Editing What's Happening!! (section)

==Series changes==

The show changed significantly in the third season, with Raj and Rerun graduating high school (Rerun after seven years, ostensibly due to a [[learning disability]]), with the two moving into their own apartment near the [[University of Southern California]]. Mabel King left the show (her character, in storyline, moved to [[Phoenix, Arizona]], to "tend to a sick relative"), and Shirley moved into the Thomas household as a [[Boarding house|boarder]] and Dee's guardian. Also, several new recurring characters were introduced. The first was a basketball player whom Roger tutored and nicknamed "The Snake" (played by Leland Smith). The other characters were [[white American|white]] police detective "Big Earl" Barnett (played by John Welsh) and his son "Little Earl" Barnett (played by David Hollander), who were neighbors in the apartment building where Roger and Rerun lived.

What became the role of "Little Earl" was initially created to be filled by ten-year-old [[Gary Coleman]] at the suggestion of ABC President [[Fred Silverman]]. Silverman was a proponent of Coleman and, feeling that breakout stardom was around the corner for the young talent, wanted him added to the show.  When Silverman left ABC in 1978 to head rival network NBC, he had ''[[Diff'rent Strokes]]'' created for Coleman; it ran for eight years and was highly rated.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwC6uJ6djs4 | title=Producer Bernie Orenstein on Casting "What's Happening!!" | website=[[YouTube]] | date=8 September 2016 }}</ref>