“The Tarleks came from the west — they grooved. White belts shining in the pounding sun …”

WKRP’s own leisure suit-wearing Herb Tarlek will be in Toronto Wednesday to star in the video for the Rheostatics’ new song, “The Tarleks.”

The quote from the song, and some mighty fine commentary about the new Rheostatics album, can be found on thismagazine’s blog.

Of course, we have all forgotten that Herb, Lucille, Herb the Third and WKRP were the subject of the first reality tv show: “Real Families.”

SPCA Worker: Mr Tarlek had placed some ducks in the window of Hunter’s Department Store as an advertising gimmick with his radio station. At noon, one, two and three PM, the ducks would do a little dance, sort of a jitterbug.
TV Hostess: Mr Tarlek had trained the ducks?
SPCA Worker: No, the ducks danced on a little stage made of aluminum foil. We discovered that under that, Mr Tarlek had placed a hot plate. He would turn it up, and the ducks would dance, and he would turn it off and the ducks would go on about their business. You know the interesting thing about this case was that this man Tarlek and another man named Carlson were cited for throwing live turkeys out of a helicopter to their deaths.