WKRP in Cincinnati Episode Ratings Heatmap
1978 · 4 Seasons · 90 Episodes · Overall Score: 5.8/10 (90 rated)
Season 1 holds the highest collective average score across the series.
Season 1 Details →Lowest score variance (σ = 0.8), maintaining an average of 6.6.
Complete Episode Rating Matrix
Interactive score chart by season and episode number. Darker green indicates higher ratings; amber and red denote lower reception.
| Episode | Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ep 1 | 7.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 8.0 |
| Ep 2 | 7.0 | 5.0 | 6.5 | 8.0 |
| Ep 3 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 7.5 | 5.0 |
| Ep 4 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 6.5 | 5.0 |
| Ep 5 | 7.7 | 5.0 | 2.3 | 5.0 |
| Ep 6 | 7.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Ep 7 | 9.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Ep 8 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 6.5 |
| Ep 9 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 7.3 |
| Ep 10 | 7.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Ep 11 | 7.0 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 5.0 |
| Ep 12 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 7.7 | 5.0 |
| Ep 13 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 6.5 | 5.0 |
| Ep 14 | 7.0 | 5.0 | 6.5 | 5.0 |
| Ep 15 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 6.5 | 5.0 |
| Ep 16 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Ep 17 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Ep 18 | 7.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Ep 19 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Ep 20 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Ep 21 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Ep 22 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 5.0 |
| Ep 23 | – | 5.0 | – | – |
| Ep 24 | – | 5.0 | – | – |
| Season Avg | 6.6 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
Ratings Analysis & Trajectory
Across 4 seasons and 90 episodes, WKRP in Cincinnati has earned an overall series rating of 5.8 out of 10. The series reached its critical peak early, showing a slight contraction in audience satisfaction in later chapters.
The single highest-rated hour of television in the series is Season 1, Episode 7 ("Turkeys Away"), rated at an extraordinary 9.0/10 with 4 ratings. Conversely, the lowest-rated installment is Season 3, Episode 5 ("Hotel Oceanview"), landing at 2.3/10.
The most precipitous single-episode shift occurred in Season 3 between Episode 4 ("The Baby", 6.5) and Episode 5 ("Hotel Oceanview", 2.3), a swing of 4.2 points.
Top 10 Highest Rated Episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati
| Rank | Episode | Title | Score | Votes | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Season 1, Ep 7 | Turkeys Away | 9.0 | 4 | Oct 30, 1978 |
| #2 | Season 2, Ep 19 | In Concert | 8.0 | 3 | Feb 11, 1980 |
| #3 | Season 4, Ep 1 | An Explosive Affair (Part 1) | 8.0 | 1 | Oct 7, 1981 |
| #4 | Season 4, Ep 2 | An Explosive Affair (Part 2) | 8.0 | 1 | Oct 14, 1981 |
| #5 | Season 1, Ep 5 | Hold-Up | 7.7 | 3 | Oct 16, 1978 |
| #6 | Season 3, Ep 12 | Venus and the Man | 7.7 | 3 | Jan 31, 1981 |
| #7 | Season 3, Ep 3 | Real Families | 7.5 | 2 | Nov 15, 1980 |
| #8 | Season 4, Ep 9 | The Consultant | 7.3 | 3 | Dec 30, 1981 |
| #9 | Season 3, Ep 22 | Clean Up Radio Everywhere | 7.0 | 3 | Apr 12, 1981 |
| #10 | Season 1, Ep 1 | Pilot (1) | 7.0 | 2 | Sep 18, 1978 |