TV.com Sign-in

Become a Member Forgot Password?

...or login with your Facebook account!

Close
 

Welcome,

Click the button below to create a new TV.com account using your Facebook information.

Already a TV.com member?

Log into TV.com below and we'll link your Facebook account to your existing TV.com account and username.

Forgot Password?
Close
Lights: On Off
On MovieTome: THE sci-fi movie of 2009 gets a trailer!

Welcome Back, Kotter

ABC (Ended 1979)

Show Score

 
8.3 Great
303 votes

Your Score

Buzz

Welcome Back, Kotter ranks 1,839 out of the 18,229 shows on TV.com.

The 236 users who count themselves as Welcome Back, Kotter fans have written a total of 22 reviews.

Status

Ended

Premiered

September 9, 1975

Ended

August 10, 1979

Genre

Comedy

Theme

High School

Show Overview

Final Episode

More Episodes »
Episode Score
 
8.9

The Breadwinners

While Horshack adjusts to married life, Epstein sets up an interview for a job. Washington gets the job before Epstein, unaware that it's the same job. The two get into a fight and end up in a gym ready to box.

Aired: 06/08/79

Show Summary

Edit Summary »

Gabe Kotter, formerly a Sweathog, returns to James Buchanan High as a teacher and is assigned the remedial class to which he once belonged. Mr. Kotter is an involved and caring teacher, which one would have to be in dealing with a certain four students in his class, who end up in trouble on a regular basis --... more »

From the Forums

+ Add a Topic More Topics »
  • Who is your favorite sweathog?

    My favorite sweathog is Barbarino. He is so dim witted and cute. What r some other favorite sweathogs and why?

    5 comments, last one 11 days ago + Add Comment
  • Identfying an episode,

    Can anyone ID this epsiode based on this one great scene that is forever etched in my mnd although I can't remember muc...more »

    1 comments, last one 13 days ago + Add Comment
  • Who watched this show?

    Thought I'd see if anyone remembers this show. Write if ya'll do.

    22 comments, last one Apr 11, 2008 + Add Comment
More Topics »
  •  
    8.6 Great

    It was a trendsetting show from the 70's hide « show »

    Ok so it is time to fess up. Who didn't watch this show. A comedy centered around a group of misfit kids. That formula became a mainstay for comedy shows to follow decades later. The center of the show was the original misfit teacher himself, Mr Kotter. His students, each with different issues and personalities all fit in with someone we each knew or could associate with back in the day. There was Barbarino, the ladies man. We had one of those in high school. Horseshack, the nerdy guy, who wasnt smart, just weird. Freddie Washington the con man jock who tried to smooth his way past everything. And of course Juan Epstein, a Puerto Rican of Jewish decent tough guy, who tried to bully his way past those who got in his way. They are all familiar personality types, and the stroies were good, although the repeatetive nature of them sometimes got tedious in later years. But the best part of the show was always his narrative about his "uncle", a different uncle each week with a different bad joke at the end. Personally, at times, I kind of miss this kind of simplistic humor.
    Do you agree?
      1 0
    Report Abuse
  •  
    7.9 Good

    Long before Jerry Sienfeld and Ray Romano were sought after by the networks to build sit-coms around their material, a stand-up comedian by the name of Gabe Kaplan had great success with a little show called Welcome Back Kotter (ABC 1975-79). hide « show »

    As was common in the seventies the shows have a very theatrical feel due to the way they were filmed and the limited sets consisting of the Kotter's one room apartment shared by Gabe and his wife Julie (Marcia Strassman), and the classroom at the school. One cannot help but get the feel of watching a play as we are introduced into the world of Buchanan High School. The reoccurring bit of Kaplan closing each show with old school jokes only reinforces that theatrical feel, as his bits are reminiscent of vaudeville.

    Though the writing is typical seventies sitcom set-up punch, and the far-fetched scripts establish the characters as a comedy team rather than a teacher and students, it works, especially in season one. In these first twenty-two episodes we get to watch our characters develop and grow, and it makes for very enjoyable viewing. Eventually Travolta’s Barbarino will be the break out star before we even knew who Fonzie was, and the stories will begin to focus far too much on him. That is not the case here, as each character gets the spotlight. For a complete review; check out maskedmoviesnobs.com
    Do you agree?
      0 0
    Report Abuse
  •  
    5 Mediocre

    The best thing this show had going was its theme song. hide « show »

    oh, Mr. Kawter...it's not that hystARical

    What is it about this show? The acting was mediocre and the lines were too scripted. The '70s styles were not attractive. The plots were never compelling nor were the endings surprising.

    Still...I would watch it if they brought it back to Tv Land.
    Do you agree?
      0 2
    Report Abuse
  •  
    8.3 Great

    Funny 70's Sitcom hide « show »

    Welcome Back Kotter was based on Gabe Kaplan's standup routine which in turn was based on his teenage days growing up in Brooklyn. The show was basically Mr. Kaplan doing his standup routine but as the teacher with his students, The Sweathogs, providing punch lines that became catch phrases such as "up your nose with a rubber hose". The show made a star of a then unknown John Travolta. The shows first two seasons were classics, but it began to lose steam in the third season and the final season was a washout as Mr. Travolta was a major star by then and skipped a lot the episodes and Mr. Kaplan was in a contract dispute that limited his appearances.
    Do you agree?
      0 0
    Report Abuse
  •  
    10 Perfect

    good show hide « show »

    this was a good show 2 bad i was not alive to watch it when it was in its prime but i watch reruns of it sometimes. i started watching this show cause my sister liked it and i thought it was okay. My favorite character would have to be arnold horshcak cause he is so funny also i like vinnie cause he is also funny and i like the way he talks and all that. My fav line from the show would have to be the line boom boom says "Hi There" I always think that line is funny.
    Do you agree?
      0 0
    Report Abuse
 
See All Reviews »

Top Contributors

Contribute »
  • jekyll Editor
    User Score 1135 , Last Online -31 seconds ago
  • JingleJangle85 Retired
    User Score 291 , Last Online Dec 31, 1969
  • boechsner Retired
    User Score 248 , Last Online 2 hrs, 57 mins ago
  • fireballil
    User Score 421 , Last Online 12 hrs, 53 mins ago
  • ff_zero
    User Score 48 , Last Online 9 hrs, 59 mins ago
  • rapturerogue
    User Score 12 , Last Online 1 day, 7 hrs ago
What is a TV.com Contributor?