Welcome Back, Kotter
Welcome Back, Kotter DVD release cover. Top: Robert Hegyes, John Sylvester White, Ron Palillo Middle: Marcia Strassman, Gabriel Kaplan Bottom: John Travolta, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	Gabriel Kaplan Alan Sacks
Starring	Gabriel Kaplan Marcia Strassman John Travolta Robert Hegyes Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs Ron Palillo John Sylvester White Stephen Shortridge
Opening theme	"Welcome Back" by John Sebastian
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	95
Production
Running time	30 Minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	ABC
Original run	September 9, 1975 – June 8, 1979
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Welcome Back, Kotter (sometimes shortened to Welcome Back or Kotter) was an American television sitcom that originally aired on the ABC network from September 9, 1975 to June 8, 1979. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (757x1092, 540 KB)Welcome Back, Kotter Television Classics DVD cover, from my collection. ... Robert Hegyes (b. ... John Sylvester White (October 31, 1919 - September 11, 1988) was an American actor, best known for his starring role as Keith Barron on the television soap opera Search for Tomorrow from 1951 to 1952, and to a different generation as Mr. ... Ron Palillo (born April 2, 1949) is an American television and film actor best known for his role as high school student Arnold Horshack on the ABC sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter, which aired from 1975 to 1979. ... Marcia Strassman (born April 28, 1948 in New York City) is an American actress who is best known for her role as Julie Kotter in the TV sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter and the 1989 feature film, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and its sequels. ... Gabe Kaplan at the 1979 World Series of Poker Gabe Kaplan (born March 31, 1945 in Brooklyn, New York) is an actor and professional poker player. ... John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is a two-time Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and singer. ... Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs (born September 4, 1953 in New York City, New York, United States) [1] is an American actor. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... Gabe Kaplan at the 1979 World Series of Poker Gabe Kaplan (born March 31, 1945 in Brooklyn, New York) is an actor and professional poker player. ... Gabe Kaplan at the 1979 World Series of Poker Gabe Kaplan (born March 31, 1945 in Brooklyn, New York) is an actor and professional poker player. ... Marcia Strassman (born April 28, 1948 in New York City) is an American actress who is best known for her role as Julie Kotter in the TV sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter and the 1989 feature film, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and its sequels. ... John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is a two-time Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and singer. ... Robert Hegyes (b. ... Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs (born September 4, 1953 in New York City, New York, United States) [1] is an American actor. ... Ron Palillo (born April 2, 1949) is an American television and film actor best known for his role as high school student Arnold Horshack on the ABC sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter, which aired from 1975 to 1979. ... John Sylvester White (October 31, 1919 - September 11, 1988) was an American actor, best known for his starring role as Keith Barron on the television soap opera Search for Tomorrow from 1951 to 1952, and to a different generation as Mr. ... Stephen Shortridge is an American actor and artist. ... John Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) is an American songwriter and harmonica player. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Look up ABC in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Abbreviation ABC is an abbreviation with many meanings: The Latin alphabet, of which A, B, and C are the first three letters. ... is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... This article is about television in the United States, specifically its history, art, business and government regulation. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ...

The show starred comedian and professional poker player Gabriel Kaplan as the title character Gabe Kotter, a wise-cracking teacher who returns to his high school alma mater - James Buchanan (often shortened to just "Buchanan") High in Brooklyn, New York - to teach an often unruly group of remedial wiseguys known as the "Sweathogs." A comedian, or comic, is an entertainer who amuses an audience by making them laugh. ... A game of Texas holdem, currently the most popular form of poker, in progress. ... Look up player in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Gabe Kaplan at the 1979 World Series of Poker Gabe Kaplan (born March 31, 1945 in Brooklyn, New York) is an actor and professional poker player. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... James Buchanan (April 23, 1791 – June 1, 1868) was the 15th president of the United States (1857–1861). ... For other meanings, see Brooklyn (disambiguation). ...

The Sweathogs inner circle consisted of:

• Vinnie Barbarino (played by John Travolta), the leader of the Sweathogs. A handsome, charming (and selectively air-headed) Italian-American.
  
• Juan Epstein (Robert Hegyes), the wild boy of the gang, a Puerto Rican Jew (or, more accurately, a Jewish Puerto Rican).
• Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs), the hip African-American basketball enthusiast.
• Arnold Horshack (Ron Palillo), the dimwitted simpleton known for his wheezing laugh.

Kotter had attended the same remedial classes when he was a student at Buchanan and was a founding member of the Sweathogs. He soon befriends his students who often visit his apartment, sometimes to the chagrin of his wife, Julie (Marcia Strassman). John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is a two-time Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and singer. ... Robert Hegyes (b. ... Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs (born September 4, 1953 in New York City, New York, United States) [1] is an American actor. ... Ron Palillo (born April 2, 1949) is an American television and film actor best known for his role as high school student Arnold Horshack on the ABC sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter, which aired from 1975 to 1979. ... Marcia Strassman (born April 28, 1948 in New York City) is an American actress who is best known for her role as Julie Kotter in the TV sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter and the 1989 feature film, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and its sequels. ...

In Season 1 (before being drafted to co-star in "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman") Debralee Scott played the blazon-haired femme fatale Rosalie "Hotsie" Totsie, said to have helped put the sweat in "Sweathog". Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (sometimes abbreviated as MH2) was a 1976-1978 syndicated prime-time soap opera parody produced by Norman Lear and directed by Joan Darling. ... Debralee Scott (April 2, 1953 – April 5, 2005) was an American actress best known for her role on the soap opera spoof Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman as the title characters trampy younger and prettier sister, Cathy Shumway. Scott was raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where she was born, and...

Characters (Cast) & Their Catchphrases

Gabe Kotter

(played by Gabriel Kaplan)
A facetious, but well-meaning teacher who returns to Buchanan High, his alma mater, to teach a group of remedial students known as the Sweathogs. Having been a Sweathog himself (and a founding member), Kotter has a special appreciation for the potential of these supposedly "unteachable" students. His first day on the job, he shows the students both his authority and his playful side when he fires a giant paper airplane at them in response to a similar attack, and when he launches into a Groucho Marx impersonation. Kotter is married to Julie, with whom he eventually has twin girls (Robin and Rachel). When Buchanan High principal John Lazarus retires, Kotter becomes the vice-principal, though maintaining some teaching duties. Gabe Kaplan at the 1979 World Series of Poker Gabe Kaplan (born March 31, 1945 in Brooklyn, New York) is an actor and professional poker player. ... Alma mater is Latin for nourishing mother. It was used in ancient Rome as a title for the mother goddess, and in Medieval Christianity for the Virgin Mary. ... Julius Henry Marx, AKA Groucho Marx (October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977), was an American comedian, working both with his siblings, the Marx Brothers, and on his own. ...

Kotter's catchphrases:

• "Did I ever tell you about... (varying relatives, usually an uncle)?"
  (early on, Kotter usually said this only to Julie, but it was later incorporated into conversations with other characters at the beginning and the end of a given episode.)

Julie Kotter

(Marcia Strassman)
Gabe's wife and closest friend. Though she has a sense of humor, she often wishes Gabe would take matters more seriously. She is occasionally upset with the amount of time her husband spends with his students, and she is troubled that he allows them to regularly visit their apartment. She is from Nebraska. Julie was originally a housewife when the show started. She was an anthropology major in college and eventually became a substitute teacher at Buchanan High. Kotter's referes to her "world famous tuna casserole" and is a common meal at his dinner, to which Gabe and the Sweathogs dislike occasionally. Marcia Strassman (born April 28, 1948 in New York City) is an American actress who is best known for her role as Julie Kotter in the TV sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter and the 1989 feature film, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and its sequels. ... Official language(s) English Capital Lincoln Largest city Omaha Largest metro area Omaha Area  Ranked 16th  - Total 77,421 sq mi (200,520 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 0. ... A stereotypical housewife A homemaker is a person whose prime occupation is to care for their family and home. ... In cooking, a casserole (from the French for stew pan) is a dish consisting of tough cuts of meat, poultry or game stewed in liquid with vegetables and flavourings. ...

Michael Woodman

(John Sylvester White)
The curmudgeonous vice-principal (and later principal) of Buchanan High. He makes no secret of his dislike for the Sweathogs, whom he considers the bottom of the totem pole at his school. He refers to non-Sweathogs as "real" students. When Kotter was a student at Buchanan, Woodman was a teacher. There is some evidence that he taught Kotter in remedial social studies, the same class Kotter returns to teach. His old age is a common joke with the Sweathogs. Woodman was totally against Kotter's unorthodox teaching methods (though as the series progressed he began to marginally tolerate them), and at one point even put Kotter in front of the school board in an unsuccessful attempt to get him fired. John Sylvester White (October 31, 1919 - September 11, 1988) was an American actor, best known for his starring role as Keith Barron on the television soap opera Search for Tomorrow from 1951 to 1952, and to a different generation as Mr. ...

Woodman's Catchphrases:

• "Nutsy Cuckoo!" (Often used to describe Kotter's class, sometimes Kotter himself.)
• "They're not people!" (Another way he used to describe the Sweathogs.)

Vincent "Vinnie" Barbarino

(John Travolta)
The self-appointed leader and resident heartthrob of the Sweathogs. His prowess with women was a source of envy (and amusement) among his classmates, who on occasion broke out in song of his last name to the tune of The Beach Boys' classic, "Barbara Ann". He was the first of the Sweathogs to move out on his own when he got a job as a hospital orderly. In the fourth season, he had a girlfriend, Sally. Vinnie is also Catholic, and is a "big Star Trek fan." John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is a two-time Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and singer. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment series and media franchise. ...

Vinnie's Catchphrases:

• "Up Your Nose With A Rubber Hose!"
  (Barbarino was the first in the series to rank somebody. In later episodes other body parts and objects whose names rhymed were incorporated into the rank. For example, "Up your gizzard with a rubber lizard!" was used by Washington in a later episode.)
  (The so-called art of ranking was immortalized in song in 1976 performed by Gabe Kaplan. The song, "Up Your Nose", didn't get very far as it highly dated itself by making numerous contemporary references-- CB Radios, The Gong Show, singing cat commercials, et al).
  
• "Wah-ha-ha-ha-howwww..."
  
• "What?" "Where?" "Why?"
  (Usually to feign ignorance when accused of something or asked to do something he's not ready to do)
  
• "I'm so confu-used!" (usually over-dramatized)
  

This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Citizens band radio (CB) is, in the United States, a system of short distance radio communication between individuals on a selection of 40 channels within the single 27 MHz (11 meter) band. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Arnold Horshack

(Ron Palillo)
The class clown of the Sweathogs, completely comfortable with his oddball, if innocent personality. Horshack was known for his unique observations, and his wheezing laugh, similar to that of a hyena. He was the only one of the central Sweathogs to be promoted out of remedial academics class, but he soon returned after feeling out of place. He eventually married Mary Johnson, a co-worker and fellow Sweathog. Although his surname sounds like a term for a brothel, he claimed it's "very old and respected name" meaning "the cattle are dying." His middle name (and his mother's maiden name) was "Dingfelder." Ron Palillo (born April 2, 1949) is an American television and film actor best known for his role as high school student Arnold Horshack on the ABC sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter, which aired from 1975 to 1979. ... A brothel, also known as a bordello or whorehouse, is an establishment specifically dedicated to prostitution, providing the prostitutes a place to meet and to have sex with the clients. ...

Arnold's Catchphrases:

• "Ooh-ooh-ooooh!"
  (used- with raised hand- when Arnold gets excited because he believes he knows an answer to Mr. Kotter's question. The shout was an imitation of Joe E. Ross's phrase from Car 54, Where Are You?.)
• "Hello. How are ya? I'm Arnold Horsha-a-ck"
  (how Arnold introduces himself)
• "That was ver-ry impressive, Mister Kotter-r-r!"
  
• "G'head, G'head! (go ahead, go ahead)"

Joe E. Ross Joe E. Ross (1914–1982) was born in Manhattan in 1914. ... Car 54, Where Are You? was a TV comedy show that ran from 1961 to 1963 on the American television network NBC. It followed the madcap adventures of police officers in the fictional 53rd precinct in the borough of The Bronx in New York City. ...

Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington

(Lawrence Hilton Jacobs)
A hip African-American known as the athletic Sweathog for his skills on the basketball court, Washington claimed his nickname came from his habit of "pretending to play the bass"). Though often the voice of reason among his classmates, Washington nonetheless was a willing participant in the Sweathogs' various antics and pranks. Freddie also found success as a radio disc jockey along with another former Sweathog, Wally The Wow (played by George Carlin). Washington had an older sister who got divorced twice while living in Vermont, and another older sibling, Leroy. Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (born September 4, 1953 in St. ... Example of air guitar An Air guitar is the imaginary instrument used when pretending to play guitar. ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ...

Washington's Catchphrases:

• "Hi there."
  (his normal greeting, usually in a basso profondo voice)
• "Hey, Mister Kah-tare!"
  (how he addresses Mr. Kotter)
• "My assignment? Yes, Mr. Kotter. I have my assignment. Unfortunately, I don't have it here... handy..."
  (whenever he forgot his homework or didn't accomplish any given task)

A basso (or bass) is a male singer who sings in the lowest vocal range of the human voice. ...

Juan Luis Pedro Philippo DeHuevos Epstein

(Robert Hegyes)
A fiercely proud Puerto Rican Jew (his father was Puerto Rican; his mother's name was Bibbermann), and one of the toughest students at Buchanan High. He normally walked with a tough-man strut, wore a red handkerchief hanging out of his right back pocket, and was voted "Most Likely To Take A Life" by his peers. In the episode, "One of Our Sweathogs is Missing", Epstein was shown to be one of six children, although his mother had 10. Epstein was also known to have a "buddy" relationship with Principal Lazarus as he often referred to him by his first name, Jack. On a few occasions when Kotter would do his Groucho Marx impersonation, Epstein would jump in and impersonate Marx Brother Chico (Groucho Marx even stated that Robert Hegyes reminded him of Chico). Robert Hegyes (b. ... Leonard Marx, known as Chico, (March 22, 1887 – October 11, 1961) was one of the Marx Brothers. ...

Epstein's Catchphrase(s):

• "Hey, Mr. Kotter, I got a note!"
  (the phony notes, excusing Epstein from classes and other sundry functions, were always written by Epstein himself, though he claimed they were signed by, as written, "Epstein's Mother". Epstein would lip-synch the wording of the note while Kotter would read it aloud, usually proving the note was written by Epstein himself.)

Lip synchronization is the synchronization of audio signals (sometimes with corresponding video signals) so that there is no noticeable lack of simultaneity between them. ...

Judy Borden

(Helaine Lembeck)
A recurring non-Sweathog character in the earlier seasons, Borden is a Straight A student and editor of the Buchanan Bugle, the school newspaper. She was Barbarino's tutor at one point, and even dated him for a time and, despite her academic superiority, she can easily hold her own in a ranking contest with any Sweathog. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

(from the episode Sweatgate Scandal)
Judy: I've always been a good student. I've never even gotten a "B".
Horshack: Neither have I! (wheezing laugh)

Beauregarde "Beau" De Labarre

(Stephen Shortridge)
Introduced as a regular character in the fourth and final season, Beau is a smooth-talking southerner who transfers to Buchanan High after being kicked out of several other schools. He ends up in Kotter's class, though his first reaction to the term "Sweathog" is "That sounds gross." He seems to have a way with women, as mentioned in later episodes. One of his running jokes involved imparting whimsical sayings, such as one about how a real man never steps on a pregnant alligator. Stephen Shortridge is an American actor and artist. ...

--

Most of the major characters of Welcome Back, Kotter were based on actual people from Kaplan's teen years as a remedial high school student in Brooklyn. As a stand-up comic, one of Kaplan's most popular routines was "Holes and Mellow Rolls", in which he talks in depth about the kids with whom he had attended remedial education classes. The names of three of the four major characters in Holes and Mellow Rolls were changed for the TV series.

• 'Vinnie Barbarino' was the inspiration for Eddie Lecarri.
  
• 'Freddie Washington' was inspired by Freddie "Furdy" Peyton.
  
• 'Juan Epstein' was half-inspired by Epstein "The Animal".
  
• 'Arnold Horshack's' name remained unchanged.
  

Recurring characters

• Geoffrey Stump as Kyle "the Heartbreaker" Lucas
• Irene Arranga as Mary Johnson-Horshack
• Charles Fleischer as Carvelli
• Bob Harcum as Murray
• Vernee Watson as Verna Jean
• Debralee Scott as Rosalie 'Hotsy' Totzie
• Dennis Bowen as Todd Ludlow
• Susan Lanier as Bambi

Charles Fleischer (born August 27, 1950) is an American actor, comedian and voice artist. ... Vernee Watson-Johnson played a small roll on Sister, Sister as Lisas (Jackee Harry) best friend Patrice. ... Debralee Scott (April 2, 1953 – April 5, 2005) was an American actress best known for her role on the soap opera spoof Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman as the title characters trampy younger and prettier sister, Cathy Shumway. Scott was raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where she was born, and... Susan Lanier is a U.S. actress. ...

Show History

Welcome Back, Kotter's beginning had its controversial moments. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ...

• In Boston, the local ABC affiliate (WCVB) refused to air the show. The city was going though a tumultuous school busing program to enhance racial equality and the local affiliate felt Kotter's fictional integrated classroom would only add fuel to the fire. However, the show became an early ratings success and the affiliate relented, picking it up from its fifth episode.
• Teachers in other cities had concerns about how Kotter would be portrayed, so producers allowed a union representative on the set to ensure the show protected the image of those in the profession.
• There were also concerns that the show would celebrate juvenile delinquency. However, these sentiments faded after the Sweathogs' antics proved to be silly rather than scary. Like Kaplan, Hegyes was a fan of the Marx Brothers. Hegyes claims that he suggested that the Sweathogs be modelled after the Marx Bros in order to reduce tension.[1]

By the third season, the ratings began to slip. In an interview years later, Kaplan attributed the decline to the age of the actors playing the Sweathogs (Palillo was 30, Hegyes was 28, Hilton-Jacobs was 27 and Travolta was 25), saying they were no longer believable as high school students. His idea was that to have Kotter join the faculty of a community college attended by the Sweathogs.^{[verification needed]} However, this storyline never materialized. To help lure more viewers, the Kotters had twin girls, but this didn't prove to be enough to regain the show's earlier momentum. Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... WCVB-TV is the ABC affiliate in Boston, Massachusetts. ... Juvenile delinquency refers to criminal acts performed by juveniles. ... Groucho, Gummo, Minnie (mother), Zeppo, Frenchy (father), Chico and Harpo. ... In Canada and the United States, a community college, sometimes called a technical college, county college, junior college or a city college, is an educational institution providing higher education and lower-level tertiary education, granting certificates, diplomas, and Associates degrees. ...

Major changes took place in the fourth and final season:

• Travolta, who had already starred in box office hits such as Grease and Saturday Night Fever, began to focus more time on his film career. He was featured in fewer than half of that year's episodes and was billed a "special guest star".
• Meanwhile, behind-the-scenes disputes led to limited appearances by Kaplan. To help fill the voids, Stephen Shortridge joined the cast as smooth-talking Southerner Beau De Labarre, and Kotter's wife, Julie, becomes a secretary at the school.

It was also during the fourth season that Mr. Woodman receives a promotion to Principal with Kotter becoming Vice Principal. As a result, the show's focus moved away from Kotter's now infamous Social Studies class. Most fans consider the fourth season to have been the show's worst, often singling out Travolta's departure as the point when the show "jumped the shark."^{[verification needed]} Grease (1978) is a film directed by Randal Kleiser and based on Jim Jacobs and Warren Caseys musical, Grease. ... Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 movie starring John Travolta as Tony Manero, a troubled Brooklyn youth whose weekend activities are dominated by visits to a Brooklyn discotheque. ... Stephen Shortridge is an American actor and artist. ... This article is 88 kilobytes or more in size. ... Fonzie jumping over a shark while on water skis. ...

Popularity

The show enjoyed ratings success during its first two seasons, spawning a host of merchandising tie-ins such as lunch boxes, dolls, comic books, novels and a board game. Lunch box and vacuum bottle owned by Harry S. Truman. ... Dolls can refer to: Dolls, models of human beings, usually toys Dolls (film), a film by Takeshi Kitano Dolls (1987 film), a film directed by Stuart Gordon Dolls (Kawahara), a manga series by Yumiko Kawahara DOLLS, a manga series by Naked Ape Dollz, pixel art of dolls dressed in various... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... A novel is an extended work of written, narrative, prose fiction, usually in story form; the writer of a novel is a novelist. ... A board game is a game played with counters or pieces that are placed on, removed from, or moved across a board (a premarked surface, usually specific to that game). ...

The TV characters' signature lines became popular catch phrases such as Barbarino's "up your nose with a rubber hose" and Washington's deep-voiced "hi there". It wasn't long before the previously unknown actors became hot commodities, particularly Travolta, the show's breakout star. A catch phrase is a phrase or expression that is spontaneously popularized after a critical amount of widespread repeated usage in everyday conversation (i. ...

Episodes

Main article: List of Welcome Back, Kotter Episodes

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Welcome Back, Kotter. ...

DVD Releases

Warner Home Video released a 6-episode Television Favorites collection on February 28, 2006. Due to the success of this release, Warner released the Complete first Season on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time on June 12th, 2007. Not much is known about the second season. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Nominations

Kotter failed to receive any major awards. The show was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1976 after its first season, but lost to Mary Tyler Moore. Kotter was also nominated for three technical Emmy Awards: Outstanding Achievement in Videotape Editing for a Series in 1976, Outstanding Art Direction for a Comedy Series in 1978 and Outstanding Individual Achievement - Creative Technical Crafts (Dick Wilson) in 1979. An Emmy Award. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Mary Tyler Moore Show was an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from September 19, 1970 to March 19, 1977. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ...

Guest stars

Several noteworthy performers enjoyed guest stints on Kotter either during or prior to their widespread fame. James Woods guest starred in the second episode portraying a drama teacher. Pat Morita appeared in the first episode of the second season. Comedian George Carlin was featured, as was John Astin. Other guest stars included Ellen Travolta, Richard Moll, Della Reese and Dinah Manoff. This article contains a trivia section. ... Noriyuki Pat Morita (森田 沢之 Morita Noriyuki), (June 28, 1932 – November 24, 2005) was a Japanese American actor who is probably best known for playing the roles of Arnold on the TV show Happy Days and Mr. ... George Dennis Carlin (born May 12, 1937 in New York, New York)[2] is a Grammy-winning American stand-up comedian, actor, and author. ... John Allen Astin (born March 30, 1930) is an Oscar nominated American actor who has appeared in numerous films and television shows, but is best known for the role of Gomez Addams on The Addams Family television series and similarly eccentric comedic characters. ... Ellen Travolta (born October 6, 1940 in Englewood, New Jersey) is an American actress, the eldest sibling of John Travolta. ... Richard Moll (born January 13, 1943) is an American actor. ... Della Reese (born Delloresse Patricia Early on July 6, 1931), is a famous American Emmy nominated actor and Grammy nominated singer. ... Dinah Manoff (born January 25, 1958 in New York City, New York) is an American stage and film actress. ...

Groucho Marx was set to have a brief walk-on role in one episode. He arrived on-set, but was deemed to be too sick to appear. Pictures of Marx with the cast were taken, but were never released because of his ill appearance. [2] [3] Julius Henry Marx, AKA Groucho Marx (October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977), was an American comedian, working both with his siblings, the Marx Brothers, and on his own. ...

Spin-offs

At least three spin-offs of Kotter were seriously considered, but only one ever became a series. The short-lived Mr. T and Tina starred Pat Morita as Taro Takahashi (Mr. T for short), a brilliant Japanese inventor whom he portrayed in one episode of Kotter. The show was not received well by critics and lasted just five episodes on ABC. There was also talk of developing a spin-off built around the Horshack character and his family, but it never went beyond the backdoor pilot stage, shown as an episode of "Kotter". In the mid-1990s, Hegyes announced on the Jenny Jones talk show that plans were in the works to create a spin-off featuring the Sweathogs (minus Travolta's Barbarino) all grown up. The project, however, never got off the ground, and little information about it was ever made public. Mr. ... Noriyuki Pat Morita (森田 沢之 Morita Noriyuki), (June 28, 1932 – November 24, 2005) was a Japanese American actor who is probably best known for playing the roles of Arnold on the TV show Happy Days and Mr. ... A television pilot is the first episode of an intended television series. ... Jenny Jones (born Janina Stranski on June 7, 1946) is a talk show host who hosted The Jenny Jones Show from 1991 to 2002. ...

ABC broadcast history

International Airing

• In Germany 23 episodes of "Welcome back, Kotter" were shown dubbed, but under its original name - first from September 1979 till May 1980 by the ZDF, then again from April to July 1985 by Sat.1.
• In the United Kingdom 26 episodes were shown from December 1981 till July 1983 on ITV.

Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (Second German Television), ZDF, is a public service German television channel based in Mainz. ... Sat. ... Independent Television (generally known as ITV but also as ITV Network or Channel 3) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK. Since 1990...

After the show

When Travolta hosted Saturday Night Live in 1994, he appeared in a sketch that lampooned his old show. Quentin Tarantino's Welcome Back, Kotter gave viewers a humorous look at how the Pulp Fiction director might have brought a strong dose of violence to the tame show. Travolta reprised his old character, Barbarino, with Mike Myers as Mr. Kotter, Adam Sandler as Epstein, Tim Meadows as Washington and David Spade as Horshack. Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late night 91-minute American comedy-variety show based in New York City that has been broadcast live by NBC on Saturday nights since October 11, 1975. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... Pulp Fiction is an Academy Award-winning 1994 film written by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avery and directed by Tarantino. ... Michael John Myers (born May 25, 1963, in Scarborough, Ontario) is an Emmy Award-winning British-Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, and film producer, best known for his comedy work in Saturday Night Live and the film roles including the title characters of Waynes World, the Austin Powers series, and... Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American comedian, actor, musician, screenwriter, and film producer. ... Tim Meadows (born February 5, 1961 in Highland Park, Michigan) is an American actor. ... David Wayne Spade (born July 22, 1964) is an Emmy-Award and Golden Globe-nominated American actor, comedian, television personality who gained fame in the 1990s as a castmember on Saturday Night Live. ...

In 1997, Hegyes, Hilton-Jacobs and Palillo reprised their Sweathog roles on an episode of the NBC sitcom Mr. Rhodes. Kaplan did not appear; instead, John Kassir assumed the role of Mr. Kotter. The episode originally aired on February 3, 1997 and was entitled The Welcome Back Show. Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ... The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... Mr. ... Johnny Kassir (born October 24, 1957 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American actor, voice actor, and comedian who has been active in many facets of entertainment since 1984. ...

Kotter had a renewed surge in popularity in the mid-1990s when it aired as part of the Nick at Nite lineup on Nickelodeon. Kaplan later said that the show found plenty of new fans during that run but that they were turned off by the quality of the episodes from the fourth season. The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Nickelodeon (commonly referred to as Nick) is an American cable television network owned by Viacom International. ...

Cast members opened up about their experiences on the show in 2000's Welcome Back, Kotter: The E! True Hollywood Story. The two-hour program included interviews with cast members, including Kaplan, Travolta, Palillo, Hilton-Jacobs, Strassman and Shortridge. Kaplan spoke of a difficult relationship with executive producer James Komack, whom he saw as not serving the show's best interests. Like many viewers, Kaplan said the quality of the show dropped off in the fourth and final season. Hilton-Jacobs agreed, saying that the new writers brought in that year were not suited to a show of this nature. Palillo said the impact of an attempted ratings-grabber in the final season, Horshack's wedding, was derailed when President Jimmy Carter gave a televised speech that pre-empted the heavily advertised episode. Strassman recalled how disappointed she was at her limited time on camera, a situation that changed in the fourth season when her character became a substitute teacher at Buchanan High. 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... James Earl Jimmy Carter, Jr. ...

In 2003, as part of ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration telecast, Kotter was featured in tribute montage and the original cast appeared together on stage. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 2003 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

And in 2006, Welcome Back, Kotter was showing reruns on i TV before it's cancellation in December, 2006. For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... . The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions. ...

Motion Picture

A motion picture based on this television series is being planned. Ice Cube has been selected to play the role of Gabe Kotter. Gabe Kaplan applauded the move of Ice Cube winning the part of Mr. Kotter.^[1] OShea Jackson (born June 15, 1969) is an American rapper, actor and film director. ...

The film will take place in South Central Los Angeles as opposed to Brooklyn. No release date has been scheduled. South Los Angeles is the official name for a large geographic and cultural area lying to the south and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Trivia

• Sebastian's song "Welcome Back" is one of a few songs written for a television show to become hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. The song went to #1 in May of 1977.
• The show was originally going to be called Kotter, but that was changed because of the theme song lyrics. Sebastian has said he tried to find a more general theme for the song after being unable to find any reasonable rhymes for Kotter.^{[citation needed]}
• Palillo got a nose job and straightened and dyed his hair blonde years after the show ended in order to disassociate himself from the Horshack character.^{[verification needed]}
• Comedian Garry Shandling, who went on to star in movies and HBO's The Larry Sanders Show, was a writer for the show.
• Hegyes originally auditioned for the role of Barbarino and did not find out he was cast in a different role until he showed up for the first read and was introduced to Travolta.
• Hegyes went behind the camera to direct some episodes.^[2]
• Kaplan was famous for his impersonation of Groucho Marx, which he occasionally performed on the show. He even appeared in a film entitled Gabe Kaplan as Groucho.
• Palillo lost a 2002 boxing match to Dustin Diamond ("Screech" from Saved by the Bell) on FOX's Celebrity Boxing 2.
• The Beastie Boys song "Hey Ladies" features the line, "I dropped my drawers and said 'Welcome back, Kotter'".
• The rap songs "Slam Harder" (by Onyx) and "Welcome Back" (by Ma$e) sample the show's theme.
• In a Friends episode which shows a video of Monica and Rachel's high school prom, Ross appears on-screen with a moustache and big hair (his fashion statement at the time) and Joey says "Well, hellooooo Mr Kotter!" as he sees him on the video.
• At the beginning of Xzibit's song "Right on", Xzibit says, "Welcome back, Kotter man".
• In an episode of Full House, Danny suggests a Welcome Back, Kotter reunion for his talk show to new producer Rebecca. As producer, she turns down the idea. That drove Danny to quit over Horshack, "Barbarino, Epstein, all the Sweathogs".
• In a Scrubs episode, a shirt is made with the words "Welcome Back Coxer" and a photoshopped photo of a character's face with an afro.
• The ApologetiX song "Look Yourself" contains the line "Goes to go show his bro's at his Alma Mater, "Welcome Back, Kotter""

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... Rhinoplasty (Greek: , Nose + , to shape) is a type of plastic surgery that is used to improve the function (reconstructive surgery) or appearance (cosmetic surgery) of a persons nose. ... Garry Shandling (born November 29, 1949) is an American comedian. ... HBO (Home Box Office) is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner. ... The Larry Sanders Show is a satirical television sitcom that originally aired from 1992 to 1998 on the HBO cable television network in the USA. It starred stand-up comedian Garry Shandling as vain, neurotic talk show host Larry Sanders. ... Julius Henry Marx, AKA Groucho Marx (October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977), was an American comedian, working both with his siblings, the Marx Brothers, and on his own. ... Dustin Diamond (born January 7, 1977) is an actor, musician and stand-up comedian best known for his role as Samuel Screech Powers on the television show Saved by the Bell. ... Saved by the Bell is an American teen sitcom which originally aired between 1989 and 1993. ... The Fox Broadcasting Company, usually referred to as just Fox (the company itself prefers the capitalized version FOX), is a television network in the United States. ... Celebrity Boxing was a 2002 Fox show pitting washed up former celebrities against each other in a boxing match. ... The Beastie Boys are a musical group from the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan. ... Onyx is a hardcore rap group from Queens, New York. ... Mason Durrell Betha (born August 27, 1978[1] in Jacksonville, Florida),[2] known by stage name Ma$e, is an American rapper, best known as an artist on Sean Diddy Combs hip hop label Bad Boy Records during the late 1990s. ... Alvin Nathaniel Joiner (born September 18, 1974), better known by his stage name Xzibit, is an American rapper, actor, and television personality, who was born in Detroit, Michigan and was raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico by his father and stepmother. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Danny is the 101st most common male name in the United States according to the 1990 census. ... Rebekah (Rebecca or Rivkah) (Hebrew: , Standard  Tiberian ) is the wife of Isaac. ... Scrubs is an Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning American situation comedy/dramedy that premiered on October 2, 2001 on NBC. It was created by Bill Lawrence, who also co-created Spin City. ... ApologetiX from left to right: Karl Messner, Keith Haynie, Bill Rieger, and J. Jackson. ...

External links

• Episodes of Welcome Back Kotter free at AOL Video