What's Happening!!: The Benefit Show

What's Happening!!: The Benefit Show
ABC
April 28, 1979
Sitcom
DVD
C+

While this Joanne Pagliaro story is certainly better than the recent Welcome Back, Kotter talent show episode, with Dwayne's drumming the highlight, it's hard to get past Rerun lying and getting away with it.  Note that the studio audience remains vocal, with one man exclaiming, "Stole the rose!"

Diane Sommerfield, who was Guru Girl #2 on Three's Company, is Ginger here.  Helen Martin makes her third WH cameo, this time as Mrs. Lloyd.  And Richard Couture is featured quite prominently in the crowd shots.

What's Happening!! in its final season ranges from C+ to B, landing right on the C+/B- border for an average.  In other words, it was still somewhat entertaining, though past its peak.  Getting rid of Mrs. Thomas was a mistake, as was adding more supporting characters, but neither of these wrecked the show.  I actually would've have liked more to be done with Raj in college, other than vague references to him studying.

I occasionally watched What's Happening Now!, but the characters and I were older and it just didn't stay with me like the original series did.  If there were any moments on a level with, for instance, "Handyman," I'd be surprised.

What's Happening!!: Dwayne's Debate

What's Happening!!: Dwayne's Debate
ABC
April 21, 1979
Sitcom
DVD
C+

I considered giving this Sally Wade story a B- or even a B, partly because of some of the guest cast (see below), and partly because of the basic premise, but there are too many flaws.  To begin with, it's another episode where Snake is again clumsily substituted for the absent Rerun, although at least his role is smaller than last time.  I have more of an issue with the tag, which not only has Little Earl's crush at its most nauseating (these sort of one-sided crushes get old fast, even when there's no age difference, see Urkel, if you must), but with its "older woman" line it feels like it drifted over from  the landlady episode.  Furthermore, the mockery of Dwayne's opponent, especially by Shirley, goes too far.  Still, I like how Dwayne realizes he's not the best candidate.

Greg Morris returns as Dwayne's councilman father, with Betty Bridges, who'd recently guested on son Todd's Diff'rent Strokes, playing Dwayne's mother.  LaNette Hardiman, who was Delores before, is Lisa here.  Richard Couture appears at both Rob's Place and the school auditorium.  And it's nice to see Fritzi Burr back as Miss Collins.\
\
This is the 900th program I've reviewed for the '70s.  With only about eight months to go, I don't  know if we'll hit 1000, but we'll certainly come close.

What's Happening!!: First Class Coach

What's Happening!!: First Class Coach
ABC
April 7, 1979
Sitcom
DVD
C+

This Moore & Stevens story has Dwayne as substitute coach for Little Earl's basketball team while Big Earl is busy with policework.  This is one of the episodes that supports my theory that Big Earl is a single dad, either divorced or widowed.

Justin Dana, who plays Bobby, would turn up over a decade later on Roseanne as Matthew.  And as always, it's nice to see Sparky Marcus, 11 at this point and playing Danny.  For some reason, Shirley is missing, and it seems like Rob got her lines at the soda shop.

What's Happening!!: The Last Page

What's Happening!!: The Last Page
ABC
March 31, 1979
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Sally Wade wrote this story which has gentle parodies/homages of three hit ABC shows: Happy Days, Three's Company, and Mork & Mindy.  More unusually, the director is also female, Mary Hardwick, who doesn't have very many credits.  I don't know if this is partly why this is one of my favorite episodes for how Shirley is treated, like a normal, attractive woman (as a girl Roger-Richie wants to meet and as Mindy, although even her Mrs. Roper has a certain style).  Rerun imagines himself as the leads of the various shows, which are presented with minimal sets.  The costumes alone are worth tuning in for.  Not a great episode but definitely one that I remember from the time and since.

Frequent WH director Mark Warren plays the Killer on the TV show Rerun is cast on.  Note that this is the week that the series switched to Saturday nights, at 8 p.m., while Welcome Back, Kotter was on hiatus.

What's Happening!!: The Thomas Treasure

What's Happening!!: The Thomas Treasure
ABC
March 16, 1979
Sitcom
DVD
C+

The main highlight to this Box & Westerschulte episode is the performance of Hank Rolike as Barney Dunn; he'd earlier played Ted Howard, the flawed friend of Dwayne's family.  He speaks of being the lookout for the gang as a kid and how he still cares about the men in the gang.  If the rest of the episode were at that level, I'd go with a B- or a B.  But, as with the "no Roger, no Rerun, no rent" episode, I don't feel like most of the guest cast contributes much.  And even if Mrs. Thomas is away (no explanation), it seems like someone should put a stop to demolishing her house.  (At least Barney offers to fix it for free, when the five "kids" promise to give the money to the old folks' home.)

Benny Rubin, who was 80 at this point, had credits going back to the '20s, but for the purposes of this blog it's most significant that's he not only Duke Morgan here but had been on That Girl twice.

What's Happening!!: The Eviction

What's Happening!!: The Eviction
ABC
March 9, 1979
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Joanne Pagliaro wrote the teleplay based on a story by a writer with only one other credit.  Mrs. Watson has sold the building to Mr. Logan (Hal Williams, who had appeared as three different characters on That Girl and who at this point was about six years away from 227).  When the tenants try to organize, Raj and Rerun are evicted, until Shirley and Dee do a better job of organizing.  I might've gone with a B-, but I didn't find any of the other tenants (Big Earl included) interesting or funny.  I do like that that one record, with music heard on other episodes, keeps playing.

Richard Lee-Sung, who often appeared on M*A*S*H, plays Mr. Wing.

What's Happening!!: Food Poisoning

What's Happening!!: Food Poisoning
ABC
March 2, 1979
Sitcom
DVD
B-

While the plot of Rerun seeming to get food poisoning at Rob's and then being tempted to sue is predictable, the regular cast and the guest cast do nice work with it.  Nathaniel Taylor and Chip Fields return as Rerun's brother-in-law Ike and sister Donna, the nurse.  Richard Stahl plays the doctor, while Alan Oppenheimer, whom I've decided to finally tag, plays the shifty lawyer, Mr. Sloan.  And Richard Couture makes probably his most unusual appearance, as the heavily bandaged Mr. Flynn.

This is the only writing Bruce Kalish & Philip John Taylor did for this show, but they'd co-write three Mork & Mindy episodes, while this is the middle of three WH scripts for Tom Moore & Jeremy Stevens.

What's Happening!!: Shirley's Fired

What's Happening!!: Shirley's Fired
ABC
February 23, 1979
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This episode feels a bit de ja vu, but at least everyone is giving it their all.  Rob hires a klutzy waitress, Liz (Judy Pace, who'd previously played Nurse Jennings), and when Shirley tries to quit, Rob fires her.  Then it looks like Liz is stealing from the till, but it's of course a misunderstanding.  Note that if it's embarrassing to watch twelve-year-old-but-passing-for-eleven Susan Olsen sing "On the Good Ship Lollipop," it's really embarrassing to watch thirteen-year-old-but-passing-for-fourteen Danielle Spencer sing it, although at least they didn't make her wear the Shirley Temple costume.

Customer Freeman King was a Police Officer before.

What's Happening!!: Dwayne's Dream

What's Happening!!: Dwayne's Dream
ABC
February 16, 1979
Sitcom
DVD
C+

This Joanne Pagliaro episode is predictable but cute, with a few ironic-in-retrospect aspects.  Dwayne gets a job as a concessions vendor (cue the Carter peanut jokes) and of course wants to quit school and work full-time, till he has a dream set 30 years in the future.  Bear in mind, the characters are supposed to be in their 40s or 50s, but they look like they're at least 60.  Then the Earls hear Dwayne screaming in his sleep, so they talk to him, and then he has another dream, this time where he's the American President.  (Yes, a black president in 2009, who knew?)  Meanwhile, Rerun, who's head of ABC in both dreams, compliments "Baba Wawa" on her interview with "Fidel," little knowing that in real life Castro would leave office in 2008.  Not to mention that Shirley Hemphill would die in '99, and Fred Berry in '03.

Richard Couture makes another appearance at Rob's/Shirley's diner and actually gets a line.

What's Happening!!: A Present for Dee

Roger's gift is more appropriate.

What's Happening!!: A Present for Dee
ABC
February 9, 1979
Sitcom
DVD
B-

The show switches to Fridays, I'm assuming after Diff'rent Strokes at 8 p.m., although I suppose it could've been opposite.  And speaking of time, despite the "burger" episode, which said Dee's birthday was in September, she turns fourteen in this Sally Wade episode, where Little Earl joins a gang (yes, a preteen gang) and shoplifts a tacky but expensive necklace for her present.  The best thing about the episode is Raj and Shirley pretending to be Dee's parents.

It's surprising that this is the first and I think only appearance of Richard Deacon in my TV collection, but I don't have The Dick Van Dyke Show or any of the other series he appeared on.  Anyway, he does fine with the role of Mr. Bradford, the store owner.  For some reason, this episode has two directors, Lee Bernhardi who had done two previous, and Russ Petrano, who has absolutely no other credits.

What's Happening!!: Dee the Cheerleader

What's Happening!!: Dee the Cheerleader
ABC
January 25, 1979
Sitcom
DVD
C+

This Sally Wade story has potential but it also has flaws:

1. There's too much set-up to explain why Rerun is absent and Snake has temporarily moved in;
2. Little Earl creeps me out when he talks about Dee's "crazy hips";
3. Not enough distinction is made between the effects of busing and the specific expectations of Mr. Bradley the principal (Davis Roberts returning in the role);
4. And Dee is 13 but going to high school?  Did she skip a grade at some point?

I do like Dee standing up for her rights, the ironic twist about the Chicana cheerleader, and the bonding not only between Dee and her friend but among the girls and Shirley.

What's Happening!!: Making Out

What's Happening!!: Making Out
ABC
January 11, 1979
Sitcom
DVD
C+

It's a little surprising to find out that this episode was written by a woman, Joanne Pagliaro, who would do three more.  Roger and Rerun compete over who's better at romancing their new girlfriends, April (Ronalda Douglas, in her third and last appearance on WH) and Cindy (Candy Ann Brown, who almost twenty years later, as Candy Brown Houston, would play Sue on Ellen).  And then they switch off, and the women go along with it, even though Raj told Cindy he loved her and then claimed he lied about that.

Rani DuBois makes her fourth and last appearance on the show, as Girl of Interest.

What's Happening!!: Positive Identification

What's Happening!!: Positive Identification
ABC
December 21, 1978
Sitcom
DVD
C+

This first of two WH stories by Bill Box and Dick Westerschulte never gets past its formula feel, from the Christmas burglary to the overuse of the catchphrase of the burglar, Willie Spencer (Stu Gilliam, who previously played Gary).  Still, I like Shirley as Mrs. Claus.

Wendell Wright, who plays the Sergeant that believes in astrology, had recently been Rodney Raisin on Soap.

What's Happening!!: No Clothes Make the Man

What's Happening!!: No Clothes Make the Man
ABC
December 14, 1978
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This Sally Wade story has Raj losing his long-time job at the supermarket, briefly getting a job selling meat door-to-door, getting a job as a nude model, and then getting a job as a cub reporter, even after he tells the publisher off.  The episode slightly resembles the Three's Company episode where Jack sells encyclopedias and perhaps becomes a nude model, although we see more of Roger's skin (legs and chest) than we did of Jack's.  And, yes, this seems to be implied male nudity week, if we count 3'sC and M*A*S*H.

Harry Basch, who plays Mr. Evans, had three roles on That Girl.  And, yes, that's John Ritter's then wife Nancy Morgan as Mrs. Peterson the secretary.

What's Happening!!: Raj Moves Out

What's Happening!!: Raj Moves Out
ABC
November 30, 1978
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This week it's Raj's turn to do something stupid: move in with a girl he's known only a week.  Rerun, who's been his friend for ten years, is hurt.  Well, Dee and to a lesser degree Shirley are the only ones acting sensibly in this episode.  Dee even gently lets Raj know that the girl's ex-roommate is not what she claimed (see picture).

Co-writer Marty Brill would later play Mike O'Connell on Three's Company.

What's Happening!!: Charge

What's Happening!!: Charge
ABC
November 23, 1978
Sitcom
DVD
C+

While it's nice to see Shirley again giving a commonsense speech to one of the guys, as well as to see furniture so tacky that they even knew it in '78, it's hard for me to get past Rerun's foolish behavior over the credit cards.  And Dwayne doing false bids to drive prices up was old when Chico Marx was doing it on Broadway fifty years earlier, so that part needs something to freshen it up.  Note that the VCR that Rerun buys is a little more modern than the one Henry Winkler got on The Bob Newhart Show four or five years before.

Leland Smith returns as The Snake, now with a brand-new job and apartment.  I don't think I have any other TV shows with Roger Bowen, who plays Robert Glover at the finance company, but I will note that he was Colonel Blake in the movie version of MASH. This is the 600th ABC program I've reviewed so far, with many more to come.

What's Happening!!: The Landlady

What's Happening!!: The Landlady
ABC
November 16, 1978
Sitcom
DVD
B

This story, which is not only one of the better episodes of the relatively weak last season but one of the better ones of the series, turns out to be the only one written by Dee Caruso (male) and Gerald Gardner, who co-wrote the amazing Gilligan's Island episode "The Producer."  This isn't on that level of course, but it does more with the predictable idea of Raj developing a crush on the title character than you'd expect.

Rerun, who we know from a previous episode is a page at ABC, refuses to cross the picket line when the cameramen go on strike.  The landlady, Mrs. Watson (Hope Clarke, who had given another solid but very different performance as the estranged but reconciling daughter of Dee's cranky old friend from the Negro leagues), not only is understanding about the rent being late, but she befriends 19-year-old [sic] Roger, who reminds her of her late husband.  He's had at least two crushes on slightly older women, and now he not only thinks that a romance is developing between him and a 35-to-40-year-old, but he starts trying to act older.  His friends gently (well, Dee not so much) try to set him straight, with the one-on-one talk with Shirley, who incorporates an extra memorably (the guy isn't credited), both funny and sweet.  We know Raj is in for a fall, even before Mrs. Watson and her date show up to take him to the ballet, but the performances here add more realism and sensitivity than I expected.

LaNette Hardiman, who plays Delores, would return as Lisa.  This is the 800th program I've reviewed from the '70s, with over a year to go.

What's Happening!!: Shirley's Cookies

Hmm....

What's Happening!!: Shirley's Cookies
ABC
November 9, 1978
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Everyone loves the title sweet, so a fast-talking con artist tells Shirley she could be another Well-Known Jones, i.e. Famous Amos.  It's up to the gang to get her out of the contract.  The Earls aren't too annoying in this one, and Big Earl does some impressive tongue-twisters.

Leland Smith returns as The Snake.  Larry Gilman, who plays Sylvester, was a GI on M*A*S*H.  This is the only WH script Ken Hecht wrote, although he would do one for Three's Company.

What's Happening!!: The Creep Detective

What's Happening!!: The Creep Detective
ABC
November 2, 1978
Sitcom
DVD
C+

This Ted Bergman story introduces John Welsh and David Hollander as new neighbors Big Earl and Little Earl.  The former is the title character, not so much a "creep" (and, yes, I know it's a pun on Cheap Detective) as mildly annoying, with his habit of nicknaming people.  His nine-year-old son is also mildly annoying, with his instant crush on Dee.  But the real trouble-makers are Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence (Ric Mancini, who'd appeared on M*A*S*H and The Bob Newhart Show, and Carol DeLuise, who'd be Marcia Brady's future mother-in-law), who ask Rerun to watch their silverware, which turns out to be stolen cameras and tape recorders.

What's Happening!!: Basketball Brain

What's Happening!!: Basketball Brain
ABC
October 12, 1978
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This Ted Bergman story introduces the character of The Snake, played by Leland Smith, who would be in five more episodes.  He's a basketball player that his manager Mr. Finley (Booke) pays Raj $5 an hour to tutor, but then Mr. Finley wants to pay $500 for Raj to take a test for The Snake.  Both Raj and The Snake rebel against this, and towards the end of the episode Shirley gives The Snake a job as busboy.  (I guess Rob won't mind, though it is his restaurant.)