What is it? Welcome Back, Kotter, the Complete Series, 95 episodes on 16 discs from Shout! Factory
How much? $129.99
When? Now
Who is Kotter? A former troublemaker-turned high school teacher. In his teen years, Gabe Kotter (Gabe Kaplan) was a Sweathog -- one of a group of (relatively harmless) juvenile delinquents prowling the halls of Brooklyn's James Buchanan High School being general thorns in the side of uptight administrator Michael Woodman (John Sylvester White).
Now far more mature and responsible, Kotter returns to his old stamping grounds and the unimpressed Woodman assigns Kotter to corral the new generation of Sweathogs.
There's Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs), the hip smooth talker. Arnold Horshack (Ron Palillo) the lackey with the irritating voice and hyena laugh. Juan Luis Felipo de Huevos Epstein (Robert Hegyes), the Puerto Rican Jew, who was voted "most likely to take a life." Then there's Vinnie Barbarino (John Travolta) -- a killer with the ladies but about as bright as a penlight.
Kotter is determined to help the kids succeed and move beyond their hoodlum status. They, in return, grow to like and (mostly) respect their teacher. Of course, these "hoodlums" are about as threatening as a stuffed gopher.
At home, Kotter's wife Julie (Marcia Strassman) lends support and occasionally expresses her frustration with the intrusion of the Sweathogs into their personal lives.
Sounds heartwarming. Well, that was unintentional. The show tilts far more to the silly, outlandish side. This was a 1970s sitcom that was created to showcase a stand-up comedian (Kaplan) and it's primarily about wild jokes, ridiculous situations and exaggerated characters. Kaplan gets ample opportunities to go into his stand-up shtick and to do Groucho Marx impersonations.
Kaplan may have been the star when it started, but this was John Travolta's first big step into the spotlight on his way to super-stardom, and the character of Vinnie Barbarino was an excellent fit. The cast members are all great, although Kaplan is very obviously more a stand-up comedian than an actor.
It's not groundbreaking. It's not thought provoking. It can be incredibly irritating -- particularly with the loudly enthusiastic studio audience. Yet, it was a huge hit when it first aired and it accomplishes what it's trying to do. It's a silly diversion.
Nostalgia probably takes it a long way, but for someone who wasn't around when this show was originally on the air, it's more obnoxious than compelling. At least it's harmless and well-meaning.
Extras? There's a 23-minute retrospective and screen tests for Travolta, Strassman, Hilton-Jacobs, Palillo and Hegyes.
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Style on 08/31/2014