Head Of The Class

1 9 8 6 – 1 9 9 1 (USA)
112 x 30 minute episodes
1 x 60 minute episode

Created by Michael Elias and Rich Eustis, and based upon Eustis’s personal experiences as a substitute teacher in New York City, this ABC sitcom starred Howard Hesseman (the former Dr Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati) as Charles Moore, a substitute teacher at Fillmore High School.

Charlie was hired to take over the Individual Honors Program (IHP) class, teaching a class of gifted children of varying ages. Although his students are book-smart enough, he soon realised they had a lot to learn about life and made it his mission to expose them to certain of life’s realities.

Fillmore’s meddling principal, Dr Harold Samuels (William G Schilling), did not appreciate Charlie’s non-academic approach and often became a stumbling block that the teacher and his students had to circumvent. All Dr Samuels cared about was that Moore’s students won the city’s Academic Olympics contests.

The school’s assistant principal, Bernadette Meara (Jeanetta Arnette), did what she could to support Charlie.

His class members included the grade-obsessed Maria Borges (Leslie Bega); nerdy Arvod Engen (Dan Frischman) with a perfect attendance record (he also ran the school radio station); preppy and wealthy Darlene Merriman (Robin Givens), who was also the editor of the school newspaper, the Fillmore Spartan; pretty book-loving Simone Foster (Khrystyne Haje); Indian exchange student Jawaharlal Choudhury (Jory Husain); preppy heartthrob Alan Pinkard (Tony O’Dell) who had set his goals on becoming President of the USA; brainy tough guy Eric Mardian (Brian Robbins); art-loving Sarah Nivens (Kimberly Russell), who was president of the Student Council and worked after school at City General Hospital; heavyset science fiend Dennis Blunden (Dan Schneider); 12-year-old prodigy Janice Lazorrotto (Tannis Vallely); fast-talking TJ Jones (Rain Pryor); horny Alex Torres (Michael De Lorenzo); adopted Viki Amory (Lara Piper); artistic Aristotle McKenzie (De’vereaux White) and new Asian student Jasper Kwong (Jonathon Ke Quan).

Charlie lived next door to the Plant Store and appeared in television commercials as “The King of Discount Appliances” for Veemer Appliances. He originally moved to New York to direct on Broadway, but it never happened.

In 1990, Charlie left Fillmore to return to acting with the lead in a production of Death of a Salesman.

Scottish substitute teacher Billy MacGregor took over as the new “Head of the Class”. MacGregor was played by the funniest man on the planet, Scottish comedian and all-round nice guy, Billy Connolly, who went on to his own spin-off series in 1992, simply called Billy, which saw him enter into a marriage of convenience just to stay in America.

In 1998, Head of the Class became the first American television series to film an episode in the Soviet Union.

Charlie Moore 
Howard Hesseman
Dr Harold Samuels 
William G Schilling
Darlene Merriman
Robin Givens
Bernadette Meara
Jeanetta Arnette
Alex Torres
Michael De Lorenzo
Arvod Engen
Dan Frischman
Simone Foster 
Khrystyne Haje
Alan Pinkard
Tony O’Dell
Viki Amory
Lara Piper
Janice Lazorrotto
Tannis Vallely
Maria Borges
Leslie Bega
TJ Jones
Rain Pryor
Jawaharlal Choudhury
Jory Husain
Eric Mardian
Brian Robbins
Sarah Nivens
Kimberly Russell
Dennis Blunden
Dan Schneider
Aristotle McKenzie
De’vereaux White
Jasper Kwong
Jonathon Ke Quan
Billy MacGregor 
Billy Connolly

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