Bill Dial Passes

TrekToday · June 8 2008, 02:01 AM

William Allen Dial passed away on Monday, June 2 after suffering a heart attack.

As reported by Radio-Info.com, Dial, best-known for his work on WKRP in Cincinnati died at his home in South Carolina.

Steve Stoliar, former secretary to Dial, confirmed the death. "Sorry to say, it's true. Bill Dial died of a heart attack at age sixty-six at his home in South Carolina. [Dial's obituary lists him as being sixty-four.] He'd had some health problems of late, and it finally caught up with him. He was a wonderful man whose influence on my life, personally and professionally, is incalculable. After he moved to Beaufort, we used to email each other whenever a celebrity would pass away, confessing varying degrees of sadness at their passing. Little did I know that Bill would be joining them so soon."

Dial wrote for Star Trek He was a co-writer on Deep Space Nine: The Alternate and he wrote another episode for the series, Tribunal. Dial also penned a Star Trek: Voyager episode, writing the initial teleplay for Eye of the Needle.

But Dial is best known for writing the Turkeys Away episode of WKRP in Cincinnati where general manager Arthur Carlson stages a Thanksgiving promotion where twenty live turkeys are dropped from a helicopter over a shopping center to unsuspecting shoppers. The problem is, turkeys can't fly! The episode was rated by TV Guide as the fortieth greatest episode in television history.

In addition to his work on both Star Trek and WKRP in Cincinnati, Dial worked as a writer, executive producer and creative consultant on shows such as Harper Valley P.T.A., Simon and Simon, Code Name: Foxfire and The New WKRP in Cincinnati. Most recently, he wrote for and was executive consultant on 18 Wheels of Justice, a Spike TV series.

Dial appeared in front of the camera in two episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati as Bucky Dornster, the beer-drinking engineer of WKRP, and also in a 1977 film, The Lincoln Conspiracy where he played George Atzerodt.

To read more, head to the articles located here, and here. Further info on Dial was taken from memory-alpha.org.

TGTheodore · June 8 2008, 08:00 AM

WGN just ran four classic WKRP episodes, including "Turkeys Away." My radio buddies and I never missed an episode of WKRP.

Thanks for the terrific laughs, Bill.

--Ted

Gep Malakai · June 8 2008, 08:11 AM

Wow. A lot of Trek-related deaths lately.

anti-matter · June 8 2008, 01:53 PM

Well I remember 'Turkeys Away'...what a riot that was. R.I.P. Bill Dial.

Pioneer · June 8 2008, 03:34 PM

Gep Malakai wrote:

Wow. A lot of Trek-related deaths lately.

Yeah. Tell me about it.

Samuel T. Cogley · June 9 2008, 05:28 AM

Baby. I wondered. Wondered, whatever happened to Dial.

RandyS · June 9 2008, 09:14 PM

More death?

Somebody please tell me I'm not gonna wake up tommorrow and find myself the last person alive on Earth. The way things have been going lately, that certainly seems to be the case. My own life, here.....

Shit. Just,

Shit.....

Turtletrekker · June 16 2008, 09:21 PM

"As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly..."

R.I.P., sir.

June 8 2008, 02:01 AM	#1
TrekToday Rear Admiral	Bill Dial Passes William Allen Dial passed away on Monday, June 2 after suffering a heart attack. As reported by Radio-Info.com, Dial, best-known for his work on WKRP in Cincinnati died at his home in South Carolina. Steve Stoliar, former secretary to Dial, confirmed the death. "Sorry to say, it's true. Bill Dial died of a heart attack at age sixty-six at his home in South Carolina. [Dial's obituary lists him as being sixty-four.] He'd had some health problems of late, and it finally caught up with him. He was a wonderful man whose influence on my life, personally and professionally, is incalculable. After he moved to Beaufort, we used to email each other whenever a celebrity would pass away, confessing varying degrees of sadness at their passing. Little did I know that Bill would be joining them so soon." Dial wrote for Star Trek He was a co-writer on Deep Space Nine: The Alternate and he wrote another episode for the series, Tribunal. Dial also penned a Star Trek: Voyager episode, writing the initial teleplay for Eye of the Needle. But Dial is best known for writing the Turkeys Away episode of WKRP in Cincinnati where general manager Arthur Carlson stages a Thanksgiving promotion where twenty live turkeys are dropped from a helicopter over a shopping center to unsuspecting shoppers. The problem is, turkeys can't fly! The episode was rated by TV Guide as the fortieth greatest episode in television history. In addition to his work on both Star Trek and WKRP in Cincinnati, Dial worked as a writer, executive producer and creative consultant on shows such as Harper Valley P.T.A., Simon and Simon, Code Name: Foxfire and The New WKRP in Cincinnati. Most recently, he wrote for and was executive consultant on 18 Wheels of Justice, a Spike TV series. Dial appeared in front of the camera in two episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati as Bucky Dornster, the beer-drinking engineer of WKRP, and also in a 1977 film, The Lincoln Conspiracy where he played George Atzerodt. To read more, head to the articles located here, and here. Further info on Dial was taken from memory-alpha.org.

June 8 2008, 08:00 AM	#2
TGTheodore Writer Location: TGTheodore	Re: Bill Dial Passes WGN just ran four classic WKRP episodes, including "Turkeys Away." My radio buddies and I never missed an episode of WKRP. Thanks for the terrific laughs, Bill. --Ted __________________ Writer/Composer/Lyricist/Librettist SNW IV, V, VI

June 8 2008, 08:11 AM	#3
Gep Malakai Vice Admiral	Re: Bill Dial Passes Wow. A lot of Trek-related deaths lately. __________________ "From the darkness you must fall, failed and weak, to darkness all." -Kataris

June 8 2008, 01:53 PM	#4
anti-matter Rear Admiral Location: canon violation	Re: Bill Dial Passes Well I remember 'Turkeys Away'...what a riot that was. R.I.P. Bill Dial.

June 9 2008, 05:28 AM	#6
Samuel T. Cogley Vice Admiral Location: Hold still, Jim.	Re: Bill Dial Passes Baby. I wondered. Wondered, whatever happened to Dial. __________________ "If I didn't keep getting distracted by an avatar showing a sombrero'd dog getting his engineering hull penis substitute cut off I'd probably say that the above post was a point well made." - ITL

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ABOUT US

June 9 2008, 09:14 PM	#7
RandyS Vice Admiral Location: Randyland	Re: Bill Dial Passes More death? Somebody please tell me I'm not gonna wake up tommorrow and find myself the last person alive on Earth. The way things have been going lately, that certainly seems to be the case. My own life, here..... Shit. Just, Shit.....

June 16 2008, 09:21 PM	#8
Turtletrekker Vice Admiral Location: Tacoma, Washington	Re: Bill Dial Passes "As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly..." R.I.P., sir. __________________ Coulson lives!