Room 222 (TV Series) America's Guest (1971) User Reviews

The Charming Football Star

[Jimmy_the_Gent4 · 20 February 2021]

Tom Gianelli, a transfer student relies on his good looks and charm to get by in school.

A good episode. Helen is especially attracted to Tom and tries to help him with his work, even doing it for him. Liz finds out Tom has a high IQ but wastes it by getting low grades. Pete convinces him to try harder.

a dumb jock

[dtucker86 · 10/10 · 8 October 2023]

This episode is as topical today as it was fifty years ago because it shows how our school system "mollycoddles" athletes who are allowed to slack off in the classroom. Tom Gianelli is a smooth talking huckster who is a hero on the gridiron but a zero in the classroom he is used to just coasting his way through life. He even gets one of the fawning girls to do his reports for him. Leave it up to Pete Dixon to draw the line and force him to use his brain. He confronts Kaufman and Liz and Alice at one point and asks are we here to turn out athletes or fine young students prepared to face the "real" world.