'What's Happening Now!! - Complete First Season'
(Ernest Thomas, Fred Berry, et al / 3-Disc DVD / NR / (1976) 2007 / Sony Pictures)
Overview: Loosely based on the 1975 film Cooley High, the urban sitcom What's Happening! debuted on ABC in 1976 and ran for three seasons. After its network cancellation, the series went into syndication in 1980 and became so popular that the series was resurrected as What’s Happening Now! In the new series all the major cast members from the original show are depicted seven years later. Since the end of the original series, Raj and his friends have grown and their lives have changed.
DVD Verdict: "What's Happening Now!!" is quite easly one of my most favorite TV shows! With most of its original cast from the "What's Happening!!" TV show back in 1976-1979, luckily for us true fans "What's Happining Now!!" ran from September 7th, 1985 until September 3rd, 1988 for a total of Three seasons and 66 episodes (22 episodes for each season).
In this first debut season, and with everyone reunited a little bit older, but not necessarily all that much wiser!, Raj was newly married and trying to make it as a writer. Raj and Nadine, who were living in the house he had grown up in, took in a foster child named Caroline for a time. Rerun and Dwayne, now a used car salesman and a computer programmer, respectively, were sharing an apartment. Shirley and Raj were also partners running Rob's and Dee (who only showed up occasionally) was in college.
And, as much as things didn't exactly go according to plan - had you honestly expected them to? - as long as they have each other to lean on, this family of friends can laugh their way through anything ... and did!The cast for this show were: Reina King (Carolyn - 1985-1986); Shirley Hemphill (Shirley Wilson); Martin Lawrence (Maurice Warfield - 1987-1988); Ernest Thomas (Roger "Raj" Thomas); Anne-Marie Johnson (Nadine Hudson Thomas); Ken Sagoes (Darryl - 1987-1988); Fred Berry (Freddie "Rerun" Stubbs - 1985-1986); and Danielle Spencer (Dee Thomas).
I am so happy that they decided to release "What's Happening Now!" and I truly hope that they release both the other two seasons in the series sometime soon also.
The first season consisted of 22 episodes and they are as follows: Raj Returns, Dee's Dilemma, Goodbye, Mr. Ripps, A Horse Is Not a Home, Aunt Shirley, Dee and Dwayne, The House Guest, Raj on the Run, Nadine's Boss, One Enchanted Evening, That Old Gang of Mine, Mr. First Nighter, Dueling Menus, The Challenge, Shirley's Pen Pal, Dwayne's Crush, Rags to Riches, The Wedding, The New Kid, Married or Not, The Bully, and The Improbable Dream. This is a Full Screen Presentation (1.33:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs, but does not come with any Special Features.
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