What's Happening!! The Complete First Season

“Hey, hey, hey! Hey, hey, hey! What's happ-nin'!” All 21 episodes of the debut 1976 season of creator Eric Monte's popular soul sitcom are compiled on this extra-less triple-disc set. Set in a laidback L.A. neighborhood, the series follows teen Roger “Raj” Thomas, a skinny, bespectacled, well-liked pseudo-man-of-the-house living with his knowledgeable, workin' maid mama (the stylish, 200-plus-pound Mabel King) and his acerbic, tattletale kid sister Dee. A good student, with a positive attitude and lots of respect for his mother, Raj's social life introduced viewers to indelible characters (and catchphrases), including sharp-tongued soda shop worker Shirley, and best buds Dwayne (the smiley, meek smart aleck with the legendary refrain “uhhh-uhhhn!”) and Rerun (the late Fred Berry in his hilarious role of the perpetually famished dancin' machine). The talented ensemble tackles topics such as the return of Raj and Dee's absent father (Raj skillfully tricks his shifty pop in “When Daddy Comes Marching Home,” and Dee plainly can't stand the man until he sets her straight at “Christmas”), employment issues (Raj rightfully clears his mother's name in “The Maid Did It”; the gang shuns the snack bar for sacking Shirley in “The Firing Squad”), and mild misunderstandings (choosing between Rerun and Dwayne is impossible for Raj when he has “The Tickets”; Mrs. Thomas flips her lid when she thinks a baby is the fruit of Raj's “Puppy Love”), with warmhearted humor throughout. From the sidesplitting to the poignant, What's Happening!! (before the contract disputes, drugs, and feuds--i.e. fame--kicked in) is a marvelously entertaining time capsule of ‘70s nostalgia. “Oooooh…I'm tellin' Mama” that it's highly recommended. (J. Williams)