Customer Reviews

Welcome Back, Kotter (Television Favorites Compilation)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

I would love to see this whole series on DVD, but was happy to get just this small amount on one DVD. I watched some Welcome Back Kotter episodes as a kid and even now, as an adult, I think they are just hysterical. Great fun for a small amount of money!

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.

Remember June 12, 2007-that is when Welcome Back Kotter Season one will be available

Until this season one collecyion happens , this six episode sampler collection will have to do. This six episodes have the heart of the swries with many of its Marx Brother antics that Kotter and crew did so well

To make a person wait for June is cruel and harsh, so buy this set now and enjoy the taste of Kotter before you partake of a full season..you will be glad you did

Bennet Pomerantz, Audioworld

I loved watching these shows again! I had vague memories of the show, I remember really liking it, but I didn't get to see it often because my parents didn't like me watching it. lol. Anyway, it's still just as funny as it was back then. If you liked the show in the '70's, you're bound to still like it now!

I can't wait for a more complete collection of the show to come out!

Maybe it's the episode selection on this "sampler" release but, after viewing the six episodes included on this DVD, I found that "Welcome Back Kotter" just didn't hold up for me as well as some other sitcoms from the same era. That said, there are still a number of reasons to like and enjoy this show. For starters, Gabe Kaplan's humorous stories still tickle the funny bone, and it's a shame that he did not find other television vehicles suited to his comedic talents after this series ended. I also enjoyed Marcia Strassman's role as Kotter's wife Julie, even though her role was secondary in the early years of the show. In a few of the episodes, she has a bigger part and, when given the opportunity, she really shines. And, who can forget John Sebastian's great theme song, surely one of the most memorable in the annals of television history that's perfectly matched to the opening/closing scenes of life in Brooklyn. So what's not to like about this popular series? In a nutshell, the writing for the "Sweathogs" generally tends to be weak. While there are some truly funny moments, the writing tends to be repetitious . . . in almost every episode, you can be assured that Washington will say "Hi there," Barbarino will quizzically ask "What . . . When . . . Where . . .," Horshack will do his "ooh, ooh" routine, and there'll be yet another note from Epstein's mother. These characterizations are funny a few times . . . but not when repeated in almost every show.

Considering that most of the episodes were taped nearly 30 years ago, this 6-episode DVD release looks and sounds great. Fans of the series looking to get good clean transfers of a few episodes will likely be happy with this abbreviated presentation from Warner Home Video and I hope, for their sake, that full seasons will eventually be released. For me, this sampler collection is enough.

This dvd gives one a chance to tap into their childhood, growing up in the 70's. I wondered if these episodes would be as funny to me as an adult as they were as a child. They didn't disappoint! It's nice to travel back in time with some good, clean, shows. If you were a Kotter fan, then you will enjoy these episodes.

If you are a Welcome Back Kotter fan than look no further! Unfortunately, after watching the episodes on this DVD it only left me longing for more, ALL of them in fact. MORE,MORE,MORE, why they have not yet released all episodes is a mystery to me. I loved this show as a child, and I still love this show today!! If you haven't seen the show in years, watch the whole DVD. It will grow on you for either the first time, or it will rekindle the fond memories from an era long past!!

I always found this show enjoyable as a kid and they include some good episodes on this DVD. If you were a fan of welcome back Kotter, then you will probably enjoy this DVD. Its definately worth the price.