bkoganbing During the Seventies one of the most popular TV comedies was Welcome Back Kotter which in many ways was the mirror image of Head Of The Class in the Eighties. Kotter was about a teacher essentially babysitting some kids who were marked for life as losers and trying to tell them they necessarily didn't have to be. Head Of The Class was about the education system's cream of the crop, kids with high IQs and great potential. In a sense their home room teacher Howard Hesseman doubled as a guidance counselor.High IQs and great potential doesn't immunize you from life's problems which are magnified in the teen years. Hessemann usually dealt in each episode with one of the kid's problems either academically or personal. Each kid had a specialty, Brian Robbins who did look like he could have been a James Dean wannabe was a writer. Dan Frischman was an overachieving math genius, son of a mathematics professor as well who never had a social life. His father's idea of fun was doing algorithms with his on. Tannis Vallely had a super IQ and just had trouble fitting in in high school as she was about 10.Tony O'Dell had an interesting role, maybe the most interesting of the kids. He was a conservative thinking history enthusiast, but was never presented as a figure of ridicule. Hessemann who clearly didn't share his beliefs encouraged him to marshal his arguments and think objectively as the best of teachers do. O'Dell was also clearly looking too old for high school, but his performance was convincing.William Schilling was the principal who treated these kids like hot house plants had his clashes every week with Hessemann. It was not unlike those that Gabe Kotter had with Mr. Woodman on Kotter. Except the roles were reversed as the principal scoffed at Kotter's concern for these losers and Schilling was concerned lest the egos of the geniuses be bruised. Both situations worked in their respective series.Head Of The Class really died when Hessemann left. Still it was a wonderful show for the time we had it.

Jasoco This show is very funny. Another show from 1986. I never saw it when it was actually on TV. Most of the 80's was spent watching The Cosby Show for me. I was a child. So I have to watch all the best shows of my time on Nick at Nite and TV Land 20+ years later.Now that I'm watching it, I know what I've been missing.Most shows today don't even begin to meet the standards shows like this have set.

Dangirl This show is a classic! It's funny and original with plenty of laughs!! Both Mr. Moore and Billy were great. It included the best cast ever to be assembled on tv!! It's a shame this wonderful show is not in syndication anywhere. Long live Dennis Blunden!!!

Deeana Oh My God, could this show be any worse? I think not!How corny can you possibly get. The 80's certainly were the area of really lame, bad television shows, this being the worst of them all. I have absolutely no idea why Billy Connolly decided to join this show, but he must have been out of his mind. The acting is terrible, stories so pathetic and totally unrealistic. This show should be banished from TV land altogether, maybe they could burn the tapes, but something must be done to rid us of this crap.Avoid at all costs!!!!!!!!!