Welcome Back, Kotter: Hark, the Sweatkings

Welcome Back, Kotter: Hark, the Sweatkings
ABC
December 23, 1976
Sitcom
DVD
B

A sensitive but still funny episode about the Sweathogs helping out a "bum."  With all the lessons learned here, and the Christmas setting, this could've been really corny, but it's well handled by not only the cast but by writers Nick Arnold and Peter Meyerson.  It's the first of eight WBK scripts for Arnold, the first of twelve by Meyerson, who'd done one each for That Girl and The Bob Newhart Show.  This time writer Dennis Palumbo portrays Santa Claus.  Kristine Greco returns as a female Sweathog.

Note that there are a couple things that got past the censors, and indeed the studio audience: the "13" on the schoolyard wall (symbol of 13th letter M, and Hell's Angels slang for marijuana); and Gabe's reply to Julie saying she loves "your tree" (the Christmas tree he got), "I love your bush," as in Hanukkah bush, maybe.