Customer Reviews

What's Happening!! - The Complete Second Season

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The 1970s was the true hey-day of television, and What's Happening!! was one of the real gems of that era; it is one of the funniest sit-coms of all time. This show was a staple of my after-school afternoons when I was growing up. I've seen every episode more times than I can count, but it had been years since my last trip to the soda shop and Mama's house. Watching these shows again now, I have to say they are funnier than ever. Season Two was probably the best season of them all, filled with one memorable show after another.

Just look at all the things that happen in Season Two: Rerun gets married - almost - to a pretty little foreigner played by Irene Cara; Tim Reid shows up to counsel Dee about "her friend's problem." Raj ends up in small claims court (with Dwayne as his key witness) when he wrecks his delivery bike; Raj almost gets expelled when he starts an underground school newspaper; Dwayne's dad gets elected to the city council; Raj's and Dee's father gets married - in their house; Mama goes back to school; Raj organizes (then tries to disorganize) a strike at the market where he works; Raj wins a spot on The Gong Show for a quartet of singers in Dee's class; Dee goes on her first date; Rerun messes up big-time and finds himself illegally taping a Doobie Brothers concert; Rerun joins a cult that worships a head of lettuce called Ralph (one of the stupidest but funniest TV episodes ever); and Rerun finally - finally - graduates from high school.

The characters of Dee and Shirley (my two favorites) really grow during this second season of the show. We watch Shirley take a secretarial job, only to learn she was only hired because she was black, then later see her take on a motherly role with Raj and Dee. Dee's mouth is bigger than ever (is there a better, funnier smart aleck to be found in television land?), but we actually see a little bit of Dee's soft side emerge late in the season.

Several other reviewers have mentioned Dwayne's "Handyman" song and dance as, going and away, the funniest scene of the whole season. I wholeheartedly agree - that performance is one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life. All of the episodes are hilarious, though - every single one of them. You spend your hard-earned money on a lot of DVD season sets and never watch the episodes a second time; with What's Happening!! you can watch the same old DVDs over and over again because the comedy never grows old. It would have been nice to see some extra features included here, but this is a true bargain at any price. If you have great memories of this show, get this DVD and rediscover the good old days spent with Raj, Rerun, and Dwayne. If you've never seen this show, you have no idea what you're missing - they don't make shows like this anymore.

I'll try not to echo verbatim what the other reviewers but I loved this show during its first run in the late 70s when I was a child and I love it now. I loved it so much then that I used to put my tape recorder up to the television speaker and record the episodes so I could listen to the show at any time. Watching it now, there are lines that I hear that take me back 30 years to when I first heard them.

I tended to like the women of the show more. Momma, Dee and Shirley were the funniest of the bunch to me. Everything they said makes me laugh. Especially when Rerun cuts on Shirley and runs out of the soda shop, the other laugh and Shirley says "you hear sumpin funny, huh, you hear sumpin funny?" and it shuts everyone up immediately. Mommas well-timed zingers like when Dee once asked her "Are you gonna to work today Momma?" and Momma said "You wanna eat tomorrow?" And of course the little kid sister from hell, Dee Thomas. She was THEE main reason I watched this show as a child and now.

Watching the 1st and 2nd seasons on DVD now saddens me a little knowing that so many of the characters died and so young too. Its also ironic how each of the actors who died were very overweight. It makes it particularly heartbreaking to watch a scene from the Christmas episode. Her boss let her have the night off to be with the kids but they made plans to be at their dads house. She calls her boss to ask to work that night and finds she isn't needed. Man thats a sad scene. It makes me think of how tragic Mabel King's life was after she left the show.

The DVDs are packaged nicely and are contain easy-to-understand on-screen menu options. Each DVD lets you skip forward or rewind scene-by-scene, which is always a plus to me. The episodes are clear and crisp. I pop the dvds in while getting ready for work so I can laugh before heading out the door.

Whats Happenin was definitely good, clean comedy without being too slapstick-ish or too buffoonish (though Rerun definitely comes close). I also think its short run makes it even more of a classic, because it didn't go on for years and years and become dreadful to watch. Though unfortunately it did kinda lose its steam in Season 3. But if the powers that be decide to release Season 3, you can best believe I'll buy it.

What's Happening, based on the film Cooley High, was on the air from 1974 to 1979. In the 2nd season, if you are a product of the late 60's, you may remember that Mabel king, who portrayed Mrs. Thomas, was seen less often. Even the late Fred 'Rerun' Berry, was not seen in every episode, thus Danielle 'Dee' Spencer and Haywood 'DeWayne' Nelson were featured more prominently, and guest stars such as the Doobie Brothers and Greg Morris (Mission Impossible / Vegas) appeared. To see a young Debbi Morgan (Angie-All My Children, Mozelle-Eve's Bayou, The Seer-Charmed) is a treat. Can't wait for season 3.

I' m only 26 so I wasn't even born when "What's Happening" was on TV, but I use to catch re-runs a few years back. I just had to have this to own and enjoy whenever I want to. It's still funny over 25 years later! Dee is too much! Even my 7 year old son watches and laughs along with me! They don't make shows like this anymore!! I enjoyed every episode on every disc!!

I used to watch the show on reruns(no pun intended) when I was a kid and used to tape each episode so that i can watch them over and over and over again.Now as an adult i have the DVD boxsets and I can still watch them over and over and over again...
Bring on season 3 please!!!!

This is the 2nd Series, Dee is still all that. Dee came up with some really funny lines. Shirley is a funny character, too. Roj, Re-Run and Dwayne, the dynamic goof-balls, so funny. I watched this show when I was in High school.
I am very happy to own both the first series and the second. I would suggest buying both 1 & 2, they are both funny and worth the money. I love Dee's sarcasm. Shirley with her "Watch it sucker" is funny, too. Dee is Roj's sister. Shirley is the Waitress at Rob's Diner. This is a series that brings back the good old days, at least to me.

My children love these shows. It is good for them to be able to watch something and not have to worry about foul language.

This season is the funniest of TV shows I remember watching as a kid. Here are the reasons:

The Doobie Brother's episodes...."Which Doobie do you be?" - Til' this very day, any time Michael Mc Donald appears on Tom Joyner/Steve Harvey, they use that joke. And strangly, it is still funny.

Dee's first date "Well it worked on 'Baretta'" How many times have you told your momma that.

The Givens Kids episode...with that catchy "brown bubblin' sugar" song.

Rerun worships lettace...'nuff said.

If this is not a reason to run out and buy it...then see the third season of What's happening....you'll apppreciate this one more.

I have all three seasons of this show - next to Good Times, it was one of my favorites. Some of my favorite episodes are the Burger Queen; I couldn't believe that Dee, played by Danielle Spencer, would actually say jackass meat on TV. Going, Going, Gong is another favorite; I just loved the Givens Family. They actually could be the next Gladys Knight and the Pips with the three cool fellows and their pretty sister; gosh, that Audrey Givens could really belt it out! The Teen center episode on season three is another favorite of mine; Ernest Lee Thomas sings a really meaningful song along with the number he and his TV sister, Danielle Spencer did. They really could be known as the Donny and Marie of Watts.

Good Family Viewing