This fun and footloose series begins when Julie tries her best to fit in at the New York School for the Performing Arts, with a little bit of help from Doris and Montgomery.

Coco and Lydia vie for a part in a show. Danny wants to meet Johnny Carson and becomes a waiter.

The School Board orders the School of the Arts to have a Gym because of the mandatory P.E. class that students have to take. It takes a dance off between Lydia's class and a bunch of football players for the school board to see her point. Meanwhile, Leroy tries to save his brother Willard from a life of crime.

The School of the Arts 7th annual benefit has Montgomery running the auditions and show, Coco trying to get performance shy Bruno to perform at the event, and Leroy's academic grades eliminating his performing. Meanwhile, a brown-out gives elevator trapped Danny and Doris a deeper understanding of each other.

Bruno is in love with a dance major named Kathleen Murphy. When he is to write a piece of music for her, she performs for him and gets injured. It turns out that she has Multiple Sclerosis, and Miss Grant employs Leroy to help out Bruno. Unknowingly, the gang is helping Kathy to keep her audition.

Coco torments Julie after Shorofsky chooses her to play in the ensemble for Coco's project;, and blames her actions on astrology; Bruno secretly gets a part-time job to help his dad pay for a new, expensive synthesizer.

Montgomery is stage manager for the school production of "Othello," but a pending union strike makes faculty involvement questionable; Coco, believing she's the better actress, is upset when Julie gets the part of Desdemona; Shorofsky supervises the music, but he and Bruno disagree on the direction of the score; Leroy gets private tutoring from Miss Sherwood.

When Mr. Crandall's assignment requires an improv scene portraying a character far removed from themselves, Doris pretends to be a teenage prostitute to "research" her role, and encounters a real 16-year-old prostitute, whom she tries to help; Shorofsky asks Miss Sherwood to teach him to drive.

Danny pops pills for energy when he begins working nights as a comic; Doris wins the part in a commercial for Hank Burgers, but detests both the director and the burgers.

Everyone is thrilled when Melinda MacNeil, Montgomery's movie star mother, arrives at the School of the Arts to guest direct the school's variety show... except Montgomery; Miss Grant discovers that Melinda has ulterior motives.

Montgomery and Doris vow to speak the truth for a day, which doesn't go over well; Miss Grant and Sherwood switch classes for a day; Shorofsky is hospitalized after being attacked by an intruder at the school.

Julie is romanced by a student-teacher; Lydia helps Julie's mother look for a job.

Bruno starts working for a small record company after Montgomery ropes him into cashing in on his songwriting abilities; Leroy is evasive when Sherwood demands to see his parents.

Miss Sherwood and the gang find two talented bums living in the basement.

Shorofsky is hesitant about a reunion with a friend from World War II; Leroy's reunion with his mother depends on Danny's pool-playing skills.

Budget cutbacks call for the termination of one of the school's teachers: either Sherwood or Crandall; Bruno's song is stolen by a successful composer.