John Travolta and “Kotter” Sweathogs to reunite!

It was before Saturday Night Fever and Grease, well before Pulp Fiction and Get Shorty and waaaaaaay before Wild Hogs and Hairspray.

It was the mid-70s and John Travolta was one of a group of unknown young actors who were cast in 1975 to play high school students on the ABC sitcom Welcome Back Kotter starring stand-up comic Gabe Kaplan.

It didn’t take long for Travolta to become the show’s heartthrob and break-out star and he left to do movies before the show ended in 1979.

The star will reunite with his former castmates when they receive the 35th Anniversary Award at the 2011 TV Land Awards which tape April 10 and air April 17.

Appearing with Travolta to accept the honor will be Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (Freddie “Boom Boom” Washington), Ron Palillo (Arnold Horshack) and Marcia Strassman (Mr. Kotter’s wife, Julie).