WELCOME BACK KOTTER on DVD

 
I loved Welcome Back, Kotter as a kid. It aired before my time, admittedly, but I discovered it on Nick at Nite and devoured it. It's now finally available on DVD.

Disclosure: I was sent a review copy of this release (by my request), but the opinions expressed are my own.

The 1970s sitcom is a product of its time. It's a cheesy, schmaltzy look at a teacher working in an urban setting, returning to the place he grew up to help the other screw-ups like he was before he became an adult and found teaching.

The kids are supposedly the delinquents of the Brooklyn school, but they don't do drugs or cuss or commit any serious crimes. Their insults run along the lines of "Up your nose with a rubber hose." Not long after this, there would be gritty versions of such a premise. But this is pure family-friendly sitcom.

The cast is wonderful. Gabe Kaplan was a comedian, and it shows in the humorous stories he tells his wife (Marcia Strassman) at the beginnings and/or ends of episodes. John Sylvester White is perfect as the grumpy administrator who doesn't trust Kotter any more than White trusts his class.

The students are memorable. John Travolta shines in the role that put him on the map, Vinnie Barbarino. Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs as hip basketball player Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington, Robert Hegyes as tough guy Epstein, and of course Ron Palillo as Horshack with the distinctive laugh round out the main crew.

There are stereotypes to be found, to be sure. The story is short on realism. But the messages of the episodes are solid, with acceptance and bettering yourself the main point. Is it any wonder I wanted to follow in Mr. Kotter's footsteps and be a social studies teacher?

Surprisingly, the picture quality in this set is pretty good. I don't think it's been remastered, as it does look old. But on my large HD screen, it wasn't too grainy. The discs are no-frills with zero bonus features. You get all 95 episodes, complete and in order, which is all I really wanted.

I'll be binging the whole thing, finally seeing episodes I missed. If you share my nostalgia, consider picking up a copypicking up a copy and joining me.

New January sitcoms bomb one and all

    January brings the return of midseason favorite and cable series. But it also heralds a batch of "second tries" by the networks to replace falls shows that just didn't work out. All three major networks, NBC, CBS, and ABC have launched new sitcoms recently, including one last night. All three sitcoms should soon be gone, with any luck, because these are not examples of what good comedy television is.


     First out of the gate was ABC's Work It. Lee (Benjamin Koldyke, How I Met Your Mother, Big Love) and Angel (Amaury Nolasco, Prison Break, Chase) have been out of work for awhile. Lee, in a desperate move, dresses as a girl and gets a position as a pharmaceutical rep, and Angel rides his coat tails. Rebecca Mader (Lost) does a great bitch, but that doesn't mean she brings much to the table. This series does earn a few laughs, but only because it is so incredibly bad. It's the sitcom version of SyFy made-for-TV movies. That's not the way a show wants to be laughed at, because it is certainly not laughing with. But it's a cheesy pile of gristle that still (barely) manages to entertain. Which means I may continue to watch it until it gets canceled, which should happen soon enough. But a classic, it is not. And if it doesn't get canceled soon, the joke of how truly horrific it is will wear thin, and it will definitely go off my TiVo.

     Next comes along NBC's Are You There, Chelsea?, the worst of the bunch. Based on Chelsea Handler's book, Are You There, Vodka, It's Me, Chelsea?, but of course with a shortened title, the first episode fails to amuse even slightly. Handler herself plays the religious, uptight, older, pregnant sister of the titular character, and it doesn't work at all. Laura Prepon (That '70s Show, October Road) tries valiantly with playing a version of Handler, but even Prepon's considerable talents cannot rise the material above drivel. Greek's Jake McDorman adds little as the bartender who couldn't have sex with Chelsea because they both like to be on top, though Lenny Clarke (Rescue Me) is not bad as her father. Lauren Lapkus and Ali Wong (breaking_in) have it worst as Chelsea's friends. An annoying, intrusive laugh track doesn't help. Skip this one entirely.

     Finally, CBS's Rob is the one with the least amount of promise, yet, perhaps by sticking to a traditional sitcom feel, it is the best of the new class. Which is not to say that it's great, by any means. Rob (Rob Schneider, Deuce Bigalow) marries Maggie (Claudia Bassols, C.L.A. No somos angeles), a girl that is way too hot for him, after six weeks of dating. Then he is introduced to her loud, obnoxious, Mexican family. Uncle Hector (Eugenio Derbez, La familia P. Luche) is the worst character, being a mooching recent immigrant. But Cheech Marin, as Maggie's father Fernando, is not at all what one expect from the character or the actor, which is a redeeming quality for the show. The cast also boasts Diana Maria Riva (The Good Guys, The West Wing) and Lupe Ontiveros (As Good As It Gets, Los Americans) among the cast. Despite some ridiculous situations involving Rob acting too much like an idiot, if the series tones down the main character, there may be something there. Unfortunately, it's something many a sitcom has already found before it.

     All in all, not an impressive batch. But then again, neither were the fall premieres. Maybe next year will be better. Until then, enjoy the tried and true wealth of funny series already running.

     Work It airs Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

     Are You There, Chelsea runs on Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

     Rob is Thursdays, 8:30 p.m. ET, on CBS.

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18 to Life hits the U.S.

    18 to Life is a charming Canadian sitcom about two best friends and neighbors who get married shortly after turning eighteen.  Originally developed with ABC, the CW now has the American rights to it, and began by airing the first two episodes last night.  All twelve first season installments have already run in Canada, and a second season is in production, to air next winter.  Because the show has already been released, you can find it online if you're slightly creative (or in the Canadian iTunes store), but no DVD set has yet gone on sale.

     The show stars Stacey Farber and Michael Seater as Jessie and Tom, the central couple, and both young actors are a delight.  They have great chemistry.  Her family is New Age, his is business anal.  Yet the actors playing the parents manage to rise above the stereotypes.  The groom also has two sisters, and there's an Iraqi refugee living with the bride's family, so the cast is pretty full for a sitcom.  Add to Tom's best friend, Carter (Jesse Rath), who was Jessie's first sexual partner, and you have quite a bit going on.  And yet, at least in the first two episodes, it was well balanced, and didn't seem too busy at all.  Perhaps as the show continues, the writers may want to give the parents more than a scene or two per episode to steal, but for now, the formula is working nicely.

     In the pilot, "A Modest Proposal", Tom proposes to girlfriend Jessie on a dare.  Both families are against the idea, but pretend to put their full weight behind it in an effort to drive them apart.  The couple, mostly undeterred, go to City Hall and make their engagement a very short one indeed.  In the second episode, "No Strings Attached", the couple tries to find a place to live, made complicated by the fact that neither work, and Tom will soon be starting college.  The parents are starting to embrace the nuptials, but in stages.  I don't think they will let it go to quickly, and it should make a good season one plot arc.  Not having seen the entire season, I don't know what will be in store for season two.

     It's a comedy with good heart, appropriate for families, and feels fresh.  I recommend checking it out.  And finding the first two episodes online, if you can, since they are not currently schedule to rerun.  18 to Life will be presented on the CW Tuesdays at 9 and 9:30pm.