Happy birthday to Mr. Nelson, born this day in 1960. He's best known as the naive but good-hearted Dwayne Nelson on What's Happening!! but also has a regular spot on Grady and was in numerous commercials. But did he ever have a finer moment than this?
Showing posts with label What's Happening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label What's Happening. Show all posts
Thursday, March 25, 2021
Monday, December 23, 2019
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Happy (and mellow) National Stress Awareness Day!
As we look to reduce stress, we present this picture of the Batty-Award-winning band the Doobie Brothers on What's Happening!!
Why do we present a picture of the Doobies on a day focusing on stress relief? No reason.
Why do we present a picture of the Doobies on a day focusing on stress relief? No reason.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
BOTNS congratulates The Doobie Brothers!
Congratulations to 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees The Doobie Brothers, seen here with some surefire TV hall of famers:
This is a huge week for the Doobies because not only do they have a chance to get into the Rock Hall, but they are nominated for at least one Batty Award, a new listener-voted prize! Will they win? Will they be in the mix for other Battys? Which Doobie do you be?
Find out soon on the Battys!
This is a huge week for the Doobies because not only do they have a chance to get into the Rock Hall, but they are nominated for at least one Batty Award, a new listener-voted prize! Will they win? Will they be in the mix for other Battys? Which Doobie do you be?
Find out soon on the Battys!
Monday, August 26, 2019
YouTube Spotlight: The What's Happening!! playlist
The closer of our What's Happening!! playlist this week is the Givens family singing Bubbling Brown Sugar, the title song of a hit 1976 Broadway musical. This is one of my most memorable episodes; I swear it was on every few weeks in reruns, Either that or this song was just that_darned_catchy!
This clip is from the season 2 episode Going Going Gong in which Rerun auditions to go on The Gong Show as Raj and Dee try to break the Givens kids on the same show. It's a fun episode, though in retrospect it may be a symbol of the show losing its way a bit--emphasizing Rerun and gimmicks.
These kids are fantastic, though it's funny that they seemingly know only one song chorus that they repeat again and again and again. What an infectious bit of music, though!
The play was nominated for several Tony awards, including Best Musical. More importantly, who won the Gong Show? You'll have to watch the episode.
This clip is from the season 2 episode Going Going Gong in which Rerun auditions to go on The Gong Show as Raj and Dee try to break the Givens kids on the same show. It's a fun episode, though in retrospect it may be a symbol of the show losing its way a bit--emphasizing Rerun and gimmicks.
These kids are fantastic, though it's funny that they seemingly know only one song chorus that they repeat again and again and again. What an infectious bit of music, though!
The play was nominated for several Tony awards, including Best Musical. More importantly, who won the Gong Show? You'll have to watch the episode.
Friday, August 23, 2019
What's Happening!! playlist is now live!
After determining which Doobie you be, take a look at our playlist for this week's show. Click below to enjoy: Shirley Hemphill and Richard Pryor! Mr. T and Tina! Eric Monte refuses to join the Norman Lear love fest! And Fred Berry dances on Soul Train AND Alice! All this plus promos, commercials, and did we mention The Doobies?
And remember to check out our official YouTube channel for more playlists like this plus past episodes of the show!
And remember to check out our official YouTube channel for more playlists like this plus past episodes of the show!
Show Notes: Episode 6-12: What's Happening!!
*What's Happening!! aired 3 seasons, 1975-1979 (it began as a summer series), and 65 episodes on ABC. As we mention, the spinoff/sequel What's Happening Now!! actually lasted 66 episodes.
*Doobie or Not Doobie is a two-parter from middle of the series' second season, premiering January 28 and February 4, 1978.
*Here is a link to our Love Boat episode, in which we discuss the very show that followed this What's Happening!! in 1978.
*Here is the TV Party article on the history of What's Happening!!
*The 1975 Cooley High film was a smash before inspiring the loose adaptation in the TV series. The first version was a single-camera dramatic pilot, but Fred Silverman suggested retooling it into the format that became popular.
Wikipedia claims that the movie also inspired The White Shadow, and many websites repeat that, but the only source I can find for that tidbit is one solitary Huffington Post article on Erykah Badu, who is a big fan of the film.
*I personally think that Henry Mancini's theme song for the show ranks among his best work right along with The Pink Panther and Moon River.
*The Doobie Brothers did not appear in What's Happening Now!!
*As Mike alludes to, Doobie guitarist Skunk Baxter is a missile defense expert--and a self-taught one, no less! Read this great piece from Business Insider to learn his story. The article mentions Baxter was a reserve police officer in the L.A. area. I'd like to think his frontier justice approach to apprehending Al Dunbar in the episode inspired his entry into law enforcement.
*Fred Berry, who was part of the dance group The Lockers, died at 52 in 2003.
*For more on the strange death of brief semi-regular Ray Vitte, look at this article. Vitte died in police custody under mysterious circumstances after a conflict with the cops.
*The same website explored the departure of Mabel King from the series, using comments from Ernest Thomas. Essentially, she disliked the stereotypical maid role she had and departed when she was unable to influence the creative direction.
*Doobie or Not Doobie is a two-parter from middle of the series' second season, premiering January 28 and February 4, 1978.
*Here is a link to our Love Boat episode, in which we discuss the very show that followed this What's Happening!! in 1978.
*Here is the TV Party article on the history of What's Happening!!
*The 1975 Cooley High film was a smash before inspiring the loose adaptation in the TV series. The first version was a single-camera dramatic pilot, but Fred Silverman suggested retooling it into the format that became popular.
Wikipedia claims that the movie also inspired The White Shadow, and many websites repeat that, but the only source I can find for that tidbit is one solitary Huffington Post article on Erykah Badu, who is a big fan of the film.
*I personally think that Henry Mancini's theme song for the show ranks among his best work right along with The Pink Panther and Moon River.
*The Doobie Brothers did not appear in What's Happening Now!!
*As Mike alludes to, Doobie guitarist Skunk Baxter is a missile defense expert--and a self-taught one, no less! Read this great piece from Business Insider to learn his story. The article mentions Baxter was a reserve police officer in the L.A. area. I'd like to think his frontier justice approach to apprehending Al Dunbar in the episode inspired his entry into law enforcement.
*Fred Berry, who was part of the dance group The Lockers, died at 52 in 2003.
*For more on the strange death of brief semi-regular Ray Vitte, look at this article. Vitte died in police custody under mysterious circumstances after a conflict with the cops.
*The same website explored the departure of Mabel King from the series, using comments from Ernest Thomas. Essentially, she disliked the stereotypical maid role she had and departed when she was unable to influence the creative direction.
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Episode 6-12: What's Happening!! "Doobie or not Doobie Parts 1 and 2"
We take it to the streets in our season 6 finale with a real Doobie--er, doozy. Join us as we groove to the infamous Rerun bootlegs the Doobie Brothers episodes of What's Happening!! Does it live up to memory or play a bit like a poorly recorded bootleg of a major rock act in a high school gym? We'll let you know, but how can you go wrong with laughter's the best medicine and music is the doctor?
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Friday, April 26, 2019
Great Moments in 70s and 80s TV History: AYYYYY!
Many think Happy Days declined when Fonz jumped over a shark, but I think maybe we can trace it to the ill-fated "socially relevant" turn the series suddenly took:
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