What’s Happening!! 1976

OSCAR: So here is one of my all-time favorite 1970s sitcom…What’s Happening was a very progressive and entertaining sitcom for its day.

It was centered around a struggling single parent African-American family living in Watts. The mother, marvelously played by the great Mabel King, portrayed a divorced mother of two trying to keep her family afloat while working as a waitress, a maid and other odd jobs. I loved her character as a loving but disciplined mother of Raj and Dee. Even as a kid, I was drawn to the love she had for her children.

The kids and their friends would get into (somewhat innocent) trouble being on their own and navigating the environment in which they lived. This show takes me back to when I was a kid and my best friend’s mom would treat me like her own kid if her son and I got into mischief!!! It was a fondly nostalgic time in my life that I got to revisit while watching the show!! LOVED IT!!!

The show was so great, it even had a cameo by the DOOBIE BROTHERS!! How cool is that!!

EMMY: I agree with Oscar. They just don’t make shows like this any more. Most sitcoms these days are so sanitized and really don’t take on issues like they did back in the 70s. I loved this show as well – still do!!! The actors were fantastic and the show dealt with some heavy issues that really were not addressed before in urban towns and cities. Oscar and I get nostalgic and revisit some of these great shows.