8.6/1082 votesLoading...#1 - The Hospital Stay
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 1/20/1977
Raj lands in the hospital and is afraid to face impending surgery. Meanwhile, his roommate is a grouchy ex-baseball player whom Dee befriends and learns that he has kept up a bitter feud between himself and his daughter all because she married a white man.
Director: Mark Warren
Writer: N/A
8.4/1085 votesLoading...#2 - The Burger Queen
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 11/20/1976
Rerun has his heart set on getting the role in a hamburger commercial. However, once down at the audition the producers find Dee to be better suited despite the fact that she can't stand the taste of them. An even bigger problem arises when Mama's permission is needed for her to do the commercial, but she's in Phoenix.
Director: N/A
Writer: Bernie Orenstein
8.4/1083 votesLoading...#3 - Doobie or Not Doobie (1)
Season 2 Episode 16 - Aired 1/28/1978
The Doobie Brothers are set to put on a concert at the guys' high school and they leave Rerun to get the tickets. However, by the time Rerun gets to the ticket booth, they're sold out. Later, two shady characters offer Rerun free tickets if he just tape records the concert. It is only later that Rerun learns that they are bootleggers and they threaten Rerun, Raj and Dwayne if they don't comply.
Director: Mark Warren
Writer: Sally Wade
8.3/10113 votesLoading...#4 - The Runaway
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 8/5/1976
Raj is all set to go to a party with Dwayne and Rerun but at the last minute Mama breaks the news that he has to babysit Dee while she goes out to work. This leads Raj to hire a babysitter but by the time he returns from the party, the babysitter has fallen asleep and Dee is no where to be found.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
8.3/1073 votesLoading...#5 - Christmas
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 12/11/1976
With Mama planning to work on Christmas, Raj and Dee agree to have Christmas dinner at Bill's apartment. However, Mama is able to get out of working at the last minute and soon discovers that the kids have plans and she finds herself facing a lonesome Christmas.
Director: N/A
Writer: Bernie Orenstein
8.2/1043 votesLoading...#6 - Shirley's Fired
Season 3 Episode 15 - Aired 2/23/1979
Shirley has decided to ask Rob for a raise and he is shocked but he also has a shock for her, he's decided to hire an additional waitress, Liz. However, her forever clumsiness gets on Shirley's nerves so much that she quits. Later, Shirley witnesses Liz skimming the till.
Director: Danny Simon
Writer: N/A
8.1/1073 votesLoading...#7 - When Daddy Comes Marching Home
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 8/19/1976
Mama's shady ex-husband, Bill re-enters her life and she's sure he's come around to squeeze some money out of her. Mama's suspicions are right but Raj is on to his father's game and finds his $200 dollars for writing school to be in danger of being snatched.
Director: Jack Shea
Writer: N/A
8.1/1048 votesLoading...#8 - The Testimonial
Season 2 Episode 12 - Aired 12/15/1977
Miss Collins is being honored for 25 years of teaching and this prompts Raj to play a trick on her after she gives him detention for being tardy. However, he soon finds his trick is totally inappropriate and sets out to right his wrong.
Director: Mark Warren
Writer: N/A
8.1/1064 votesLoading...#9 - Going, Going, Gong
Season 2 Episode 14 - Aired 1/5/1978
Raj has become the manager of a kid's song and dance group and believes that they're so good that they may have a chance to get on The Gong Show. However, once at tryouts, Raj discovers he has some competition, from Rerun.
Director: Mark Warren
Writer: N/A
8.1/1045 votesLoading...#10 - Raj and the Older Woman
Season 2 Episode 19 - Aired 2/18/1978
When Raj goes down to a photographer to get his yearbook picture taken, he is instantly smitten with a beautiful model. Raj lies about his age and says he's 21 and that he's a movie star and the girl is instantly taken by him. That is until, she learns the truth.
Director: Mark Warren
Writer: Sally Wade
8.0/1079 votesLoading...#11 - My Three Tons
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 8/26/1976
After seeing a TV show, Rerun becomes obsessed with wanting to join a dance group, The Rockets. Miraculously, at the audition, he's accepted but Dwayne soon discovers, Rerun wasn't accepted because he could dance, but because he's overweight.
Director: Alan Rafkin
Writer: Jim Mulligan
8.0/1056 votesLoading...#12 - The Firing Squad
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 2/10/1977
When the bank manager arrives at Rob's Place to discuss his application for a loan, Shirley insults him which ends with Rob firing her. This leads Raj, Dwayne and Rerun to help Shirley find a new job even though she has very few skills.
Director: Mark Warren
Writer: N/A
8.0/1061 votesLoading...#13 - Doobie or Not Doobie (2)
Season 2 Episode 17 - Aired 2/4/1978
The bootleggers force the guys into tape recording the concert but while everyone is jumping around, the tape recorder falls out from under Rerun's coat and right in full view of the Doobie Brothers. After some explanations, the guys and the Doobie Brothers set up a trap to catch the bootleggers.
Director: Mark Warren
Writer: Sally Wade
8.0/1056 votesLoading...#14 - Disco Dollar Disaster
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 9/21/1978
A dance contest has Rerun scrambling to get enough money for the entrance fee and ends up having people buying shares in his prospective winnings. However, he finds himself facing stiff competition from a notorious disco dancer and the prospect of two thugs breaking his hands if he doesn't win.
Director: Mark Warren
Writer: N/A
7.8/1079 votesLoading...#15 - The Birthday Present
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 8/12/1976
Trying to get enough money to buy Mama a birthday present is not as easy as it sounds for Raj. This leads him to some dice playing but Mama breaks it up and confiscates the money he won. In a last attempt, Raj, Rerun and Dwayne try to walk out of the store with a blouse after writing an IOU.
Director: Bud Yorkin
Writer: Bernie Orenstein
7.8/1057 votesLoading...#16 - Dwayne's Dilemma
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 2/24/1977
Raj has been dying for a date with a girl but soon finds that there is a hitch, in order to go out with her, he needs to find a date for her cousin, Brenda. Dwayne agrees but soon finds himself to be a corner in a love triangle, when Brenda's pushy ex-boyfriend threatens his well-being if he continues to see her.
Director: Dick Harwood
Writer: Jerry Ross
7.8/1052 votesLoading...#17 - Give Me Odds
Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 11/10/1977
Dwayne is in a lucky streak with the system he uses to make bets. This leads Rerun to pass along Dwayne's tips to his brother-in-law, Ike, who bets $500 on a football game. It's only after he's made the bet that everyone discovers just what kind of system Dwayne uses.
Director: Mark Warren
Writer: N/A
7.8/1039 votesLoading...#18 - A Present for Dee
Season 3 Episode 13 - Aired 2/9/1979
Dee's 14th birthday has Raj and the gang preparing a surprise birthday party. Dee quickly gets word of it but is not without a surprise thanks to Little Earl's birthday gift. The atrocious necklace he gave her turns out to be stolen and Dee is accused of shoplifting when she tries to exchange it.
Director: N/A
Writer: Sally Wade
7.7/1070 votesLoading...#19 - Saturday's Hero
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 11/13/1976
Rerun is given the chance to join the floundering football team and becomes and instant hero. This leads to a swelled head and he begins to give Raj and Dwayne the cold shoulder, going so far as to give his two extra Gladys Knight tickets to two of his "new" friends instead of Raj and Dwayne, like he promised.
Director: Mark Warren
Writer: N/A
7.7/1066 votesLoading...#20 - Shirley's Date
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 12/4/1976
Raj has sold a kid's story to a children's magazine and to celebrate, throws a party. However, Shirley is reluctant to come because she doesn't want to show up without a date. This leads Raj and Rerun to take steps to get her a date. Raj goes so far as to get her one through an escort service and Rerun cons his brother into asking her.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.7/1055 votesLoading...#21 - The Tickets
Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 3/3/1977
Mama has two tickets to a Stevie Wonder concert and she gives them to Raj. However, Raj now has one tough decision to make, to take Dwayne or Rerun to the concert. Meanwhile, Mama makes a decision on a boarder, who introduces his girlfriend to the family.
Director: Mark Warren
Writer: Richard Baer
7.7/1055 votesLoading...#22 - Nice Guys Finish Last
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 3/24/1977
Dee gets a surprise when she gets a phone call from her prison pen pal, Judy Crane, who is getting out of jail and needs a place to stay. Dee talks Mama into allowing Judy to stay with them unknown to all of them that Judy is really on the run after escaping.
Director: Mark Warren
Writer: N/A
7.7/1045 votesLoading...#23 - Mama, the School Girl
Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 11/24/1977
Mama begins taking courses at Raj's school and even gets his teacher, Miss Collins. A fellow classmate takes an instant liking to Mama and she falls head over heels for him, unknown to her he's only using her to write his term paper for him.
Director: Mark Warren
Writer: N/A
7.7/1049 votesLoading...#24 - Dee's First Date
Season 2 Episode 15 - Aired 1/21/1978
Dee's is going out on her first date with a boy who's sister Raj has made into the object of his affection. His plan is to buddy up to Dee's boyfriend to get close to his sister. However, he quickly finds he has another thing coming.
Director: Mark Warren
Writer: N/A
7.7/1044 votesLoading...#25 - The Apartment
Season 2 Episode 22 - Aired 5/11/1978
On graduation day, Raj gives a speech riddled with hints to Mama about his plans on moving in to an apartment with Rerun but after some conversation, Mama finally agrees to let him move out. However, Rerun and Raj quickly find themselves with little privacy with Mama constantly coming over.
Director: Mark Warren
Writer: Thad Mumford
The Best Episodes of What's Happening!!
Every episode of What's Happening!! ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of What's Happening!!!
What's Happening!! is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from August 5, 1976 to April 28, 1979. The show premiered as a summer...
Genre:Comedy
Network:ABC
Best Episodes Summary
"The Hospital Stay" is the best rated episode of "What's Happening!!". It scored 8.6/10 based on 82 votes. Directed by Mark Warren and written by N/A, it aired on 1/20/1977. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Burger Queen".