Welcome Back Kotter went on the air at the same time I started high school, so the show paralelled my own high school days. One of the first things I said when the show went on the air was: "High School kids don't really act like this. They generally don't show up unannounced at their teachers apartment and climb in thru the window." And their behavior when in class was often over the top as well. They chose the high school angle for this show, but Gabe Kaplan may as well have been a New York City deli owner and the four "sweathogs" his regular customers. Some of the episodes, especially the earlier ones, actually dealt with learning and education. But this show was mainly a vehicle for Kaplan, Travolta, Palillo, Hegyes, and Jacobs to show off their comedic talents. I've often wondered how much the poor "extras" got paid, the kids who just sat in the room to fill out the class but were given nothing to say. By the 4th season, the show was falling apart and there were disputes on the set. The series didn't end properly, the sweathogs never graduated, at least not that I can remember. What they did with the Horshack character was ridiculous. Room 222 is a more serious and realistic show. If you prefer straight ahead comedy, then Welcome Back Kotter is more up your alley. I bought the DVD's, they're good for a few chuckles.

These days, they'd do it up right.

I remember thinking that all these "high schoolers" looked anywhere from 25 to 30 or so!

I remember thinking that all these "high schoolers" looked anywhere from 25 to 30 or so!

Yea, the "sweathogs" were all in their 20's when the series was being made. Travolta was born in 1954, Palillo in 1949, Hegyes in 1951, and Jacobs in 1953. Kaplan was born in 1945, so he's only 4 years older than Palillo.

I've often wondered how much the poor "extras" got paid, the kids who just sat in the room to fill out the class but were given nothing to say.

It used to bother me a little that the extras never had any lines. Verna Jean and Hotsie Totise were really the only other Sweathogs besides the main 4, to have any lines on the show.

Originally Posted by Lee G
I've often wondered how much the poor "extras" got paid, the kids who just sat in the room to fill out the class but were given nothing to say.

Id expect they were paid "scale"......about $350 a show at the time, if I recall ( Going by memory alone here )

I remember thinking that all these "high schoolers" looked anywhere from 25 to 30 or so!
that's exactly why Gabe Kaplan sugested that, in the 4th season they have them gradate and move on to college, and Mr. Kotter ends up as their teacher again. Then it'd be realistic and they could go on for 4 more seasons. But, ABC, unfortunately, turned down the idea.

I remember thinking that all these "high schoolers" looked anywhere from 25 to 30 or so!
Yeah, really, none of those "kids" were really teenagers! LOL!
:lol: :eek: :p

Then again, Archie , Betty and Veronica are all over 65 now :lol:

Welcome Back Kotter went on the air at the same time I started high school, so the show paralelled my own high school days. One of the first things I said when the show went on the air was: "High School kids don't really act like this. They generally don't show up unannounced at their teachers apartment and climb in thru the window." And their behavior when in class was often over the top as well. They chose the high school angle for this show, but Gabe Kaplan may as well have been a New York City deli owner and the four "sweathogs" his regular customers. Some of the episodes, especially the earlier ones, actually dealt with learning and education. But this show was mainly a vehicle for Kaplan, Travolta, Palillo, Hegyes, and Jacobs to show off their comedic talents. I've often wondered how much the poor "extras" got paid, the kids who just sat in the room to fill out the class but were given nothing to say. By the 4th season, the show was falling apart and there were disputes on the set. The series didn't end properly, the sweathogs never graduated, at least not that I can remember. What they did with the Horshack character was ridiculous. Room 222 is a more serious and realistic show. If you prefer straight ahead comedy, then Welcome Back Kotter is more up your alley. I bought the DVD's, they're good for a few chuckles.




Was WBK the Topic at your school after every new episode each Week?

C'mon now...I think the only concurrent show that might get a general affirmative answer to that question is Saturday Night Live.

the day after the first show aired (not the pilot-I remember; for some reason ABC showed a "regular" episode as the first show, and they showed the pilot later that season) everyone on my bus (I was also in high school then; but in my 2nd year) was quoting the phrases they said like "Up your nose with a rubber hose" etc.

the day after the first show aired (not the pilot-I remember; for some reason ABC showed a "regular" episode as the first show, and they showed the pilot later that season) everyone on my bus (I was also in high school then; but in my 2nd year) was quoting the phrases they said like "Up your nose with a rubber hose" etc.


No one quoted "OFF MY CASE TOILET FACE"-lol

C'mon now...I think the only concurrent show that might get a general affirmative answer to that question is Saturday Night Live.

Why not Kotter? Heck me and my friends used to talk about that show in school and after school and that was back in 1995. :lol: It was like a brand new show to us. So I'm sure they used to talk about it in 1975.

I was still in gradeschool during the first season and wouldn't enter high-school until shortly after the final episode. But you are correct...now that I think of it...the Kotter catchphrases were all the rage for a while, with kids trying to one-up each other with gradually dirtier variations of "up your nose...."

Was WBK the Topic at your school after every new episode each Week?

There was a kid in my high school who thought the Washington character was cool. He would go up to everyone in the school and say "Hi there." :lol: I think the show was more popular with the guys than with the girls, but I don't remember a lot of people talking about it. I saw most of the episodes when they originally aired, I didn't like the 4th season and all the changes they made with the show.

There was a kid in my high school who thought the Washington character was cool. He would go up to everyone in the school and say "Hi there." :lol: I think the show was more popular with the guys than with the girls, but I don't remember a lot of people talking about it. I saw most of the episodes when they originally aired, I didn't like the 4th season and all the changes they made with the show.



Yeah I can see that since the show was geared toward men and female characters had minor roles

I was in Jr. High when the show first aired and I loved from the first episode.

I had a friend in high school who was a a crazy as I am about John Travolta. So we'd talk about the show, buy all the latest magazines on the show & Travolta. Kids were alwya imitating stuff off the show. In one ep Barabarino says "Stick It Where The Sun Don't Shine" (I forget which ep) & we teenagers back then picked up on it & were saying it lol. I rememeber my friend & I used to write each other letters about the show. My friend & I read in some movie magazine that John Travolta was marrying Kim Darby the actress. We were both so heartbroken. We later found out that wasn't true. So we learned from that not to believe everything you read. I ignored how old they wre back then lol. But now I notice the ages & am like they are kinda old to be in high school lol...

I had a friend in high school who was a a crazy as I am about John Travolta. So we'd talk about the show, buy all the latest magazines on the show & Travolta. Kids were alwya imitating stuff off the show. In one ep Barabarino says "Stick It Where The Sun Don't Shine" (I forget which ep) & we teenagers back then picked up on it & were saying it lol. I rememeber my friend & I used to write each other letters about the show. My friend & I read in some movie magazine that John Travolta was marrying Kim Darby the actress. We were both so heartbroken. We later found out that wasn't true. So we learned from that not to believe everything you read. I ignored how old they wre back then lol. But now I notice the ages & am like they are kinda old to be in high school lol...


I don't remember the ep either bit Vinnie said-"Stick the Sunday Times where the Sun don't Shine"

I'm not a big fan of WBK, but they did manage a few funny episodes. Horshack was really the only character I didn't like.

I remember thinking that all these "high schoolers" looked anywhere from 25 to 30 or so!

They were too old to be in high school in real life, but it was still a fuunny show.

I was still in gradeschool during the first season and wouldn't enter high-school until shortly after the final episode. But you are correct...now that I think of it...the Kotter catchphrases were all the rage for a while, with kids trying to one-up each other with gradually dirtier variations of "up your nose...."

I was in the fifth grade during the first season. When we weren't saying "Aayy" or "Dyn-o-MITE" or trying to figure out the Laverne & Shirley chant, we were saying "Hi there," answering "What, where," passing fake notes, wheezing, or like you, doing the rubber hose variations. Our favorite involved grass.