"Head of the Class" (1986) TV series 1986-1990

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Creators:

Michael Elias
Rich Eustis

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

17 September 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A laidback teacher provides needed guidance about life for a special class of exceptional students.

Plot Keywords:

Teacher | High School | Competition | Genius | Nerd

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 12 nominations

Cast

William G. Schilling	...	Dr. Harold Samuels (114 episodes, 1986-1991)
Jeanetta Arnette	...	Bernadette Meara (114 episodes, 1986-1991)
Dan Frischman	...	Arvid Engen (114 episodes, 1986-1991)
Robin Givens	...	Darlene Merriman (114 episodes, 1986-1991)
Khrystyne Haje	...	Simone Foster (114 episodes, 1986-1991)
Tony O'Dell	...	Alan Pinkard (114 episodes, 1986-1991)
Brian Robbins	...	Eric Mardian (114 episodes, 1986-1991)
Kimberly Russell	...	Sarah Nevins (114 episodes, 1986-1991)
Dan Schneider	...	Dennis Blunden (114 episodes, 1986-1991)
Howard Hesseman	...	Charles P. 'Charlie' Moore (92 episodes, 1986-1990)
Tannis Vallely	...	Janice Lazarotto (67 episodes, 1986-1991)
Leslie Bega	...	Maria Borges (66 episodes, 1986-1989)
Joher Coleman	...	Jawaharlal Choudhury (66 episodes, 1986-1989)
Rain Pryor	...	Theola June 'T.J.' Jones (49 episodes, 1988-1991)
Michael DeLorenzo	...	Alex Torres (48 episodes, 1989-1991)
Lara Piper	...	Viki Amory (48 episodes, 1989-1991)
De'voreaux White	...	Aristotle McKenzie (48 episodes, 1989-1991)

Runtime:

30 min | USA:30 min (114 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Eustis Elias Productions

Quotes:

T.J. Jones: Hey, I'm T.J.
Class: Hi, T.J.
T.J. Jones: What is this? An "AA" Meeting

Movie Connections:

Featured in "I Love the 80's 3-D" (2005)

Typical Virtues, Typical Vices Of Solid Second-Rate Sit-Com

The show is currently running on Nick-At-Nite, back-to-back with Perfect Strangers.

It is amazing how good the casts of both shows are. It is also equally appalling how bad the scripts are for both shows. These shows have not aged well. Also, has anybody noticed that the filter on the videotape looks very odd? Most of the second-rate (and I use that term not as an insult, but to say that they're not Cheers) sitcoms from the 80's have this peculiar look.

Remember the "video white" look on a lot of early 80's MTV. Compare Toni Basil's Mickey with the video for Men Without Hats' Safety Dance. Both are weird, but the filmed one still looks like it has production values.

This speaks volumes to the superiority of film over videotape. How many television shows lose a quality over time because modern video points out the glaring inadequacies of the medium's past?

The cast of Head Of The Class were a perfect combination in chemistry. It is too bad that the show had to let that cast down in so many other areas.