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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".

  • The Hospital Stay
    8.6/1082 votes
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    #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

  • The Burger Queen
    8.4/1085 votes
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    #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

  • Doobie or Not Doobie (1)
    8.4/1083 votes
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    #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

  • The Runaway
    8.3/10113 votes
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    #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

  • Christmas
    8.3/1072 votes
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    #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

  • Shirley's Fired
    8.2/1043 votes
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    #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

  • When Daddy Comes Marching Home
    8.1/1073 votes
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    #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

  • The Testimonial
    8.1/1047 votes
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    #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

  • Going, Going, Gong
    8.1/1064 votes
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    #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

  • Raj and the Older Woman
    8.1/1045 votes
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    #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

  • My Three Tons
    8.0/1079 votes
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    #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

  • The Firing Squad
    8.0/1056 votes
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    #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

  • Doobie or Not Doobie (2)
    8.0/1061 votes
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    #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

  • Disco Dollar Disaster
    8.0/1056 votes
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    #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

  • Give Me Odds
    7.9/1051 votes
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    #15 - 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

  • The Birthday Present
    7.8/1079 votes
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    #16 - 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

  • Dwayne's Dilemma
    7.8/1057 votes
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    #17 - 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

  • The Tickets
    7.8/1053 votes
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    #18 - 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

  • A Present for Dee
    7.8/1039 votes
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    #19 - 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

  • Saturday's Hero
    7.7/1070 votes
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    #20 - 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

  • Shirley's Date
    7.7/1066 votes
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    #21 - 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

  • Nice Guys Finish Last
    7.7/1053 votes
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    #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

  • Mama, the School Girl
    7.7/1044 votes
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    #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

  • Dee's First Date
    7.7/1048 votes
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    #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

  • The Apartment
    7.7/1044 votes
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    #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