What's Happening!! - Opening and Closing Scenes

Opening and Closing Scenes

What's Happening!! altered their opening sequence every season.

Season 1 - Joint scenes featured Ernest Thomas (Raj), Haywood Nelson (Dwayne), and Fred Berry (Rerun) taking turns dribbling a basketball down the neighborhood sidewalk. Individual scenes introduced each character. Raj appears on his front porch, enjoying the temperature and throwing his jacket back inside the house, giving an indication that he didn't need it. Dwayne skateboards down his driveway, falls down as he reaches the sidewalk, then bursts out laughing. Raj and Dwayne then meet up in front of Rerun's home, who appears on a balcony eating. Later, the three hitchhike a ride from a pickup truck on a street corner; unbeknownst to Rerun (who was looking in the other direction), the truck stops long enough for Raj and Dwayne to hop onboard. When Rerun realizes this, he starts to run after the truck as it fades to commercial. Mabel King (Mabel) and Danielle Spencer (Dee) are named but not shown.

Season 2 - Same as Season 1, but with the following changes:

• Shirley Hemphill is added to the opening credits and her scene consists of Shirley glaring at Raj, Dwayne, and Rerun.
• Danielle Spencer, as Dee, is also added to the opening credits and her scene consists of her running into the street to join the three boys, and rolling her eyes after she hears Mama calling her back inside the house.
• Also added is Mabel King, as Mabel, who stands in the front door and orders Dee back inside the house.
• The hitchhike scene is shortened considerably and ends after Raj and Dwayne are aboard the truck with Rerun chasing.

Season 3 - Completely new series of individualized scenes. Mabel King, who left the show after Season 2, is now removed. Ernest Thomas' on-screen credit changes to display his full name (Ernest Lee Thomas). The opening sequence now begins with the entire cast inside Rob's Place (at their favorite table). Raj, now sporting a fuller Afro, is running to class on a college campus. Dwayne, a bit more muscular (and sporting a significantly less of an Afro), is jogging alone to the apartment building which Raj and Rerun now live and yells out to them. Rerun, who was looking in the refrigerator for something to eat, hears Dwayne's call and goes to the window to answer, motioning Raj to come greet him as well. Back at the Thomas house, Dee is preparing to leave for school. Shirley (who now lives there) has made breakfast for Dee and is bringing it to her but Dee declines, obviously running late. After Dee declines, Shirley appears to head to the breakfast table to sit down and eat the meal she originally cooked for Dee. It ends with Raj and Rerun at Rob's Place (appearing to be listening to the theme music of the show), with Dwayne and Dee entering the diner together, and Shirley bringing their orders to the table. The theme music is slightly altered with a fuller, stereophonic sound.

The closing scene for all three seasons, however, always remained the same, with the sidewalk basketball dribbling scene shown in slow motion.