The 10 Best Classic TV Shows About High School

School's back in session, and for TV fans it's time to reminisce about television shows that were centered around high school. From Mr. Kotter's remedial Sweathogs to modern-day freaks and geeks, here are ten of the best old school TV shows about school.

Room 222 (1969-1974). Set in a fictional Los Angeles high school, Walt Whitman High, this series was known for its timely subject matter. Room 222 was the classroom of black history teacher Pete Dixon (Lloyd Hanes). While early cancellation of the series was threatened because of low ratings, several Emmy award nominations for Room 222 kept it on the air. Room 222 starred Lloyd Hanes, Denise Nicholas, Michael Constantine and Karen Valentine.

Welcome Back Kotter (1975-1979) Up your nose with a rubber hose! Comedian Gabe Kaplan starred as a funny guy teacher who returns to his native Brooklyn, NY, to teach at his old high school, James Buchanan High. Because he could relate to his remedial students (he was one of them back in the day), Kotter formed a unique bond with his students, known as The Sweathogs. This series was a breakout hit for a relatively unknown young actor at the time, John Travolta.

The Facts of Life (1979-1988) One of the longest running school-themed television shows in history, The Facts of Life was actually a spinoff of the popular comedy Diff'rent Strokes. Former housekeeper Edna Garret (Charlotte Rae), took a new job as a house mother at an all girl's boarding school, the Eastland School in Peekskill, NY. The series followed the cast (Lisa Whelchel, Nancy McKeon, Kim Fields and Mindy Cohn played the sassy students on the show) through high school and into college, with the main characters eventually working together, running Mrs. Garret's bakery business and then later at a gift shop. The Facts of Life went through many cast changes during its 9 season run, but featured stars like Molly Ringwald, Cloris Leachman and –yes – a mulleted George Clooney.

Square Pegs (1982-1983) Long before she made it big with Sex and the City, Sarah Jessica Parker starred as a gawky teen in this short-lived series. Set at the fictional Weemawee High School, Parker's character, Patty Green, and her sidekick Lauren Hutchinson (Amy Linker) tried hard to fit in at their high school. Square Pegs also starred Tracy Nelson (granddaughter of Ozzie) as a Valley-girl type and Jami Gertz as Weemawee's resident prep.

Fame (1982-1987) Based on the hit 1980 movie of the same name, this show centered on the lives of students at the fictional New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Choreographer Debbie Allen starred as one of the faculty members on the show. Other cast members included Lori Singer, Cynthia Gibb and Janet Jackson.

Head of the Class (1986-1991) This series centered around the lives of a class of academically gifted students at a Manhattan school called Monroe High School. Howard Hesseman (WKRP in Cincinnati) played history teacher Charlie Moore. Like many other high school themed shows, there was plenty of turnover in this cast too, but series regulars included Dan Frischman, Robin Givens, Khrystyne Haje and Rain Pryor.

Saved by the Bell (1989-1993) Set at a fictional California high school, Bayside High School, this show followed the escapades of students and faculty, most notably the school's principal, Mr. Belding (Dennis Haskins). It was an extremely popular Saturday morning show when it originally aired and the series lives in infamy in syndication to this day. The show starred Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tiffani Amber Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkley, Lark Voorhies, Mario Lopez and Dustin Diamond (who could forget Screech?) and it spawned off into a college edition (Saved By the Bell: the College Years). Nostalgic fans are looking forward to a Saved by the Bell reunion, which will no doubt make us all feel old, but for now there’s a buzzy Lifetime movie, The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story.

Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000) Another short lived series that developed a devoted fan following, this onewas set in 1980 at a suburban Detroit school, William McKinley High. Brother and sister Lindsay and Sam Weir (Linda Cardellini and John Francis Daley) had a variety of high school friends, some of them freaky and some of them geeky. The series produced only 18 episodes and was canceled by NBC after 12 had aired. Later, the Fox Family Channel picked up the show and ran it in syndication. The complete 18-epiosde series is available on DVD.

Zoey 101 (2005-2008) Britney’s kid sis Jamie Lyn Spears starred in this Nickelodeon series about a teen girl who attended a formerly all-boys boarding school, Pacific Coast Academy. Positive buzz for the series made Spears a star in her own right, but the series came to a halt when 16-year-old Spears became pregnant in real life.

High School Musical (2006) This didn't start out as a television series, but it was a Disney made-for-TV movie. Starring Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens as the infamous Troy and Gabriella, this movie series followed students at  New Mexico school East High as they auditioned for the school musical. The success of the original TV movie paved the way for several sequels, and possible for a more adult high school musical show: Glee.