Head of the Class 1986
What is Head of the Class?
Head of the Class is an American sitcom that aired on the ABC television network between 1986 and 1991. The series centers on a group of gifted students enrolled in the Individualized Honors Program at the fictional Monroe High School in Manhattan.
- Type
- TV series
- Year
- 1986
- Status
- Ended
- Episodes
- 114
- Runtime
- 22 minutes
- First aired
- Sep 17, 1986
- Last aired
- Jun 25, 1991
- Original language
- EN
- Origin
- US
- Networks
- ABC
- Genres
- Comedy, Family
- Updated
Where to watch
Stream
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How long to binge?
Estimate the schedule using 114 episodes and an average 22-minute runtime.
Trailer
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Find the trailer on YouTube ↗Overview
Head of the Class is an American sitcom that aired on the ABC television network between 1986 and 1991. The series centers on a group of gifted students enrolled in the Individualized Honors Program at the fictional Monroe High School in Manhattan. These students are guided by their history teacher, Charlie Moore. The program served as a vehicle for actor Howard Hesseman, who was previously known for his portrayal of the radio disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever on the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati. Hesseman remained with the series until 1990. Following his departure, Billy Connolly joined the cast to portray the character Billy MacGregor, who served as the teacher for the final season of the program. After the conclusion of the series, Connolly appeared in a short-lived spin-off project. The show documents the academic and personal experiences of the students within the honors program throughout its five-year run on network television.
Should you watch it?
“A witty classroom comedy exploring the lives of gifted high school students and their teacher.”
- Strong ensemble cast with distinct student characters
- Blend of humor and heart in educational settings
- Features Howard Hesseman and later Billy Connolly as teachers
- Dated 1980s production values
- Some episodic plots may feel formulaic
You enjoy character-driven sitcoms set in schools with a mix of humor and heart.
Suitable for general audiences with mild comedic themes appropriate for family viewing.
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Cast
Episode guide
Spoiler-Safe Browsing Progress
Season 1 · 22 episodes
Open the complete Season 1 guide & lore primer →- E1 Pilot Mytharc Sep 17, 1986
- E2 Back to the Future Core Sep 24, 1986
- E3 Charliegate Core Oct 1, 1986
- E4 Love at First Byte Core Oct 22, 1986
- E5 The Outsider Core Oct 29, 1986
- E6 Teacher's Teacher Core Nov 5, 1986
- E7 Volleyball Anyone? Core Nov 12, 1986
- E8 Critical Choices Core Nov 19, 1986
- E9 Cold Turkey Core Nov 26, 1986
- E10 You've Got a Friend Core Dec 3, 1986
- E11 As Time Goes By Core Dec 10, 1986
- E12 The Way We Weren't Core Dec 17, 1986
- E13 Rebel Without a Class Core Jan 7, 1987
- E14 Ode to Simone Core Jan 14, 1987
- E15 Past Imperfect Core Jan 21, 1987
- E16 A Problem Like Maria Core Jan 28, 1987
- E17 The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming! Core Feb 4, 1987
- E18 Valentine's Day Core Feb 11, 1987
- E19 Video Activity Core Feb 18, 1987
- E20 Privilege Core Feb 25, 1987
- E21 Crimes of the Heart Mytharc Apr 1, 1987
- E22 The Secret Life of Arvid Engen Mytharc May 6, 1987
Season 2 · 22 episodes
- E1 Science Fair-Weather Friends Mytharc Sep 23, 1987
- E2 The Write Stuff Core Sep 30, 1987
- E3 The Big Squeeze Core Oct 7, 1987
- E4 Child of the 60's Core Oct 14, 1987
- E5 Trouble in Perfectville Core Oct 28, 1987
- E6 Coach Charlie Core Nov 4, 1987
- E7 That'll Be the Day Core Nov 11, 1987
- E8 Poltergeist III Core Nov 18, 1987
- E9 Psyched Out at Fillmore Core Nov 25, 1987
- E10 Revenge of the Liberal Core Dec 2, 1987
- E11 Play it Again, Woody Core Dec 9, 1987
- E12 Will the Real Arvid Engen Please Stand Up? Core Jan 6, 1988
- E13 On the Road Again Core Jan 13, 1988
- E14 Fatal Distraction Core Jan 20, 1988
- E15 Cello Fever Core Jan 27, 1988
- E16 Parent's Day Core Feb 3, 1988
- E17 Love is Debatable Core Feb 10, 1988
- E18 For Better, For Worse Core Mar 2, 1988
- E19 We Love You, Mrs. Russell Core Mar 9, 1988
- E20 Don't Play With Matches Core Mar 23, 1988
- E21 The 21st-Century News Mytharc May 4, 1988
- E22 Moore Than You Know Mytharc May 11, 1988
Season 3 · 22 episodes
- E1 The Refrigerator of Fillmore High Mytharc Oct 19, 1988
- E2 Back in the U.S.S.R. Core Oct 26, 1988
- E3 Mission to Moscow (1) Core Nov 2, 1988
- E4 Mission to Moscow (2) Core Nov 2, 1988
- E5 Let's Rap Core Nov 9, 1988
- E6 Engen and Son Core Nov 30, 1988
- E7 Get a Job Core Dec 7, 1988
- E8 Born to Run Core Jan 4, 1989
- E9 First Date Core Jan 18, 1989
- E10 Partners Core Jan 25, 1989
- E11 Arvid's Sure Thing Core Feb 1, 1989
- E12 Scuttlebutt Core Feb 8, 1989
- E13 Little Shop 'Til You Drop (1) Core Feb 15, 1989
- E14 Little Shop 'Til You Drop (2) Core Feb 22, 1989
- E15 The Hot Seat Core Mar 1, 1989
- E16 Radio Activity Core Mar 8, 1989
- E17 The Little Sister Core Mar 15, 1989
- E18 Killer Coach Core Mar 22, 1989
- E19 I Am the King Core Apr 5, 1989
- E20 King of Remedial Core Apr 26, 1989
- E21 Labor Daze Mytharc May 3, 1989
- E22 Exactly Twelve O'Clock Mytharc May 10, 1989
Season 4 · 26 episodes
- E1 Back to School Mytharc Sep 27, 1989
- E2 Viki & Eric & Simone & Alex Core Oct 4, 1989
- E3 The Ring of Darlene M. Core Oct 11, 1989
- E4 Viki in Love Core Oct 18, 1989
- E5 Blunden in Love Core Oct 25, 1989
- E6 The Bright Stuff (1) Core Nov 1, 1989
- E7 The Bright Stuff (2) Core Nov 8, 1989
- E8 Gotta Dance Core Nov 15, 1989
- E9 Good Mourning Core Nov 22, 1989
- E10 Arvid Nose Best Core Nov 29, 1989
- E11 The Devil and Miss T.J. Core Dec 6, 1989
- E12 Why Ronnie Can't Read Core Dec 13, 1989
- E13 The Joker Is Wild Core Jan 3, 1990
- E14 Tough Guys Don't Sew Core Jan 10, 1990
- E15 Reel Problems Core Jan 17, 1990
- E16 Alan Goes Crimson Core Jan 24, 1990
- E17 From Hair to Eternity (1) Core Feb 7, 1990
- E18 From Hair to Eternity (2) Core Feb 14, 1990
- E19 Recruitment Day Core Feb 21, 1990
- E20 The Quiet Kid Core Feb 28, 1990
- E21 Simone Goes Overboard Core Mar 14, 1990
- E22 Queen, Queen, Queen for a Day Core Mar 21, 1990
- E23 Politics of Love Core Apr 4, 1990
- E24 The Reel Charlie Moore Core Apr 11, 1990
- E25 Cement Hi-Tops Mytharc Apr 25, 1990
- E26 Teacher's Pet Mytharc May 2, 1990
Season 5 · 22 episodes
- E1 Where's Charlie? Mytharc Sep 11, 1990
- E2 Twelve Angry Nerds Core Sep 18, 1990
- E3 The Heartbreak Nerd Core Sep 25, 1990
- E4 And Then There Were None Core Oct 2, 1990
- E5 Getting Personal Core Oct 9, 1990
- E6 Napoleon Blown Apart Core Oct 16, 1990
- E7 Billy's Big One Core Oct 23, 1990
- E8 Dead Men Don't Wear Pocket Protectors (1) Core Oct 30, 1990
- E9 Dead Men Don't Wear Pocket Protectors (2) Core Nov 6, 1990
- E10 Fillmore vs. Billy Jean's Core Nov 13, 1990
- E11 Be My Baby . . . Sitter Core Nov 20, 1990
- E12 Dancing Fools Core Nov 27, 1990
- E13 My Son the Primate Core Dec 4, 1990
- E14 The Importance of Being Alex Core Dec 11, 1990
- E15 Viki's Torn Genes Core Dec 18, 1990
- E16 The Last Waltz Core Jan 8, 1991
- E17 Most Likely to Be Forgotten Core Jan 15, 1991
- E18 The Strange Case of Randy McNally Core May 28, 1991
- E19 My Dinner With Darlene Core Jun 4, 1991
- E20 The Phantom of the Glee Club Core Jun 11, 1991
- E21 It Couldn't Last Forever (1) Mytharc Jun 18, 1991
- E22 It Couldn't Last Forever (2) Mytharc Jun 25, 1991
Frequently asked questions
What years did Head of the Class air?
The series ran from 1986 to 1991 on ABC.
Who played the main teacher character?
Howard Hesseman played Charlie Moore for most of the series, with Billy Connolly taking over as Billy MacGregor in the final season.
Where is the show set?
The show is set at the fictional Monroe High School in Manhattan.
What is the show about?
It follows a group of gifted high school students in the Individualized Honors Program and their interactions with their history teacher.
Was there a spin-off or movie?
Billy Connolly appeared in a short-lived spin-off after the series ended.
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