It’s a television subgenre that doesn’t get as much support from fans as, let’s say, medical dramas, legal dramas, cop show dramas or forensic procedurals. But if you think about it, classroom dramas and comedies can be fun to watch, and fun to get into. You get to see the interaction between a charismatic teacher and his / her students, you get to see the students progress from matriculation to graduation, and if an actor causes any trouble, they can either be transferred out of the district, or relegated to another, unobtainable, part of the school.
For this blog post, I’ve brought together clips of ten different television shows in which the predominant character is the academic institution itself. This isn’t counting shows like Beverly Hills 90210, in which the school plays a minor part – and it doesn’t count children’s programs like Ding Dong School, the 1950’s program which was as much about a school as Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was about a neighborhood. I could have included Class of ’96 (which lasted about half a year) or Headmaster (with Andy Griffith as the headmaster of a prep school, I think that show lasted about three episodes). I could have even included shows like Space Academy or Strange Days at Blake Holsey High or Whatever Happened to Robot Jones?, but in the end, I chose ten shows that fit the theme, not fifteen. In the shows listed below, the school itself is the focal point of all the interactions between the characters. Do I hear the first period bell? Better get in your seats for…
THE PAPER CHASE
This show combined two of television’s most stalwart themes – the legal drama and the classroom drama – and brought television audiences John Houseman as the challenging and acerbic Professor Kingsfield.
ROOM 222
This half-hour drama, set at fictional Walt Whitman High School in Los Angeles, told the stories of teachers and students and their interactions and reactions to the world around them. And the show had Karen Valentine in it. Do I need to say any more? Didn’t think so.
MR. NOVAK
This early 1960’s drama features James Franciscus in the title role. The clip below shows Franciscus’ character interacting with a student. The student, played by Walter Koenig, would later appear on “Star Trek” as Ensign Chekov.
LUCAS TANNER
At one time, before he was the morning host of Good Morning America, David Hartman actually had his own drama series. Yes, this is it. No, it didn’t last past a single season.
WELCOME BACK, KOTTER
This is one of my favorite clips from the 1970’s comedy series. Gabe Kaplan’s television series about a schoolteacher in charge of the most unruly students in school ran for four years and was a monster hit. And yes, that’s John Travolta in an early acting role. I know most people realize that’s John Travolta, but I do understand there are some people who read this blog who may have been born after 1985.
HEAD OF THE CLASS
If Gabe Kotter had the dregs of James Buchanan High School, Howard Hesseman’s Charlie Moore had the challenge of educating his high school’s most gifted students. And yes, that’s Robin Givens in the show – also known as Mike Tyson’s future ex-wife.
FAME
If you can pick up the Ovation Network on your cable box, you can catch unedited reruns of Fame – that means you get the musical numbers as well. This is the show that Glee wishes it could become. At least I don’t have to worry about any auto-tune in an episode of Fame.
BOSTON PUBLIC
There have been several “dumping ground school” dramas in the past, including a show called The Bronx Zoo with principal Ed Asner. Boston Public lasted for about three and a half seasons – it was really good at first, but then the show just deteriorated.
GOOD MORNING, MISS BLISS
Ah, this gentle classroom drama about Hayley Mills as a teacher in an Indianapolis school district. Yes, it looks kinda familiar… maybe it’s because after a few episodes, Mills was cut loose from the show…
And the show became…
SAVED BY THE BELL
Because how could we not complete this recap of classroom-based TV shows without Jessie Spano freaking out over the loss of her caffeine pills?
Okay, it’s recess time. No horseplay at the jungle gym, okay?
Chuck The Writer 
Kotter was quite funny. I enjoyed it for a few years.
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was disappointed Boston Public didn’t make it longer….loved Kotter….I also loved the White Shadow starring Ken Howard…
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I loved Hang Time – came a little later, in the mid-90’s, post Saved by the Bell, but it was awesome – highschool hopes. yes.
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I always wondered about these shows and others such as “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Secret Life of an American Teenager” – how much time is actually spent paying attention in class or doing homework?
Funny post
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“Mr. Novak”? “Headmaster”? Wow … I’d almost think I’d have thought of those myself.
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Jay – you did think of them, and I appreciate your help in putting this blog post together. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a decent clip of “Headmaster” on YouTube, ‘delse I would have added it.
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