HBO Max has issued a pilot production order as well as five additional scripts for a potential series based on the classic 1980s ABC sitcom Head of the Class.
The reboot would be about a group of overachieving high school students who are challenged by a teacher who wants them to focus on life instead of their grades.
The project comes from Doozer Productions in association with Warner Horizon Scripted Television. Amy Pocha and Seth Cohen, American Vandal alums, serve as writers, co-showrunners, and executive producers on the prospective half-hour, multi-camera family comedy. Steven Craig and Brain Bradley will also be co-showrunners and exec producers.
Head of the Class, created by Rich Eustis and Michael Elias, premiered in 1986 and ran through 1991 with 5 seasons and 114 episodes on ABC. The series was about academically gifted high school students at Millard Fillmore school and their eccentric substitute teacher Charlie Moore (Howard Hesseman). In Season 4, Hesseman’s character was replaced with Billy MacGregor played by Billy Connolly.
Also in the original were Dan Frischman, Dan Schneider, Tony O’Dell, Robin Givens, Kimberly Russell, Leslie Bega, Tannis Vallely, Khrystyne Haje, and Brian Robbins.
A spinoff series around Connolly’s character titled Billy, which also starred Johnny Galecki ran for one season.
