According to a web site called "Screen Source," Gabe Kaplan left the series in the 4th season because of "creative differences with ABC." Does anyone know specifically just what these "creative differences" were? What were Kaplan's ideas for the direction of the series and how did these differ from ABC's ideas?

I am not sure how accurate my sources are, but I always heard that he left b/c his writers had been replaced w/writers from the Carol Burnett Show.

Or perhaps, he knew that the ratings were quickly dropping and decided to leave a sinking ship.

The drop in the ratings could partly be attributed to Travolta leaving, and also due to new writers. Usually changing writers is a last ditch effort to prevent a series from being canceled.

Let's not forget the biggest motivating factor of them all, which of course is money. I will be willing to bet that this factored into his decision as well. Agents are always telling their clients who is making more than them, particularly when it comes time to renegotiate their contract.

In any case a number of things probably went through Gabe Kaplan's mind, I don't think we can pin in it down to just one thing.

I've heard that it was mostly the writers that made Kaplan leave. In season 4, James Komack (Producer of WBK) replaced the writers. Gabe didn't like this and had his differences with Komack and that season only appeared a few times in small scenes on the show. John Travolta leaving was pretty bad, but he did appear frequently, more frequently so then Kaplan I believe.

The sinking ship thing is possible, but the season 3 ratings were still in the top 30.

The E! True Hollywood Story did a Kotter episode which explained in detail why Kaplan was for all intents and purposes absent season four. Kaplan felt that the Sweathogs should have graduated Buchanan High, as it was going on four years. Kotter would have taken a job as teacher at a community college and in true sitcom fashion, the kids would have followed him there. I imagine that somehow, Woodman would have followed suit as well. Just see how Laverne & Shirley's entire cast migrated to California in season six to see my point.

In addition, Komack fired all the writers from season three and replaced them with producers and writers from the newly cancelled Carol Burnett show. Komack was big into power plays and was always at odds with Kaplan. Kaplan, feeling stripped of whatever power he had as star and creator, agreed to step aside, resulting in him making some token cameo appearances during the last season.

What I think is funny is that while Travolta was only credited for episodes he appeared in (remember that ridiculous "Special Guest Star" credit he would get on-screen?), he appeared in more episodes than Kaplan, whose name still appeared above the title in the opening credits every episode.

I recommend checking this E! show out as it really gets into the backstage drama. What's missing are interviews with Robert Hegyes and Travolta, but it's still fun to watch.


:happyface

I was actually president of a WELCOME BACK, KOTTER fan club when I was in junior high school. I once got a personal letter from James Komack. I'd written him and asked about Gabe Kaplan and John Travolta's leaving the show. Komack replied that Travolta left, of course, because of his movie career, but agreed to return for several guest appearances. Kaplan left because he and Komack disagreed on the direction the show should take, as mentioned in an earlier post. KOTTER wanted the sweathogs to graduate, and he wanted more serious stories. So he sat out a majority of the season. It wasn't until the end of the year when Horshak was getting married and it became clear the show was not going to return for a fifth season, that Kaplan agreed to return for the last few shows. Although the fourth season wasn't well received, Komack said he stood behind his decision. He pointed out that the WHITE SHADOW, a couple of years later, tried graduating their students and bringing in a new class and that decision proved disasterous as well. (He wrote me in '82, when KOTTER was in syndication).

I hope E! replays the ETHS of 'Kotter'. I REALLY want to see it. :D

Originally posted by BundyBoy10
I hope E! replays the ETHS of 'Kotter'. I REALLY want to see it. :D

It would have been cool if they could've gotten Travolta and Hegyes to comment - even cooler if Komack would have lived long enough to vent his spleen.

Can't imagine why they couldn't get Hegyes - it's not as though he's got Travolta's career.

Originally posted by Doug
I was actually president of a WELCOME BACK, KOTTER fan club when I was in junior high school. I once got a personal letter from James Komack. I'd written him and asked about Gabe Kaplan and John Travolta's leaving the show. Komack replied that Travolta left, of course, because of his movie career, but agreed to return for several guest appearances. Kaplan left because he and Komack disagreed on the direction the show should take, as mentioned in an earlier post. KOTTER wanted the sweathogs to graduate, and he wanted more serious stories. So he sat out a majority of the season. It wasn't until the end of the year when Horshak was getting married and it became clear the show was not going to return for a fifth season, that Kaplan agreed to return for the last few shows. Although the fourth season wasn't well received, Komack said he stood behind his decision. He pointed out that the WHITE SHADOW, a couple of years later, tried graduating their students and bringing in a new class and that decision proved disasterous as well. (He wrote me in '82, when KOTTER was in syndication).

Excellent points, but Kaplan's scenario for the show would have had him getting a job at a community college, with the Sweathogs following him there after graduation. I'm sure somehow they would've found a way for Woodman to end up there as well.

Laverne & Shirley relocated to California and miraculously, the entire supporting cast ended up there as well. Of course, that ruined the show, but I'm sure Kotter would've remained in New York.

When the girls on The Facts Of Life got too old for high school, they changed the setting to Mrs. Garrett's new business, where the girls ended up working. They apparently got some special dispensation from the school to live with Mrs. Garrett. Not that I'm saying that The Facts Of Life was a model for sitcoms looking to make a change, but they at least found a way to keep the cast intact.

They made Kotter vice-principal of Buchanan High in the last season, thus explaining why he was no longer in the classroom with his Sweathogs.

They made Kotter vice-principal of Buchanan High in the last season, thus explaining why he was no longer in the classroom with his Sweathogs.

Which also excused the fact he was barely in the show that season. It's too bad that show never had a proper farewell episode. I read that John Travolta will be appearing in an episode of his friend Kirstie Alley's new show, Fat Actress. If Travolta can be persuaded to come back to TV for something like that, perhaps he could be persuaded to do Welcome Back Kotter Revisited?? :D

It wasn't until the end of the year when Horshak was getting married and it became clear the show was not going to return for a fifth season, that Kaplan agreed to return for the last few shows.

If this was truly the case, then why didn't Kotter do a proper final episode?? Maybe have gotten Travolta back and had the entire original cast together one last time. Would have been cool.

If they ever do a reunion movie, I say it begins with the funeral of Beau Delabarre!! :D

If this was truly the case, then why didn't Kotter do a proper final episode?? Maybe have gotten Travolta back and had the entire original cast together one last time. Would have been cool.

If they ever do a reunion movie, I say it begins with the funeral of Beau Delabarre!! :D



So the entire cast was never together toward the end of the series?

So the entire cast was never together toward the end of the series?

Nope. It was a pretty weak way to end the show. No graduation, no sense of moving on. Definitely went out with a whimper, not a bang. :confused:

Nope. It was a pretty weak way to end the show. No graduation, no sense of moving on. Definitely went out with a whimper, not a bang. :confused:



Well if that's the case then it shouldn't be a reunion.

Well if that's the case then it shouldn't be a reunion.

Quite the contrary. All the more reason they should bring it back, so we can see what happened to the characters after they graduated. Or even if they graduated.

Personally, I see Epstein probably having been divorced a couple of times and involved in some shady fly-by-night enterprises. Not necessarily drugs or gangs, but stuff that borders on being legitimate, forcing him to use his fast-talking charm to get out of scrapes.

I see Horshack as a teacher, probably working at Buchanan High with Gabe as the Principal. Despite all the grief he gave him and his Sweathogs, Gabe would actually miss Woodman.

I could see Freddie owning a nightclub, possibly DJing there with his trademark "Hi there."

As for Barbarino...not exactly sure, but he'd been in over his head, constantly trying to make sense of everything.

Kotter's girls would be off to college or moved away.

Not saying that my ideas would spark the ultimate Kotter reunion...just some thoughts on where the characters might have ended up.

If there was a reunion, I would like to see Freddie divorced from his wife and maybe Verna Jean widowed and they decide to hook up. I would have wanted Rosalee Totsie to appear but of course Debra Lee Scott isn't around anymore.

This thread is interesting because it goes through lulls, but every so often someone replies and keeps it going. Amazing! :crazy:

Honestly I don't think I reunion show would be necessary for WBK because #1, the show was only on for 4 years and out of the 4 years, Kabe was not seen in the Final year which really only leaves three seasons. So if there is a reunion show for WBK, it should only be 30min-lol

I don't think a reunion show is out of the realm of possibility.

I have an inside source on the proposed Kotter Reunion. The only hangup right now is Travolta. If anything, it would be a sit-down and retrospective of favorite episodes, inside stories, etc.

I have an inside source on the proposed Kotter Reunion. The only hangup right now is Travolta. If anything, it would be a sit-down and retrospective of favorite episodes, inside stories, etc.

It's too bad Travolta is still making big bucks to make mediocre movies. If Travolta were financially "needy," he'd probably do it.

I've heard that it was mostly the writers that made Kaplan leave. In season 4, James Komack (Producer of WBK) replaced the writers. Gabe didn't like this and had his differences with Komack and that season only appeared a few times in small scenes on the show. John Travolta leaving was pretty bad, but he did appear frequently, more frequently so then Kaplan I believe.

The sinking ship thing is possible, but the season 3 ratings were still in the top 30.

There was terrible friction on the set, mostly between Kaplan and Strassman, and the castmembers taking sides. Strassman whined to People magazine (https://people.com/archive/a-set-becomes-a-set-to-as-mrs-kotter-takes-on-gabe-and-the-sweathogs-take-sides-vol-10-no-19/) about it and wished it were canceled. And with Komack being a pain and the ratings tanking, Kaplan simply had had enough and reduced his workload.

There was terrible friction on the set, mostly between Kaplan and Strassman, and the castmembers taking sides. Strassman whined to People magazine (https://people.com/archive/a-set-becomes-a-set-to-as-mrs-kotter-takes-on-gabe-and-the-sweathogs-take-sides-vol-10-no-19/) about it and wished it were canceled. And with Komack being a pain and the ratings tanking, Kaplan simply had had enough and reduced his workload.

The tension between Kaplan and Strassman was caused by Komack, who told them individually that the other didn't like them, but that he would smooth things over for them.

Kaplan confronted Strassman at the beginning of the 4th season after she made a comment about him in People magazine. They compared stories and realized they'd been had.

Kaplan was guest hosting The Tonight Show and asked Strassman to come on as his guest. Strassman told her side of the story and Komack was outed. Ironically, they ended the series as friends.