Room 222

Did You Know?

• The theme song was composed by Jerry Goldsmith, primarily in a 7/4 time signature.
• A series of novels based on the show was written by William Johnston and published by Tempo Books in the early 1970s.
• Dell Comics published a comic book for four issues during 1970 and 1971.

Plot

The series centers on an American history class in Room 222 at the fictional Walt Whitman High School in Los Angeles, California, but also depicts events outside school, including the home lives of the racially diverse student body and faculty. The history teacher is Pete Dixon, an idealistic African American man. Other characters include guidance counselor Liz McIntyre, who is Pete's girlfriend; principal Seymour Kaufman, who has a dry humor; student teacher Alice Johnson, whom Pete mentors; and Principal Kaufman's secretary, Miss Hogarth.

Recurring students appear across episodes. Pete teaches lessons in tolerance and understanding, and his students admire his wisdom and easygoing manner. Some episodes address topical issues such as the Vietnam War, women's rights, race relations, and Watergate, while many plots deal with timeless teenage themes. For instance, the 1969 episode "Funny Boy" involves a class clown self-conscious about being overweight; the 1971 episode "What Is a Man?" features a student mistakenly targeted by anti-gay harassment; and the 1974 episode "I Didn't Raise My Girl to Be a Soldier" explores parent-teenager issues.

Cast

Lloyd Haynes portrays Mr. Pete Dixon, the protagonist who teaches 11th grade American History in room 222. Denise Nicholas plays Miss Liz McIntyre, the school guidance counselor who is dating Pete. Michael Constantine is Mr. Seymour Kaufman, the principal, who is preoccupied with his duties but dryly humorous. Karen Valentine plays Miss Alice Johnson, a student teacher learning from Pete.

Jan Shutan appears as Bonnie in eight episodes from 1969 to 1970. Heshimu Cumbuka (credited as Heshimu) plays Jason Allen, the class tough guy, in 89 episodes. David Jolliffe portrays Bernie, the basketball star, in 83 episodes. Judy Strangis plays Helen Loomis, the quiet student, in 70 episodes.

Howard Rice appears as Richie Lane, the brainy student, in 35 episodes. Ta-Tanisha plays Pam, the popular girl, in 31 episodes. Eric Laneuville appears as Larry in 29 episodes. Ivor Francis plays Mr. Kenneth Dragen in 16 episodes.

Patsy Garrett plays Miss Hogarth in 12 episodes. Robert Casper appears as Mr. Wisegarten and Mr. Girard in 12 episodes. Ty Henderson plays Cleon in eight episodes. Helen Kleeb plays Miss Tandy in four episodes.

Bruno Kirby appears as Herbie Considine in three episodes. Eve McVeagh appears as Madge Morano, Mrs. Cates, and a PTA Member in two episodes. Notable guest stars include Larry Linville, Cindy Williams, Chuck Norris, Nancy Wilson, DeForest Kelley, Rob Reiner, Richard Dreyfuss, Burgess Meredith, Kurt Russell, Aretha Franklin, Bernie Kopell, Mako, Don Most, Angela Cartwright, Ed Begley Jr., J. Alan Thomas, Dabney Coleman, and Mark Hamill.

Production

The program was filmed at 20th Century Fox studios. Exterior shots of Los Angeles High School, taken before the 1971 earthquake, appeared in the opening credits and some outdoor scenes in early seasons. The show has been compared to the theatrical movie Halls of Anger, which premiered during Room 222's first season. Both feature a new black teacher at a southern California high school, a sympathetic black female staff member, a militant black student, and issues of racism and integration. They share actors Ta-Tanisha, Helen Kleeb, and Rob Reiner. However, Room 222 is a comedy drama with a milder tone, while Halls of Anger is purposefully aggressive, using controversial language and violence to highlight racial conflict.

Legacy

The Television Academy Foundation has credited Room 222 for portraying a racially integrated classroom and centering on a dedicated African American history teacher, as well as for predating Norman Lear's 1970s sitcoms in addressing serious social issues. The foundation stated that a season and a half before Norman Lear made relevant programming dominant with shows like All in the Family and Maude, Room 222 used the half-hour comedy format to discuss serious contemporary issues. Over its five seasons, episodes dealt with topics including racism, sexism, homophobia, dropping out, shoplifting, drug use among teachers and students, illiteracy, cops in school, guns in school, Vietnam war veterans, venereal disease, and teenage pregnancy. According to the foundation, the show broke new narrative ground later developed by MTM Enterprises and Norman Lear's Tandem Productions.