“Head of the Class” was a sitcom that ran from 1986 to 1991 on ABC. Howard Hesseman (best known as “Johnny Fever” on “WKRP in Cincinnati”) starred as Charlie Moore, an unemployed actor who becomes a teacher for a group of high school honors students. According to Wikipedia:
Although they are gifted academically, the [students] had plenty of problems in their personal lives, and Mr. Moore not only is there to listen, he shows an unswerving ability to get the students to solve their own problems while making it seem like they came up with the answers on their own.
In 1988, “Head of the Class” became the first American sitcom to be filmed in the Soviet Union.
Here’s an episode of “Head of the Class”:
Hesseman left the show in 1990. He was replaced with Billy Connolly in the final season. Connolly reprised the role for a short-lived spin-off series “Billy,” which ran for half a season on ABC in early 1992.
My Third Parent 