# Head of the Class (1986)

> A sitcom about gifted high school students in an honors program at Monroe High School in Manhattan and their unconventional history teacher.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/2461

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 114
- Episode runtime: 22 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Rich Eustis
- Network: ABC
- Cast: Howard Hesseman, Billy Connolly, William G. Schilling, Jeannetta Arnette, Leslie Bega, Michael DeLorenzo, Dan Frischman, Robin Givens
- TMDB rating: 6.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090444/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: breezy, comforting, witty, light-hearted, nostalgic

## Synopsis

Head of the Class (1986-1991) is an American sitcom created by Rich Eustis and Michael Elias for ABC. Set in an Individualized Honors Program at the fictional Monroe High School in Manhattan, it follows a group of gifted students and their history teacher Charlie Moore, played by Howard Hesseman, best known for his radio DJ role on WKRP in Cincinnati. Dr. Harold Samuels (William G. Schilling) and Bernadette Meara (Jeannetta Arnette) round out the faculty side of the classroom, while students such as Darlene Merriman (Robin Givens) and Alan Pinkard (Tony O'Dell) navigate academic pressure, rivalries, and the social friction that comes with being labeled the smart kids. Each episode is a self-contained classroom comedy built around school projects, competitions, and the constant tension between ambition and teenage life. The show runs five seasons, and Billy Connolly takes over the teaching role late in the run. Its tone is breezy and light, with a warm, comic take on high school life that draws a line of kinship with Welcome Back, Kotter, Saved by the Bell and Boy Meets World. Fans of 1980s network comedies and classroom ensembles will find it an easy, family friendly watch set in a bustling New York City school.

## Shows like Head of the Class

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- [Mr. Iglesias (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/75028)
- [The Greatest American Hero (1981)](https://ember.film/tv/1801)
- [Parker Lewis Can't Lose (1990)](https://ember.film/tv/2936)
- [The Wonder Years (1988)](https://ember.film/tv/4280)
- [Boston Public (2000)](https://ember.film/tv/114)
- [Rita (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/45778)
- [Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989)](https://ember.film/tv/1648)
- [Schooled (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/70046)

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