WELCOME BACK, KOTTER: HORSHACK VS. CARVELLI (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."
Horshack tries to be allowed to fight in an upcoming inter-school student boxing match against Carvelli, reputed to be quite tough. The other sweathogs do not seriously consider Horshack for the fight, claiming that he lacks the strength and cleverness to do so. Gabe tries to talk him out of it, and Carvelli himself arrives, training for the fight. He and the sweathogs trade insults before Horshack steps forward and draws Carvelli’s ire; he specifically asks to fight Horshack in the boxing match. Horshack accepts the challenge, but once Carvelli leaves Gabe and the rest of the sweathogs try to convince Horshack that he has made a grave mistake and that he should back out of the fight. Vice Principal Woodman urges that Buchanan needs to win the match, but is incredulous and disappointed when he discovers that Horshack will be representing the school. In private, Horshack confides in Gabe that he can no longer tolerate being ordered around, and that he is willing to stand up for himself even in the face of certain failure. Gabe relates an incident from his youth when the boyfriend of a girl he was dating threatened him, causing him to break off the relationship. This causes him to support Horshack’s attempt to fight Carvelli.
Gabe helps to train Horshack, although his physical shortcomings make the training difficult. He does his best to prepare Horshack both physically and psychologically. Vice Principal Woodman attempts to help Horshack as well. The day of the fight arrives and Vice Principal Woodman introduces each fighter, serving as the referee. Horshack resists the other sweathogs’ last-minute attempts to allow him to back out and the fight begins. Carvelli taunts Horshack and allows him to land a few ineffective blows before Horshack actually manages to harm him. However, Carvelli quickly recovers and knocks Horshack out with a single punch. Despite his loss, Gabe and the other sweathogs are proud of Horshack and celebrate. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: December 9, 1976 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:25:07
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:48851
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; High school teachers
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1975-1979
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- James Komack … Executive Producer
- Peter Meyerson … Supervising Producer, Developed by
- Eric Cohen … Producer, Based on characters conceived by
- George Yanok … Producer
- Michael Manheim … Associate Producer
- Bob LaHendro … Director
- Gabriel Kaplan … Created by, Based on characters conceived by
- Alan Sacks … Created by, Based on characters conceived by
- Garry Shandling … Writer
- 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
- Robert Harcum … Cast, Wilbur Murray