What Might've Been: Drexell's Class (1991)

In its nascent years, Fox was blessed with hits like Married...With Children, The Tracey Ullmann Show (which begat The Simpsons), America's Most Wanted, Cops, & In Living Color. Of course, there were bound to be the usual clunkers, too.

Included in that group was Drexell's Class, which was an elementary school version of, say for example, Welcome Back, Kotter or a contemporary ABC hit of the period, Head of The Class.

Dabney Coleman had struck out at ABC (The Slap Maxwell Story) & NBC (Buffalo Bill) in trying to establish himself as just as big a star on television as he was in movies (i.e. "9 to 5", "Dragnet"). He pulled double duty on Drexell, getting an additional credit as a consultant. Drexell was another hard luck loser, this one taking a job as a teacher in order to pay off his back taxes.

Perhaps the most publicity this series got in its six month run was a guest appearance by "Problem Child" co-star Michael Oliver. Unfortunately, we won't see Michael in this sample clip. The supporting cast includes future stars Cleavant Derricks (later of Sliders), Jason Biggs ("American Pie"), A. J. Langer (later of My So Called Life) and the late Brittany Murphy, who later returned to Fox with the animated King of The Hill before her untimely passing.

Edit, 4/26/22: Had to change the video. This features the rap group Digital Underground, featuring Tupac Shakur, and this would not be his last primetime acting gig.



So why did it fail? It was on Thursdays, and NBC still owned the night.

No rating.