Why ‘What’s Happening!!’ Is Still Celebrated Nearly 50 Years After Its Debut

Almost 50 years after its debut, What’s Happening!! remains one of the most culturally significant sitcoms of the 1970s.

The death of cast member Danielle Spencer (Dee) has shed new light on the sitcom, which focused on a group of teenagers hailing from South Central Los Angeles. The series had a huge impact on popular culture and the way the Black experience was presented on television.

At the time, What’s Happening!! was only one of a handful of shows, along with Good Times, The Jeffersons, and Sanford and Son, that provided positive representation of Black families in America to television viewers. The show, loosely based on the 1975 film Cooley High, featured characters who were defined by their dreams and close friendships.

The series gave audiences a rare and refreshing look at the Thomas family, who were seen hanging out with friends at the soda shop, navigating high school drama, and the ups and downs of family life. The show celebrated its characters, breaking existing television stereotypes with humor and heart.

Ernest Thomas, who portrayed Raj on the series, told TODAY in 2021 that the show was “definitely a positive. I think a supernatural, positive effect because of the absence of Blacks on television.”

“Even though Good Times was out there and The Jeffersons and Sanford and Son (were on), it wasn't the youth. What’s Happening!! was these three teenagers, who I think had an impact on all cultures, so that everybody can identify with friends, teenage friends,” he explained.

Thomas added that the show also “helped with race relations.”

What’s Happening!! also starred Haywood Nelson (Dwayne), Fred Berry (Rerun), Mabel King (Mama), and Shirley Hemphill (Shirley). The show ran from 1976 through 1979 and filmed 65 episodes before its end.