What If the show moved to college like Gape Kaplan wanted? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Dr. Thong · 08-14-2025, 08:30 PM

For the fourth season, Gabe Kaplan pitched the idea that Kotter and the Sweathogs would transition to a community college. I imagine somehow that Woodman would have somehow ended up there as well.

I think it might have given the show a few more years: We could have seen the Sweathogs as fish out of water in the college environment with Kotter there to help guide them along and eventually, they would have either graduated and moved on to jobs, etc.

It couldn't have been any worse than the misguided fourth (and final) season in my opinion. But we'll never know.

What do y'all think...?

BestTVever · 08-15-2025, 04:58 AM

No way. John Travolta was gone and had become a huge movie star. All of the catchphrases that made the show so popular were old and stale. The show was already burning out in season 3. Season 4 it jumped the shark and was like a different show. There is only so much you can write about with a cast of characters in a classroom. ABC tried giving Gabe and his wife twins to show their homelife to boost ratings and it did not work. Sending them off to community college would have been worse than season 4 IMHO. When you have such vivid and wild characters they burn out really fast. Their antics and catchphrases get really old after a few seasons.

howilu · 08-15-2025, 09:54 AM

Welcome Back, Kotter was one of my favorite sitcoms of the 1970s for the first three seasons since it was so funny. But in the fourth season, James Komack and Gabe Kaplan had creative differences that really hurt the show. Kaplan was in very few episodes as well as John Travolta and the show's new writers were a tremendous downgrade from the writers of the previous episodes.

As for Gabe and the sweathogs heading to a community college, I don't think the premise would have worked. Welcome Back, Kotter was getting old and tired and should have been canceled after three seasons.

08-14-2025, 08:30 PM	#1
Dr. Thong a/k/a "ACK!" Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 10, 2001 Location: New Hampshire, USA Posts: 5,546	What If the show moved to college like Gape Kaplan wanted? For the fourth season, Gabe Kaplan pitched the idea that Kotter and the Sweathogs would transition to a community college. I imagine somehow that Woodman would have somehow ended up there as well. I think it might have given the show a few more years: We could have seen the Sweathogs as fish out of water in the college environment with Kotter there to help guide them along and eventually, they would have either graduated and moved on to jobs, etc. It couldn't have been any worse than the misguided fourth (and final) season in my opinion. But we'll never know. What do y'all think...?
	__________________ "Sunday has been cancelled due to lack of interest. That is all."

08-15-2025, 04:58 AM	#2
BestTVever Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 29, 2021 Location: Miami Posts: 1,878	No way. John Travolta was gone and had become a huge movie star. All of the catchphrases that made the show so popular were old and stale. The show was already burning out in season 3. Season 4 it jumped the shark and was like a different show. There is only so much you can write about with a cast of characters in a classroom. ABC tried giving Gabe and his wife twins to show their homelife to boost ratings and it did not work. Sending them off to community college would have been worse than season 4 IMHO. When you have such vivid and wild characters they burn out really fast. Their antics and catchphrases get really old after a few seasons.

08-15-2025, 09:54 AM	#3
howilu Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 20, 2003 Location: St. Louis Park, MN Posts: 1,958	Welcome Back, Kotter was one of my favorite sitcoms of the 1970s for the first three seasons since it was so funny. But in the fourth season, James Komack and Gabe Kaplan had creative differences that really hurt the show. Kaplan was in very few episodes as well as John Travolta and the show's new writers were a tremendous downgrade from the writers of the previous episodes. As for Gabe and the sweathogs heading to a community college, I don't think the premise would have worked. Welcome Back, Kotter was getting old and tired and should have been canceled after three seasons.