsoever. What it did do was cause people to make an attempt at humor when they found out where I grew up: "Hey, WKRP! Is that a real station?" Hilfrickenlarious.
I don't suspect that it helped the radio ratings for WKRC and WKRQ either.

The reason I ask is because years ago there was a big rage about it out in So, California.
I remember our District Supervisor running a survey on it, asking if we would like Hollywood to create a show based on San Bernardino to help promote "Population Growth" as this one (supposedly) did with Cincinnati
She was voted out of office

[megansworld]

Originally Posted by goyguy

I doubt it had any effect on local tourism whatsoever. What it did do was cause people to make an attempt at humor when they found out where I grew up: "Hey, WKRP! Is that a real station?" Hilfrickenlarious.
I don't suspect that it helped the radio ratings for WKRC and WKRQ either.

I get that too. Cincinnati has so many cool things to boast about. Yet, some joker will always pull the WKRP card out at me. Turns me off real quick . . .

[deg1114]

Got into a cab in Barcelona and the driver asked where we were from and the response was, "Oh WKRP!" I would say Cincinnati got some recognition but not added tourism. But with that in mind, I think there should be a WKRP tour. Boston has Cheers and it does well for the Bull & Finch anyway.

[shyspider]

I don't think the show created any additional tourism for the city. What was there to look at...the place where they dropped turkeys out of a helicopter? More than anything all the show did was give the city skyline, and a few other sites, a bit of publicity. The whole "Oh, you're from Cincinnati? WKRP!" thing got really old.

[deg1114]

Originally Posted by shyspider

What was there to look at...the place where they dropped turkeys out of a helicopter?

Maybe, "tour" isn't the best choice of words but more of a guide. I watched the show when it was in repeats on WGN and would try to figure out the locations they would show in between the scenes. I know the tower no longer stands and the office was in the old Enquirer building and of course Fountain Square, but things like Jennifer's apartment building - I'm sure some of it isn't even in Cincinnati but I know the producers used a lot of local buildings and such.

[shyspider]

Originally Posted by deg1114

Maybe, "tour" isn't the best choice of words but more of a guide. I watched the show when it was in repeats on WGN and would try to figure out the locations they would show in between the scenes. I know the tower no longer stands and the office was in the old Enquirer building and of course Fountain Square, but things like Jennifer's apartment building - I'm sure some of it isn't even in Cincinnati but I know the producers used a lot of local buildings and such.

Oh...you mean like a brochure that can be picked up at a tourist booth that highlights where various scenes are located which were seen in the show? That's an idea.

Don't hold me to this, but I thought Jennifer's apartment was in Queen's Tower in Price Hill. I might be wrong, but can't you see the skyline out her window...? Gosh, I don't remember that much from the show.

[mkfarnam]

Originally Posted by shyspider

Oh...you mean like a brochure that can be picked up at a tourist booth that highlights where various scenes are located which were seen in the show? That's an idea.

Don't hold me to this, but I thought Jennifer's apartment was in Queen's Tower in Price Hill. I might be wrong, but can't you see the skyline out her window...? Gosh, I don't remember that much from the show.

If you were in Jennifer's room, you wouldn't have time to be looking out the window.

[goyguy]

What "Cheers" had and "WKRP" never did was an actual place to see in person.
There could be a Cincinnati-in-show-biz map put together, but that would take some doing. At least for a while, many movies set in 19th- and early-20th-Century New York City were filmed on Dayton St since its rowhouses are "authentic." The transmission towers for WKRC and 'Q (which probably inspired the "WKRP" of the show's title) are on a hillside in Mt Auburn, but including them would be a stretch. Hmmmmm..."Traffic" was said to have been filmed on location in Indian Hill and OTR, though subsequent rumor had it that the Indian Hill mansion was actually one in Walnut Hills. The Clooneys (particularly Rosemary and George) are universally recognized, but their actual home base is a ways upriver in Augusta, KY. I don't know whether Doris Day's childhood house on the west side is still there. Carmen Electra's family place in White Oak is. There's perennial talk of making the old King Records building in Evanston a museum of some kind - only talk.
Scratch that idea!