27 Facts About Herb Tarlek

Herb Tarlek was played by actor Frank Bonner, who reprised the role for the sequel series The New WKRP in Cincinnati.

The station's poor performance prevents Herb Tarlek from securing deals with major advertising agencies.

Herb Tarlek is able to keep the station financially solvent through the subprime advertising market, courting unconventional advertisers.

Herb Tarlek was not beneath recruiting less reputable advertisers to buy airtime on WKRP, such as Dave Wickerman, whose "diet pills" turned out to be a legalized form of speed.

Herb Tarlek is best known for his atrocious taste in clothes.

Herb Tarlek always wears a white belt and white shoes; most of his suits are made of polyester and are covered in loud plaid patterns.

Herb Tarlek is one of the few cast members to embrace disco; when Johnny Fever transmogrifies into the smarmy, disco-loving Rip Tide, Herb and Rip become fast friends.

Herb Tarlek prefers personal luxury cars for what he believes is necessary for a job of his caliber.

Herb Tarlek sometimes tries to make money by doing other things on the side, like selling life insurance or running a numbers racket.

Herb Tarlek often uses the phrase "Hokay, fine" when acknowledging news or decisions that are not wholly to his liking.

At WKRP, Herb Tarlek is considered a troublemaker and "general jackass" by his co-workers, but they all have a certain grudging affection for him.

Herb Tarlek tries to convey the impression that he is a hard working, clean-living all-American guy, but as the episode goes on, the TV hosts systematically expose his incompetence as a worker and as a family man.

Herb Tarlek's mother is said to have died circa 1976; a brother is briefly mentioned, but it is established only that this brother doesn't keep in touch with the family.

Herb Tarlek's father is more charming than his son, and more successful at his trade, as proven when he sells an entire collection of knockoff Indian jewelry to Carlson in the episode "Herb Tarlek's Dad".

Nonetheless, Bailey is later proven right as Herb Tarlek becomes so nervous at even the remotest thought of his fantasies finally coming true that he begins to hyperventilate, as well as admitting to Jennifer that he feels guilty over the possibility of cheating on his wife.

Herb Tarlek tends to drink too much, and at one point, his three-martini lunches with clients leads him to the brink of full-blown alcoholism.

Despondent, Herb Tarlek is eventually forced to face up to his issues by station manager Arthur Carlson, who convinces him to get the problem under control before it is too late.

Herb Tarlek has a fondness for pornographic movies with titles like Kick Me, Kiss Me, and in one episode he sneaks out of the hospital to take Les Nessman to a theater where they show adult films in 3-D.

Herb Tarlek sometimes writes letters to Penthouse magazine, though they are never published.

Out of his co-workers at the station, Herb Tarlek tends to be the closest to Les Nessman.

Les and Herb Tarlek tend to have a love-hate relationship, as Herb Tarlek routinely insults and derides Les.

At one point, a jealous Herb Tarlek tried to have Les' date with Jennifer for an awards banquet broken by manipulating Mr Carlson, and at another time even goosed Les' mother, thinking she was Les in drag, only to be confronted by an infuriated Les moments afterward.

In turn, Les seriously injured Herb Tarlek when pulling him along on a hang glider for a promotional stunt.

One time Herb Tarlek actually loaned Les his speed boat only for Les to describe to Herb Tarlek how the trailer hitch came apart.

When Herb Tarlek's wife threw him out, Les pleaded Herb Tarlek's case to the others at the station so he could have a place to stay.

One writer, PJ Torokvei, said that horribly flawed characters like Herb Tarlek were more interesting to write for than a more self-assured character like Jennifer Marlowe.

The role of Herb Tarlek was originally offered to the character actor Rod McCary, but he turned it down to appear in another series.