The New WKRP in Cincinnati
Actor Character Seasons Notes
Gordon Jump Arthur Carlson ( Big Guy ) 1-2 The middle-aged general manager , whose main qualification for the job is that his business tycoon mother is the owner . His bumbling , indecisive management is one of the main reasons the station is unprofitable , although he is a decent man and something of a father-figure to his employees
Frank Bonner Herb Tarlek 1-2 Boorish , tasteless advertising sales manager , who wears loud plaid suits , with his belt matching his white shoes . While Herb is portrayed as buffoonish most of the time , he does occasionally show a sympathetic side , particularly towards Art Jr. , whom he feels he needs to protect though there 's no love lost between the two
Richard Sanders Les Nessman 1-2 Fastidious , bow-tied news reporter , who approaches his job with absurd seriousness . In between the original series and the revival , Les married and divorced a woman named Demi , an unseen character who still looms large in his life . Les is also now an eight-time winner of the Buckeye Newshawk Award , up from five during the original series
Mykelti Williamson Donovan Aderhold 1-2 The station 's new program director , Aderhold fills the same position held by Andy Travis , who had left the station some time after the end of the original series . He has also worked with former WKRP morning DJ Dr. Johnny Fever at a radio station in Pittsburgh . Near the end of the series , he falls in love and , pursuing his new flame , leaves the station ; when he attempts to return in the penultimate episode , his plane disappears , with his fate never resolved
Hope Alexander-Willis Claire Hartline 1 The station 's traffic and continuity director , who is kind and levelheaded , and one of the few competent employees at the station . Claire disappears without comment or explanation at the end of season 1 , and the character is never referenced again ( and her job position at the station is not replaced )
Howard Hesseman Dr. Johnny Fever ( ne Johnny Caravella ) 1-2 ( recurring ) Former WKRP morning man who often drops by the station between jobs in various cities . ( As Herb complains , He only shows up here when he 's broke ! ) Partway through the second season , the station 's never-seen overnight jock ( Moss Steiger , carrying over from the original series ) dies , and Johnny is hired to take over the WKRP night shift , billing himself as The Night Doctor . After a run of several episodes , he leaves the station to pursue a sitcom opportunity in LA . Though it does n't pan out , Johnny decides to stay in LA , and the character exits the series
John Chappell Buddy Dornster 1-2 ( recurring ) The station 's hopelessly lazy chief engineer . Buddy is the brother of Bucky Dornster ( Bill Dial ) , who held the same job on the original WKRP , and who appears in a cameo on the revival . John Chappell appeared as Reverend Drinkwater in the Preacher episode of the original WKRP
Carol Bruce Lillian Mama Carlson 1-2 ( recurring ) Arthur Carlson 's ruthless , domineering mother and the owner of WKRP
Michael Des Barres Jack Allen 1 One-half of WKRP 's morning team , Burns & Allen , the Morning Manaics . Jack 's marriage to broadcasting partner Dana Burns is extremely volatile ; the two are perpetually on the brink of divorce and constantly spar verbally both on the air and off . Dana does in fact leave Jack partway through season one , and Jack continues at the station as a solo DJ . However , the character stops appearing after the end of season one , and is never referenced again . Des Barres appeared in one episode of the original series as Dog of the band Scum Of The Earth
Kathleen Garrett Dana Burns 1 The other half of the Burns & Allen morning team , who is both sharp-tongued and feisty . Garret left the series about half-way through the first season , and her character was written out - but she still appeared in the opening credits of every first-season episode
Wendy Davis Ronnie Lee 1 ( recurring ) The quiet-but-friendly , and efficient receptionist . A fairly minor character , she leaves partway through season 1 to get her master 's degree
Tawny Kitaen Mona Loveland 1-2 The station 's new nighttime DJ , hired by Aderhold , she joins the cast a few episodes in . Beautiful and talented , Mona is also exceptionally intelligent , much like Jennifer Marlowe in the original series . Kitaen left the series before the end of season 2 , but is credited in the final five episodes despite her character having been written out
Katherine Moffatt Edna Grinbody 1-2 ( recurring ) Head of the Cincinnati League Of Decency ( CLOD ) , and an occasional complainant about the station 's on-air practices . Often manipulated into serving the station 's interests , due to her infatuation with Johnny
Lightfield Lewis Arthur Carlson , Jr 1 Obnoxious , spoiled , proto-yuppie who is brought into WKRP as the new assistant sales manager working under Herb . ( Although as he reminds everybody , his grandmother owns the station , so he expects to be moving up the ladder quickly . ) Brought in a few episodes into the run , Art Jr. was written out after season 1 , though still occasionally referenced . The character was played - as a child - in one episode of the original WKRP by Sparky Marcus
Marla Jeanette Rubinoff Nancy Braithwaite 1-2 Nancy is initially seen in a single episode as an attractive , though somewhat ditzy ad rep who is unaccountably lustful for Herb Tarlek . After Ronnie leaves WKRP , Nancy successfully schemes to get Ronnie 's old job , mostly so she can continue to try seducing Herbie . Although initially a recurring player , actress Rubinoff quickly worked her way up to a co-starring role in the opening credits
French Stewart Razor D 2 The new morning DJ as of season 2 . An eccentric former monk , Razor has almost no radio experience to speak of , but has strong natural talent
Main characters -- Regulars
The New WKRP in Cincinnati is an American sitcom that aired in first-run syndication from September 14, 1991, to May 1, 1993, as a sequel to the original CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati (1978-82). As with the original WKRP, MTM Enterprises produced the show. Gordon Jump (Arthur Carlson), Frank Bonner (Herb Tarlek), and Richard Sanders (Les Nessman) reprised their roles from the original show, while Howard Hesseman reprised the role of Dr. Johnny Fever on a recurring basis (four episodes in the first season, then five in season two). Other original cast members came in for guest spots, with Loni Anderson (Jennifer Marlowe) returning for two episodes and Tim Reid (D.J. Gordon Sims/Venus Flytrap) for one episode. Other recurring players from the original series who appeared as guests on this sequel show included Carol Bruce (Lillian Mama Carlson), Edie McClurg (Lucille Tarlek), Allyn Ann McLerie (Carmen Carlson) and Bill Dial (Bucky Dornster). The week before the show's premiere, many stations carrying the program aired the hour-long WKRP in Cincinnati 50th Anniversary Special, centered on a newspaper reporter interviewing Arthur Carlson about the fictitious station's golden anniversary, which served as a setup to show clips of memorable moments from the original series.