Welcome Back, Kotter: Complete First Season (DVD)
APPROX. 553 MINS. - PROD. YEAR: 1975 - MPA RATING: NR
" Where Travolta found his "Saturday Night Fever" legs.
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1) "The Great Debate"-Kotter's class takes on Buchanan High's debate team. Look for actor James Woods as the geeky faculty coach of the good kids' team.
2) "Basket Case"-It's all about respect, and Kotter wins some of Washington's when he plays him one-on-one in basketball. The wager? If he wins, Freddie retakes a test; if he loses, Freddie gets the customary free pass given to athletes that Kotter so objects to.
3) "Welcome Back" (Pilot)-We see how Woodman punishes his old nemesis by assigning him to teach the Sweathogs, something that almost causes Mr. Kotter to pack it in.
4) "Whodunit?"--Rosalie (Debralee Scott) is tired of the class "punchboard" and devises a scheme to bolster her reputation.
5) "The Election"-Vote for Vinnie and Nobody Gets Hurt. That hilarious poster sets the tone for this election episode that makes the Marcia/Greg Brady face-off look really tame.
6) "No More Mister Nice Guy"-Mr. Woodman is forced to teach the Sweathogs for a day, and darned if he doesn't do a good job . . . which leads to a few surprising consequences.
7) "Classroom Marriage"-The Sweathogs try to persuade Freddie that he's too young for marriage.
8) "One of Our Sweathogs is Missing"-Epstein loses his first fight and is so traumatized that he turns up at the Kotters' apartment.
9) "Mr. Kotter, Teacher"-Kotter's innovative teaching methods get him suspended.
10) "The Reunion"-When Kotter's old classmate turns up (tall, handsome, and rich), he can't help but hate him . . . and rethink his own life.
11) "Barbarino's Girl"-Vinne has the hots for his tutor, and gets teased by the other Sweathogs.
12) "California Dreamin'"-An attractive California girl named Bambi turns up as the new kid in class, and the Sweathogs stumble all over themselves to be nice.
13) "Arrivederci, Arnold"-When Arnold is promoted out of the Sweathogs, he settles into a real funk.
14) "The Longest Weekend"-When Julie goes off on a ski trip without her husband, the Sweathogs think the Kotters' marriage is in trouble.
15) "The Sit-in"-Kotter teaches the Sweathogs about social activism as they protest the school's midweek menu.
16-17) "Follow the Leader, Pts. 1 & 2"-Vinnie is ousted as Sweathog leader, turns up at the Kotter apartment, and forces Julie out, leaving the two losers to work things out.
18) "Dr. Epstein, I Presume"-A career counselor squashes Epstein's hopes when he's pronounced a natural blue-collar laborer.
19) "One Flu Over the Cuckoo's Nest"-When the flu hits Buchanan, it forces the Sweathogs to share a classroom with the overachievers.
20) "The Telethon"-For whatever reason, Arnold thinks a local TV station is interested in televising a Sweathog telethon.
21) "Kotter Makes Good"-A bureaucratic snafu forces Kotter to retake his high school finals.
22) "Father Vinnie"-Barbarino decides to become a priest.
Video:
For a '70s sitcom, the picture is very good, with bright, fully-saturated colors and only a little graininess. The way it was filmed lends itself to widescreen presentation, though it's 1.33:1, because there are few figures on the edges to become distorted as the picture is "stretched."
Audio:
The audio, though, is no great shakes--a simple Dolby Digital Mono that funnels most everything through the front center speaker. At least it's not scratchy-sounding or distorted.
Extras:
Two bonus features are included: original screen tests and a short retrospective, "Only a Few Degrees from a Sweathog." The screen tests are fun to watch, with Kaplan sitting off-stage reading lines and a high degree of improvisation going on. Included are tests with Travolta, Hegyes, Jacobs, Palillo, and Strassman. The bonus feature is excellent. The ageless Strassman narrates, with interview clips from everyone but Travolta included, along with two writers and producers. Intercut are highlights from the show, with plenty of insights and fun reminiscences thrown in--and for nostalgia's sake, props that attest to the show's success. We see a "Welcome Back, Kotter" comic book, lunch box, card games, and action figures, and hear from the cast how the show changed their lives and remains a high point.
Bottom Line:
"Welcome Back, Kotter" was a '70s sitcom that seemed as torn as the decade. At times it was realistic, while other times the performers went off into flamboyant theatrical improvisations and routines that took them into the world of Lucy Ricardo. The scripts were just good enough, but the performers elevated them with the sheer force of their onscreen personalities. Some episodes skirted relevance, while others courted silliness. Maybe that's why it only lasted four seasons. But for a time, "Welcome Back, Kotter" was as hot a show as there was.
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