WELCOME BACK, KOTTER: SWEATSIDE STORY (TV)
Summary
One in this series of programs about high school teacher Gabe Kotter, who returns to his alma mater, James Buchanan High in Brooklyn, to teach a group of incorrigible students known as "sweathogs."
Gabe’s class is interrupted by a fire drill, and Horshack panics, uncertain whether it is a drill or an actual fire. Vice Principal Woodman suspects that one of the sweathogs pulled the fire alarm and questions Gabe about it. He also takes the opportunity to search through the sweathogs’ lockers looking for incriminating evidence. During his search he finds a custom-made jacket in Vinnie’s locker bearing the word “sweathogs” on its back; he and Gabe come to suspect that Vinnie is forming a gang, although he and Epstein insist that it is only a “club.” Vice Principal Woodman points out that organizations such as this are forbidden on school grounds, and Gabe warns the sweathogs not to pursue their “club” any further, especially when Washington returns to relate an incident between him and gang members in another school.
He discusses the matter with Julie, expressing his concern that the sweathogs may be trying to start a “rumble” with another gang. Horshack arrives in a stereotypical greaser outfit, announcing that he has joined the gang. Gabe does his best to dissuade him from it, and Horshack comes to fear for his life. He later meets Vinnie, Washington, and Epstein for his “initiation,” but reveals that he brought along Gabe and Vice Principal Woodman as “recruits.” Gabe slyly tries to get the sweathogs to realize the extreme danger of their actions, and the sweathogs are surprised when their rival gang answers their challenge and arrives for the “rumble.” Vinnie and the others are flustered and frightened, but Gabe offers to fight the other gang leader himself. Upon learning that Gabe and Vice Principal Woodman are “members,” the other gang concludes that Buchanan is a “tough school” and that they want no part of it, leaving on their own. The incident gives Gabe the opportunity to convince the sweathogs that they should not solve their problems with violence. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: October 7, 1976 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:25:09
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:48842
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; High school teachers
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1975-1979
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- James Komack … Executive Producer
- Eric Cohen … Producer, Based on characters conceived by, Writer
- George Yanok … Producer
- Michael Manheim … Associate Producer
- Bill Persky … Director
- Peter Meyerson … Developed by
- Gabriel Kaplan … Created by, Based on characters conceived by
- Alan Sacks … Created by, Based on characters conceived by
- John B. Sebastian … Music by
- Gabriel Kaplan … Cast, Gabe Kotter
- Marcia Strassman … Cast, Julie Kotter
- John Sylvester White … Cast, Vice Principal Michael Woodman
- Robert Hegyes … Cast, Juan Luis Pedro Felipo de Huevos Epstein
- Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs … Cast, Freddie "Boom Boom" Percy Washington
- Ron Palillo … Cast, Arnold Horshack
- John Travolta … Cast, Vinnie Barbarino
- Charles Fleischer … Cast, Carvelli