I think I figured out why this show was rarely in syndication

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Mace Dolex

What about Welcome Back Kotter? that was a decent hit, but I guess once John Travolta left the show went down real fast.

I think that another thing about Head of the Class is that unlike with Welcome Back Kotter, which it has often been compared to, Head of the Class never really had a true "breakout star" (somebody that the audience could latch on to).

[TMC]

Originally Posted by frazetta

It probably didn't help that Head of the Class was a more highbrow/intelligent show.

Nowadays, we end up with pseudo-intelligent shows like The Big Bang Theory.

Head of the Class when compared to other shows of its era, was also arguably too dated. In effect, it was a show that was "relentlessly '80s" with Howard Hesseman's "wise, old hippie" doing a lot of '60s preaching. Plus, there was the forced 'banter' between Mr. Moore and Alan, the 'young Republican preppie'. It was essentially, a ripoff of Alex and Steven Keaton on Family Ties.

[TVFactFan]

Maybe if Head of the class came on at night I can the **** instead of just weekends

[TomH1138]

Originally Posted by TMC

Head of the Class when compared to other shows of its era, was also arguably too dated. In effect, it was a show that was "relentlessly '80s" with Howard Hesseman's "wise, old hippie" doing a lot of '60s preaching. Plus, there was the forced 'banter' between Mr. Moore and Alan, the 'young Republican preppie'. It was was essentially a ripoff of Alex and Steven Keaton on Family Ties.

I don't think the show was more dated or politically charged than, say, All in the Family or M*A*S*H, both of which continue to do well in syndication. And I wouldn't say having two characters with opposing political viewpoints makes the latter a ripoff. If anything, they both were influenced by the sitcoms of the '70s, although they were both gentler than the ones that came before them. (The above is, of course, just my opinion.)

The show is a favorite of mine, so it's been a huge shame to me that it hasn't stayed ongoing on the reruns like many other shows. My best theory is that Saved by the Bell and Welcome Back, Kotter came across more for the general everyday folks who went to high school, and there are a lot of people who never took a chance on a show about geniuses. Ironically, if they had tried it, they would see that there were very relatable characters like Eric and Dennis (in fact, the whole classroom was a good mix of different personality types), and that one of the themes of the show was that geeks and cool kids were just human like everyone else.

But anyway, that's just a theory, FWIW!

[TMC]

10 Hit '80s Sitcoms Nobody Talks About Anymore

Shows set in high schools aren't guaranteed to become hits, but when they do take off, they're often unstoppable. An '80s example of this trend was "Head of the Class," which follows history teacher Charlie Moore (Howard Hesseman) teaching exceptionally talented students at a Manhattan high school. His pupils all come from different backgrounds, which allowed "Head of the Class" to cover a lot of hot-button issues during its run. This includes a famous episode where the characters traveled to Moscow to pit themselves against some Russian students, a story that was shot on location rather than on a soundstage in front of a live studio audience.

During its run, and especially in its earliest seasons, "Head of the Class" was always getting recognized for its strong viewership. By the beginning of October 1987, it was a top 10 show in the Nielsen ratings. Today, though, you'd be hard-pressed to find online quizzes determining which of Moore's pupils you're most like. One problem the show faced in syndication was that its main cast began changing, seemingly to account for actors aging out of looking like teenagers. Charlie Moore even left after Season 4, with Billy Connolly taking over as the teacher. All these changes made it tough to jump into the show during random reruns. And, while the fact that the show covered then-current events was great at the time, it also dates it to the time period, making it rather inaccessible today.

[Edward216]

[QUOTE=TMC;6454221]10 Hit '80s Sitcoms Nobody Talks About Anymore[/QUOTE

I quit watching Head Of The Class after Billy Connolly was added to the cast. I can't stand him and I don't think he's funny at all.

Ed.

[opus]

It feels like it’s been on Antenna or Rewind a lot the last couple of years.