Welcome Back, Kotter: There Goes Number 5ABC
February 3, 1977
Sitcom
DVD
B-
The Rannows wrote this back-door pilot for Horshack, which explains Arnold's disappearance. It's not bad as these things go and I remember enjoying it at the time, probably because I liked getting a look at Horshack's home life. He's the oldest of four and his friendship with youngest sister Doris (Andrea McArdle, around the time she was a success as Little Orphan Annie onstage) is sweet. Watching the episode now, I can't really see how it could've been strong enough for a series of its own, but an occasional visit back to the household would've been interesting within the WBK run. The title refers to the death of his fifth stepfather, Mr. O'Hara the cab-driver. (In the first season, it was Horshack's father who drove a cab, but maybe he referred to Mr. O'Hara as his father.)
Carrie Wasserman, who carried (sorry for the pun) the After School Special "Dear Lovey Hart," plays Arnold's friend Goldie, while Elyssa Davalos, who was her friend Linda in that plays Arnold's sister Judy. Producer James Komack appears as Uncle Harry Orshack (with that spelling). Ellen Travolta, John's thirty-six-year-old sister, appears as Arnold's mother. (She was still a few years away from playing Scott Baio's mother on three different series.) Strassman and White are both absent.
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