Welcome Back, Kotter

A compassionate teacher returns to his inner city high school of his youth to teach a new generation of trouble making kids.

Genre: Comedy

Cast:Gabe Kaplan , Ron Palillo , John Travolta , Marcia Strassman , John Sylvester White , Robert Hegyes , Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs , Stephen Shortridge , Helaine Lembeck , Vernee Watson , Charles Fleischer , Bob Harcum , Melonie Haller , Irene Arranga , Debralee Scott , Dennis Bowen , Ellen Travolta , Linda McCullough

1Season 1

S1.E1 ∙ The Great Debate

Tue, Sep 9, 1975

Kotter arranges a debate between the Sweathogs and the debate team.

2Season 1

S1.E2 ∙ Basket Case

Tue, Sep 16, 1975

Kotter is pressured to give Boom-Boom a passing grade on his exam, which he fails, so that he can continue to play on the basketball team.

3Season 1

S1.E3 ∙ Welcome Back (Pilot)

Tue, Sep 23, 1975

Gabriel Kotter is a teacher in Brooklyn, New York who ends up teaching at his old alma mater: Buchanan High School. He has been assigned to teach the remedial students, better known as the Sweathogs, a group to which he used to belong.

4Season 1

S1.E4 ∙ Whodunit?

Tue, Sep 30, 1975

Rosalie fakes shes pregnant in order to make the sweathogs confess she did not fool around with them.

5Season 1

S1.E5 ∙ The Election

Tue, Oct 7, 1975

Vinnie runs for class president.

6Season 1

S1.E6 ∙ No More Mr. Nice Guy

Tue, Oct 14, 1975

Mr. Woodman and Mr. Kotter reverse roles. Mr. Woodman starts being nice to the sweathogs, and Mr. Kotter starts getting mean to them.

7Season 1

S1.E7 ∙ Classroom Marriage

Tue, Oct 21, 1975

Freddie and Vernajean wants to quit school to get married. So Mr. Kotter has them act out a marriage in class.

8Season 1

S1.E8 ∙ One of Our Sweathogs Is Missing

Tue, Oct 28, 1975

Epstein loses a fight to Todd Ludlow, he feels so ashamed about it he runs away.

9Season 1

S1.E9 ∙ Mr. Kotter, Teacher

Tue, Nov 4, 1975

Mr. Kotter is suspended because Mr. Woodman doesn't like his teaching methods.

10Season 1

S1.E10 ∙ The Reunion

Tue, Nov 18, 1975

Mr. Kotter dreads an old successful classmate coming to dinner.

11Season 1

S1.E11 ∙ Barbarino's Girl

Tue, Nov 25, 1975

Mr. Kotter talks Judy into tutoring Barbarino. The two eventually become friends, but Barbarino doesn't want the other Sweathogs to know about it.

12Season 1

S1.E12 ∙ California Dreamin'

Tue, Dec 2, 1975

A new girl sweathog arrives and has all the boy sweathogs in heat.

13Season 1

S1.E13 ∙ Arrividerci, Arnold

Tue, Dec 16, 1975

When it is announced that Horshack has graduated out of the Sweathogs and into regular classes, Kotter instructs the remaining Sweathogs to shun him so that he can meet people in his new classes.

14Season 1

S1.E14 ∙ The Longest Weekend

Tue, Jan 6, 1976

Kotter begins to behave erratically when he learns that Julie will be going on a weekend ski trip, marking the first time that they've been separated since their marriage.

15Season 1

S1.E15 ∙ The Sit-In

Tue, Jan 13, 1976

Instead of the planned food fight, Kotter convinces the Sweathogs to stage an all-night classroom sit-in to protest the school's serving of liver for lunch.

16Season 1

S1.E16 ∙ Follow the Leader: Part 1

Tue, Jan 20, 1976

Sweathogs tapping at the window for breakfast, coupled with the love, attention and time Mr. Kotter lavishes upon his students finally drive the neglected Julie to leave Gabe. Meanwhile, Kotter's classroom lesson on democracy goes awry when the Sweathogs vote Barbarino out and Freddie in as their new leader, provoking the rejected Vinnie to drop out of school.

17Season 1

S1.E17 ∙ Follow the Leader: Part 2

Thu, Jan 22, 1976

Mr. Kotter seeks to reconcile with Julie, Freddie's leadership of the Sweathogs evokes the adage of absolute power corrupting absolutely and Barbarino weighs humility versus being a high school dropout and door-to-door Tidy-Didy cleanser salesman.

18Season 1

S1.E18 ∙ Dr. Epstein, I Presume

Thu, Jan 29, 1976

Epstein goes to the guidance counselor to talk about being a veterinarian. She says he is not smart enough and he should look for a career in manual labor. So he gives his animals Kotter because he thinks he can't take care of them anymore.

19Season 1

S1.E19 ∙ One Flu Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Thu, Feb 5, 1976

A flu epidemic requires several advanced students to join Kotter's class, where they quickly outshine his struggling students. Kotter boosts the battered self-confidence of his Sweathogs by demonstrating that not all smarts are book smarts.

20Season 1

S1.E20 ∙ The Telethon

Thu, Feb 12, 1976

Arnold and Mr. Kotter persuade the Sweathogs to hold a telethon for much needed school supplies.

21Season 1

S1.E21 ∙ Kotter Makes Good

Thu, Feb 19, 1976

Mr. Woodman gleefully informs Kotter that there are no records of his having completed his senior exams, so Kotter has to take the tests alongside his Sweathogs, who commit to tutoring him.

22Season 1

S1.E22 ∙ Father Vinnie

Thu, Feb 26, 1976

Vinnie's 87 year old grandmother is in the hospital possibly on her death bed. When his grandmother dies he decides he must honor her death bed request of him and become a priest. He now walks the hallways of Buchanan telling everyone he loves them and organizing prayer meetings. But what is he to do when faced with an after school date with Bambi? Kotter and the rest of the guys must convince Vinnie that he just isn't cut out to be a priest.

1Season 2

S2.E1 ∙ Career Day

Thu, Sep 23, 1976

During the schools career day, Mr. Kotter and the Sweathogs meet a Mr. Takahashi, who offers Gabe a job with his company at three times his teacher's salary.

2Season 2

S2.E2 ∙ Inherit the Halibut

Thu, Sep 30, 1976

When the Sweathogs' treasury money is stolen, all fingers point to Washington who has just purchased a new bike.

3Season 2

S2.E3 ∙ Sweatside Story

Thu, Oct 7, 1976

The Sweathogs form a gang to the consternation of Mr. Kotter.

4Season 2

S2.E4 ∙ The Fight

Thu, Oct 21, 1976

The Sweathogs have a series of disagreements between each other and stop talking to each other.

5Season 2

S2.E5 ∙ The Museum

Thu, Oct 28, 1976

The Sweathogs go on a field trip to a museum and meet its mysterious curator.

6Season 2

S2.E6 ∙ Gabe Under Pressure

Thu, Nov 4, 1976

When the school arranges free medical checkups Gabe must confront his discomfort of going to the doctor.

7Season 2

S2.E7 ∙ Sweathog, Nebraska Style

Thu, Nov 11, 1976

Julie's sister from Nebraska visits and enrolls at Buchanan. She wants to be in Gabe's class and develops a fondness for Epstein...much to Julie's dismay.

8Season 2

S2.E8 ∙ Sadie Hawkins Day

Thu, Nov 18, 1976

With the approach of Sadie Hawkins Day, where the girls ask the guys to the school dance, everybody, including Horshack, has a date - everyone but Barbarino.

9Season 2

S2.E9 ∙ Hello Ms. Chips

Thu, Dec 2, 1976

A student teacher joins Kotter's class only to find that normal teaching methods don't work with the Sweathogs. Then she adopts Kotter's style only to find out that it doesn't work for her.

10Season 2

S2.E10 ∙ Horshack vs. Carvelli

Thu, Dec 9, 1976

Horshack is out to prove his manhood by fighting Carvelli in the boxing ring.

11Season 2

S2.E11 ∙ Sweathog Clinic for the Cure of Smoking

Thu, Dec 16, 1976

The Sweathogs try to convince Epstein to give up his smoking habit.

12Season 2

S2.E12 ∙ Hark, the Sweatkings

Thu, Dec 23, 1976

To get into the Christmas spirit, the Sweathogs give a homeless man a shave and a new suit. But after he shows up at the Kotter's Christmas party wearing his old clothes, he tells them he's a bum, but he's a happy bum.

13Season 2

S2.E13 ∙ A Love Story

Thu, Dec 30, 1976

Juan's younger sister is enrolled in Kotter's class and Arnold is immediately attracted to her, but so is Vinnie, and this drives Juan crazy. Freddie is also in a romantic mood and Kotter sees it as an opportunity to teach the Sweathogs about love.

14Season 2

S2.E14 ∙ Caruso's Way

Thu, Jan 6, 1977

Barbarino wants revenge after a gym teacher slaps him in the face.

15Season 2

S2.E15 ∙ Sweatgate Scandal

Thu, Jan 13, 1977

The Sweathogs join the school newspaper and investigate the break-in at the principal's office. During their investigation, they discover some shady happenings at Buchanan High School.

16Season 2

S2.E16 ∙ Kotter and Son

Thu, Jan 20, 1977

Kotter's father travels 1,400 miles to see him and to see what he does at school. While the senior Kotter observes his son teaching about the Great Depression, he tries to take over the class and tell stories of living through that time.

17Season 2

S2.E17 ∙ Chicken a la Kotter

Thu, Jan 27, 1977

Kotter needs $1,400 to fix his teeth. He becomes so desperate he starts moonlighting at a second job only to be discovered by the Sweathogs.

18Season 2

S2.E18 ∙ Has Anyone Seen Arnold?

Thu, Feb 3, 1977

Horshack takes on the role of Cyrano de Bergerac for the school play. But when the other Sweathogs rank on him, he gets upset and runs away. Now, since nobody can find Horshack, Barbarino has to go on stage in his place as Cyrano.

19Season 2

S2.E19 ∙ There Goes Number 5

Thu, Feb 3, 1977

After his fifth stepfather dies, Horshack decides it's time for him to grow up and become the head of the house.

20Season 2

S2.E20 ∙ The Littlest Sweathog

Thu, Feb 10, 1977

When Gabe learns that Julie is pregnant, he cannot understand why she is less than thrilled to be having a baby.

21Season 2

S2.E21 ∙ Radio Free Freddie

Thu, Feb 17, 1977

The Sweathogs visit a radio station and get introduced on the air. When Freddie gets his turn to talk, he proves to be a big hit and develops a large fan following, but the other Sweathogs become jealous of his success.

22Season 2

S2.E22 ∙ I'm Having Their Baby

Thu, Feb 24, 1977

With Kotter away on a teacher's conference, the Sweathogs decide to spend quality time with a pregnant Julie. However, Julie is not so thrilled with all the attention from the Sweathogs.

23Season 2

S2.E23 ∙ I Wonder Who's Kissing Gabe Now

Thu, Mar 3, 1977

Epstein spies a sexy art teacher kiss Kotter and assumes that Kotter is cheating on Julie.

1Season 3

S3.E1 ∙ Sweathog Back-to-School Special

Sat, Sep 10, 1977

The Welcome Back, Kotter flashback episode. The Sweathogs throw Kotter a surprise party before the start of the new semester. During the party, Kotter and the Sweathogs reflect back on all the good times they had over the first two seasons.

2Season 3

S3.E2 ∙ And Baby Makes Four: Part 1

Thu, Sep 15, 1977

As the Kotters prepare for the birth of their baby, the Sweathogs discover that Barbarino got left back in the 10th grade.

3Season 3

S3.E3 ∙ And Baby Makes Four: Part 2

Thu, Sep 15, 1977

Julie goes into labor and Gabe waits to hear what she has. After waiting impatiently, Gabe is surprised to learn he's the father of not one, but two baby girls.

4Season 3

S3.E4 ∙ And Baby Makes Four: Part 3

Thu, Sep 22, 1977

Woodman subs for Kotter while he and Julie bring the babies home from the hospital. Then Julie's parents drop in from Nebraska for a visit, and Gabe has to sleep on the fire escape.

5Season 3

S3.E5 ∙ Brother, Can You Spare a Million?

Thu, Sep 29, 1977

Kotter buys Barbarino's share of the Sweathogs' lottery ticket, but Barbarino says he wants no part of it because they never win. When they do win the $1,000 semifinal prize, Barbarino and Kotter disagree on who should get the money.

6Season 3

S3.E6 ∙ Just Testing

Thu, Oct 6, 1977

Kotter refuses to help Barbarino study for his test that would promote him to the eleventh grade. So the Sweathogs make a deal with Kotter. If he helps Barbarino study, they will help Julie and the babies.

7Season 3

S3.E7 ∙ The Deprogramming of Arnold Horshack

Thu, Oct 13, 1977

Horshack joins a religious cult and decides to drop out of school to go live with with the cult members. But before he leaves, the Sweathogs pull him into the school bathroom and try to deprogram him.

8Season 3

S3.E8 ∙ What a Move

Thu, Oct 20, 1977

The Kotters are looking for a new apartment and having no luck. Juan has an answer to their problem. His Uncle owns a building in a good neighborhood at the right price. The gang helps the Kotters move in and everything seems to be going great...until Moe Epstein tells them that there are no babies allowed.

9Season 3

S3.E9 ∙ A Novel Idea

Thu, Oct 27, 1977

Woodman writes a novel set during the Civil War era that very closely parallels the Sweathogs, and the Sweathogs are not happy about it. So they write a novel of their own set in outer space and depicting Woodman as the villain.

10Season 3

S3.E10 ∙ Barbarino in Love: Part 1

Thu, Nov 3, 1977

The Sweathogs' singing group wins the city-wide talent contest semi-finals. Then Barbarino becomes infatuated with one of their finals competitors. When they start dating, it jeopardizes the Sweathogs' chances of winning.

11Season 3

S3.E11 ∙ Barbarino in Love: Part 2

Thu, Nov 10, 1977

Barbarino makes up with the Sweathogs and gets the band back together. But when the judges found out Barbarino quit the band, they disqualified them from the contest.

12Season 3

S3.E12 ∙ Kotter for Vice Principal

Thu, Nov 17, 1977

When Woodman's contract for renewal is up, Kotter decides he wants to apply for vice principal. Then he has a dream that he is the king of Buchanan High School and the very old Sweathogs want to oust him from power.

13Season 3

S3.E13 ∙ Swine and Punishment

Thu, Nov 24, 1977

Washington scores a 90 on his literature exam and Woodman accuses him of cheating. So to prove his innocence, Washington agrees to to take a make-up test.

14Season 3

S3.E14 ∙ Epstein's Madonna

Thu, Dec 8, 1977

Epstein paints a mural of a nude woman on the wall of the school, using the image of Julie Kotter as his inspiration.

15Season 3

S3.E15 ∙ A Sweathog Christmas Special

Thu, Dec 15, 1977

Merriment, mistletoe and menorahs are the beginnings of a Merry Christmas celebration with the Sweathogs and Gabe and Julie Kotter.

16Season 3

S3.E16 ∙ Sweatwork

Thu, Dec 22, 1977

The Sweathogs host a radio station at school, but Horshack's ratings are so bad that he gets canceled. In his final broadcast, he becomes a radical radio broadcaster causing his ratings to soar.

17Season 3

S3.E17 ∙ Meet Your New Teacher: Batteries Not Included

Thu, Jan 5, 1978

Woodman brings a computer into the Sweathogs' class to teach their lessons and the class grades increase dramatically. But now, Kotter is jealous because the computer is making him feel obsolete.

18Season 3

S3.E18 ∙ Angie

Thu, Jan 12, 1978

The new girl in Kotter's class declares that she is going to become a Sweathog, but the other Sweathogs strongly oppose her joining their group. So she pulls a stunt to prove her worth which backfires getting the Sweathogs nearly expelled.

19Season 3

S3.E19 ∙ Epstein's Term Paper

Thu, Jan 19, 1978

The sweathogs purchase term papers from a couple of local hoods. Kotter recognizes Epstein's paper as one he himself had handed in years ago.

20Season 3

S3.E20 ∙ There's No Business: Part 1

Thu, Jan 26, 1978

The Sweathogs convince Gabe to audition at a local hot spot, never expecting him to succeed, but after Mr. Charnoff a slick agent gets through with him, it's goodbye teacher, hello show biz. First of a two-part episode.

21Season 3

S3.E21 ∙ There's No Business: Part 2

Thu, Feb 2, 1978

Kotter is a success at being a comedian but it is putting a strain on his marriage and his relationship with the Sweathogs. Second of a two-part episode.

22Season 3

S3.E22 ∙ What Goes Up

Thu, Feb 9, 1978

Freddie is prescribed painkillers to treat a nagging injury he suffered playing basketball ... and soon becomes hooked. His friends become concerned about Freddie's increasingly scary behavior, but "Boom-Boom" tries to brush them off - after all, it's just "vitamins." What becomes even more scary is that Horshack blindly believes his friend's explanation, even though it becomes clear that Freddie needs help before something goes horribly wrong.

23Season 3

S3.E23 ∙ Goodbye, Mr. Kripps

Thu, Feb 16, 1978

While Mr. Kripps, the woodshop teacher, chastises Barbarino for his shop project, he suddenly dies of a heart attack. Barbarino blames himself for Mr. Kripps death and turns himself into the police.

24Season 3

S3.E24 ∙ Horshack and the Madame X

Thu, Feb 23, 1978

Arnold is depressed because no girl will go out with him. After Mrs. Kotter consoles him and helps him find his confidence, he falls in love with her.

25Season 3

S3.E25 ∙ The Kiss

Thu, Apr 13, 1978

A girl in Kotter's class faints after class is over. When Kotter gives her mouth-to-mouth, Woodman catches him and is convinced Kotter was kissing her.

26Season 3

S3.E26 ∙ The Return of Hotsy Totsy

Thu, May 11, 1978

The Sweathogs sneak out to a strip club and recognize one of the dancers as their former classmate Hotsy Totsy. Shortly after, the Sweathogs, Kotters, and Woodman step in and try to find her a more respectable job.

27Season 3

S3.E27 ∙ Class Encounters of the Carvelli Kind

Thu, May 18, 1978

Carvelli goes to Buchannan High as part of an exchange program and tells the students about his encounter with aliens. Woodman, convinced his story is true, plans to go on the spaceship when it lands in the schoolyard.

1Season 4

S4.E1 ∙ The Drop-Ins: Part 1

Mon, Sep 11, 1978

Kotter becomes the new vice principal and the Sweathogs think they can get away with anything they want. When they tie up Carvelli and Murray, Kotter gives them detention and they decide to quit school and get jobs.

2Season 4

S4.E2 ∙ The Drop-Ins: Part 2

Mon, Sep 11, 1978

Horshack, Epstein, and Washington, now dropped out of school, decide to look for jobs. Kotter then asks Barbarino, now working as an orderly, to convince them to go back to school.

3Season 4

S4.E3 ∙ Don't Come Up and See Me Sometime

Mon, Sep 25, 1978

Barbarino gets his own apartment and the Sweathogs think they have a new hangout. Barbarino tells them they are only welcome at his apartment when he invites them over. Offended by this, the Sweathogs storm out of his apartment.

4Season 4

S4.E4 ∙ Once Upon a Ledge

Mon, Oct 2, 1978

A new girl at Buchanan High contemplates suicide after having a hard time making friends.

5Season 4

S4.E5 ∙ The Sweatmobile

Mon, Oct 9, 1978

Carvelli offers to sell the Sweathogs his car so they tell him about the time they bought a car from Barbarino's uncle. While waiting at the hospital for the car, the Sweathogs see Uncle Louie wheeled in on a gurney after a car accident.

6Season 4

S4.E6 ∙ Beau's Jest

Mon, Oct 16, 1978

Buchanan High gets a new student, Beau DeLabarre from New Orleans, who uses his southern charm to hit on several girls including Juan's girlfriend. Juan strikes back, then Beau sets him up with a girl who has a jealous husband.

7Season 4

S4.E7 ∙ Barbarino's Boo-Boo

Sat, Oct 21, 1978

Woodman goes to the hospital to have a bunion removed. After the surgery, Barbarino takes him back to his room but loses him on the way. Now the Sweathogs scour the hospital looking for Woodman.

8Season 4

S4.E8 ∙ X-Rated Education

Sat, Oct 28, 1978

Carvelli brings in an X-rated film and asks Epstein to show it for the guys. Meanwhile, Julie prepares to show a sex education film to protesting parents. The two films get mixed up and the parents see the X-rated film.

9Season 4

S4.E9 ∙ The Barbarino Blues

Fri, Nov 3, 1978

When Vinnie gets dumped by a girl in front of the Sweathogs, he gets depressed and is too ashamed to leave his apartment.

10Season 4

S4.E10 ∙ Washington's Clone

Sat, Nov 11, 1978

A nerdy student tries to win the approval of the gang by emulating Washington.

11Season 4

S4.E11 ∙ Frog Day Afternoon

Sat, Nov 25, 1978

The students are told as part of their biology requirement they're going to have to dissect a frog. And Arnold refuses to do it. He even protests by trying to take the frogs. He is told if he doesn't do it, he will get a failing grade and he's asking the other Sweathogs for support.

12Season 4

S4.E12 ∙ A Little Fright Music

Sat, Dec 2, 1978

Freddie rewrites Woodman's version of the school anthem. A big-time recording artist hears him singing it and decides he wants to use it on his next album. But Woodman opposes the idea of the school song going commercial.

13Season 4

S4.E13 ∙ A Winter's Coat Tale

Sat, Dec 16, 1978

Vinnie selfishly buys himself a new camel-hair coat for Christmas. He feels it makes him stylish. So to him it's a tragedy when a couple of hoods steal it from him. Will the coat crooks be caught or a Christmas lesson taught?

14Season 4

S4.E14 ∙ Bride and Gloom

Sat, Jan 13, 1979

The word is out that Barbarino is getting married. But he isn't marrying his girlfriend and the secret marriage has something to do with Epstein.

15Season 4

S4.E15 ∙ Barbarino's Baby

Sat, Feb 3, 1979

Barbarino is frustrated because he doesn't get a good job at the hospital. So he is excited when he has to take a pregnant woman to her room. But the elevator breaks with them in it and she goes into labor. Now he has to deliver the baby.

16Season 4

S4.E16 ∙ The Goodbye Guy

Sat, Feb 10, 1979

Mr. Woodman's niece, Kelly, babysits for the Kotters one night when Epstein comes by looking for Mr. Kotter. He finds Kelly instead, they become acquainted, and they eventually move in together, to Mr. Woodman's horror.

17Season 4

S4.E17 ∙ Come Back, Little Arnold

Sat, Feb 24, 1979

Terrified of going out with pretty Mary Johnson, Horshack believes he can find courage in a bottle.

18Season 4

S4.E18 ∙ The Sweat Smell of Success

Sat, Mar 3, 1979

Epstein is assigned to the school paper and changes it from a dull, lifeless weekly to a gossipy, sensationalist money-maker -- almost losing his friends in the process.

19Season 4

S4.E19 ∙ The Gang Show

Sat, Mar 17, 1979

Freddie and Juan compete in the school talent show, but Carvelli woos the judges so he can win the competition. So Horshack and Beau become alternate judges and fill in when the other judges are unable to fulfill their duties.

20Season 4

S4.E20 ∙ Oo-Oo, I Do: Part 1

Fri, May 25, 1979

Arnold and Mary express their love for each other, then Arnold learns his mother married a blackjack dealer in Atlantic City, and now he has to leave school and the woman he loves. So Instead of leaving, Arnold asks Mary to marry him.

21Season 4

S4.E21 ∙ Oo-Oo, I Do: Part 2

Fri, May 25, 1979

The Sweathogs give Arnold a bachelor party and tease him about married life. He takes it personally and runs away because he thinks he can't support Mary.

22Season 4

S4.E22 ∙ I'm Okay, But You're Not

Fri, Jun 1, 1979

Beau's sweet-talking to Mr. Woodman backfires when the guys accuse him of bad-mouthing them.

23Season 4

S4.E23 ∙ The Bread Winners

Fri, Jun 8, 1979

Epstein has a job prospect, but Washington unknowingly takes the job before Epstein gets a chance to interview. Their friendship is in danger, and they decide to settle their differences through a fight at the local spa.