No one tuned in every week to see the MOM especially since she didn't have a love interest. People wanted to see the guys at the soda shop with Shirley and that's why the mom was never seen.

She really didn't add nothing to the show

Maybe they should've added a love interest. Hated to see her give Raj a couple of beatings, or intended beatings.

Maybe they should've added a love interest. Hated to see her give Raj a couple of beatings, or intended beatings.

Her character was useless

I liked Mama! She was a sweet lady!:) But the show was about Raj and his friends! And the other females in the show Dee and Shirley got the funny lines.;) Mama was just there, but I liked her, she made the show family-ish!!!:)

I liked Mama! She was a sweet lady!:) But the show was about Raj and his friends! And the other females in the show Dee and Shirley got the funny lines.;) Mama was just there, but I liked her, she made the show family-ish!!!:)


Mama on.the jeffersons was Charlie the bartender

Mama on three's company was mike the bartender

Mama on 227 was the mailman



Lmao

She had her moments like the "Puppy Love episode", when she thinks Raj got a girl pregnant, and keeps falling down after she thinks he's gloating about it. She gave good advice, but the show was about Raj, his two friends, Shirley, and Dee. She was still a very good actress and the best one on the show. The third season suffered without her!

I could be totally mistaken, but I remember hearing somewhere that Mabel wasn't in the third season due to health reasons, not that Mama was considered a superfluous character.

I could be totally mistaken, but I remember hearing somewhere that Mabel wasn't in the third season due to health reasons, not that Mama was considered a superfluous character.
Mabel King was not in bad health in the late 70s. She was well enough to do The Wiz and the Steve Martin movie The Jerk. She left because of lack of storylines for her self on the show. She wasn't in bad health until the late 80s early 90s.

I liked Mama. She was needed. I like how Dee said, "I'm telling Mama!"

I think What's Happening was pretty much focused on Roger and his friends more so that Dee and their mom and probably was supposed to be that way from the beginning.


As for Mabel King leaving my understanding she was completely unhappy with being a divorced mom. Now I don't know why she even bother to audition and sign a contract, maybe she didn't look into the show enough and probably remained until her contract was up.

There was a similar situation involving Good Times where Esther Role refused to do the show because original it was supposed to be a single mom and see objected and that's when they brought in John Amos.

I liked Mama. She was really good in the "Rerun Sees the Light" episode when she fools those cons as "Mother Nature." She was also really good in the episode when Rerun is hired as a dancer just because he's fat. The only time Mama annoyed me was when Roger and Rerun got that apartment and she made a pest out of herself.

For the final season, they only offered Mabel King two guest appearances, as opposed to being a series regular. She turned down the offer.

For the final season, they only offered Mabel King two guest appearances, as opposed to being a series regular. She turned down the offer.

Wow those ABC execs were trash for this. The third season was very average without her on the show!

Since the character didnt have a man or any friends she always seemed like she was in the way.

Wow those ABC execs were trash for this. The third season was very average without her on the show!


I don't see the reason for you hostility.

For the final season, they only offered Mabel King two guest appearances, as opposed to being a series regular. She turned down the offer.

she wasnt needed because

1. she was single
2. Raj and his friends were on their own
3. Show centered around soda shop

Her character was useless

I wouldn't necessarily say that her character was out and out useless. Bernie Orenstein, one of the executive producers, said on TV One's Unsung Hollywood episode on What's Happening!! that Mable King provided show's the moral compass. Haywood Nelson added that Mable was the hub of What's Happening!! So once you pull her out, then everybody else is left "fishing" so to speak.

I wouldn't necessarily say that her character was out and out useless. Bernie Orenstein, one of the executive producers, said on TV One's Unsung Hollywood episode on What's Happening!! that Mable King provided show's the moral compass. Haywood Nelson added that Mable was the hub of What's Happening!! So once you pull her out, then everybody else is left "fishing" so to speak.

She didnt have a husband, boyfriend, or friends. Plus I am sure most watched the show to see raj and his friends at the soda shop with shirley. And whenever she was shown it was her telling dee to go upstairs or do her homework or yelling at raj about something. No fun scenes

She didnt have a husband, boyfriend, or friends. Plus I am sure most watched the show to see raj and his friends at the soda shop with shirley. And whenever she was shown it was her telling dee to go upstairs or do her homework or yelling at raj about something. No fun scenes
Maybe if the mom had stayed around for season three they could have had this episode where she found this young, strapping man and one night Raj and Dee walk in on them in bed :lol:

Maybe if the mom had stayed around for season three they could have had this episode where she found this young, strapping man and one night Raj and Dee walk in on them in bed :lol:

They made her character look so foolish. Even the man who showed interest in her was just trying to get good grades lol

Maybe if the mom had stayed around for season three they could have had this episode where she found this young, strapping man and one night Raj and Dee walk in on them in bed :lol:

Well, going back to my earlier point about Unsung Hollywood, it was stated that Mable King was becoming increasingly frustrated with what could be considered, a one-dimensional role. And Danielle Spencer's mother Cheryl Pelt would add that Mable wanted an expanded role. For instance, Mable's character on What's Happening!! (https://web.archive.org/web/20140330010016/http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/topic/3116522-whats-happening-hey-hey-hey/?view=getnewpost) was a single mother so why couldn't she have a love interest.

Robert Illes, who was one of the writers on the show, tried to explain it by saying that a common problem with adults who are kind of second bananas to kids is that the grown ups are invariably annoyed or they kind of feel like they're just like props.

According to Ernest Thomas, Mable asked for not only an increase in salary, but also script approval, which were requests that the producers denied.

Well, going back to my earlier point about Unsung Hollywood, it was stated that Mable King was becoming increasingly frustrated with what could be considered, a one-dimensional role. And Danielle Spencer's mother Cheryl Pelt would add that Mable wanted an expanded role. For instance, Mable's character on What's Happening!! (https://web.archive.org/web/20140330010016/http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/topic/3116522-whats-happening-hey-hey-hey/?view=getnewpost) was a single mother so why couldn't she have a love interest.

Robert Illes, who was one of the writers on the show, tried to explain it by saying that a common problem with adults who are kind of second bananas to kids is that the grown ups are invariably annoyed or they kind of feel like they're just like props.

According to Ernest Thomas, Mable asked for not only an increase in salary, but also script approval, which were requests that the producers denied.

They would have had to give her a love life because what other way could her role have been expanded? Go to the soda job with raj and the guys? lol

This seems to be a common topic in any What's Happening Group. There seems to be the feeling that mama was the star of the show and it went downhill after she left the show. I strongly disagree. The show was based on Cooley High, which was about what? AA teenagers. You barely saw the mom in Cooley High. Flash forward to What's Happening. It's still about teenagers. In fact the first sitcom about AA teenagers. If you want to watch a show about a mother, go watch Maude, Alice or Good Times. Now I thought Mabel King was good in the role of mama but as children, we were not tuning in to see mama and her love life. At best, they should kept the father on a recurring basis with hints that they may get back together. That's about it. As for season 3, she really wasn't needed. Raj was in college with an apartment and was trying to get girlfriends. It did not go downhill because mama left. It had a few more dumb episodes than previous seasons and the addition of the Earl's did not help. If they wanted to appeal to a more diverse audience they should have had Raj become friends with a good-looking white college friend. But what really killed the show was the big egos, outrageous demands by cast, alleged drug addiction by some cast members and I do feel lack of appreciation and support by the production company and network.

This seems to be a common topic in any What's Happening Group. There seems to be the feeling that mama was the star of the show and it went downhill after she left the show. I strongly disagree. The show was based on Cooley High, which was about what? AA teenagers. You barely saw the mom in Cooley High. Flash forward to What's Happening. It's still about teenagers. In fact the first sitcom about AA teenagers. If you want to watch a show about a mother, go watch Maude, Alice or Good Times. Now I thought Mabel King was good in the role of mama but as children, we were not tuning in to see mama and her love life. At best, they should kept the father on a recurring basis with hints that they may get back together. That's about it. As for season 3, she really wasn't needed. Raj was in college with an apartment and was trying to get girlfriends. It did not go downhill because mama left. It had a few more dumb episodes than previous seasons and the addition of the Earl's did not help. If they wanted to appeal to a more diverse audience they should have had Raj become friends with a good-looking white college friend. But what really killed the show was the big egos, outrageous demands by cast, alleged drug addiction by some cast members and I do feel lack of appreciation and support by the production company and network.


Mama didnt need to be seen