Welcome Back, Kotter

'Welcome Back, Kotter' is one of those shows you stay home on the weekends for. I know I do. From the puberty-neglected voice of Arnold Horseshack to the feathered and Jew-froed hair of Vinnie Barbarino, Juan Epstein, and Gabe Kotter, everything about this show is classic. At first glance it might just seem like some kitschy little retro sitcom, but make no mistake, it is awesome. By the last season the show slowed down and became a shadow of it's former self, but if you can ignore that then you will see that this show is one of the best ever.

This show premiered in September of 1975 and instantly became a classic. The First three seasons are pure genius, however I have no idea what the hell happened to season 4.

This show has potential if you ignore season 4.

TVland now shows this show every Friday and Saturday night at midnight.

Although not watching this TV-series for the past twenty years I'm still able to remember details as names, sceneries and the soundtrack. The characters are well-pictured and witty, the dialogues are pointed. I wished I had had a teacher like Kotter myself.

This was a great series. Most of Kotter's jokes were so corny, but ya just gotta laugh anyway. This was made back when they knew how to make a sitcom, something the whole family can enjoy (yes that means it's safe for parents too). The "Sweathogs" always crack me up. Myself, also put in remedial education during high school could relate to a lot of it also. Great writing and acting has made this show a classic.

I really enjoyed Welcome Back, Kotter. It was a very funny show with an outstanding ensemble cast anchored by Gabe Kaplan, who brought lots of humor to the class of unteachable sweathogs with jokes and impressions. I always got a kick out of his uncle jokes in the opening and closing of each episode, including the ones when he was telling a joke to a turkey and to a computer used as an electronic teaching device.

As for the sweathogs, they were a riot. John Travolta catapulted his way to success as the macho, monosyllabic ("What? Where?") Vinnie Barbarino, Robert Hegyes portrayed TV's first Puerto Rican Jew Juan (Little Juan) Epstein and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs made me crack up every time he said "Hi there!" But my favorite of the sweathogs was Arnold Horshack. Ron Pallilo's portrayal of one of TV's funniest nerds was so outstanding, from his nasal voice to his inimitable laugh. His laugh was the funniest on TV prior to Steve Urkel.

Gabe constantly got grief from vice principal (later principal) Mr. Woodman, who kept barging into his class with the same frequency Frank & Marie Barone did to their son years later on Everybody Loves Raymond. Let's not forget Marcia Strassman as Gabe's wife Julie, who didn't have much to do in most of the show until the fourth season.

As for the fourth season, the least that can be said, the better. it was horrible without Kaplan and Travolta on the show full-time and Stephen Shortridge as Beau. It was like watching the Sanford and Son episodes a couple of years earlier without Redd Foxx.

I'll wrap this up by mentioning the theme song by John Sebastian that made it to No. 1 on the pop charts and resurrected his career. it was one of the best 70s TV theme songs. Welcome back. Welcome back. Welcome back.