What the hell was she supposed to do to save the show? I mean why was she added to shows that were on their last leg like she was some great actress?

After she was on Chico and the Man during season 4, she then is seen on WBK during it;s last season,

FOR WHAT?????????????????:lol: :lol:

I think they desperately needed a teacher. Neither Kotter appeared in those two episodes, so things had to have really gotten bad behind the scenes.

Della Reese (at least, pre-Touched by an Angel) was sort of the "grim ripper" (in a way, she could be considered the black, female variant of Ted McGinley, before Ted McGinley was a household name:lol:) of TV shows:
http://www.tvparty.com/mysdella.html

Nah. It would not hold any weight as the show ran its course. As with Ted McGinley, Happy Days and Married With Children ran in generous first run after major cast changes took place. Love Boat did another three between the last two seasons and the last seasons which was a serious of movies.

Nah. It would not hold any weight as the show ran its course. As with Ted McGinley, Happy Days and Married With Children ran in generous first run after major cast changes took place. Love Boat did another three between the last two seasons and the last seasons which was a serious of movies.


I plan to get the series on DVD sometime this year and will be shaking my head during the 4th season

I think they desperately needed a teacher. Neither Kotter appeared in those two episodes, so things had to have really gotten bad behind the scenes.

They needed to fill up space, so they did things like this and giving Julie Kotter more to do as a secretary/fill-in teacher. But it didn't help because you can't have Welcome Back Kotter without Kotter (Gabe Kaplan) and Barbarino (John Travolta).

The show was built around the chemistry and dynamic between Gabe and the four Sweathogs and two crucial elements of that were missing from the final season.

Looks like I never bought it:lol::lol:

Finishing up season 4 and I believe the episode "Come Back Little Arnold" was her first appearance. No type of introduction at all they should just go to class one day and she is the teacher and comes in and says "Good Morning":lol::lol::lol:

Marcia Strassman didn’t appear in those two episodes either. They are essentially Kotterless. From my understanding, Gabe and Marcia confronted each other and found out that the executive producer had been putting them against each other, so they both refused to appear in those episodes. I guess Della Reese was supposed to “save” the show.

Marcia Strassman didn’t appear in those two episodes either. They are essentially Kotterless. From my understanding, Gabe and Marcia confronted each other and found out that the executive producer had been putting them against each other, so they both refused to appear in those episodes. I guess Della Reese was supposed to “save” the show.

but it was no introduction at all like "hi i am ms jean", She just walked in the class and started talking:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

I have not watched Kotter in years but I do remember that it went off the rails faster then any show I have ever seen. First Travolta gets a movie career and is barely around, that's when it hit the iceberg. then they replace him with Beau. Ugh. Then Kotter starts to go missing, then they start having Horshack grow up and get a girlfriend and you see his home life, mrs kotter starts working at the school. It was just a mess. When Kotter stops appearing then it's done.

I have not watched Kotter in years but I do remember that it went off the rails faster then any show I have ever seen. First Travolta gets a movie career and is barely around, that's when it hit the iceberg. then they replace him with Beau. Ugh. Then Kotter starts to go missing, then they start having Horshack grow up and get a girlfriend and you see his home life, mrs kotter starts working at the school. It was just a mess. When Kotter stops appearing then it's done.

It should have been more Judy Borden and less Mrs Kotter

The worst episode may have been when Horshack turned into a heavy drinker and would get mean. Bad acting and all. I think it was near the very end.

The worst episode may have been when Horshack turned into a heavy drinker and would get mean. Bad acting and all. I think it was near the very end.

One episode I will never watch again lol

but it was no introduction at all like "hi i am ms jean", She just walked in the class and started talking:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

You do realize there were other teachers at the school, right?

You do realize there were other teachers at the school, right?

Yes but they were introduced

Yes but they were introduced

As bad as that Horshack-becomes-an-instant-alcoholic episode was, it needed a teacher.

I'm not saying that Gabe could have saved it, but they needed a teacher to intervene.

There were so many things wrong with that episode. The aforementioned Horshack becoming instantly addicted to alcohol, Carvelli not getting expelled (or at least suspended) when he confessed to giving Arnold the first bottle, and the fact that it played like a bad ABC Afterschool Special.

There were some 4th season episodes where Ron Palillo didn't seem to be into playing Horshack anymore. He seemed bored or fed up with the character and this couldn't have helped matters.

As bad as that Horshack-becomes-an-instant-alcoholic episode was, it needed a teacher.

I'm not saying that Gabe could have saved it, but they needed a teacher to intervene.

There were so many things wrong with that episode. The aforementioned Horshack becoming instantly addicted to alcohol, Carvelli not getting expelled (or at least suspended) when he confessed to giving Arnold the first bottle, and the fact that it played like a bad ABC Afterschool Special.

There were some 4th season episodes where Ron Palillo didn't seem to be into playing Horshack anymore. He seemed bored or fed up with the character and this couldn't have helped matters.



Underrated characters on that show that should have had bigger roles after Vinny and Kotter left was Woodman and Judy Borden

Underrated characters on that show that should have had bigger roles after Vinny and Kotter left was Woodman and Judy Borden

I think we actually saw more of Woodman in the fourth season, as we did Mrs. Kotter.

And Gabe Kotter was never completely absent during the fourth season. He became more of a recurring character, having only cameo appearances in some episodes. Ironic, considering Gabe Kaplan's name was above the title in the opening credits of every episode.

It seems that Executive Producer Komack wanted to rid the series of as many of the classic elements as possible during the final year, which is probably why we never saw characters like Judy Borden or Todd Ludlow.

The final year of WBK is a classic example of how to kill off a show.

I think we actually saw more of Woodman in the fourth season, as we did Mrs. Kotter.

And Gabe Kotter was never completely absent during the fourth season. He became more of a recurring character, having only cameo appearances in some episodes. Ironic, considering Gabe Kaplan's name was above the title in the opening credits of every episode.

It seems that Executive Producer Komack wanted to rid the series of as many of the classic elements as possible during the final year, which is probably why we never saw characters like Judy Borden or Todd Ludlow.

The final year of WBK is a classic example of how to kill off a show.


Yup, less Grumpy and more funny

I think this show may have derailed faster than any other show that I can remember. It became a huge hit With Travolta and there were lunch boxes and didn't they even have dolls? Lol and then it nose dived. The kids became the marx brothers. I remember them singing Me and my shadow. They became like a vaudeville act. So weird. Travolta was soon only there part time, then Gabe Kaplin who the show was centered around was there only part time. The replacement for Travolta was terrible and season 4 was a car wreck.

I think this show may have derailed faster than any other show that I can remember. It became a huge hit With Travolta and there were lunch boxes and didn't they even have dolls? Lol and then it nose dived. The kids became the marx brothers. I remember them singing Me and my shadow. They became like a vaudeville act. So weird. Travolta was soon only there part time, then Gabe Kaplin who the show was centered around was there only part time. The replacement for Travolta was terrible and season 4 was a car wreck.

Sure did. It went from finishing at #28 after season 3 all the way to #78 the last season:eek:

I think we actually saw more of Woodman in the fourth season, as we did Mrs. Kotter.

And Gabe Kotter was never completely absent during the fourth season. He became more of a recurring character, having only cameo appearances in some episodes. Ironic, considering Gabe Kaplan's name was above the title in the opening credits of every episode.

It seems that Executive Producer Komack wanted to rid the series of as many of the classic elements as possible during the final year, which is probably why we never saw characters like Judy Borden or Todd Ludlow.

The final year of WBK is a classic example of how to kill off a show.

I think the original premise of the series was by nature of school’s and teaching, very limited on how long a cast can remain the same. Realistically, a teacher gets new students every year. Barbarino and the rest of the Sweathogs could not have been in the picture as long as you would expect a normal cast of a tv show. Any TV show based around a school needs to have this in mind or it will never make it more than a couple of years unless they went the Boy Meets World route or the Degrassi route. The Kotter and Head of the Class route gives the show a much shorter life span.

I think the original premise of the series was by nature of school’s and teaching, very limited on how long a cast can remain the same. Realistically, a teacher gets new students every year. Barbarino and the rest of the Sweathogs could not have been in the picture as long as you would expect a normal cast of a tv show. Any TV show based around a school needs to have this in mind or it will never make it more than a couple of years unless they went the Boy Meets World route or the Degrassi route. The Kotter and Head of the Class route gives the show a much shorter life span.

what route did Boy Meets World take?

what route did Boy Meets World take?

They started the show with the cast in middle school and their teacher, a middle school teacher. When they moved up to the high school, the show moved with it and their teacher became the principal of the high school. When they graduated high school and went to college, their teacher, turned principal, became a college professor. The show moved along with it and added cast members where appropriate as the show moved on.

They started the show with the cast in middle school and their teacher, a middle school teacher. When they moved up to the high school, the show moved with it and their teacher became the principal of the high school. When they graduated high school and went to college, their teacher, turned principal, became a college professor. The show moved along with it and added cast members where appropriate as the show moved on.

Ok Thank you. Yeah when WBK started it had to be known that it couldnt exceed 4 seasons since Sweathoggs wasnt college material

I think this show may have derailed faster than any other show that I can remember. It became a huge hit With Travolta and there were lunch boxes and didn't they even have dolls?

There were action figures. I know, because I had Kotter and Barbarino.