BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
(FOUR) MR. KOTTER
This show was off the air years before I was born, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen all the episodes more than a few times each in syndication. Mr. Kotter, or “Mr. Kot-ter” for Washington fans was more of a babysitter than teacher. The oddball cast that was the “Sweathogs” didn’t seem to do much learning or studying. Kotter kept them in line, got in on some great jokes, and I think taught them some stuff in between. It does make the 70’s educational system seem pretty bad though.
(THREE) MS. KRABAPPLE
Yes, she’s a cartoon but “The Simpsons” is an animated sitcom by status alone. I’m just going to admit it. I have a weird crush on Edna Krabapple. She typically shrugged stuff off and doesn’t care at all about her surroundings. Still, she sticks to her curriculum and has shown soft spots on more than one occasion for the constant screw up, Bart Simpson. Let’s face it, she’s way too good for Skinner.
(TWO) MR. MOORE
We way more television channels than I know what do with. There are tons of niche channels now that show old programming. Why the hell is “Head of the Class” NOT on TV? I’m sure I’m not alone in the “I’d watch it” boat. The kids on that show were fun, smart, and all different. It was a great example of life in the 80’s. They had every stereotype they needed and the man who had to keep them all in check was Mr. Charlie Moore. It was a sitcom for sure, but you didn’t feel like you were being served slap stick fluff like so many other shows at that time.
(ONE) MR. FEENY
The coolest and best teacher of TV history HAS to be Mr. Feeny. He was not only Corey Matthew’s teacher for more than a few years he was also his neighbor. Feeny didn’t take shit, but still cared deeply for his students. He dished out life lessons on a weekly basis. You could actually see the young characters of the show mature into adults with a very clear guidance by Feeny. He would become a principal when they made it to high school and then hung around while they were in college. I always thought it was weird that he was always around for pretty much the entire education of Corey, Shawn, and Topanga, but I was always glad he was.
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