"What's Happening Now!" (1985) TV series 1985-1988

Directors:

Neema Barnette
Gary Brown
(more)

Writers:

Larry Balmagia (writer) (7 episodes)
Mike Milligan (writer) (6 episodes)
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

"What's Happening Now!" is a sequel to "What's Happening!," a TV series about the adult main characters (Raj, Dwayne, Rerun, Shirley, and Dee) as teenagers/children.

Plot Keywords:

Sitcom

Cast

Anne-Marie Johnson	...	Nadine Hudson Thomas / ... (31 episodes, 1985-1988)
Ernest Thomas	...	Roger 'Raj' Thomas / ... (30 episodes, 1985-1988)
Haywood Nelson	...	Dwayne Nelson (30 episodes, 1985-1988)
Shirley Hemphill	...	Shirley Wilson (30 episodes, 1985-1988)
Fred Berry	...	Freddie 'Rerun' Stubbs / ... (21 episodes, 1985-1986)
Reina King	...	Carolyn (15 episodes, 1985-1986)

Series Directed by
Tony Singletary		(5 episodes, 1985-1986)
Gary Shimokawa		(4 episodes, 1985-1988)
Tony Csiki		(4 episodes, 1985-1986)
Bob Priest		(4 episodes, 1986)
Gary Brown		(3 episodes, 1986)
Arlando Smith		(3 episodes, 1987)
Art Washington		(2 episodes, 1986-1988)
Pat Fischer-Doak		(2 episodes, 1987-1988)
Mike Milligan		(2 episodes, 1987-1988)
Ginger Grigg		(2 episodes, 1987)
Joel Rosenzweig		(1 episode, 1985)
Neema Barnette		(1 episode, 1986)
Judi Elterman		(1 episode, 1986)
Gail Liberti-Kennedy		(1 episode, 1988)

Series Writing credits
Migdia Chinea-Varela		(5 episodes, 1985-1986)
Mike Milligan		(4 episodes, 1985-1987)
Jay Moriarty		(4 episodes, 1985-1987)
Stephen Sustarsic		(4 episodes, 1985-1987)
Bob Peete		(3 episodes, 1985-1988)
Sam Greenbaum		(3 episodes, 1985-1987)
David Silverman		(3 episodes, 1985-1986)
David Braff		(2 episodes, 1985-1988)
Larry Balmagia		(2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Ted Bergmann		(2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Barry Gurstein		(2 episodes, 1985-1986)
David Pitlik		(2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Kurt Taylor		(2 episodes, 1985)
Stephen Langford		(2 episodes, 1986)
Michael S. Baser		(1 episode, 1986)
Kim Weiskopf		(1 episode, 1986)
Marley Clark		(1 episode, 1987)

Series Produced by
Larry Balmagia	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Michael S. Baser	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)
Mike Milligan	....	supervising producer (unknown episodes)
Jay Moriarty	....	supervising producer (unknown episodes)
Bob Peete	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Kim Weiskopf	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
Fran Bascom		(unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Bruce Miller	....	conductor / music arranger (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Bernard F. Basley	....	associate director / stage manager (unknown episodes, 1985)
Dan Harary	....	unit publicist (unknown episodes)
Bob Priest	....	associate director (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Television
• LBS Communications

Distributors

• Coca-Cola Telecommunications
• Columbia Pictures Television
• Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001)
• Columbia TriStar Television
• LBS Communications
• Sony Pictures Television (2002-)
• The Program Exchange (2005-) (USA) (TV)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Columbia Pictures Television

Trivia:

When Mabel King didn't return to reprise her role as Mrs. Thomas, her absence was explained by having the character remarry and move to Arizona.

Quotes:

[peeking through a window he just broke with his new boomerang]
Dwayne Nelson: [nervous laugh] G'day, mates?
[Shirley and Raj chase, Dwayne runs]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "How I Met Your Mother: The Fight (#4.10)" (2008)

Hey hey what's happening now?

I was addicted to the first series so when syndication came up with the brilliant idea of bringing back the original gang. I was thrilled. The show came back with the same gang including Raj, Dwayne, Rerun, Dee, and Shirley. It was a shame that Mabel King who played Mama Thomas never returned to the show. I felt her departure from the first series left it a little emptier. She was a great character as Mama Thomas. I would have been thrilled to see her return to the second series. Anyway, you can only ask for so much. I was happy to see Ann Marie Johnson playing Raj's wife. She is an accomplished actress before this show and afterwards as well. Anyway, the show was never hard hitting. Of course, the renovation of Rob's Soda Shop was quite drastic to the original place. What's Happening Now remained the same about the group of friends who grew up together and the friendship among them. That was the glue that kept the show together was the friendship. Even now, I think about Shirley and the gang.