Welcome Back, Kotter

Review

Common Sense Media says

Classic high school hijinks from the '70s.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this often-silly sitcom follows a bunch of remedial students attending an inner-city high school. Teens make fun of each other constantly, calling guys things like "cream puffs" and women "dogs," but other than that, the language is pretty clean. Race, poverty, and drug/alcohol use are occasional topics, though the treatment of the issues is always sanitized. The students are under-achievers, and their apparent stupidity is a source of humor.

  • Positive messages0
    Students engage in some troublesome behavior -- minor stealing, truancy, etc. -- but these incidents mostly lead to moral lessons. Kotter helps the students that others treat poorly, showing that you don't have to be smart or rich to deserve respect. That said, the students' chronic underachievement and lack of smarts are often tapped for laughs.
  • Violence0
    Off-screen fighting, some physical threats -- all slapstick humor.
  • Sex0
    Mr. Kotter and his wife sometimes kiss and hug chastely. Discussion of dating and making out. Some episodes feature sexy Sweathogs with some sexual innuendo.
  • Language0
    Insults fly regularly, like "cream puff" for a weak male, and "dog" for an ugly female.
  • Consumerism0
    Not applicable.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    Rare episodes deal with drug and alcohol addiction, though without graphic detail.
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What's the story?

In the classic 1970s sitcom WELCOME BACK, KOTTER, Gabe Kaplan stars as Gabe Kotter, a teacher who returns to his Brooklyn alma mater to teach a group of remedial high school students known as the "Sweathogs." Kotter's sense of humor and heartfelt affection for the teens make him an ideal advocate and mentor. The lighthearted sitcom follows the antics of the dumb-but-loveable students, who are led by wise-cracking Vinnie Barbarino (a young John Travolta), tough Juan Epstein (Robert Hegyes), basketball-playing Freddie "Boom-Boom" Washington (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs), and goofy Arnold Horshack (Ron Palillo). Episodes usually center on a problem within the Sweathogs that Mr. Kotter helps solve.

Is it any good?

 

Welcome Back, Kotter takes a comic approach to the difficult circumstances of the kids' lives, joking about things like food scarcity and race relations. While some episodes touch on drinking and drug use, Kotter rarely reflects the reality of its inner-city public school setting. But this breezy treatment allows for some memorable, if superficial, characters.

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What families can talk about

Families can talk about the difference between the school experience portrayed on the show and kids' own experience. Do you think the differences between the TV version and the real-life version were less notable in the '70s? How have high school and high schoolers changed since the show first aired? Does the relationship between teacher and student seem realistic? Do teens have a teacher like Mr. Kotter? What kind of trouble do kids get in at your school? How is discipline handled?

This review was written by Sierra Filucci
Parent of 11 and 13 year old
December 16, 2009
AGE
8
 
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Helped me decide (2) | Had useful details (2) | Read my mind (2)
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Kid, 11 years old
November 1, 2011
AGE
7
 
Funny!
This is a really funny show. I like it a lot and so does my 7 year old sister!
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (1) | Had useful details (1) | Read my mind (1)
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This review was written by Sierra Filucci
TV rating:TV-PG
Networks:Syndicated, TV Land
Cast:Gabriel Kaplan, John Travolta, Robert Hegyes
Genre:Comedy
This review was written by Sierra Filucci
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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