Product Details

• Actors: Gabriel Kaplan, John Travolta
• Format: NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• Run Time: 151 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000AQSP6K
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #110,253 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Welcome to DVD, Mr. Kotter. Born of Gabe Kaplan's stand-up comedy reminiscences, this 1975 series stars the Marxist (as in Groucho) comedian as a teacher who returns to the tough Brooklyn high school of his youth to teach students who are as unmotivated and undisciplined as he was. If Ron Paillo, as "village schmendrik" Arnold Horshack was Kotter's class clown, then John Travolta, as Vinnie Barbarino, the dim leader of the Sweathogs, became this series' "Most Likely to Succeed" star pupil. He gets extra credit for graduating from Teen Beat idol to A-list movie star, and seeing him at the beginning of his roller coaster career is the main fascination. Not to take anything from the rest of the cast, including Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs as Freddie "Boom Boom Washington," Robert Hegyes as self-described "flim-flam man" Juan Epstein, the late John Sylvester White as curmudgeon Mr. Woodman, who remembers Kotter from his delinquent days; and Marcia Strassman (displaying an off-center Diane Keaton quality) as Mrs. Kotter, whose main purpose seems to be an audience for Kotter's jokes that open each episode. This collection contains six episodes from the series' first three seasons: "One Flu Over the Cuckoo's Nest"; "Father Vinnie"; "Sweatside Story"; "I'm Having Their Baby"; "The Deprogramming of Arnold Horshack"; and "Goodbye, Mr. Kripps," something of a Very Special Episode in which Vinnie blames himself for a teacher's heart attack. Welcome Back, Kotter is grade-A nostalgia, but points are taken off for lack of commentary or interviews with Kaplan or any other members of the ensemble who aren't John Travolta. Casting memo to Ice Cube, who is reportedly preparing a big screen remake: Philip Baker Hall for Mr. Woodman! After that, you're on your own. --Donald Liebenson

Product Description

You get 6 A+ episodes from this beloved series. 1) One Flu Over The Cuckoo's Nest, 2) Father Vinnie, 3) Sweatside Story, 4) I'm Having Their Baby, 5) The Deprogramming Of Arnold Horshack, and 6) Goodbye, Mr. Krippsd.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 52 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars "What? Where? When?" October 23, 2005

By take403 VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

This was one of my favorite TV shows as a kid. Gabe Kaplan played Mr. Kotter, a teacher in Brooklyn, NY (Buchanan High, I believe, was the name). He was funny, clever with a good bit of wisdom in his teaching style and cared a lot about his students (aka the Sweathogs). He'd often start and end the show with a corny joke about one of his uncles ("Did I ever tell you about my Uncle So-and-So?"). Marcia Stassman played his long suffering wife, Julie (Gabe Kotter loved his wife, but not her tuna casseroles!). John Sylvester White played Mr. Woodman, consumate curmudgeon who had little tolerance for the Sweathogs. John Travolta (Saturday Night Fever and Ladder 49) played Vinnie Barbarino, the class stud. He was the most popular with the ladies. He could be difficult when Mr. Kotter asked him questions in class ("What? Where? When?"). Sometimes when frustrated, he'd shout "I'm so confuuuuused!" When annoyed, he'd tell one of his fellow Sweathogs "Up your nose with a rubber hose!" His theme song was "Ba-ba-ba-ba-Barbarino" (to the tune of "Barbara Ann." Ron Pallillo played Arnold Horshack (pronounced by little Arnold as "Hawwwwshaaaack!"), the lovable class dork ("Hallo! Howrya? Very impressive, Mista Kotta!"). To get Mr. Kotter's attention, he'd often shout "Oh-oh-oh-oh!" He also had the best laugh in the class (he'd grunt "heh-heh-heh-heh!" like a seal). Lawrence Hilton Jacobs (Cooley High and The Jackson Story) played Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington, lovably hip African American. He was the only Sweathog with a steady girlfriend (Verna Jean) and played on Buchanon's basketball team. He'd address Mr. Kotter "Yo, Mr. Kottair!" and when addressed in class, he'd smile and say (in a deep voice) "Hi there!" or "Unfortunately, I don't have my homework haaandy!" Finally, Robert Hedges played Juan Julio de Huevos Epstein, who was part Puerto Rican, part Jewish. He was often late for class (I've got a note, Mr. Kotter!"). His late note was often signed by Epstein's mother (I wonder how many kids in school tried that?)! When annoyed (often by Barbarino), he'd say "Vinniiiiie! You gonna diiiiiiiiiie!" The theme song was written, sung and performed by John B. Sebastian (formerly of the Lovin' Spoonful).

Unfortunately, this is not the Complete 1st Season (which is why I had to dock this one star). The pilot episode introduced the class as unresponsive and difficult. The Deprogramming of Arnold Horshack shows Arnold being moved to a different class after he's excelled in Mr. Kotter's class (the trouble is, he doesn't really fit in with the "smarter" kids). In Father Vinnie, Vinnie Barbarino almost drops out of school to become a priest, just to please his family's wishes.

Hopefully, Warner Bros. will release the entire seasons of this show. It may not be politically correct by today's standards, but it was funny, clever and often taught a good lesson.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Cool March 1, 2006

By type1kirk

Format:DVD

Very Cool show.

This Welcome Back Kotter DVD has six 30 minute episodes on it. No extras, but i'm not complaining for the price. I just hope this DVD is a sign that Welcome Back Kotter will be released as full seasons in the SHORT future.

No complaints.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Schoolday madness holds up well after all these years April 23, 2007

By Andre M.

Format:DVD

Its somethines the case that after seeing a show you haven't seen since childhood, you're often disappointed that it really wasn't as good as you remembered. This sampler is an exception to the rule.

While not a comprehensive set, it has some really entertaining episodes.

"One Flu Over the Cuckoo's Nest" is the unlikely tale of Kotter's sweathogs being forced to share a class with some gifted studetns durig a flu epidemic. Good comedic moments and an interesitng message about people being gifted in different ways.

Another tale has the comically pathetic resident geek-boy Arnold Horshack (Ron Palillo) joining a cult. He's really at his comic best in this one (especially when he recites the Baba's matra) and in an interesting twist Ellen Travolta (castmate John Travolta's mother) plays Horshack's mom. Interestingly, weak and silly characters joining ridiculous cults (see a similar episode involving Rerun in the "What's happening" season II set) were a staple of seventies sitcoms. The Jim Jones tragedy of 1978 stopped this trend.

The other episodes, such as the Sweathogs joining a gang, Travolta's guilt after a teacher has a heart attack while yelling at him, and were Travolta becomes a priest, all have their moments of knee-slapping leave your brains at the door fun.

Gabe Kaplan's storytelling interludes in these tales reign supreme, especially the yarn about his uncle facing a firing squad (you've got to hear this)! Bonzo Maretti was quite a guy.

It's too bad that Gabe Kaplan's 1974 comedy album "Holes and Mellow Rolls" (which inspired this show) isn't currently available. But in either case, this is a good way to have some knee-slapping belly laughs after a long day at work or school.