Today, we look at when (or if) you folks believe that Head of the Class “jumped the shark.”
This is “Just Can’t Jump It,” a feature where we examine shows and whether they “jumped the shark.” Jumped the shark (coined by Jon Hein) means that the show had a specific point in time where, in retrospect, you realize that show was going downhill from there (even if, in some rare occasions, the show later course-corrected). Not every show DOES jump the shark. Some shows just remain good all the way through. And some shows are terrible all the way through. What we’re looking for are moments where a show that you otherwise enjoyed hit a point where it took a noticeable nose dive after that time and if so, what moment was that?
Head of the Class was a sitcom about a special class made up of a gifted students in the Individualized Honors Program (IHP) at a fictional public high school in Manhattan. Charlie Moore (Howard Hesseman) was an actor and substitute teacher who filled in for their normal history teacher until he got the job for good, as the kids loved how different he was from their other, more staid teachers. Eventually, Moore left the show when he got a good acting gig, and Billy Mcgregor (Billy Connolly) takes over as their new teacher for the show’s fifth and final season.
So first…DID IT JUMP THE SHARK? I am going to say no.
WHEN DID IT JUMP THE SHARK Head of the Class was not a particularly good show, but it kept a pretty steady pace throughout its five seasons. It is one of the few shows that lost its lead character and kept going pretty much the same as always. Connolly is a very funny performer, so he was a fine replacement for Hesseman.
Let me know what you think in the comments or on social media!
Feel free to e-mail me at brian@poprefs.com for suggestions for shows to do in future installments!
I’m not sure what the reverse of jumping the shark is but HOTC did it when they swapped in Billy Connolly.
I grew up watching this show and have only distant memories of it, but if I had to say it did, I’d go with the switch from Hesseman to Connolly. I don’t dislike Connolly, but I didn’t think he was a great fit for the show, and definitely it felt off recasting the series lead 5 years into its run (which, if I recall, would mean halfway through the kids’ senior year).
I read recently that Howie Mandell was almost brought in as Hesseman’s replacement. I asked Howie on Twitter if it was true and he actually responded to say yes. Definitely would have brought different energy than Billy!
besides howard leaving and billy taking over don’t really think the show jumped the shark unless when three of the actors left the show in later seasons and got replaced by new actors. with the reason being one got a gig on broadway one went straight to college and one moved away for the chaaracters leaving the show like howards character leaving for a gig
I lost interest after Connolly came onboard. Wouldn’t say it jumped the shark but he didn’t work for me in the role.