Dan Gould Posted September 23, 2003 Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 The actor who portrayed "Big Guy" Arthur Carlson on WKRP in Cincinnati died Monday. He certainly was perfect in that role. My favorite line came at the end of his Thanksgiving promotion, one of the funniest sitcom episodes of all time: "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." Gordon Jump of 'WKRP', Maytag ads dies Tuesday, September 23, 2003 Posted: 12:59 AM EDT (0459 GMT) LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Gordon Jump, who played a befuddled radio station manager on the sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati" and made his mark in commercials as the lonely Maytag repairman, died Monday. He was 71. Jump suffered from pulmonary fibrosis, said his cousin, Katherine Jump Wagner. The illness causes scarring of the air sacs of the lungs, leading to heart or respiratory failure. Wagner, of Arcanum, Ohio, said she learned of her cousin's death from her father, also named Gordon Jump. Her cousin was under hospice care at his home southeast of Los Angeles, she said. Jump played Arthur Carlson in "WKRP in Cincinnati," which aired on CBS from 1978-82 and featured Gary Sandy, Loni Anderson, Tim Reid, Howard Hesseman and Richard Sanders as the ragtag station's crew. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Jump began his career working at radio and TV stations in the Midwest. He worked behind the microphone and the camera, including jobs as a producer for Kansas and Ohio stations. Jump portrayed the Maytag repairman "Ol' Lonely," a well-recognized advertising symbol, from 1989 until he retired from the role in July and another actor took over. "Gordon was an incredibly talented actor and a remarkable human being," said Ralph Hake, chairman and chief executive officer of Maytag Corp. Jump came to appreciate the attention he got for the ad campaign and the steady work it provided, Wagner said. But his heart was elsewhere professionally. "What he loved more than anything was doing theater. He was a marvelous actor," she said, recalling a visit to Florida to watch him perform in "Norman, Is That You?" Jump began his Hollywood career after moving to Los Angeles in 1963, appearing on series including "Daniel Boone," "Get Smart" and "The Partridge Family." His dramatic roles included a part in the TV movie "Ruby and Oswald," about the assassination of President Kennedy, and "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes." Jump is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son, Maytag said in a statement. He also had a brother, Wagner said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralphie_boy Posted September 23, 2003 Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 He was good! I also enjoyed his short reign as George's boss on Seinfeld. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted September 23, 2003 Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 He made a good Maytag Repairman too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catesta Posted September 23, 2003 Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 Bummer. I just started watching WKRP again on TVland. RIP Mr. Carlson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted September 23, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 I didn't know TVLand was running KRP, and I can't find it on their website. So when are you seeing it, Chris? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacman Posted September 23, 2003 Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 RIP Big Guy. WKRP was one of the great sitcoms of all time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catesta Posted September 23, 2003 Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 Dan, it comes on the weekends only. http://www.tvland.com/schedule/TVL_weekly....l?day=22&zone=2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted September 23, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 Thanks Chris. Still trying to figure out TVLand's schedule chart, once I do that, I'll just need to figure out how to program the VCR ... ... er, maybe it will be better to wait for them to get their stuff together and just put the series out on DVD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catesta Posted September 23, 2003 Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 TVLand frustrates the hell out of me all the time. Why the hell they insist on showing I Love Lucy, Dick Van Dyke, and Andy Griffith all the time, puzzles the hell out me. Great shows I know, but I can see any of them seven days a week on multiple stations. WKRP should be running during the week in prime time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted September 23, 2003 Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 RIP, Big Guy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted September 23, 2003 Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 RIP Big Guy. Thanks for the laughs. Anyone remember the episode of “Diff’rent Strokes” where he played a child molester? That took guts, playing against type. WAAAAY against type. Favorite WKRP episode: the one where Venus and Johnny do the live on-air drunk test, and Johnny’s reflexes only get better the more he drinks. The scene where Venus stumbles into Carlson’s office looking for a hat; Gordon Jump said more with his face in that scene than any words could have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted September 23, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 I was thinking about that Dif'rent Strokes episode, definitely not expected, but as expected, he did a fine job. And yes, that episode with the state trooper testing reflexes was priceless, as Johnny's improvement pretty much drove him nuts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzdog Posted September 23, 2003 Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 Favorite WKRP episode: the one where Venus and Johnny do the live on-air drunk test, and Johnny’s reflexes only get better the more he drinks. The scene where Venus stumbles into Carlson’s office looking for a hat; Gordon Jump said more with his face in that scene than any words could have. That scene spawned my favorite line fromt he show (as well as the Turkey line) "On the air? I AM the air" I also love the scene where the Big Guy uses the cocaine as foot powder! RIP Big Guy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BERIGAN Posted September 23, 2003 Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 RIP! Same disease that Jerry Lewis is fighting.... Dan, I read recently (Something posted on the board?) That because of he music used during the shows that it would cost millions to get the rights, so not likely in the near future to see the shows on DVD....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted September 23, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 (edited) That would explain why, in the Amazon customer reviews of the VHS set, people were bitching and moaning that original music was replaced by 'stock' music. It didn't prevent them from putting out a VHS set, why should it prevent them from doing it properly with a DVD set? Granted, it makes the production costs a bit higher, having to post in generic music, but still ... Edited September 23, 2003 by Dan Gould Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeb Posted September 23, 2003 Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 Two of my favorite 'KRP scenes: The one where the Big Guy opens the door to the darkroom where film is being developed to tell the guy he'll wait outside ... ... and the one where the station is having an "impossible-to-win" contest, something like playing a tenth of a second of seven or eight songs, and the first caller nails it. Priceless! RIP, Mr. Jump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted September 23, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2003 ... and the one where the station is having an "impossible-to-win" contest, something like playing a tenth of a second of seven or eight songs, and the first caller nails it. Priceless! Funny, I almost felt the same way when some of the responses appeared on my Blindfold Test! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul secor Posted September 24, 2003 Report Share Posted September 24, 2003 He made the Big Guy a real person, where many actors would have made him a cartoon. You were good, Gordon Jump. R.I.P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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