"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!"
Just say that to any fan of classic sitcoms, and you will be met with a laugh. It is the ending line of dialogue from the 1978 Thanksgiving episode of the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati.
In 1997, it was voted one of the 100 TV episodes of all time, and for good reason - it's hysterical!
Set at a struggling radio station in Cincinnati, Travis (Gary Sandy), the new Station Manager, learns that Arthur, a/k/a “The Big Guy” (Gordon Jump), the clueless General Manager, has come up with a Thanksgiving promotional idea, but only involves two other members of WKRP, newsman Les Nessman (Richard Sanders) and sales manager Herb Tarlek (Frank Bonner), in on the secret.
The other members of the cast - Travis, DJ Dr. Johnny Fever (Howard Hessemen), Venus Fly Trap (Tim Reid), and reporter Bailey Quarters (Jan Smithers), find out what the big promo is, as it is being broadcast live. And it is..
SPOILER ALERT!
...Mr. Carlson and Herb drop live turkeys out of a helicopter, flying above a shopping mall, as Les reports below. The turkeys come crashing to earth (off-screen) and with all of the drama of the Hindenburg disaster (even shouting, "Oh, the humanity!"), Les provides play-by-play.
When Mr. Carlson returns to the station, where everyone is waiting, including secretary Jennifer Marlowe (Loni Anderson), he utters the aforementioned "As God is my witness..." line.
Rightly so, "Turkeys Away" has become a classic and required Thanksgiving season viewing for so many. It is also credited with helping to save WKRP in Cincinnati and pulling the show out of its ratings slump.
In 2018, for the episode's 40th anniversary, Screen Saver provided a traditional look back (Look for it in November 2018 in the Archives to the right). Five years later, here are thoughts, celebrating "Turkeys Away" from others, including writers, fans and those who worked on the show:
“…among those of a certain age or those possessing a certain amount of Thanksgiving pop culture knowledge, it remains A touchstone. That's partly because the jokes still hold up and partly because it ends with a perfectly quotable mic drop of a last line... “ - Jen Chaney, Vulture.com,
"The opportunity to see Les Nessman recount the falling of the turkeys in the style of the Hindenburg was just tears to your eyes. I mean, who takes on the Hindenburg and does a comedy? Takes one of the great tragedies in this country and puts it in a comedy show? We went there." - Actor Tim Reid (Venus Fly Trap), "Turkeys Away An Oral History," The Classic TV History Blog.
"Back when there were three networks and no cable, almost every weekly sitcom had a holiday show, usually at Christmas, usually ham-fisted, usually outright hammy. You'd change the channel, but you'd still be watching a holiday show on another channel. This episode was different." - IMDb user AlsExGal
"Not one show ever generated the amount of mail, the amount of interest, as a show we did our very first season." - Actor Gary Sandy (Travis), introducing "Turkeys Away" during a taped segment when it aired during a rerun.
"I know that referring to this episode as the best episode ever of any show ever might be a bold statement, but going to stick with it. Over 40 years since this episode came out, and after I personally have watched this particular episode dozens of times, I still laugh until I cry every single time I watch it." - IMDb user okalhomasooners.
"I meet people for the first time, and if we get to talking and it somehow comes up that I created WKRP, they immediately start saying, “As God is my witness, I didn’t know turkeys could fly.” It’s rather amazing that the line itself is [legendary]. I’m just thrilled and tickled to death by it." - WKRP in Cincinnati creator, writer, and producer Hugh Wilson "Turkeys Away An Oral History," The Classic TV History Blog.
Wishing everyone a Happy and High-Flying Thanksgiving!
Sources:
Classictvhistory.wordpress.com
IMDb.com
Vulture.com
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