Trivia / Head of the Class

• The Cast Showoff: The Billy Connolly episodes were tailored to show off Connolly's stand-up comedy background with every episode devoting much of its run time to Billy doing stand-up routines in the middle of class.
  • Playing "nerds" didn't really give the cast many opportunities to display their musical backgrounds, so the school play episodes were written to show off their singing abilities, specifically Leslie Bega and Rain Pryor.
  • Dan Frischman, a practicing magician since the age of eight, also gets to display some tricks in a few episodes.
• The Danza: Billy Connolly as Billy MacGregor.
• Dawson Casting: Dan Schneider was born in 1966. You do the math.
  • Tony O'Dell was born in 1960. Dan Frischman, playing one of the students, was born in 1959, making him 27 years old when the series began.
    • Most of the cast other than Tannis Vallely (Janice), who was the first one to leave (she was really smart).
    • By the end in 1991, the high school students — who were all supposed to be 17 at the oldest — were being played by Frischman (32), O'Dell (31), Michael De Lorenzo (31), Brian Robbins (27), Robin Givens (26), Kimberly Russell (25), Dan Schneider (25), De'voreaux White (25), Khrystyne Haje (23), Lara Piper (22), Rain Pryor (22), and Jonathan Ke Quan (19).
  • TV Guide commented on this when they featured the finale on its cover, saying it was nice to see a bunch of 30-year-olds graduate.
• He Also Did:
  • Frank Bonner directed two episodes. Bonner is best known for playing Herb Tarlek on WKRP in Cincinnati and The New WKRP in Cincinnati.
  • Eric Laneuville also directed two episodes. Laneuville is best known for playing Orderly Luther Hawkins on St. Elsewhere.
  • Dwayne Hickman directed an episode. Hickman is best known for playing the title character on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.
• Out of Order: Two shows from season 2 ("I Am the King", "Radio Activity") weren't aired until season 3; in turn, two season 3 shows ("Recruitment Day", "Reel Problems") ran in season 4. Cast changes necessitated a Flash Back framing device to be added to "Reel Problems".
• Permanent Placeholder: Mr. Moore, a substitute teacher, becomes the permanent teacher of the advanced history class during the Mid-Season Twist.
• Referenced by...: MAD has a parody called "Head of the Crass", which - "Chatty Bore" excepted - broke with tradition of having the characters introduce themselves to the readers in the first panel ("We're too bright and sophisticated for such stereotyping and drivel!").
• Written by Cast Member: "Will the Real Arvid Engen Please Stand Up?" was the first writing credit for Brian Robbins and Dan Schneider. It would not be the last.

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