"Welcome Back, Kotter" (1975) TV series 1975-1979

Creators:

Gabe Kaplan
Alan Sacks

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

9 September 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A compassionate teacher returns to his inner city high school of his youth to teach a new generation of trouble making kids.

Plot Keywords:

School | High School | Teacher | Insult | Inner City

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Marcia Strassman	...	Julie Kotter (92 episodes, 1975-1979)
John Sylvester White	...	Mr. Michael Woodman (92 episodes, 1975-1979)
Robert Hegyes	...	Juan Epstein (92 episodes, 1975-1979)
Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs	...	Freddie 'Boom Boom' Washington (92 episodes, 1975-1979)
Ron Palillo	...	Arnold Horshack (91 episodes, 1975-1979)
Gabe Kaplan	...	Gabe Kotter (79 episodes, 1975-1979)
John Travolta	...	Vinnie Barbarino (78 episodes, 1975-1979)

Also Known As:

Kotter (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

30 min (95 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-PG | Argentina:Atp | Singapore:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

ABC Television Center - 4151 Prospect Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

The Komack Company Inc.

Trivia:

Farrah Fawcett and Kate Jackson auditioned for the role of Julie Kotter.

Quotes:

Vincent 'Vinnie' Barbarino: [brainstorming ideas to raise money to save their class] We could have a casino night.
Gabe Kotter: Gambling in school? Do you realize the odds are almost 5 to 1 against that happening?
Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington: I'll take that bet.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Baby (2008)

Soundtrack:

Welcome Back

One of the better 70's shows...

What made "Kotter" great was that it was just plain funny. Unlike some of its contemporaries, it didn't try to shock or send a social message. The four unique personalities of the Sweathogs, along with Kotter, worked together so well. The episode where they ran a telethon from the classroom was classic. The final season was a disappointment because the show's writers wanted to go in a different direction--attacking more serious issues. Plus, the departure of John Travolta after he hit it big in the movies hurt "Kotter" as well. It's probably all for the better that it only went four years because I think when a sitcom goes for too long, it tends to deviate from its originial concept (i.e. "Happy Days" and "Laverne and Shirley").