Bailey Quarters
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Bailey Quarters is a character on the television sitcom ''
WKRP in Cincinnati ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' is an American sitcom television series about the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio broadcasting, radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson (director), Hugh Wilson ...
''. She was played by actress
Jan Smithers Karin Jan Smithers (born July 3, 1949) is an American actress. She is known for playing Bailey Quarters on the CBS sitcom ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' (1978–1982). Life and career Smithers grew up with her parents and three sisters in Woodland Hil ...
, and was based on creator Hugh Wilson's wife.


WKRP roles

Bailey originally came from Chicago with a degree in journalism from
Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
, where she graduated
summa cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...
. Her ambition is eventually to be a broadcasting executive, but though intelligent and talented, she was held back early on by her extreme shyness and fear of speaking up. In the earliest episodes, station manager
Arthur Carlson Arthur Carlson, aka "The Big Guy" is a fictional character on the television situation comedy ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' (1978–82), the general manager of the low-rated Cincinnati radio station WKRP. The character was also a regular on the "reviv ...
could not even remember who she was or whether "Bailey" was a man or a woman. She is originally in charge of just the billing and station traffic, but that changes when
Andy Travis Andy Travis is a fictional character on the television situation comedy ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' (1978–82). He was played by Gary Sandy. Travis was originally intended to be the lead character, the more-or-less normal person who would anchor the ...
takes over as the program director of WKRP. One of his first acts is to give Bailey more duties, including being an on-air news reporter, over the strenuous objections of sales manager
Herb Tarlek Herbert Ruggles Tarlek, Jr. is a character on the television situation comedy ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' (1978–1982). He was played by actor Frank Bonner, who reprised the role for the sequel series ''The New WKRP in Cincinnati''. Sales manager no ...
and news director
Les Nessman Lester "Les" Nessman Jr. is a fictional character on the television situation comedy ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' (1978–82) played by Richard Sanders. He reprised his role in the sequel series, ''The New WKRP in Cincinnati''. Background and appeara ...
, who feels threatened. In the episode "Dear Liar", a take-off on the
Janet Cooke Janet Leslie Cooke (born July 23, 1954) is an American former journalist. She received a Pulitzer Prize in 1981 for an article written for ''The Washington Post''. The story was later discovered to have been fabricated and Cooke returned the Pul ...
scandal, Bailey writes a news story that is partly fictional, which could have cost the station its
broadcast license A broadcast license is a type of spectrum license granting the licensee permission to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses generally include restrictions, which vary ...
, though it was still in its initial draft and Bailey had not committed to using it. It only becomes an issue when Les jealously plagiarizes it on the air. Eventually the professional relationship between Les and Bailey becomes less strained, with Les allowing her more freedom and input on the station's news reporting. During the episode " In Concert", when reporting on the tragedy at the December 3, 1979 concert by
The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
at
Riverfront Coliseum Heritage Bank Center is an indoor arena located in downtown Cincinnati, next to the Great American Ball Park. It was completed in September 1975 and named Riverfront Coliseum because of its placement next to Riverfront Stadium. In 1997, the fac ...
(which Bailey had attended and Les didn't), Les brings a depressed Bailey's spirits up by telling her "we're newsmen… well, newspersons" and telling her he needs her help to cover the story responsibly. As the series goes on, Bailey becomes more assertive and more able to speak up for herself. She undergoes subtle changes in her hairstyle and appears in eyeglasses less and less. She becomes better at standing up to her nemesis Herb; in one episode, she throws lighted matches at Herb's polyester suit, threatening to set it on fire. By the second season, she has evolved into a serious and dependable career-minded woman who brings "a measure of sanity" to the station. By the fourth season, she has developed to be on an equal footing with her co-workers. She becomes increasingly associated with
environmentalism Environmentalism or environmental rights is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement regarding concerns for environmental protection and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seek ...
and other activist causes. One episode begins with her circulating a petition against
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; in another episode, she mentions that she spent the weekend campaigning for the
Equal Rights Amendment The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Proponents assert it would end legal distinctions between men and ...
. In the episode "Circumstantial Evidence", while testifying in court, she starts complaining to the judge about the plight of baby
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and
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. Some of these character traits came from the actress who played Bailey,
Jan Smithers Karin Jan Smithers (born July 3, 1949) is an American actress. She is known for playing Bailey Quarters on the CBS sitcom ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' (1978–1982). Life and career Smithers grew up with her parents and three sisters in Woodland Hil ...
, who was herself involved with animal-rights and clean-energy causes; as with many of the ''WKRP'' characters, elements of the actor were incorporated into the character, giving the character more depth as the show went on. Although Bailey did not appear in the sequel series, ''
The New WKRP in Cincinnati ''The New WKRP in Cincinnati'' is an American sitcom television series that aired in first-run syndication from September 7, 1991, to May 22, 1993, as a sequel to the original CBS sitcom ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' (1978–82). As with the original '' ...
'', it is revealed that she later left broadcasting and became the mayor of
Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...
(an ironic fate for an Ohio State grad, as Ann Arbor is the home of OSU's great rival, the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
). Bailey's character was overshadowed by that of
Jennifer Marlowe Jennifer Elizabeth Marlowe is a character on the CBS sitcom ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' (1978–82). She was played by actress Loni Anderson, who received three Golden Globe Award and two Emmy Award nominations for playing the character. Fictional ch ...
(played by
Loni Anderson Loni Kaye Anderson (born August 5, 1945) is an American actress who played receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on the CBS sitcom ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' (1978–1982), which earned her three Golden Globe Awards and two Emmy Award nominations. Early ...
), the blonde bombshell of the station. The relationship between Jennifer and Bailey has often been likened to that between
Ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices ...
and Mary Ann from ''
Gilligan's Island ''Gilligan's Island'' is an American sitcom created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz. The show's ensemble cast features Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells. It aired for thr ...
''. Two generations of American males were judged by their answers to the question "Ginger or Mary Ann?" and "Jennifer or Bailey?", and both sets of women became cultural icons of their generations.


Personal life

Bailey has an on-again, off-again romance with
Dr. Johnny Fever Dr. Johnny Fever is a fictional character on the American television sitcom ''WKRP in Cincinnati''. He was inspired by Skinny Bobby Harper, who previously had been a DJ in Atlanta and on Cincinnati's Top 40 station WSAI. The character was portra ...
. In the early episodes, it is suggested that Bailey looks up to Johnny as her mentor in the world of broadcasting, but that she also has a schoolgirl crush on him, which leads her to ask him out on a date in the second-season opener, "For Love or Money". In the third season, Bailey and Fever are seen in the bullpen lounging on the couch together with Bailey's arm familiarly placed around Johnny's shoulders ("Out to Lunch"). By the fourth season, their relationship develops into what Smithers characterized as "more adult", giving both characters another dimension to develop.Krupnick, Jerry, "Despite dial-switching, WKRP keeps on surviving", ''Montreal Gazette'' (February 4, 1982) p D10
/ref> However, their relationship never seems to go further than the occasional date. (It is implied at the end of "For Love or Money" and "Mike Fright" that they have had at least casual sexual relations, though in both cases, it could be discounted as hyperbole.) In season four's "Rumors", when Johnny stays at Bailey's place for a few days, Bailey is infuriated by the gossip that they are sleeping together, disappointing Johnny, who was hoping that the rumors would come true. While her friend Jennifer dates mostly wealthy older men, Bailey seems to have a different taste in men, dating not only Johnny but also (in the episode "In Concert") a manic-depressive divinity student with a serious drinking problem. In the episode "The Americanization of Ivan", Bailey is the focus of a
Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
defector's attentions; although he wishes her help in defecting to the U.S., the Russian is also smitten with her good looks. In the episode "Jennifer Falls in Love", Bailey enters a nearly daydream-like state when merely listening to Jennifer's description of her new blond repairman boyfriend named Steel, and is almost incapable of coherent conversation when she finally meets him. Her occasional references to her family suggest that she does not get along well with her parents, which may explain why she left Chicago. In one episode, she mentions that a visit home consists of relatives asking her if she's "Involved? Engaged? Pregnant?" In another episode, she attempts to describe her relationship with her father, but is left speechless with anger. In a third episode, Mr. Carlson mentions that "I talked to Bailey's father and he said I could shoot her." Bailey's best friend at the station is
Jennifer Jennifer or Jenifer may refer to: People *Jennifer (given name) * Jenifer (singer), French pop singer * Jennifer Warnes, American singer who formerly used the stage name Jennifer * Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer * Daniel Jenifer Film and tele ...
, with whom she often discusses relationship matters (such as obliquely referring to her crush on Johnny, or giving Jennifer advice on how to deal with Herb). She also has a strong friendship with
Venus Flytrap The Venus flytrap (''Dionaea muscipula'') is a carnivorous plant native to subtropical wetlands on the East Coast of the United States in North Carolina and South Carolina. It catches its prey—chiefly insects and arachnids—with a trapping ...
.


Casting and inspiration

Jan Smithers was one of the few ''WKRP'' cast members who was the first choice for the role she played. Creator Hugh Wilson said that despite Smithers' lack of experience (she had never done a situation comedy before), she was perfect for the character of Bailey as he had conceived her: "Other actresses read better for the part," Wilson recalled, "but they were ''playing'' shy. Jan ''was'' shy." Wilson had based the character on Charters Smith, whom Wilson would eventually marry in 1979.


Cultural references and gender roles

Bailey Quarters is cited as an example of how 1970s' sitcoms reflected changing views of gender and women's roles in society and the workplace. One aspect of this is the expectation that women would be treated equally as men. The character of Bailey joined WKRP with a journalism degree and advanced from creating promotions to writing news copy to news broadcasting. This progression confirmed that hard work and talent would be rewarded, reinforced values of equality and diversity, and provided female viewers with reassurance of seeing a friendly, supportive workplace, and a character that struggled to be assertive and to overcome shyness, succeeding in gaining the respect of her coworkers. Even insecure, shy and chauvinistic newsman Les learns to accept assistance in his job from a woman as he learns to respect Bailey's ability and also respect Bailey as a person. Bailey Quarters is contrasted not only with the other principal female character, receptionist Jennifer Marlowe, but also with the male characters. In contrast to Jennifer, Bailey seeks recognition in a "man's" field of journalism for her work in that field. Jennifer and Bailey offer, in a blonde-brunette dyad typical of sitcoms of the era, contrasting portrayals of female sexuality from opposite ends of the spectrum. In Bailey, male viewers saw a real woman who they could possibly actually have met and developed a relationship with, while Jennifer Marlowe was an idealized woman who did not really exist in the common experience of most male viewers. Bailey demonstrated that a woman could be smart and nerdy, but also exceptionally beautiful (Jan Smithers was a teen and fashion model in real life, including an iconic appearance on the cover of ''Newsweek'' in March 1966 representing the mid-60s, pre-hippie youth of America). The methodology with which the contrasts, differences and values between the traditional female character traits of Jennifer Marlowe and the more modern, liberal, feminist character traits of Bailey Quarters were drawn and explored made ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' a uniquely insightful and interesting production, with the character of Bailey Quarters becoming an everywoman feminist icon of the 1970s, expressing a less radical, and more realistic, feminism that many women viewers of the program could relate to. Bailey Quarters was one of the first media examples of the popular naming convention of use of a surname as a first name.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quarters, Bailey Television characters introduced in 1978 WKRP in Cincinnati characters Fictional reporters Fictional radio personalities Fictional characters from Cincinnati Fictional characters from Chicago