alpha-37 ...and it's driving me nuts.JG: I remember there was one episode where Epstein paints Kotter's wife naked on the side of the school. They didn't show any details, of course. I hope that's not a spoiler.JL: Kotter is the prodigal son of NYC. He has gone out in the world with ambition, and now returned to find that his real calling was right at home. I often reflected on this difficulty as a youngster, seeing the elevated trains and dirty streets during the closing credits. I would always struggle with the duality between ambition for new experiences, and sticking with what you are good at. How would a neurotic Kotter sound after a hard day with the sweathogs?

stevenfallonnyc I remember a long time ago when the USA Network I believe started announcing they were going to run Kotter. My friends and I were psyched! The big day came and we got our chow and watched. What a letdown. Within five minutes of us trying to enjoy ourselves, we changed our attitude for the rest of the show and instead of embracing it, we made fun of it. And even THAT was a strain, the show was so bad.It's unfathomable to think that there are some who not only enjoy the show (that's fine, I like some bad shows too) but who actually place it amongst the greatest sitcoms of all time. "Welcome Back Kotter" has to be (with the exception of "Happy Days" from the third season on) the worst popular sitcom ever made. This show is BAD. Not even "enjoyable" bad, just achingly painful-to-view bad.The worst was when the show forced the characters to do their catchphrases every show. Horshack's "ooh, ohh," Barbarino's "what...where, etc," Washington's "hi there," all showed such unbelievable strain, how can anyone laugh after the first time? Just like "Happy Days" when they went nuts with the catchphrases.But the really sad thing is, most of the actors on the show were decent enough, it was the unbelievably horrid writing that really hurt the show. Ironically, easily the most untalented person involved with the show was Gabe Kaplan. His character sucked, Kaplan couldn't do comedy (this guy was a comedian?) and sure couldn't get dramatic when needed, and I believe he wrote the show, or most of it? Kaplan, the man behind the show, was the show's main detriment.I did find it pretty facinating how the woman who played Kotter's wife was whining on and on about her lack of storylines on the show, when she was interviewed for some recent documentaries about "Kotter." She couldn't understand that her character was minor and not nearly as important to the show as most of the others? Actually, watching her whine and cry about her lack of involvement was more amusing than the show itself.However, if there ever is a reunion TV movie, I'll watch it, only because it would be fun to see these characters possibly with their sons and daughters as the new Sweathogs, seeing what route a reunion movie would take. Kotter as principal (poor 'ol Mr. Woodman), Epstein as the gym teacher, Washington as a guidance counselor.....

rustnever What made "Kotter" great was that it was just plain funny. Unlike some of its contemporaries, it didn't try to shock or send a social message. The four unique personalities of the Sweathogs, along with Kotter, worked together so well. The episode where they ran a telethon from the classroom was classic. The final season was a disappointment because the show's writers wanted to go in a different direction--attacking more serious issues. Plus, the departure of John Travolta after he hit it big in the movies hurt "Kotter" as well. It's probably all for the better that it only went four years because I think when a sitcom goes for too long, it tends to deviate from its originial concept (i.e. "Happy Days" and "Laverne and Shirley").

MIK7x3 "Welcome Back, Kotter" was one of the funniest serials I have ever seen. It starred Gabe Kaplan as Mr. Kotter, who taught a remedial class of "Sweathogs" which featured Arnold Horshack, Juan Epstein, Freddie "Boom-Boom" Washington, and Vinnie Barbarino as four of his students. Between the hilarious plots and the identifiable high school situations, the show was a hit. What student in a diverse environment can't identify with "Roses are red, violets are blue, my mom wants me to date a Puerto Rican Jew"? My favourite episode focused upon the Sweathogs cleaning for a pregnant Mrs. Kotter, only to destroy her apartment. Reruns have been off the air in Canada for quite some time, so I suggest that if networks want to improve ratings, that they welcome back Kotter!