What's Happening Now!!

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What's Happening Now!!
Opening titles from 1985
GenreSitcom
Created byEric Monte
Written byEric Monte
David Silverman
Stephen Sustaric
Michael S. Baser
Kim Weiskopf
Directed byMichael Schultz
Starring
ComposersHenry Mancini
Bruce Miller
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes66 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersMichael S. Baser
Mike Milligan
Kim Weiskopf
ProducersLarry Balmagia
Bob Peete
Michael S. Baser
Kim Weiskopf
Running time22 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkFirst-run syndication
ReleaseSeptember 7, 1985 (1985-09-07) –
March 26, 1988 (1988-03-26)
Related

What's Happening Now!! is an American sitcom sequel to the original ABC 1976–79 sitcom What's Happening!![1] focusing on its main characters as independent people. It aired in first-run broadcast syndication from September 7, 1985 until March 26, 1988.

Premise[edit]

In the series, Roger "Raj" Thomas (Ernest Thomas) has graduated from the University of Southern California, and become a fledgling writer. He and his new wife Nadine (Anne-Marie Johnson), a social worker, move in to his old home in Watts (given to him by his mother, Mabel Thomas (Mabel King), now remarried and living in Phoenix, Arizona). His sister, Dee (Danielle Spencer), is away at college. Childhood friend, Dwayne Nelson (Haywood Nelson), has become a computer programmer, while Freddie "Rerun" Stubbs (Fred Berry) is now a used-car salesman. The old soda shop hangout, Rob's Place, has gone out of business and has been left abandoned. Reminded of his youth, and seeing an opportunity, Raj and Shirley Wilson (Shirley Hemphill), who used to wait tables there, decide to buy the business together, renaming it "Rob's."

Episodes[edit]

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
122September 7, 1985 (1985-09-07)March 16, 1986 (1986-03-16)
222September 27, 1986 (1986-09-27)March 28, 1987 (1987-03-28)
322September 26, 1987 (1987-09-26)March 26, 1988 (1988-03-26)

Cast[edit]

Recurring guests[edit]

Cast change[edit]

After the first successful season, Fred Berry attempted to negotiate a higher salary than his co-stars based on what he perceived as the popularity of the "Rerun" character. Having caused similar issues during the production of the original series, which led to its cancellation, producers fired Berry from the series and no further mention was made of Rerun from that point forward. [3]

Broadcast[edit]

A partial list of stations the show was syndicated to:

City Station
Atlanta WGNX 46[4]
Baltimore WBAL 11[5]
Bloomington WYZZ 43[6]
Boston WLVI 56
Charlotte WCCB 18
Chicago WFLD 32
Dallas KTVT 11
Denver KWGN 2[7]
Detroit WKBD 50[8]
Green Bay WGBA 26[9]
Greensboro WGGT 48[10]
Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville WLOS 13
Greenwood/Greenville WABG 6
Hartford WTIC 61[11]
Houston KHTV 39
Indianapolis WRTV 6
Jackson WJTV 12
Kansas City KZKC 62[12]
Los Angeles KTLA 5[13]
Manchester WMUR 9[14]
Memphis WMC 5
Miami WBFS 33[15]
Milwaukee WCGV 24
Minneapolis KMSP 9
Mobile WPMI 15[16]
Nashville WZTV 17[17]
New York WNEW 5[18]
Orlando WOFL 35[19]
Philadelphia WTAF 29[20]
Phoenix KPHO 5
Pittsburgh WPGH 53
Portland, Maine WPXT 51[21]
Raleigh WRAL 5
Sacramento KTXL 40[22]
San Francisco KBHK-TV 44
Seattle KCPQ 13[23]
Shreveport KTBS 3
Spokane KSKN 22[24]
St. Louis KDNL 30[25]
Tampa Bay WFTS 28
Washington, D.C. WDCA 20[26]
Wilmington WSFX 26[27]

Home media[edit]

On June 12, 2007, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the first season of What's Happening Now!! on DVD in Region 1.

DVD Name Ep # Release Date
The Complete First Season 22 June 12, 2007

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "NBC's 'The InBetween' Series Premiere: How You Know The Cast". International Business Times. May 29, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  2. ^ "'What's Happening!!' co-star Danielle Spencer is ailing". Pix11. October 12, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  3. ^ "What's Happening!!: Up From the Ashes". TVparty.com. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
  4. ^ "Retro: Atlanta, GA, Monday October 6, 1986 2 Independents". Radio Discussions. November 6, 2014.
  5. ^ "Retro: DC/Baltimore/Delmarva Sat, Sept 5, 1987". Radio Discussions. September 5, 2012.
  6. ^ "Retro: Quad Cities/Springfield/Peoria/Quincy Sat, Mar 12, 1988". Radio Discussions. January 31, 2006.
  7. ^ "Retro: Denver/Casper/Cheyenne/Rapid City Sat, July 4, 1987". Radio Discussions. July 4, 2012.
  8. ^ "Retro: Owosso, MI, Wednesday, December 20, 1989". Radio Discussions. July 8, 2017.
  9. ^ "Retro: Northern Wisconsin, Sat. July 9th, 1988". Radio Discussions. February 1, 2018.
  10. ^ "Retro: North Carolina Monday, January 6, 1986 (Part 3: Piedmont Triad)". Radio Discussions. January 6, 2016.
  11. ^ "Retro: Meriden, CT, Sunday, December 15, 1985". Radio Discussions. April 1, 2018.
  12. ^ "Retro: Kansas City, Sat. September 13th, 1986". Radio Discussions. February 20, 2015.
  13. ^ "KTLA Los Angeles, February 22-28, 1986". Radio Discussions. September 18, 2005.
  14. ^ "RETRO BOSTON TV- THANKSGIVING 1987". Radio Discussions. September 22, 2006.
  15. ^ "Retro: Miami, Florida Monday, November 2, 1987". Radio Discussions. March 13, 2010.
  16. ^ "Retro: Gulf Coast Fri, Sept 18, 1987". Radio Discussions. September 17, 2012.
  17. ^ "Retro:Nashville, TN-Bowling Green, KY Sat 8/15/87". Radio Discussions. June 8, 2007.
  18. ^ "Retro: Scranton Wilkes Barre Market - November 30, 1985 - Saturday". Radio Discussions. November 24, 2012.
  19. ^ "Retro: Orlando, Mon. November 24th, 1986". Radio Discussions. September 30, 2013.
  20. ^ "RetroNewsNow". Twitter. September 7, 2018.
  21. ^ "Retro: Maine Sat, June 6, 1987". Radio Discussions. June 2, 2011.
  22. ^ "Retro: San Francisco/Sacramento, Saturday, August 30, 1986". Radio Discussions. June 10, 2017.
  23. ^ "Retro: Vancouver/Victoria Sat, June 21, 1986". Radio Discussions. July 2, 2010.
  24. ^ "Retro: Spokane, Washington — Wednesday, December 25, 1985". Radio Discussions. February 5, 2019.
  25. ^ "Retro: St. Louis Sat, June 28, 1986". Radio Discussions. June 28, 2010.
  26. ^ "Retro: Lancaster/Baltimore/DC, Sat. December 14th, 1985". Radio Discussions. November 24, 2013.
  27. ^ "Retro: Wilmington, NC, Saturday, May 20, 1989". Radio Discussions. October 24, 2017.

External links[edit]