I can see why Mabel King was reduced to a smaller role

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by TV Guy

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

[TMC]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

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.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by TMC

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

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

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

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by TVLegend

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

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

[TMC]

Originally Posted by TVLegend

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

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!! 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.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by TMC

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!! 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

[AFlordepiel]

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.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by AFlordepiel

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