ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, October 1, 1996 TAG: 9610010034
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JIM ABBOTT THE ORLANDO SENTINEL
When Eve Arden played a teacher in ``Our Miss Brooks,'' the schoolhouse sitcom that aired from 1952 to 1956 on CBS, her portrayal was so believable that she got dozens of job offers to teach real high school English classes.
That reaction isn't likely to be inspired by this season's crop of TV teachers - a diverse group that would make for lively chatter in the faculty lounge, however.
The fictional faculty includes long-haired iconoclast Tom Rhodes (NBC's ``Mr. Rhodes''); one-liner specialist Nick Freno (played by Mitch Mullany on The WB's ``Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher''); former musician Steve Hightower (played by comedian Steve Harvey on The WB's ``The Steve Harvey Show''); and hard-edged ex-Marine Louanne Johnson (played by Annie Potts on ABC's ``Dangerous Minds'').
If Mr. Rhodes doesn't land any teaching jobs, it won't bother Eric Cohen, supervising producer for ``Mr. Rhodes.''
Cohen - who also was a writer-producer for the 1970s sitcom ``Welcome Back, Kotter'' - reminds viewers that sitcoms aren't documentaries on educational techniques. He also says classroom shows haven't changed much since Miss Brooks roamed the halls of Madison High in the 1950s.
``The classroom is one of those arenas that lends itself to comedy,'' Cohen said. ``It's a frame of reference we all share.''
And, regardless of Eve Arden's job offers, ``Our Miss Brooks'' was as unrealistic as any of today's schoolhouse comedies, Cohen says.
``There wasn't that much teaching going on,'' he said. ``Her favorite student [played by Richard Crenna] gave her a ride to school in the morning. How much of that actually goes on?''
Those who complain about TV's treatment of teachers should look to their past, he said.
``A TV show had better be more entertaining than your old high school teacher was,'' Cohen said. ``How many people would make an appointment to watch a half-hour of their old algebra teacher?''
``Welcome Back, Kotter'' - which ran from 1975-79 on ABC and has aired in reruns on cable's Nick At Nite - was initially criticized because its realistic approach supposedly glorified ``bad kids,'' Cohen said.
``Now, that seems kind of ludicrous,'' he said. ``But it wasn't a world where kids walked through metal detectors to get to class. What seemed naughty then seems laughable now.''
``Mr. Rhodes,'' ``Nick Freno'' and ``Steve Harvey'' each play an archetypal character: The rookie teacher who's a fish out of water in the unfamiliar role of authority figure. Back in 1963, NBC launched another schoolhouse series, the drama ``Mr. Novak,'' that focused on a first-year high school instructor played by James Franciscus.
A decade later, actor Gabe Kaplan played Mr. Kotter, who returned to his old high school to take on the sweathogs in ``Welcome Back, Kotter.''
Such familiar story lines aren't confined to the classroom, Cohen said.
``If you're watching a cop show, there's a rookie cop. A hospital show has an intern. There's someone seeing that world through fresh eyes. What tends to be unique is the execution.''
Over the years, TV's unique educators have included Pete Dixon (Lloyd Haynes), a black teacher in an integrated high school on ``Room 222.'' The series (it aired from 1969-74 on ABC) addressed such realistic issues as racism and drugs, topics likely to resurface this season on ABC's ``Dangerous Minds.''
Other TV teachers included John Houseman's portrayal of no-nonsense Professor Kingsfield in ``The Paper Chase'' (1978-79, CBS; 1983-86, Showtime); Ken Reeves (Ken Howard), the white basketball coach at a black school in ``The White Shadow'' (1978-81, CBS); Charlie Moore (Howard Hessemann), instructor to a class of honor students on ``Head of the Class'' (1986-91, ABC); Montel Williams as the title character in the short-lived ``Matt Waters'' (1996, CBS); and Meredith Baxter's turn as an assistant principal in a brief midseason offering, ``The Faculty'' (1996, ABC).
And this year's crop? Cohen predicts that few will make a sophomore year:
``I call it Sitcom Darwinism. Only the best will survive.''
LENGTH: Medium: 76 linesby CNB