Welcome Back, Kotter is an American television sitcom that originally aired on the ABC network from 1975 to 1979.

A title character, Gabe Kotter (Gabriel Kaplan), is a caring-cracking teacher world health organization is restored to the equivalent Brooklyn, New York high school from which he graduated, James Buchanan High School. His typically unruly class action of remedial faculty member students were referred to as a "Sweathogs." A central Sweathogs come Vinnie Barbarino (John Travolta), a handsome half-wit; Juan Epstein (Robert Hegyes), a hard Jewish Puerto Rican; Freddie "Boom Boom" Inland northwest (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs), a friendly basketball enthusiast; & Arnold Horshack (Ron Palillo), the class clown known for his wheezy laugh. Mr. Kotter before long befriends a Sweathogs & typically has the two ended at his flat, another time to the mortification of his married woman, Julie (Marcia Strassman). A there are no-nonsense Mr. Michael Woodman (John Sylvester White) is the vice-principal (and down the road principal) of Buchanan High; he has an open aversiin to the Sweathogs, whom he considers the drain on resources. A indicate is according to Kaplan's real-life lives as a remedial student around Brooklyn, in which Kotter is placed.

History
Kotter began its process amid disceptation. Inside Boston, a city running though a troubled school busing program to enhance racial equality, the ABC affiliate felt Mr. Kotter's integrated schoolroom would merely add fuel to the fire. the affiliate refused to air a 1st 4 episodes, however decided per fifth episode to pick higher what got get a ratings profits. Meanwhile, teachers experienced concerns astir how else Mr. Kotter may exist as portrayed, and so producers allowed the teachers' union representative on a placed to assure a indicate protected the image of victims in the profession. There were likewise fears that the indicate would total to a celebration of juvenile deliquency; however, such sentiments faded whilst a Sweathogs' trick proved to become silly like than scarey.

the indicate enjoyed ratings profits when you took its number one both seasons, spawning a hikers of selling tie-ins such as lunch boxes, dolls, comic books, novels and the board game. A characters' signature lines, like Barbarino's "Up your nose with a rubber hose" & Inland northwest's "Hi there," became catch phrases. It wasn't hanker prior to a antecedently unknown actors became hot trade good, particularly Travolta, a indicate's jailbreak star.

Per third year, a ratings began to slip. Within an locate years down a road, Kaplan attributed a decline to the age of the actors swimming the Sweathogs (Palillo wwhen Thirty, Hegyes was Xxviii, Hilton-Jacobs was Xxvii & Travolta was Twenty-five), saying it were there are no yearn credible as high school students. His idea, which never materialized, was to keep close at hand Mr. Kotter join the faculty of a community college attended per Sweathogs. To help lure other viewers, the plot line developed that saw Mr. & Mrs. Kotter own twin girls, though that wasn't plenty for the indicate to regain its earliest macd.

Major changes took place in the quaternary & final year. Travolta, world health organization got already starred within pack professional hits like Grease and Saturday Night Fever, began to focus more instance in his film career. He was featured inside fewer than half of the episodes that season, today billed as a "special guest star." Meanwhile, a bit of behind-a-scenes disputes led to limited appearances by Kaplan. To help fill a voids, Stephen Shortridge joined the cast when smooth-talking southern sweathog Beau De Labarre, & Kotter's married woman, Julie, became a substitute teacher at the school. Several fans assume a 4th year to become a worst, typically singling out a departure of Travolta while when a indicate "jumped the shark."

Episodes
Ninety-5 episodes were produced in the period of Kotter's little joe-season rerun. Hegyes it used to be that said his favored episode was a 1 where Mr. Kotter & the Sweathogs turn into treed around the museum by using a nutty conservator. More memorable episodes saw the boys solve a Watergate-like liver conspiracy in the cafeteria (complete by having Mr. Woodman as an anon. informant calling himself "Deepthroat"), and Mr. Kotter getting to write an test when the discrepancy is noticed around his high school records. Late plot line another time took the supplementary good tone, like Horshack's swallowing condition & his refusal to dissect the frog inside class. Since producers did non understand, at least non sure as shooting, that a indicate would become cancelled when a 1978-79 year, Kotter got there are there is no official finale, no long-awaited graduation for the Sweathogs. Instead, the previous original episode dealt sustaining a feud that ensues while Inland northwest gets an when-school job Epstein felt was justifiedly his. Befittingly, a entire primary cast appeared for one of a couple days that year (though non together in the equivalent scene). For all but a stallion dog, for each one episode began & ended by having Mr. Kotter sharing an typically bromidic joke astir one of his relatives.

Nominations
Kotter failed to receive any major awards. A indicate was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series within 1976 after its first year, however misused to Mary Tyler Moore. Kotter was besides nominated for tercet technical indicator Emmy Awards: Spectacular Achievement inside Videotape Editing for the Series inside 1976, Outstanding Art Counsel for the Comedy Series inside 1978 and Outstanding Person Achievement - Creative Technical indicator Crafts (Dick Wilson) around 1979.

Guest stars
Many noteworthy performing artist enjoyed guest stints in Kotter either in the period of or even before their far flung fame. James Woods (John Q, Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story, Contact) guest starred in the pilot episode. Pat Morita, best known for his role when Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid series, appeared in the first episode of the 2nd year. Comedian George Carlin (Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure) was featured, as was John Astin (Gomez on The Addams Family television series). More guest stars involved Richard Moll (Baliff Bull Shannon on Night Court), Della Reese (Touched By An Angel) and Dinah Manoff (Empty Nest).

Spin-offs
At least ternary spin-by-product of Kotter were seriously considered, but only a single ever processed it to the screen. A short-lived Mr. T & Tina starred Pat Morita as Taro Takahashi (Mr. T for short), the brilliant Japanese artificer whom he portrayed within a single episode of Kotter. A indicate was nin received swell by critics & lasted upright 5 episodes on ABC. There was likewise talk about getting a spin-by-product built about the Horshack character & his personal, however it never materialized. In the mid-1990s, Hegyes announced on the Jenny Jones talk show that plans were in a works to produce the spin-by-product featuring the Sweathogs (minus Travolta's Barbarino) completely grown higher. A design, yet, never had off a ground, & little references all about it was ever processed public.

Broadcast history
• September 1975-January 1976, ABC, Tuesday 8:30-9:00 p.m.

• January 1976-August 1978, ABC, Thursday 8:00-8:30 p.m.

• September 1978-October 1978, ABC, Monday 8:00-8:30 p.m.

• October 1978-January 1979, ABC, Saturday 8:00-8:30 p.m.

• February 1979-March 1979, ABC, Saturday 8:00-8:30 p.m.

• Might 1979-August 1979, ABC, Friday 8:00-8:30 p.m.

After the show
As a result a 1979 cancellation, the stars enjoyed variable degrees of profits. When many hard showings, Travolta's film career took the nosedive until 1994's Pulp Fiction revived his status as a strong pack professional draw. Kaplan processed two or three comedic films & televisiin guest appearances, however began to focus on investments & the passion for agency poker. He has, yet, returned to his have-higher comedy roots within recent years. Hegyes continued acting within flick & in televisiin, in which he landed the regular role on Cagney and Lacey on CBS. Palillo besides appeared inside television & in films, including the 3-episode guest shot when himself on the ABC sitcom Ellen. Inside one of a Ellen episodes, Palillo expresses ruefulness at how else he is known well-nigh entirely for his role when Horshack. One of a episodes was entitled ''Horshack's Law. Hilton-Jacobs incurred steadily function within moving-picture show & television, including his role when a father of the Jackson musical personal in the 1992 made-for-TV film, The Jacksons: An U.s. Dream. Using a exception of Travolta, none of a cast members ever regained a fame it enjoyed in the period of the foursome-month redo of Kotter.

After Travolta hosted Saturday Night Live in 1994, he appeared in the sketch that lampooned his old indicate. Quentin Tarantino's Welcome Back, Kotter gave viewers a humourous view how else the Pulp Fiction director might own brought the hard dose of violence to the tame indicate. Travolta reprised his old character, Barbarino, by owning Mike Myers as Mr. Kotter, Adam Sandler as Epstein, Tim Meadows as Washington & David Spade as Horshack.

the nighest tool to a reunion indicate come inside 1997, when Hegyes, Hiltin-Jacobs & Palillo reprised their Sweathog roles on an episode of the short-transient NBC sitcom Mr. Rhodes. Kaplan did non pop up; instead, actor John Kassir (who would late play Shemp Howard in The Three Stooges television movie) assumed a role of Mr. Kotter. A episode originally aired in February Three, 1997 & was entitled A Welcome Back Indicate.

Kotter enjoyed the renewed surge around popularity in the mid-1990s after it aired when a share of the Nick & Nite lineup in Jukebox''. Kaplan late said that a indicate observed plenty of freshly fans when you took that do however that it were turned off per quality of a episodes from either the 4th year.

Cast members opened higher just about their lives on the indicate within 2000's Welcome Back, Kotter: The E! Confessedly Hollywood Story. Them-hour program involved interviews by using cast members, including Kaplan, Palillo, Hilton-Jacobs, Strassman & Shortridge. Kaplan spoke of a hard relationship sustaining executive producer James Komack, whom he saw when non serving the indicate's better interests. Such as several viewers, Kaplan said a quality of the indicate dropped off in the quaternary & final year. Hilton-Jacobs agreed, saying that the recently writers brought therein month were non suited to a indicate of this nature and severity. Palillo said a impact of an attempted ratings-grabber in the final year, Horshack's wedding, was derailed while President Jimmy Carter gave a televised speech that pre-empted a heavy advertised episode. Strassman recalled how else foiled she was at her limited period in camerthe, the situation that changed in the quaternary year whilst her character became a substitute teacher at Buchanan High.

Within 2003, as a portion of ABC's Fiftieth Day of remembrance Celebration telecast, Kotter was featured inside tribute collage & a original cast appeared together in stage. Notably scatty was White, world health organization died of pancreatic cancer around 1988 at the age of 68.

Kotter passes around in reruns when fans hope that a indicate is freed in DVD rather many more sitcoms. In todays world, Kaplan calls the indicate a "period piece." It's strong to disagree given a dress worn per characters (including bell bottoms), hairstyles (afro hairdo), language & information to so-todays cases (Inland northwest exclaims inside a single episode, "President Ford wasn't elected").

Theme song
Kotter experienced the memorable theme song, Welcome Back, written & performed by John Sebastian, formerly of The Lovin' Spoonful. A lyrics:

Characters
Gabe Kotter occurs as caring-cracking teacher world health organization is restored to Buchanan High, a school from either which he graduated x years sooner, to teach a class action of remedial academician students called the Sweathogs. Getting been the Sweathog himself, Kotter has the favorite appreciation for the likely one 'unteachable' students. His foremost day on the job, he shows the students two his authority & his playful side while he fires the elephantine paper plane at the babies around response to a similar attack. Kotter is married to Julie, sustaining whom he at length has twin girls. Once Buchanan High chief John Lazarus retires, Kotter becomes a vice-principal, though maintains a few teaching duties.

Julie Kotter is Gabe's married woman & nearest friend. Though she has the feel of humor, she typically wishes Gabe would require matters additional seriously. She is now and then upset by using a total of instance her married man lives by owning his students, world health organization regularly visit their flat. An anthropology major inside college, she at length becomes the substitute teacher at Buchanan High.

Michael Woodman is the vice-principal (& late principal) of Buchanan High. a short, bitterly human, he has an open aversion to the Sweathogs, whom he considers the bottom of the totem pole at his school. He refers to non-Sweathogs when "real" students.

Vinnie Barbarino is the unofficial leader of the Sweathogs. within case he experienced when much profits in school as he did using women, he would become contracting The's instead of toiling inside Mr. Kotter's classes. His trademark lines include "I'm so confused!" (spoken by owning two mitts smushing against his face), & a nonsensical response of "What? When? Where?" to any total of questions. He is the foremost of the Sweathogs to move out in his have whilst he gets the job as a hospital orderly.

Juan Epstein is one of a toughest students at Buchanan High. The gallant "Puerto Rican Jew," he seems to keep around notes from either his mother excusing him for everthing manners of wrongdoing, sustaining every slip of paper signed by "Epstein's mother." He usually wears the red hankerchief hanging away from his best back pocket & was voted "Most Likely To Take A Life" by his peers.

Freddie "Boom Boom" Wa, a hip to African-Western, is referred to as the athletic Sweathog for his skills on the basketball court. He typically greets humans by having his familiar "Hi there," universally accompanied by the handsome smiling. Though he's typically a voice of cause among his class fellow, he's the unforced participant in the Sweathogs' various caper & pranks. Freddie besides encountered profits as a radio disc jockey along by having an additional previous Sweathog, Wally A Terrific! (played by George Carlin). He universally referred to his teacher when "Mr. Kot-Tare."

Arnold Horshack is the class clown within Mr. Kotter's room. The truly odd young human, he is known for his wheezy laugh, which has been in comparison that of the hyhena, & unique observations. He is a lone one of the central Sweathogs to become "promoted" away from remedial faculty member class, however he shortly is restored when feeling away from place. He marries Mary Johnson, the co-fellow worker & fellow Sweathog.

Beau De Labarre, introduced as a regular character in the for & previous year, occurs as smooth-talker southerner world health organization transfers to Buchanan High when existence kicked away from many more schools. Naturally, he finishes higher around Kotter's class, though his 1st reaction to the term "Sweathog" is, "That sounds gross." Filled by owning capricious locutiin, such the single all about how else the very human never steps on a pregnant alligator, he added occasionally folksy charm to Kotter's class.

Interesting facts
• Previous U.S. President Ronald Reagan was a large fan of the indicate.

• Sebastian's Welcome Back is the single song written for the tv show to email to top of the musical theater stock and index charts in the U.S.

• A indicate was originally attend exist as known as only Kotter, however that was changed because of the theme song lyrics.

• A orangish inscription utilized for Shortridge's title in the opening credits did non match that of the more actors.

• Palillo had a nosejob years when the indicate ended and then he would less resemble Horshack.

• A Welcome Back, Kotter comedian book was published by DC Comics, famous for its Superman and Batman titles.

• Comedian Garry Shandling, who went around to star in flick & HBO's The Larry Sanders Show, was a writer for the indicate.

• Charles Fleischer, who late became a voice of the title character inside Who Framed Roger Rabbit had a reoccurring role when Carvelli, one of a Sweathogs' nemesis.

• Hegyes went behind a camera to direct a select few episodes.

• Kaplan was far-famed for his impersonation of Groucho Marx, which he occasionally performed on the indicate. He potentially appeared within the film entitled Gabe Kaplan when Groucho.

• Within 2002, Palillo entered a boxing ring sustaining Dustin Diamond (Screech from either Saved by the Bell) on Fox's ''Celebrity Boxing 2. Much to the dismay of his fans, Palillo lost.

Cast
Gabriel Kaplan as Gabe Kotter Marcia Strassman as Julie Kotter John Sylvester White as Michael Woodman John Travolta as Vinnie Barbarino Ron Palillo as Arnold Horshack Lawrence Hilton Jacobs as Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington Robert Hegyes as Juan Luis Pedro Philippo DeHuevos Epstein Stephen Shortridge as Beau De Labarre Irene Arranga as Mary Johnson-Horshack Charles Fleischer as Carvelli Bob Harcum as Murray Vernee Watson as Verna Jean Debralee Scott as Rosalie Totzie Dennis Bowen as Todd Ludlow