Questions for Joher Coleman (Jory Husain)

[JôherColeman]

Hi

It's Jôher. I came across this string about a week ago. I hope that all of you are well and that television - and particularly sitcoms - have continued to earn your viewership! Some of it is quite good and some of it doesn't attract me but I am very excited by the breadth, depth, and number of programs for actors to be cast in.

Even though it was such a long time ago, I thank you for making "Head of the Class" a part of your lives. The honor was and continues to be mine.

Peace,

- Jôher

[Heenan Fan]

Originally Posted by JôherColeman

Hi

It's Jôher. I came across this string about a week ago. I hope that all of you are well and that television - and particularly sitcoms - have continued to earn your viewership! Some of it is quite good and some of it doesn't attract me but I am very excited by the breadth, depth, and number of programs for actors to be cast in.

Even though it was such a long time ago, I thank you for making "Head of the Class" a part of your lives. The honor was and continues to be mine.

Peace,

- Jôher

Welcome to the site, Jôher. I was a fan of HOTC and yourself back in the day. I hope you have fun here and don't be afraid to post more.

HF

[MA]

Originally Posted by JôherColeman

Hi

It's Jôher. I came across this string about a week ago. I hope that all of you are well and that television - and particularly sitcoms - have continued to earn your viewership! Some of it is quite good and some of it doesn't attract me but I am very excited by the breadth, depth, and number of programs for actors to be cast in.

Even though it was such a long time ago, I thank you for making "Head of the Class" a part of your lives. The honor was and continues to be mine.

Peace,

- Jôher

Welcome to Sitcoms Online.

[JôherColeman]

Originally Posted by Heenan Fan

Welcome to the site, Jôher. I was a fan of HOTC and yourself back in the day. I hope you have fun here and don't be afraid to post more.

HF

Hi HF!

Nice to be here. I'm glad you enjoyed "Head of the Class". Of course, I'm even more glad that you enjoyed Jawaharlal.

As much as I enjoy acting, I find that I don't watch a lot of television. As such, I may not have much to offer other forums. But I am happy to keep my eyes peeled on this one, in case there is a useful contribution I can make.

I will say that there is a distinct contrast between what the hypothetical students of Fillmore High wrestled with, versus the reality of modern high school students. Sexting? Opiods? School shootings? I am reminded of how blessed I am to have graduated in 1985. Not nostalgia. Fact.

All the best!

- Jôher

[JôherColeman]

Originally Posted by MA

Welcome to Sitcoms Online.

Thank you, Janine.

I once saw actress Janine Turner in the Beverly Center parking lot in Los Angeles. She was chatting with someone and not dolled up in any way. Even so, she struck me as very pretty.

That's my superficial story about Janine Tuner.

Best,

- Jôher

[RetroGuy2000]

Welcome, Joher! We're glad to have you here.

When Head of the Class ended, did you take anything from the set, as a souvenir?

[JôherColeman]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Welcome, Joher! We're glad to have you here.

When Head of the Class ended, did you take anything from the set, as a souvenir?

Hi RetroGuy

That is an excellent question!

One episode included a scene or two in a bookstore. The books they used as props to populate the shelves were all ages old. Among them was a detective-type pulp novel from the 40's or 50's with an interesting cover. I couldn't resist. I kept it!

A favorite possession, I later gave it to a friend as a gift. I don't know if he ever read it, but I can report that he is now a happy ex-pat who lives in Thailand with a woman he fell in love with there.

All the best,

- Jôher

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by JôherColeman

Hi RetroGuy

That is an excellent question!

One episode included a scene or two in a bookstore. The books they used as props to populate the shelves were all ages old. Among them was a detective-type pulp novel from the 40's or 50's with an interesting cover. I couldn't resist. I kept it!

A favorite possession, I later gave it to a friend as a gift. I don't know if he ever read it, but I can report that he is now a happy ex-pat who lives in Thailand with a woman he fell in love with there.

All the best,

- Jôher

Thanks for the answer, Joher!
And what an interesting answer.
Someone in Thailand now has a small piece of US TV history, thanks to you! Hope your friend enjoyed it.

We enjoyed watching you and the other students on HotC. It was a very progressive show, for the era.

[TVQuack]

Welcome to the site! I hope every day that it can get an official DVD release someday. Any idea why we haven't been able to get one? It seems hard to believe it hasn't been released in any format yet.

[JR1]

Hi, Jôher. Not sure if you answered the questions from some 16 years ago (oy lol). So, yourself, Leslie and Tannis all wanted to leave "Head of the Class" after the third season? The show wasn't the same/as enjoyable after the exits.

[JôherColeman]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Thanks for the answer, Joher!
And what an interesting answer.
Someone in Thailand now has a small piece of US TV history, thanks to you! Hope your friend enjoyed it.

We enjoyed watching you and the other students on HotC. It was a very progressive show, for the era.

RG,

Pardon the lengthy delay in responding. I don't think I received notice that a new comment had been added to this string. Thanks for your patience

I'm glad you felt that it was progressive. There were times when serious issues were dealt with but in a very gentle, breezy way. The character of Alan Pinkard often had dialogue in which - despite Alan's being a Reagan enthusiast - wound up inadvertently roasting the president. I, myself, never thought of it in terms of the program being "anti-Republican" or "liberal".
However...

One evening after attending a polo match in Burbank (if I remember correctly) and waiting to be seated at Jerry's Deli, I was approached by two preppies in sport coats who complained that "Head of the Class" was just that! Initially, I struck a conciliatory stance and expressed that no offense was intended. But when they persisted in complaining and being mildly adversarial, I became irritated. After saying I had nothing to do with the writing, I finally said that I stuck by what the show did.

It was my first exposure to sharp partisan politics making its way into my life, rather than something one saw in the news...And only then, from time to time. And in a way that was far more contained, dignified, and courteous; at least on the surface.

Now, you may be wondering why I am talking about politics on a website dedicated and celebrating sitcoms. It could be argued that what we see on the national stage is now the greatest situation comedy of all time! Which candidate will flub their lines? How much airtime is each candidate getting? Who got in the best zinger of the evening? What in God's name will happen NEXT week?

Oh, the laughter from witnessing political hijinx and the mischievousness of the leading characters. And what characters they are!

[JôherColeman]

Originally Posted by TVQuack

Welcome to the site! I hope every day that it can get an official DVD release someday. Any idea why we haven't been able to get one? It seems hard to believe it hasn't been released in any format yet.

Dear TVQ,

Thank you! It's a little delight to be here.

In response to your excellent question...I understand that few people formerly involved with "Head of the Class" know why it has not been released. I do not know this for a fact, but there may be legal or contractual disagreements at play.

Have a great 2020!

- Joher

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by JôherColeman

RG,

Pardon the lengthy delay in responding. I don't think I received notice that a new comment had been added to this string. Thanks for your patience

No problem! We are glad you are back!

Even though the show isn't on DVD, and isn't being broadcast anywhere in my area, I did a "HotC marathon" on Daily Motion/YouTube not long ago, and enjoyed the episodes very much. It felt like a blast from the past!

I'm glad you felt that it was progressive. There were times when serious issues were dealt with but in a very gentle, breezy way. The character of Alan Pinkard often had dialogue in which - despite Alan's being a Reagan enthusiast - wound up inadvertently roasting the president. I, myself, never thought of it in terms of the program being "anti-Republican" or "liberal".
However...

One evening after attending a polo match in Burbank (if I remember correctly) and waiting to be seated at Jerry's Deli, I was approached by two preppies in sport coats who complained that "Head of the Class" was just that! Initially, I struck a conciliatory stance and expressed that no offense was intended. But when they persisted in complaining and being mildly adversarial, I became irritated. After saying I had nothing to do with the writing, I finally said that I stuck by what the show did.

It was my first exposure to sharp partisan politics making its way into my life, rather than something one saw in the news...And only then, from time to time. And in a way that was far more contained, dignified, and courteous; at least on the surface.

Now, you may be wondering why I am talking about politics on a website dedicated and celebrating sitcoms. It could be argued that what we see on the national stage is now the greatest situation comedy of all time! Which candidate will flub their lines? How much airtime is each candidate getting? Who got in the best zinger of the evening? What in God's name will happen NEXT week?

Oh, the laughter from witnessing political hijinx and the mischievousness of the leading characters. And what characters they are!

Thanks for sharing the restaurant story, Joher. I agree that Alan, much like Alex P. Keaton, ended up skewering the Right, with his comments. They were somewhat similar characters.

Sorry to hear that you were accosted by conservative viewers that way. Glad it didn't turn more ugly. I've heard that Head of the Class was the first American show to be filmed in the Soviet Union. With American culture and values (including TV, music, etc.) infiltrating the Soviet sphere, the Eastern Bloc governments' control of their people gradually collapsed, with Western TV, film, and pop culture very much helping to thaw the Cold War. Head of the Class was a small but important part of the pop cultural revolution that saw, and accelerated, the end of the Iron Curtain.

If you're still willing to answer questions, what was it like, filming in the Soviet Union? I can't imagine going there during the Cold War.

And, unrelatedly, here are some other HotC questions:

2. Did you feel as though Jawaharlal was equal to the other characters, in terms of storylines and screen time? Sometimes he felt pushed to the side, in my (a humble viewer's) opinion.

3. You left the show after the third season; was that your choice or the producers', and, if the later, how did you find out? (Viewers did see you twice afterwards, but in episodes that had apparently been taped during the previous season).

4. What are your current projects?

5. Another 1980s series with a large cast at a school, The Facts of Life, trimmed the cast after the first season, claiming the original cast was too large; how did Head of the Class manage to hold on to such a large cast throughout its years on the air?

6. Howard Hesseman left the show one season after you. Were you aware that he was unhappy with the show, and wanted to leave?

Sorry for the barrage of questions, but since you've been so kind in answering, and don't seem to mind answering loyal viewers' questions, I figured it couldn't hurt to ask more questions. Feel free to ignore any that aren't worthy of answering, or which could be awkward for you to reply to (for whatever reason).

[JôherColeman]

JR1:

16 years?! Has it been THAT long? Well ,in that case, it's been TOO long. So much catching up to do

THANK YOU for that very valued compliment.

Tannis ("Janice") was a terrific member of the cast and the factors of her character's younger age, pluckiness, intellectual superiority, and comic snobbery made her a very unique contribution to the geography of the classroom. She went on to attend Stanford (smart in real life) and now a successful casting director.

Leslie Bega's character "Maria" was initially described as a "Madonna wannabe" in the pilot script. But what Leslie brought to the character - which was uniquely her own - was a sense that Maria was both neurotic and daffy...all while being very bright. As I understand it, she continued to act and thrive in real estate.

Insofar as my work goes, I'll let you be the judge of that

I won't speak on behalf of Tannis and Leslie's experience, but as you may know, the character of Jawaharlal Choudry was never really invested in or explored. My sense is that the character was more of a symbolic nod to internationalism or a desire to have a wide range of characters (appearance, attitudes, sensibilities, and ethnicities) without necessarily making each one dimensional. For the actor, it creates a circumstance that is creatively barren. For me, that eclipsed the value of what I was being paid or the supposed bragging rights of being on television. During that time, I wrote a spec script that illustrated some dynamic and funny ways that I, as Jawaharlal, could contribute to our talented ensemble. It was not produced as an episode and where it could have, at least, sparked new ideas, there were actually fewer and fewer in the writing as the series progressed. I was very excited to be cast and am appreciative of the producers and folks at the studio/network who participated in that. And I am even more blessed by the life that awaited me thereafter.

Among other things, I returned to where I began as an actor; in the theatre. One earns less money and are seen by a smaller audience (nothing beats a nationwide series in that regard) but the quality of the material, the roles I have been cast in, and the directors I have worked with have enabled me to resource and engage my talent in ways that have been much more rewarding to me as a creative man. I've played a Texan, a Puerto Rican, a Greek God, a lecherous Frenchman, Jesus' foe Caiaphas, and most recently, a Sikh by the name of "John". THIS is the dynamism that I most value as an actor; sometimes Sometimes transforming in appearance and dialect, which was true of "Head of the Class". There were instance in which people were shocked to discover that I was Jawaharlal!

Whether "Head of the Class" or doing the world premier of "Shul", each project has had its own kind of blessing. No "Head of the Class", no string on "Sitcoms Online". See how this works?

- Joher

[JôherColeman]

RG,

It's getting late so I will return at a later time and get back to your thoughtful question. Thank you!

Now, I want to ask all of you a question. How have your lives changed since we first began talking in 2006? AND what is your fondest desire for this first year of the first decade?

In my end-of-day reflections, I'll send thoughts that they come together for you.

All the best,

- Jôher