Head of the Class

Network: ABC
Episodes: 114 (half-hour)
Seasons: Five

TV show dates: September 17, 1986 — June 25, 1991
Series status: Cancelled/ended

Performers include: Howard Hesseman, Billy Connolly, William G. Schilling, Jeanetta Arnette, Dan Frischman, Robin Givens, Khrystyne Haje, Tony O’Dell, Brian Robbins, Kimberly Russell, Dan Schneider, Tannis Vallely, Leslie Bega, Joher Coleman, Rain Pryor, Michael DeLorenzo, Lara Piper, De’voreaux White, and Jonathan Ke Quan.

TV show description:
Substitute teacher Charles “Charlie” Moore (Howard Hesseman) steps in to teach the gifted members of the Individualized Honors Program (IHP) class at a fictional high school in Manhattan. It becomes his mission to help the social misfits learn more than just facts and figures and Mr. Moore soon becomes their full-time teacher.

He finds a friend in assistant principal Bernadette Meara (Jeanetta Arnette) but often frustrates the school’s principal, Dr. Harold Samuels (William G. Schilling).

The original classmates are self-pressured Maria Borges (Leslie Bega); stereotypical nerd Arvid Engen (Dan Frischman); rich girl Darlene Merriman (Robin Givens); idealistic Simone Foster (Khrystyne Haje); exchange-student Jawaharlal Choudhury (Jory Husain); preppie Alan Pinkard (Tony O’Dell); cool-guy Eric Mardian (Brian Robbins); upbeat Sarah Nevins (Kimberly Russell), cynical Dennis Blunden (Dan Schneider), and 12-year-old Janice Lazarotto (Tannis Vallely).

Maria, Jawaharlal, and Janice leave after three years and are replaced by new students like ladies man Alex Torres (Michael DeLorenzo), problem student Theola June “T.J.” Jones (Rain Pryor), Viki Amory (Lara Piper), Jasper Kwong (Jonathan Ke Quan), and Aristotle McKenzie (De’voreaux White).

Mr. Moore himself leaves the class after four seasons and is replaced by free-spirited Scotsman Billy MacGregor (Billy Connolly). When the class finally graduates, Billy becomes a college professor on a spin-off show, Billy.