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Information about Head Of The Class

Head of the Class

The original cast circa 1986
Created byRich Eustis
Michael Elias
Starring(See entire cast list below)
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes114
Production
Running time22 minutes
Broadcast
Original channelABC
Original runSeptember 17, 1986 – June 25, 1991
Head of the Class was an American sitcom that ran from 1986 to 1991 on the ABC television network. It followed a group of gifted students in the Individualized Honors Program (IHP) at the fictional Monroe High School (later Millard Fillmore High School) in Manhattan, and their history teacher Charlie Moore (Howard Hesseman). Hesseman left the series in 1990 and was replaced by Billy Connolly (in his first major American production) as teacher Billy MacGregor for the final season.

The original ten students in the IHP were Maria, Arvid, Darlene, Simone, Jawaharlal, Alan, Eric, Sarah, Dennis, and Janice. There was some turnover in the cast in the later years of the series.

After the series ended, Connolly appeared in a spinoff entitled Billy.

Characters

  • Charles P. "Charlie" Moore - Howard Hesseman (1986–1990; Seasons 1–4)
  • Billy MacGregor - Billy Connolly (1990–1991; Season 5)
  • Dr. Harold Samuels - William G. Schilling
  • Bernadette Meara - Jeanetta Arnette
  • Maria Borges - Leslie Bega (1986–1989; Seasons 1–3)
  • Arvid Engen - Dan Frischman
  • Darlene Merriman - Robin Givens
  • Simone Foster - Khrystyne Haje
  • Jawaharlal Choudhury - Jory Husain (1986–1989; Seasons 1–3)
  • Alan Pinkard - Tony O'Dell
  • Eric Mardian - Brian Robbins
  • Sarah Nevins - Kimberly Russell
  • Dennis Blunden - Dan Schneider
  • Janice Lazarotto - Tannis Vallely (1986–1989; Seasons 1–3)
  • Lori Applebaum - Marcia Christie
  • Alex Torres - Michael DeLorenzo (1989–1991; Seasons 4–5)
  • Dr. Enric Engen - Bruce Gray
  • Madeline Mardian - Patricia McCormack
  • Viki Amory - Lara Piper (1989–1991; Seasons 4–5)
  • Theola June "T.J." Jones - Rain Pryor (1988–1991; Seasons 3–5)
  • Jasper Kwong - Jonathan Ke Quan (1990–1991; Season 5)
  • Aristotle McKenzie - De'voreaux White (1989–1991; Seasons 4–5)

Season synopses

Season 1 (1986–1987)

Mr. Moore begins the first season as a substitute teacher, but warms to the IHP class immediately, making it his mission to get them to think rather than merely to know. By Episode Six, the class's original teacher (Roscoe Lee Browne) decides to quit, making Mr. Moore their full-time teacher. Throughout the first season, Mr. Moore attempts to get the class involved in more than just their studies, encouraging them to play volleyball and make a music video for the school's time capsule. (This marks the first foray into Head of the Class's fondness for musical production numbers.) At the same time, the class brings Mr. Moore into the present, acclimating him to the importance of personal computers. Near the end of the season, the IHP faces their Russian counterparts in an academic tournament, foreshadowing their famous trip to Moscow in Season 3.

Season 2 (1987–1988)

Season 2 began involving the IHP in the school as a whole, with Mr. Moore involving the class in the school literary journal and encouraging a lampoon of the school newspaper.

Season 3 (1988–1989)

"Mission to Moscow"

In 1988, Head of the Class broke new ground as it became the first American sitcom to be filmed in the Soviet Union. The episode was entirely filmed in Moscow. Although it originally aired without a laugh track, one was added for the syndicated version.

The IHP is invited to come to the country for a rematch of the academic meet that happened in Season 1, which ended in a tie. The class has a lot of experiences while in Moscow: Dennis and Arvid take interest in two beautiful women, until they realize they might be KGB spies; Eric meets up with his relatives in what is a very positive experience for him; capitalist Alan has an argument with a die-hard socialist in a store (who is also on the opposing Russian academic team); Sarah and Darlene decide to record the sights and sounds of Moscow; Simone goes to put flowers on a poet’s grave and meets up with a charming Russian musician; Dr. Samuels believe that his hotel room is bugged, but he just ends up making a fool of himself; and Charlie has a brief romance with a schoolteacher.

The IHP eventually wins the meet and the respect of the Russian team. The episode concludes with both teams attending a concert in Gorky Park swaying to the song “Faraway Lands” (written and performed by American David Pomeranz and Russian rock star Alexander Manilin).

Season 4 (1989–1990)

Season 5 (1990–1991)

Nielsen Ratings

1986-1987 Season: #30

1987-1988 Season: #23

1988-1989 Season: #20

1989-1990 Season: #26

1990-1991 Season: #26

In2TV

In March 2006, AOL Television began releasing free streaming video content of old television shows via its new site In2TV, including Head of the Class. A number of episodes from various seasons are available each month for users to watch.

Novel Tie-In

One major novelization was released, with the plotlines based on 6 episodes of the show. The book makes all the chapters flow together as one story, even though they didn't happen one right after the other on the show. It was written by Susan Beth Pfeffer and released in December 1989 by Bantam Books. The book is 120 pages long, with six chapters and each chapter is based on an episode.
  • Chapter 1 - "First Day", based on the 1986 episode "First Day", written by Lisa Rosenthal (otherwise known as the pilot)
  • Chapter 2- "A Problem Like Maria" is based on the 1986 episode "A Problem Like Maria" written by Cynthia Thompson
  • Chapter 3- "Crimes of the Heart" is based on the 1987 episode "Crimes of the Heart" written by Valri Bromfield
  • Chapter 4- "Cello Fever" is based on the 1987 episode "Cello Fever" written by show creators Rich Eustis and Michael Elias
  • Chapter 5- "Trouble in Perfectville" is based on the 1987 episode "Trouble in Perfectville" written by George Beckerman
  • Chapter 6- "Parents Day" is based on the 1987 episode "Parents Day" written by Ellis Bufton and Scott Glaze
All copyrights belong to Warner Bros., the novelization erroneously credits "First Day" as having been made in 1988 rather than 1986.

External links

Motto
"In God We Trust"   (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum"   ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
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American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Type Broadcast radio network and
television network
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September 17 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events

  • 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought.

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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
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1983 1984 1985 - 1986 - 1987 1988 1989

Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI
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June 25 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events

  • 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, Franks defeat Burgundians.
  • 841 - Battle of Fontenay.

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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
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1988 1989 1990 - 1991 - 1992 1993 1994

Year 1991 (MCMXCI
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Motto
"In God We Trust"   (since 1956)
"E Pluribus Unum"   ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
Anthem
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worldwide view.
A situation comedy, usually referred to as a sitcom, is a genre of comedy programs which originated in radio. Today, sitcoms are found almost exclusively on television, as one of its dominant narrative forms.
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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
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Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI
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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
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1988 1989 1990 - 1991 - 1992 1993 1994

Year 1991 (MCMXCI
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American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Type Broadcast radio network and
television network
Country United States
Availability   
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Intellectual giftedness is an intellectual ability significantly higher than average.

Gifted children often develop asynchronously; their minds are often ahead of their physical growth, and specific cognitive and emotional functions are often developed differently (or to
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Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800 – March 8, 1874) was the thirteenth President of the United States, serving from 1850 until 1853, and the last member of the Whig Party to hold that office.
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Manhattan is a borough of New York City, New York, USA, with New York County. With a 2000 population of 1,537,195[2] living in a land area of 22.96 square miles (59.
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Howard Hesseman

Born January 27 1940 (1940--) (age 67)
Lebanon, Oregon

Howard Hesseman (born February 27, 1940) is an American actor.
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20th century - 21st century
1960s  1970s  1980s  - 1990s -  2000s  2010s  2020s
1987 1988 1989 - 1990 - 1991 1992 1993

Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar).
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spin-off (or spinoff) is a new organization or entity formed by a split from a larger one, such as a television series based on a pre-existing one, or as a new company formed from a university research group or business incubator.
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This article is about the 1992 TV series Billy. For the 1979 series of the same name starring Steve Guttenberg, see Billy (1979 TV series).

Billy
Genre Comedy
Country of origin  United States
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Howard Hesseman

Born January 27 1940 (1940--) (age 67)
Lebanon, Oregon

Howard Hesseman (born February 27, 1940) is an American actor.
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This biographical article or section needs additional references for verification.
Please help [ to improve this article] by adding additional sources.

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Dan Frischman (born April 23, 1959 in Whippany, New Jersey) is an American character actor, noted for his many roles of playing socially inept "geeks" and "nerds". Mr. Frischman's birthdate is often listed as being 1964, as early in his career his acting agent had him practice age
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Robin Givens

Birth name Robin Simone Givens
Born November 27 1964 (1964--) (age 44)
New York, New York  United States

Spouse(s)
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Khrystyne Kamil Haje (born December 21, 1968 in Santa Clara, California) is an American actress who is most known for her role as "Simone Foster" in the television series Head of the Class. She is of Lebanese and Czech descent.
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Tony O'Dell

Born January 30 1960 (1960--) (age 47)
Pasadena, California

Tony O’Dell
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Brian Robbins (born as Brian Levine, November 22 1963, Brooklyn, New York) is an American actor and producer. He often collaborates with Mike Tollin.

In the 1980s, Robbins portrayed Eric Mardian on the television series Head of the Class.
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Dan Schneider (born January 14, 1966) is an American actor, writer, and producer of movies and television. He is the president of his own production company called Schneider's Bakery, Inc.

Dan Schneider is sometimes credited as Daniel Schneider, Daniel J.
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Michael DeLorenzo

Born September 31 1959 (1959--) (age 48)
Bronx, New York,  United States

Awards
Michael DeLorenzo
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Bruce Gray (born Robert Bruce Gray on September 9, 1939) is a Puerto Rican character actor.

Gray was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico to Canadian parents. He was raised on the island until the age of ten when, in 1946, his parents relocated to Saginaw, Michigan then in
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Patty McCormack

Patty McCormack in The Bad Seed (1956)
Birth name Patricia Ellen Russo
Born July 21 1945 (1945--) (age 62)
Brooklyn, New York
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Rain Pryor born July 16, 1969, in Los Angeles, California) is an American actress and comedian. She is the the daughter of African American comedian Richard Pryor, known as the most compelling and brilliant comedian of his time.

Rain was born in the idealistic free love era.
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