The show was produced by TOY Productions, which was formed by Yorkin, Saul Turteltaub, and Bernie Orenstein after their split.
Production was moved from ABC to Golden West Videotape Division Studios, an older, but larger facility, where it would remain for the rest of the series.
The accommodations issue eventually led to a full-fledged walkout by Berry and Thomas during the second-season episode "If I'm Elected" (leaving Haywood Nelson to carry the entire episode, with Shirley Hemphill stepping to the forefront, along with Bryan O'Dell and Debbi Morgan in featured speaking parts).
Producer Bud Yorkin, in turn, suspended the pair, forcing them to sign $25,000 promissory notes to return to the show and guard against further walkouts.
She requested that Mabel's ex-husband, Bill (Thalmus Rasulala), return full-time in order for the children to have (once again) married parents, showcasing what she felt would be a strong Black family.
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 huge 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.
[4] During the third season (1978–79), Berry again threatened to strike over a drastic salary increase (not appearing in the third-season episode "Dee, the Cheerleader").
[5] In light of the unverifiable accusations, and being unable to come to terms, the producers opted to cancel the series, which was only moderately successful at the time.
Appealing to both children and adults in a similar way to The Brady Bunch and Happy Days, it accordingly aired during transitional hours where stations would change their after-school programming from cartoons to evening sitcoms.
On August 27, 2013, it was announced that Mill Creek Entertainment had acquired the rights to various television series from the Sony Pictures library including What's Happening!!
Starting January 2, 2017, the digital broadcast network Antenna TV began airing the original series.