What's Happening!!
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''What's Happening!!'' is an American
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
television series that first aired on ABC from August 5, 1976, premiering as a summer series. It also returned as a weekly series, that later aired for the rest of the three seasons, from November 13, 1976, to April 28, 1979. Created by Eric Monte (of ''
Good Times ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans (actor), Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was televis ...
''), ''What's Happening!!'' was loosely based on the film '' Cooley High''. It was television's first African-American show that dealt with teenagers, which was also a groundbreaking sitcom. From September 7, 1985 to March 26, 1988, a sequel series titled ''
What's Happening Now!! ''What's Happening Now!!'' is an American sitcom sequel to the original American Broadcasting Company, ABC 1976–1979 sitcom ''What's Happening!!'' focusing on its main characters as independent people. It aired in first-run broadcast syndicati ...
'', aired in first-run syndication, with some of the major cast members reprising their roles. ''What's Happening!!'' was
Bud Yorkin Alan David "Bud" Yorkin (February 22, 1926 – August 18, 2015) was an American film and television producer, director, screenwriter, and actor. Biography Yorkin was born Alan David Yorkin on February 22, 1926, in Washington, Pennsylvania. At ...
's second series after he ended his partnership with
Norman Lear Norman Milton Lear (July 27, 1922December 5, 2023) was an American screenwriter and producer who produced, wrote, created, or developed over 100 shows. Lear created and produced numerous popular 1970s sitcoms, including ''All in the Family'' (1 ...
and Tandem Productions. The show was produced by TOY Productions, which was formed by Yorkin,
Saul Turteltaub Saul Turteltaub (May 5, 1932 – April 9, 2020) was an American comedy writer and producer. He was nominated for Emmy Awards in 1964 and 1965 as part of the writing team for ''That Was the Week that Was'', and in 1968 for ''The Carol Burnett Show' ...
, and Bernie Orenstein after their split. Compared to many other popular sitcoms of the 1970s, ''What's Happening!!'' was the first non-Norman Lear sitcom to also have tackled some challenging and complex issues such as: friendships,
communication Communication is commonly defined as the transmission of information. Its precise definition is disputed and there are disagreements about whether Intention, unintentional or failed transmissions are included and whether communication not onl ...
,
obesity Obesity is a medical condition, considered by multiple organizations to be a disease, in which excess Adipose tissue, body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it can potentially have negative effects on health. People are classifi ...
,
divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganising of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the M ...
, financial struggles,
unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work du ...
,
poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...
,
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...
,
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,
education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...
, teen pregnancy,
adolescence Adolescence () is a transitional stage of human Developmental biology, physical and psychological Human development (biology), development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age o ...
, overcontrolling and
marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
.


Premise

''What's Happening!!'' follows the lives of three working-class
African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
teens living in the
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
neighborhood of
Watts Watts is plural for ''watt'', the unit of power. Watts may also refer to: People *Watts (surname), a list of people with the surname Watts Fictional characters *Albie Watts, a fictional character in the British soap opera ''EastEnders'' *Angie ...
. The show stars Ernest Thomas as Roger "Raj" Thomas, Haywood Nelson as Dwayne Nelson, and Fred Berry as Freddy "Rerun" Stubbs. Additional co-stars include Danielle Spencer as Roger's younger sister Dee, Mabel King as Roger and Dee's mother Mabel. Shirley Hemphill stars as Shirley Wilson, a tough but lovable waitress at ''Rob's Place'', the neighborhood
soda shop A soda shop, also often known as a malt shop (after malted milk) and as a malted shop , is a business akin to an ice cream parlor and a drugstore soda fountain. Interiors were often furnished with a large mirror behind a marble counter with goose- ...
where the boys are regular patrons. Recurring characters include Rob ( Earl Billings), owner of Rob's Place, and Mrs. Collins ( Fritzi Burr), a sardonic but caring history teacher and the sponsor of the school newspaper.


Characters

*Roger Everett Gerald "Raj" Thomas ( Ernest Thomas), the show's protagonist, is a teenager, living in Watts with his divorced mother Mabel, and his younger sister Dee, played as a young man, who usually gets into trouble, once he got into situations he couldn't runaway. *Dwayne Clemens Nelson ( Haywood Nelson) the youngest of the three friends, portrayed as affable but sometimes slow witted. *Frederick (Freddy) J. "Rerun" Stubbs ( Fred Berry) another of the three friends, an overweight, humorous boy. *Deadra "Dee" Thomas ( Danielle Spencer) is Raj's sarcastic, meddling younger sibling. *Mabel “Mama” Thomas ( Mabel King) is Raj and Dee's overbearing, divorced mother. *Shirley Wilson ( Shirley Hemphill) is a wisecracking waitress at the neighborhood soda shop.


Recurring characters

*Bill Thomas (
Thalmus Rasulala Thalmus Rasulala (born Jack Crowder; November 15, 1939October 9, 1991) was an American actor with a long career in theater, television, and films. Noted for starring roles in blaxploitation films, he was also an original cast member of ABC's soa ...
) is Mabel's ex-husband and the father of Roger and Dee. *Gene "Rabbit" Walker (Ray Vitte) is a political science major at the
University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...
, and a track team member. *Detective "Big Earl" Barnett (John Welsh) is a police detective. *"Little Earl" Barnett (David Hollander) is Big Earl's son. *Rob ( Earl Billings) is the owner of Rob's Place and Shirley's boss. *Terry "Snake" Simpson (Leland Smith) is a star college basketball player whom Roger tutors in the third season. *Mrs. Gertrude Collins ( Fritzi Burr) is the boys' high school teacher. *Marvin (Bryan O'Dell) is the boys' high school classmate and works for the school newspaper as a reporter. *Diane Harris (
Debbi Morgan Deborah Ann "Debbi" Morgan is an American film and television actress. Morgan has appeared in a number of film and TV productions, and may be best known for the role of Angie Baxter–Hubbard on the ABC soap opera ''All My Children''. Morgan ...
) is another classmate of Roger, Dwayne, and Rerun.


Notable guest stars

*
The Doobie Brothers The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in San Jose, California in 1970. Known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies, the band has been active for over five decades, with their greate ...
appeared as themselves to perform a concert at Jefferson High (which was portrayed as Doobie Brother Patrick Simmons'
alma mater Alma mater (; : almae matres) is an allegorical Latin phrase meaning "nourishing mother". It personifies a school that a person has attended or graduated from. The term is related to ''alumnus'', literally meaning 'nursling', which describes a sc ...
). *Actor Theodore Wilson made three appearances on ''What's Happening!!'' as three different characters. *Actress
Chip Fields Chip Fields is an American singer, actress, television director, and producer who has appeared in popular films, television series, and Broadway theatre. She is best known for portraying Linella Gordon, the abusive birth mother of Penny Gordo ...
appeared on ''What's Happening!!'' as two different characters. *The dance group the Lockers, of whom Fred Berry was a founding member, appeared in the first season as a group called the Rockets for whom Rerun auditions. * Sorrell Booke appeared as a college-basketball booster who tries to manipulate Snake in the third-season episode "Basketball Brain". *Actor Tim Reid appeared as Dr. Claymore in the episode "It's All in Your Head". *
Irene Cara Irene Cara Escalera (March 18, 1959 – November 25, 2022) was an American singer and actress who rose to prominence for her role as Coco Hernandez in the 1980 musical film '' Fame'', and for recording the film's title song " Fame", which reach ...
appeared as Rerun's would-be
immigrant Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...
bride Maria in the episode "Rerun Gets Married". *Musician and actor Slim Gaillard appeared as Al in the episode "The Thomas Treasure". *Noted jazz singer Bill Henderson appeared in season 2, episode 3, "Trial and Error", as Clarence Hopkins. *Actor and comedian
John Witherspoon John Witherspoon (February 5, 1723 – November 15, 1794) was a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister, educator, farmer, slaveholder, and a Founding Father of the United States. Witherspoon embraced the concepts of Scottish common sense real ...
appeared as a disc jockey in season 3 episode 1, titled "Disco Dollar Disaster."


Production

The pilot episode, "The Birthday Present", was videotaped in front of a live audience at ABC Television Studios in the
Los Feliz LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a measure of statistical significanc ...
section of
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
on March 16, 1976. Three additional episodes were videotaped that June, with the plan to release ''What's Happening!!'' as a short-duration "summer series" in August, 1976. The first episode aired, "The Runaway", was actually the second episode taped, but was used as the premiere because it featured Fred Berry's dancing skills in a short scene. The series was picked up after a successful summer run, and additional episodes were ordered for a November, 1976 airdate. Production was moved from ABC to Golden West Videotape Division Studios, an older, but larger facility, where it would remain for the rest of the series. During the second season, Fred Berry demanded pay increases and improved studio accommodations for the actors by using the show's first season's success as leverage. The accommodations issue eventually led to a walkout by Berry and Thomas during the second-season episode "If I'm Elected" (leaving Haywood Nelson to carry the entire episode, with Shirley Hemphill stepping to the forefront, along with Bryan O'Dell and
Debbi Morgan Deborah Ann "Debbi" Morgan is an American film and television actress. Morgan has appeared in a number of film and TV productions, and may be best known for the role of Angie Baxter–Hubbard on the ABC soap opera ''All My Children''. Morgan ...
in featured speaking parts). Producer
Bud Yorkin Alan David "Bud" Yorkin (February 22, 1926 – August 18, 2015) was an American film and television producer, director, screenwriter, and actor. Biography Yorkin was born Alan David Yorkin on February 22, 1926, in Washington, Pennsylvania. At ...
, in turn, suspended the pair and forced them to sign $25,000 promissory notes to return to the show and prevent further walkouts. In addition, Mabel King offered producers input on her character and storylines during the second season, specifically that her character's ex-husband, Bill (
Thalmus Rasulala Thalmus Rasulala (born Jack Crowder; November 15, 1939October 9, 1991) was an American actor with a long career in theater, television, and films. Noted for starring roles in blaxploitation films, he was also an original cast member of ABC's soa ...
), return full-time in order for the children to have (once again) married parents, showcasing what she felt would be a strong Black family. The producers did not incorporate King's suggestion, which resulted in additional tension on-set and a much-reduced role for King during the second season. Her character, Mama, was not written out of the show but rather limited to brief appearances on set (where she would say she was "leaving for work" or "going to the store") or mentioned in passing by other characters as being "at work".


Series changes

The show changed significantly in the third season, with Raj and Rerun graduating high school (Rerun after seven years, ostensibly due to a
learning disability Learning disability, learning disorder, or learning difficulty (British English) is a condition in the brain that causes difficulties comprehending or processing information and can be caused by several different factors. Given the "difficulty ...
), with the two moving into their own apartment near the
University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...
. Mabel King left the show (her character, in storyline, moved to
Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...
, to "tend to a sick relative"), and Shirley moved into the Thomas household as a boarder and Dee's guardian. Also, several new recurring characters were introduced. The first was a basketball player whom Roger tutored and nicknamed "The Snake" (played by Leland Smith). The other characters were
white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
police detective "Big Earl" Barnett (played by John Welsh) and his son "Little Earl" Barnett (played by David Hollander), who were neighbors in the apartment building where Roger and Rerun lived. What became the role of "Little Earl" was initially created to be filled by ten-year-old
Gary Coleman Gary Wayne Coleman (February 8, 1968 – May 28, 2010) was an American actor, known as a high-profile child star of the late 1970s and 1980s. Born in Zion, Illinois, Coleman grew up with his adopted parents, and a kidney disease; due to the co ...
at the suggestion of ABC President
Fred Silverman Fred Silverman (September 13, 1937 – January 30, 2020) was an American television executive and producer. He worked as an executive at all of the Big Three television networks, and was responsible for bringing to television such programs as '' ...
. Silverman was a proponent of Coleman and, feeling that breakout stardom was around the corner for the young talent, wanted him added to the show. When Silverman left ABC in 1978 to head rival network NBC, he had ''
Diff'rent Strokes ''Diff'rent Strokes'' is an American television sitcom, which originally aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986. The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and ...
'' created for Coleman; it ran for eight years and was highly rated.


Cancellation

During the third season ( 1978–79), Berry, still dissatisfied with his pay, again threatened to strike (as a result he did not appear in the third-season episode "Dee, the Cheerleader"). Thomas supported and joined Berry in his efforts which led to a heated meeting with the executive producers, culminating with Berry accusing them of racism. Unable to come to terms, the producers opted to cancel the series. ''What's Happening!!'' aired its last episode on April 28, 1979. A year later, Hemphill starred in her own
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
, '' One in a Million'', which premiered in January 1980 and ended on July 23, 1980, after being on ABC for several months.


Ratings

''What's Happening!!'' was a modest ratings success.


Success and ''What's Happening Now!!''

''What's Happening!!'' was widely syndicated in the 1980s. Appealing to both children and adults in a similar way to ''
The Brady Bunch ''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired five seasons from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family of six children, with three boys and three gir ...
'' and ''
Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marsha ...
'', it accordingly aired during transitional hours where stations would change their after-school programming from cartoons to evening sitcoms. In many markets, ''What's Happening!!'' garnered higher ratings in reruns than during its initial broadcast. With this success in mind, a spinoff of the show was produced entitled ''
What's Happening Now!! ''What's Happening Now!!'' is an American sitcom sequel to the original American Broadcasting Company, ABC 1976–1979 sitcom ''What's Happening!!'' focusing on its main characters as independent people. It aired in first-run broadcast syndicati ...
'', airing from 1985 to 1988. Over its 66 episodes, the show was a modest success.


Home media

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Inc. (abbreviated as SPHE) is the home entertainment distribution division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony. Background SPHE is responsible for the distribution of the Sony Pictures libra ...
has released all three seasons of ''What's Happening!!'' On August 27, 2013, it was announced that Mill Creek Entertainment had acquired the rights to various television series from the Sony Pictures library including ''What's Happening!!'' On September 2, 2014, they re-released the first two seasons on DVD. On April 21, 2015, Mill Creek released a budget-priced complete series set, a 6-disc set featuring all 65 episodes.'The Complete Series' Returns to DVD this Spring


Episodes


Syndication

The show was syndicated on many local channels (with all 66 episodes of sequel series ''What's Happening Now!!'' joining the syndication package in the fall of 1988 to total 131 episodes) and continued in an on-again, off-again manner until 2009. BET reran both series from September 20, 1993, to October 27, 1995.
TV Land TV Land is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its networks division's MTV Entertainment Group. It was originally launched as Nick at Nite’s TV Land as a spinoff of Nick at Nite programing block consisting e ...
reran the show during the 2005–2006 season. As of March 1, 2013, cable network TV One shows reruns of ''What's Happening!!'' On December 2, 2013, the newly rebranded Encore Black channel started airing ''What's Happening!!'' Starting January 2, 2017, the digital broadcast network
Antenna TV Antenna TV is an American digital television network owned by Nexstar Media Group. The network's programming consists of classic television series, primarily sitcoms, from the 1950s to the 1990s. Antenna TV's programming and advertising operatio ...
began airing the original series.


References


External links

* {{IMDb title, id=0074071, title=What's Happening!! * TVParty.com's three part series on ''What's Happening!!'': *
What happened to What's Happening!!?
*

** ttp://www.tvparty.com/recwhats3.html The show is revived, Rerun quits (again) and three cast members die... 1976 American television series debuts 1979 American television series endings 1970s American black sitcoms 1970s American black television series 1970s American multi-camera sitcoms 1970s American teen sitcoms American English-language television shows Television series about families American television series about teenagers Television series by Sony Pictures Television Television shows set in Los Angeles Live action television shows based on films Mass media portrayals of the working class American Broadcasting Company sitcoms