"Welcome Back, Kotter" Filming Location: Not Brooklyn, But Los Angeles

The 1975–79 sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter was set in Brooklyn (James Buchanan High, fictionalized New Utrecht HS) but filmed entirely in Los Angeles, California.

Production Details

• Studio: Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank (Stage 14).
• Exteriors: Various LA locations dressed as Brooklyn.
• Theme song: "Welcome Back" by John Sebastian – #1 Billboard 1976.

Why Not NYC?

1970s TV production centered in LA; union rules, costs, weather control. Many "NYC" shows (e.g., Seinfeld pilot, Friends) shot in LA.