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Room 222

 
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Pow
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Location: New York

PostPosted: Sat May 22, 2021 11:35 am    Post subject: Room 222 Reply with quote

Room 222 premiered on the ABC Network on September 17, 1969 and ran until January 11, 1974.

Synopsis : Pete Dixon (Lloyd Haines) teaches 11th grade American History at Walt Whitman High School.

Seymour Kaufman (Michael Constantine) is the principal as well as Pete's good friend.

Liz McIntyre (Denise Nichols) is the guidance teacher and Pete's girlfriend.

Alice (Karen Valentine) is the student/teacher assigned to Pete.

This was a well scripted series on which gentle lessons in tolerance and understanding were delivered to both students and adults.
Pete was admired for his wisdom, insight, and easygoing manner.

The show tackled topical themes that reflected the contemporary issues and events of that era.

The Vietnam War, woman's rights, race relations, anti-gay harassment, and ecological pollution were just a few of the issues covered on the show.

The series was produced on the 20th Century Fox lot. The exterior scenes for the opening and closing credits were filmed at L.A. High School.

Emmy Awards were received for Best New Series, Best Supporting Actor for Michael Constantine, and Best Supporting Actress for Karen Valentine.

This was a thoughtful series addressing events in the news, as well as the problems faced by students growing up, the politics and problems of running a high school, parents impact on their kids and the school, the challenges that teachers face every day.

The writing was top-notch and the cast was wonderful.

Some of the episodes on this show still resonate and our society is continuing to deal with to this day.

And so as not to sound too grim and serious; Room 222 also had their share of comedic episodes along the way.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2021 10:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I didn't watch the series often, but I remember a clever scene in which the beloved principal (played by Michael Constantine) was being given a birthday surprise party, and he was headed down the hall towards the gym . . . where he would arrive too early and unwittingly spoil the surprise party!

The teacher in charge of the preparation was told he was on the way, so she sent one of the boy students to intercept the principal and somehow delay him for about a minute while everybody got set to yell "Surprise!"

The boy stopped the principal in the hall and went into a desperate act, raving about how he'd decided to quit school! He claimed that nothing anybody could say would change his mind.

Dumbfounded, the distraught principal frantically said, "Wait! You mustn't do that! You'll ruin your life! Please don't drop out of school!"

The boy instantly calmed down, smiled at the principal, and said, "Oh . . . well . . .okay. Thanks!"

He quickly turned and walked away. The principal stood there for a moment, stunned by the fact that he'd averted the tragedy with just one plea to the student. Still wearing a puzzled expression, he headed for gym.

It was a funny scene. Very Happy

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sun Jul 18, 2021 2:22 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Pow
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2021 11:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Room 222 had its share of funny scenes like the one you describe, Bud, mixed in with the well done serious dramatic moments.

Michael won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor as Principal Seymour Kauffman on Room 222. Deservedly so as his role was a very important element to the series success.

The series was so well done due to the talented people who worked on it.

James L. Brooks created the show. Later he would create The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, Taxi, and Lou Grant. Some of the finest and well written television series to grace the TV screen.

Brooks was originally a copywriter for CBS News and wrote for a documentary on the assassination of JFK.

Later on he would work for the legendary producer David L. Wolper.

Gene Reynolds, executive producer, writer, and director would also work on Room 222. Reynolds would go on to work on the terrific the Lou Grant and M*A*S*H series.

So, a lot of talent was on Room 222, and it showed, both then & now.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 18, 2021 2:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I saw that scene many years before becoming a school teacher in 1994, but I still realized that teachers constantly struggle to inspire their students to value their education and remain in school, at least until graduating from high school.

The beauty of the scene I described is the way the poor principal was suddenly faced with a terrible crisis — a student who seemed determined to throw away the gift of his education!

And yet, the principal's impassioned plea for the young boy to reconsider seemed to have worked an instant miracle!

Good Lord, if only life's problems were that easy to solve.

By the way, I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought Karen Valentine was cuter than a specked puppy sitting right in your lap! Very Happy

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
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