ABC aired Welcome Back Kotter as a one hour special on Feb 3, 1977 with the Horshack Pilot airing at 8:30pm.

Even though the airing of Horshack took viewers away from the second half of the Waltons, it was not immediately added to the spring ABC schedule.

Horshack had 5 million more viewers than Welcome Back Kotter

Horshack was written back into Welcome Kotter after the airing of the Pilot

Initially Ron Palillo was hesitant to do the pilot because he wasnt sure what would happen to the Arnold character on a series just focused on him









The Daily Herald, Feb 22, 1977
San Bernandino County Sun, Aug 6. 1977
The Journal Times, April 22 1977

I don't recall the Horshack pilot ever being aired as a stand-alone episode. If it had been on directly after Kotter, I would have seen it back then.

The Horshack pilot was rejected -- rightly so -- by ABC, but was recycled as a two part episode of Kotter.

I'm glad the Horshack show was rejected-- because the characters were lousy, it wasn't funny and we never saw them again on WBK.

I don't recall the Horshack pilot ever being aired as a stand-alone episode. If it had been on directly after Kotter, I would have seen it back then.

The Horshack pilot was rejected -- rightly so -- by ABC, but was recycled as a two part episode of Kotter.

I'm glad the Horshack show was rejected-- because the characters were lousy, it wasn't funny and we never saw them again on WBK.

Yes it aired as a Kotter episode but it was listed in the papers as Horshack at 830pm