What's Happening!!

What's Happening!!

What's Happening!! is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from August 5, 1976, to April 28, 1979. The show premiered as a summer series. With good ratings and reviews, and after the failure of several other shows on the network, What's Happening!! returned in November 1976 as a weekly series. It remained a weekly series until 1979; ratings were modest. What's Happening!! was loosely based on the Eric Monte-penned film Cooley High. From 1985 to 1988, a sequel series called What's Happening Now!! aired in first-run syndication, with most of the major cast members reprising their roles. What's Happening!! was Bud Yorkin's second series after he ended his partnership with Norman Lear and Tandem Productions. The show was produced by TOY Productions, which was formed by Yorkin, Saul Turtletaub, and Bernie Orenstein after the split.

Year:
1976
9,061 Views

[after Raj, Dwayne, Rerun, and Dee learn about bootlegging, Rerun opts out on recording the Doobie Brothers concert, but Al Dunbar refuses when Rerun tells the gang after he wasn't supposed to. Al, his goon Bruno, and the gang are at Rob's Place]

Al Dunbar:
[angry to Rerun] Uh-uh, uh-uh. Now look, there ain't no way that you are gonna back out of this, "Fathead"!

Roger 'Raj' Thomas:
[In a man's voice] Now LISTEN! I will blow the whistle on this whole operation. I am with the press.

Al Dunbar:
Oh, yeah? What paper?

Roger 'Raj' Thomas:
[under his breath] The Jefferson High Gazette.

Al Dunbar:
The who?

Roger 'Raj' Thomas:
[normal voice; nervous] The Jefferson High School Gazette.

Al Dunbar:
Boy, you better sit down and pay attention.

Roger 'Raj' Thomas:
Yes, sir.

Al Dunbar:
Now look, since your "friend" opened up his big mouth, you are all, all of you, in this together.

Dwayne Nelson:
[defiant] UH-UH!

Bruno:
What did you say?

Dwayne Nelson:
[relents himself] Uh-huh.

Al Dunbar:
[to Dwayne] Now, uh, first, now you, you turn the, uh, recorder on and off, right? [then to Raj] And you...

Roger 'Raj' Thomas:
Uh, Mr. Dunbar, we really can't do this.

Al Dunbar:
[frustrated] Okay, kids, if you really can't do it, it's... it's fine with me. But see, you're gonna have to tell brother Bruno here he's not gonna get paid.

Roger 'Raj' Thomas:
Um, brother Bruno, would you please pull up a chair so I can talk to you?

Bruno:
Sure.

[Bruno rips out a "greasy spoon" from the counter, convincing the three to "bootleg" the concert]

Roger 'Raj' Thomas:
You said I push this for "Record", right?

Al Dunbar:
Yeah, that's right.

[Al and Bruno make a big break for the door to exit Rob's, but are held back by Keith Kundsen, Tiran Porter, and Michael McDonald]

Keith Knudsen, Tiran Porter, Michael McDonald:
[greets the two] Hey, Al Dunbar!

Al Dunbar:
[near embarressed] How you doing?

[Keith, Tiran, and Michael chatter amongst them as Al and Bruno makes a second escape through the back room, but are met by Pat Simmons and Bobby LaKind]

Patrick Simmons:
[happily greets them] Mr. Dunbar! Whoo!

[With more chattering from many of the members and the cheering from the studio audience, Al and Bruno make one last attempt to escape though the bathroom, but all too late are they met by Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, John Hartman, and an LAPD officer; Al and Bruno surrenders to the police]

Jeffrey Baxter:
[cheers] Hey, the mystery producer!

LAPD Officer:
[snatches the recorder, then hands it to the band] We'll take care of him now. Here's your tape.

Patrick Simmons:
Listen to this thing.

Jeffrey Baxter:
Yeah, I hear this is a real good band.

Tiran Porter:
Yeah.

[Expecting to hear music from the concert, they instead hear sounds of Rerun munching on popcorn]

The Doobie Brothers:
Wha-what's that?

Freddie 'Rerun' Stubbs:
Popcorn!

The Doobie Brothers:
[shocked] Popcorn?

Al Dunbar:
[horrified] Popcorn?

Freddie 'Rerun' Stubbs:
Yeah, it would've been quieter, but I forgot the butter.

Al Dunbar:
[humiliated] You mean to tell me I'm going to jail for a long time, and all I've got to show for it is a tape of a fat kid eating popcorn?

Freddie 'Rerun' Stubbs:
Wait a minute. There's more music on there.

[a recording of "Fly Me to the Moon", sung by Raj, Rerun, and Dwayne, is next heard. Raj and the gang join in as the cop takes Al and Bruno away. The Doobies happily praises them for their success as "It Keeps You Runnin'" is played on the jukebox]


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