Welcome Back, Kotter (1 Viewer)

[Rob P S]

Anybody know who owns the rights to this? I'd love to see it on DVD.

Who's with me?

 

[Brandon_D]

I would buy it in a second!! It is HILARIOUS!!!! It also has on of the best theme songs in history.

 

[Sean.S]

Another show I would love to see on DVD.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Count me among those waiting and hoping for this show.

 

[Louis_P]

Count me in too.But the episodes John Travolta wasn't in really sucked! The show went downhill.I'm glad I have all 96 episodes taped off TVLAND from last years marathon
Makes no sence why this is still not out being as how big John Travolta is.Hope there's extras if they ever release this!!

 

[Chris:L]

I like this show but there are more important tv shows to buy.

 

[Tom McA]

I want this show.

Signed,
Epstein's Mother

 

[Shane_Anthony]

Vinnie Babarino!

 

[ScottR]

I think WB owns it, since it was a David Wolper production.

 

[StacyV]

That's a good one. Let's hope that does a better job convincing the studio to release it than her notes convinced Kotter to let Epstein off the hook.

 

[Dane Marvin]

Great show. I would probably buy the first couple seasons. One thing to note about this show is that it was almost like the Saved by the Bell of the '70s (or am I the only one who sees the similarity here?). The key difference is Kotter is like the 'Mr. Belding' of WBK and he is the focus of the series, whereas SBTB is focused on Zack (with Belding as a side character).

Otherwise, there are a lot of similarities:
-Both mostly take place at school
-Both feature a group of close-knit friends
-These close-knit friends basically own the school (they can do whatever they want, they all have the same classes, they always get to speak in class while the students around mysteriously never have any lines, etc.)
-Both have a scrawny geek: Horschack/Screech
-Both feature a Hispanic character: Epstein/Slater
-Both have a ladies man: Vinnie/Zack
-Largely absurd things can and did happen in both these shows

Saved by the Bell never really did lose it's steam and was still on top when it left the air, but it also didn't have the burden of being on a primetime schedule like 'Kotter'. 'Kotter' took a blow to the head when Travolta left the series. It never recovered. Not sure if I'd ever be able to get into the post-Travolta episodes. Even on DVD.

 

[StacyV]

One more key difference: WBK didn't feature girls in miniskirts, bathing suits and leotards. Mrs. Kotter, Rosalie "Hotsy" Totsy and Judy were no match for Kelly, Jessie and Lisa in that department.

 

[Rob P S]

Kotter collapsed in the fourth season, when the producers hired a new writing staff, and an unhappy Gabe Kaplan barely appeared in it except to tell the beginning and ending joke, not to mention the addition of the spectacularly unfunny Beau DeLabarre. (It's all in the E! True Hollywood Story.)

Remember the classic episode when Washington was hooked on pills and Vinnie's impression of an addict? ("Gimme drugs, gimme drugs!") Another SBTB parallel.

 

[DanFe]

Both shows were a waste of TV broadcasting space, in my opinion. No thanks for both programs, but for those who want it I hope you get it.

 

[Chris:L]

Saved by the Bell was a waste of air time.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

The 2 may have many similarities, but I always found SBTB to be way cheesier than Kotter. That could just be me though, but I doubt it.

 

[SteveKNJ]

Could John Travolta not want this released? Although the show made his career for awhile, maybe he feels it made him a bit dorky...lol

 

[Louis_P]

I think we will see Welcome Back Kotter on dvd before we ever see his Moment by Moment bomb flick on dvd:frowning:

 

[StacyV]

I doubt Travolta would be against WBK being released. He spoofed his Barbarino character in an SNL sketch when he hosted the show some years ago and seemed to have fun with it. Plus, if I remember correctly, he was totally into the celebration that took place upon the dvd release of Grease. I'd bet he'd be totally for a WBK dvd release.

 

[Dane Marvin]

Travolta also has done bonus material for Warner stuff before (I can point to the interview he did on the 2-Disc SE for "Yankee Doodle Dandy" in which he spoke about his idol and then close friend -- the late Jimmy Cagney). Travolta has had a lot of strange career choices. He can't possibly dismiss everything he did just because it wasn't "Pulp Fiction" (or even "Saturday Night Fever").

Now "Battlefield Earth"? That's something to be ashamed of.