Welcome Back, Kotter


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

Tabs

About

Welcome Back Kotter is situation comedy which ran on ABC from September 9, 1975 to June 8, 1979. Based on the autobiographical stand-up routine of comedian Gabriel Kaplan, the series focus on Gabe Kotter, a wisecracking teacher who returns to his high school alma mater—the fictional James Buchanan High in Brooklyn, New York—to teach an often unruly group of remedial "Sweathogs." (The nickname reflected the fact that the remedial classes were held on the very top floor of the high school.) Growing up, Kotter had attended the same remedial classes when he himself was a student at Buchanan and was a founding member of the Sweathogs. Recognizing that he was his students' last chance to learn enough to survive beyond school, he befriended them while they learned to recognize and appreciate his commitment and faith in their potential. His devotion to the class was to the extent that his students often visited his Bensonhurst apartment, sometimes to the chagrin of his wife, Julie (Marcia Strassman).

The TV characters' signature lines were Barbarino's "up your nose with a rubber hose" and Washington's deep-voiced "hi there" and Horshack's wheezing laugh. The previously unknown actors became hot commodities, particularly John Travolta, the show's breakout star.

 

Created by

Gabe Kaplan

Alan Sacks

 

Starring

Gabe Kaplan

Marcia Strassman

John Sylvester White

Robert Hegyes

Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs

Ron Palillo

John Travolta

Melonie Haller (Season 3)

Stephen Shortridge (Season 4)

Opening theme "Welcome Back", Performed by John Sebastian

 

No. of seasons 4

No. of episodes 95

Highlights
Andy Ackerman on his first job as an assistant editor at Welcome Back, Kotter
01:06
Garry Shandling on writing an episode of Welcome Back Kotter and getting an agent
01:35
Tom Cherones on being a production manager on Welcome Back, Kotter
02:22
Who talked about this show

Andy Ackerman

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Andy Ackerman on his first job as an assistant editor at Welcome Back, Kotter
01:06

Larry Auerbach

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Larry Auerbach on packaging Welcome Back Kotter
00:43

Tom Cherones

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Tom Cherones on being a production manager on Welcome Back, Kotter
02:22

Roy Christopher

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Roy Christopher on doing production design for Welcome Back, Kotter
03:51
Roy Christopher on working with James Komack on shows like Welcome Back, Kotter
02:32

Bob Claver

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Bob Claver on directing one season of Welcome Back, Kotter
04:38

Pat Morita

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Pat Morita on appearing on Welcome Back, Kotter
01:44

Bill Persky

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Bill Persky on directing Welcome Back, Kotter produced by James Komack and starring John Travolta
01:50

Della Reese

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Della Reese on appearing on Welcome Back, Kotter
01:32

Paul Shaffer

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Paul Shaffer on the problem encountered by musical guest John Sebastian while performing the Welcome Back, Kotter theme song on Saturday Night Live (and producer Lorne Michaels stepping in live on the air to ask him to start over)
01:27

Garry Shandling

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Garry Shandling on writing an episode of Welcome Back Kotter and getting an agent
01:35

Lynn Stalmaster

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Lynn Stalmaster on casting John Travolta on the Welcome Back, Kotter pilot
01:44
Lynn Stalmaster on casting Welcome Back, Kotter
05:02
Lynn Stalmaster on casting adult men as high school kids on Welcome Back, Kotter, and on how age factors in casting in general
03:08

David L. Wolper

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David L. Wolper on selling Welcome Back, Kotter to ABC
02:27
David L. Wolper on Welcome Back, Kotter, produced by James Komack, starring John Travolta
05:20

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