Because I think I might be older than there characters, but I sure don't look as old as the actors-lol

It sounds like in Season one they are in 11th grade and I guess by the third season they are Seniors :confused:

I don't know; but by the last season they were starting to look to old to be in high school.

That's why Gabe Kaplan suggested that; for the last season they have Mr. Kotter transfer to a junior college, and they graduate and end up as his students again. And that way, the show couo on for 4 more years and still be believable. ABC nixed the idea; though; and that's one reason he left.

I don't know; but by the last season they were starting to look to old to be in high school.

That's why Gabe Kaplan suggested that; for the last season they have Mr. Kotter transfer to a junior college, and they graduate and end up as his students again. And that way, the show couo on for 4 more years and still be believable. ABC nixed the idea; though; and that's one reason he left.


They probably nixed the idea because the Sweathoggs in COLLEGE??????????-lol

maybe; but by that last season they WERE starting to look to old to still be playing high school students:)

They should have had the sweathogs become Janitors-lol

They probably nixed the idea because the Sweathoggs in COLLEGE??????????-lol

It would take a huge miracle for them to get into ANY college.
I could see them going to a trade school, maybe.

They probably nixed the idea because the Sweathoggs in COLLEGE??????????-lol

Hell, they were probably still sophomores in season four!:D

I can't recall them making a reference during the run of the series as to what grade they were in.:confused:

I have always wonder that Question

probably about 17.

The Sweathogs were supposed to be 17 or 18. Although the actors who played them were much Older. John Travolta (Barbarino) was born in 1954, Lawrence Hilton Jacobs was born in 1953, Robert Hegyes was born in 1951 and Ron Palillo was born in 1949. The show was on from 1975-1979, so you can do the math and figure out how old they all were during the show's run. And yes, at the end of the series run, the actor who played Horshack was 30 years old and still playing a teenager. :crazy:

They DEF look older.

I had no idea the the Sweathogs were that old other than Travolta. I think I kind ignored how old he was cuz I was too in love with him at the time. Epstien is the same age as my hubby & I'm now like wow, I can't believe someone that old (Not that hubby is old) played a Sweathog whent he Sweathogs were supposed to be teenagers... :lol: :lol:

The Sweathogs were supposed to be 17 or 18. Although the actors who played them were much Older. John Travolta (Barbarino) was born in 1954, Lawrence Hilton Jacobs was born in 1953, Robert Hegyes was born in 1951 and Ron Palillo was born in 1949. The show was on from 1975-1979, so you can do the math and figure out how old they all were during the show's run. And yes, at the end of the series run, the actor who played Horshack was 30 years old and still playing a teenager. :crazy:
yes; it is crazy. I hate it when they do that. Like Penny Marshall on LAVERNE & SHIRLEY. She was in, I think, her ealy 40s when the show ended (in that HORRIBLE last season) and still playing someone in there late 20s/early 30s.

I don't know how old they were but in the 3rd season, they were Juniors cause they had that storyline in the episodes "And Baby Makes Four pts 1-3" where Vinnie is left back in the 10th grade while the rest of the sweathogs are in 11th grade.

I don't think they were supposed to be 14-17, I think we as viewers were supposed to see them as OLDER guys who are still in school because they were just uninterested in higher education-lol

That kind of casting was common practice in Hollywood back then. I didn't notice back then because I was a kid and everyone over the age of 20 was old in my eyes.

Hell, Fonzie was in his '30s in real life when Happy Days started and was over 40 when the show ended, yet he was playing a guy who was supposed to be in his '20s, chasing young girls. When I watch the later shows now it's really obvious he was too old to still be wearing leather and pretending to be a tough guy.

Rizzo in the movie version of Grease was 35 years old when that movie came out and Olivia Newton-John was 30 and yet they were both playing teenagers.

You don't see that kind of casting so much now. Actors tend to be only a year or two older than their characters. There are some exceptions - Smallville's Tom Welling is in his late twenties, I believe - but in cases where the actor or actresses looks very young.

I think they spent the first 3 seasons in the 11th grade, but I don't think it was to give the impression they were all held back that many times. I think the writers liked to make it seem as though the first 3 seasons all took place within one school year. They were finally Seniors in the last season. A graduation episode would have made a fantastic series finale. :)

I think they spent the first 3 seasons in the 11th grade, but I don't think it was to give the impression they were all held back that many times. I think the writers liked to make it seem as though the first 3 seasons all took place within one school year. They were finally Seniors in the last season. A graduation episode would have made a fantastic series finale. :)

Agreed. It's too bad they weren't allowed to come back in the fall of 1979 to do a one hour last episode special, where they would have ended the show properly. WBK went out with a whimper, not a bang. The show's last episodes were burned off unceremoniously in the early summer of 1979.

Maybe they could've persuaded Kaplan and Travolta to take part and bid a proper farewell to the audience. It's funny that when you're a popular show, the network loves you, but when you crap out in the ratings, they won't even let you come back and say a proper goodbye to the audience.:(

Agreed. It's too bad they weren't allowed to come back in the fall of 1979 to do a one hour last episode special, where they would have ended the show properly. WBK went out with a whimper, not a bang. The show's last episodes were burned off unceremoniously in the early summer of 1979.

Maybe they could've persuaded Kaplan and Travolta to take part and bid a proper farewell to the audience. It's funny that when you're a popular show, the network loves you, but when you crap out in the ratings, they won't even let you come back and say a proper goodbye to the audience.:(



I don't think they do Farewell episodes for a show that's doing poorly in the ratings

I don't think they do Farewell episodes for a show that's doing poorly in the ratings

They don't. I was merely suggesting they should.;)

That kind of casting was common practice in Hollywood back then. I didn't notice back then because I was a kid and everyone over the age of 20 was old in my eyes.

Hell, Fonzie was in his '30s in real life when Happy Days started and was over 40 when the show ended, yet he was playing a guy who was supposed to be in his '20s, chasing young girls. When I watch the later shows now it's really obvious he was too old to still be wearing leather and pretending to be a tough guy.

Rizzo in the movie version of Grease was 35 years old when that movie came out and Olivia Newton-John was 30 and yet they were both playing teenagers.

Another show that had older actors playing teenagers was Beverly Hills 90210. Gabrielle Carteris was nearly 30 when the show started, Ian Zeiring was 26, Luke Perry was 25, and Jason Priestly was 20. I don't think they were playing freshman, maybe sophomores when the show started, but that's still quite a difference. By the time they graduated, the age difference was pretty obvious ;)