''Mama's Family'' is an American

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

television series starring Vicki Lawrence as Mama (Thelma Harper). The series is a

spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...

of a recurring series of comedy sketches called " The Family" featured on ''

The Carol Burnett Show ''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Har ...

'' (1967–78) and '' Carol Burnett & Company'' (1979). The sketches led to the

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

'' Eunice'', and finally the television series. ''Mama's Family'' aired on NBC, debuting on January 22, 1983. After several timeslot changes and a subsequent drop in ratings, the network canceled the series; the final episode of this two-season NBC incarnation of the series aired on April 7, 1984. NBC broadcast

rerun A rerun or repeat is a rebroadcast of an episode of a radio or television program. There are two types of reruns – those that occur during a hiatus, and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Variations In the United Kingdom, the word ...

s until September 1985, which unexpectedly performed well in ratings. Two years after its cancellation, original series producer Joe Hamilton Productions (JHP) revived ''Mama's Family'' for new episodes in

first-run syndication Broadcast syndication is the practice of leasing the right to broadcasting television shows and radio programs to multiple television stations and radio stations, without going through a broadcast network. It is common in the United States wher ...

on local stations across the United States. The reincarnation, produced by JHP and distributed by

Lorimar-Telepictures Lorimar-Telepictures Corporation was an entertainment company established in 1985 with the merger of Lorimar Productions, Inc. and Telepictures Corporation. Headquartered at the former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (now Sony Pictures Studios) ...

, premiered on September 27, 1986. The modified four-season series revival garnered substantially higher ratings than its first incarnation, eventually becoming the highest-rated sitcom in first-run syndication, its final episode airing on February 24, 1990. The show's theme song is "Bless My Happy Home," created as an

a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

by Lawrence. The show's producers chose to use an

instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to inst ...

of Lawrence's song composed by Peter Matz. Disclosing the lyrics to the song as part of her ''Vicki and Mama: A Two Woman Show'' (non-televised stand-up comedy routine Lawrence has hosted as herself and Mama since 2001), Lawrence routinely performs the song in its original a cappella form. The lyrics were also featured in an advertisement for the show on MeTV.

Overview

The show is set in the city of Raytown, which actress Vicki Lawrence later revealed to be

Raytown, Missouri Raytown is a city in Jackson County, Missouri, United States, and is a suburb of Kansas City. The population was at 30,012 in 2020 census. The mayor of Raytown is Michael McDonough and the mayor ''pro tem'' is Ryan Myers. It is part of the Ka ...

, a suburb of

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more th ...

(although the script writing suggests the setting was Raytown, Mississippi, given the rural

southern Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, M ...

nature of the series). The television series revolves around the wacky misadventures of the Harper family, extended non-Harper family members and their neighbor friend in later seasons. Always at the center of all the trouble, turmoil and misunderstandings is head of the clan and matriarch Thelma Harper (Mama)—a thickset, gray-haired, purse-lipped, mid-to-late 60s widow who is portrayed as explosively quick-tempered, abrasive, and brash. Mama's snappy retorts and wisecracks are featured in a

running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are no ...

in which the final scene of each episode cuts to an exterior shot of her residence (1027 Montrose Avenue in South Pasadena, which was also the house of Lynda’s character in the 1978 film ''

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...

''. The home was only featured briefly in the film where Lynda walks toward the front door) while Mama's voice is heard making a sharp or witty reply to whomever had previously spoken. This is then followed by audience laughter and

applause Applause ( Latin ''applaudere,'' to strike upon, clap) is primarily a form of ovation or praise expressed by the act of clapping, or striking the palms of the hands together, in order to create noise. Audiences usually applaud after a performanc ...

. In spite of Thelma's derogatory attitude, regular zingers and sarcasm, she is nurturing and obliging at heart, allowing family members to live off her in her home who would otherwise have no place to live, while also regularly cooking for and cleaning up after them. Thelma's family members can be ingrates, even ganging up on her occasionally.

Network run (seasons 1–2)

Beginning the series

In the ninth season of ''The Carol Burnett Show'', producer Joe Hamilton wanted to spin off Mama into her own series, but Lawrence turned him down. She did not wish to wear a "fat suit portraying an old lady every week," and she had misgivings about playing the role without

Harvey Korman Harvey Herschel Korman (February 15, 1927May 29, 2008) was an American actor and comedian who performed in television and film productions. His big break was being a featured performer on CBS' '' The Danny Kaye Show'', but he is best remembered ...

(who played Mama's son-in-law, Ed Higgins) and

Carol Burnett Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and writer. Her groundbreaking comedy variety show ''The Carol Burnett Show'', which originally aired on CBS was one of the first of its kind to be hosted ...

(who played Mama's daughter Eunice Higgins) regularly by her side as in "The Family" sketches. Burnett and Korman told Lawrence that they would only appear as guest stars on the new series, and that it was Lawrence's time to shine and take what she had learned from ''The Carol Burnett Show'' and make it on her own. Shortly after the highly-rated '' Eunice'' TV movie, with continued urging by Korman and Burnett, Lawrence finally changed her mind and accepted the offer for her character's own sitcom. The writers had created Raytown to be its own "cartoon-like" world outside of reality. Although the series was sold to NBC without a pilot, the network had its own requirements, such as having "normal" teenagers as seen in other sitcoms of the time, which is how the Buzz and Sonja characters came about. However, Lawrence had a great deal of creative input and made many important decisions, including bringing in Korman very early on to co-direct the series. Lawrence objected to the original script of the episode "Mama Cries Uncle", in which Thelma's brother-in-law visits and the two supposedly wound up sleeping together: According to her autobiography, Lawrence had a problem with the decision to tape the series on Stage 33 at

CBS Television City Television City, alternatively CBS Television City, is an American television studio complex located in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles at 7800 Beverly Boulevard, at the corner of Fairfax Avenue. Designed by architect William Pereira and Ch ...

, where ''The Carol Burnett Show'' was produced.

Plot details

For 1½ seasons from 1983 through 1984, ''Mama's Family'' ran on NBC. In the series' first episode, Thelma Harper lives with her uncomfortable, uptight

spinster ''Spinster'' is a term referring to an unmarried woman who is older than what is perceived as the prime age range during which women usually marry. It can also indicate that a woman is considered unlikely to ever marry. The term originally den ...

sister Fran (Rue McClanahan), a journalist for a local paper. Thelma's son Vinton (whose wife Mitzi had left him to become a cocktail waitress in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

) arrives to inform Thelma that he and his two children, Sonja and Buzz, have been evicted from their home and need a place to stay. Much to Fran's chagrin, Thelma allows the trio to move in. During the first season, Vinton forged a relationship with the Harpers' flirtatious next-door neighbor Naomi Oates, whom Thelma disliked, and soon married her. After selling Naomi's house and losing the money in a bad business deal, Naomi and Vint are forced to move into Thelma's basement, where they remain for most of the show's run. Also seen on a recurring basis were Thelma's two daughters: the snobbish Ellen (Betty White) and the ornery Eunice (Carol Burnett). Harvey Korman, who directed many of the earlier episodes, made featured appearances as Eunice's husband, Ed Higgins. (During the eleventh and final season of ''The Carol Burnett Show'', the Ed Higgins character left Eunice and was written out of "The Family" skits.)

Opening theme discrepancies

Korman appeared at the beginning of each episode as the stuffed shirt Alistair Quince (a parody of

Alistair Cooke Alistair Cooke (born Alfred Cooke; 20 November 1908 – 30 March 2004) was a British-American writer whose work as a journalist, television personality and radio broadcaster was done primarily in the United States.Masterpiece Theatre''. These monologues were cut out of the later syndicated reruns. Korman also performed the voice of Thelma's unseen late husband, Carl, in flashback episodes. An extended version of the show's opening theme song, with repeated melodies, was used during the original NBC run, but was never used in reruns. The house and neighborhood shown in the opening credits differed between the original NBC run and the syndicated run (1027 Montrose Avenue in South Pasadena, which was also the house of Lynda’s character in the 1978 film ''

''. The home was only featured briefly in the film where Lynda walks toward the front door), leading to discrepancies such as in the episode " Mama for Mayor", in which Mama is shown in front of the house used in the original opening theme of the first two seasons. In 2013, StarVista Entertainment released the original NBC seasons with the Alistair Quince intros and original opening credits intact, except for two episodes in Season 1 ("Cellmates" and "Mama's Boyfriend"), as the master prints of those episodes are lost and were replaced by the syndicated version in the re-release.

Cancellation

While not a huge ratings success, the first season garnered solid enough numbers to justify being renewed for a second season. For instance, the premiere episode ranked #25 for the week with an 18.6 rating and a 28 share. However, during the second season, the show dropped out of the top 50 shows, losing share to CBS' hit '' Magnum, P.I.'' As a result, NBC canceled the series in May 1984.

First-run syndication (Seasons 3–6)

Series rebirth

After ''Mama's Family'' was canceled by NBC in 1984, it was later relaunched in

in 1986.

Lorimar Television Lorimar Productions, Inc., later known as Lorimar Television and Lorimar Distribution, was an American production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1969 until 1993, when it was folded into Warner Bros. Televisi ...

had just merged with

Telepictures Telepictures (also known as Telepictures Productions; formerly known as Telepictures Distribution and Telepictures Corporation) is an American television show and filmmaking company, currently operating as a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Television S ...

and were looking for new projects for the then newly commenced first-run syndication market. After observing high ratings for NBC's ''Mama's Family'' in summer reruns, production staff decided that the show deserved a second chance and ordered 100 episodes for syndication.

Plot details

Since the original set had been destroyed, a new set had to be constructed. This led to some significant changes in

set design Scenic design (also known as scenography, stage design, or set design) is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery. Scenic designers come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but in recent years, are mostly trai ...

details. Adjustments in the show's cast occurred as well, with only Vicki Lawrence (Thelma), Ken Berry (Vinton), and Dorothy Lyman (Naomi) returning as regulars from the original era of the sitcom. Vinton's kids from his first marriage, Buzz (Eric Brown) and Sonja ( Karin Argoud), who were regulars in the show's first life, did not reprise their roles for the show's revival; their characters, though mentioned briefly in the first episode of the show's syndicated life, were never to be spoken of again. During the hiatus of the series, both Rue McClanahan and Betty White had gone on to star in the NBC sitcom ''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty Wh ...

'', rendering them unavailable to return. White, however, did return as Ellen for one episode in 1986 while Fran was killed off in the first episode of the revival.

and

, meanwhile, did not reprise their roles either, resulting in their characters (Eunice and Ed Higgins) being written out as having moved to

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

. To fill the void left by Mama's grandchildren, Allan Kayser was cast as Thelma's delinquent teenage grandson Bubba Higgins, Ed and Eunice's son. Bubba was ordered to live with his grandmother after being released from juvenile hall and placed on probation as Thelma was not pleased that Eunice and Ed forgot their own son. Also added to the cast was Beverly Archer, who played the new character of Iola Boylen, the family's wildly quirky and prissy neighbor and Mama's best friend. Her catchphrase was calling out "Knock, knock!" in place of ringing the doorbell.

Absence of Carol Burnett as the "Eunice" character

According to Lawrence's

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...

, ''Vicki!: The True-Life Adventures of Miss Fireball'', Burnett resented Lawrence for accepting the role of Mama for first-run syndication with producer Joe Hamilton (who owned the ''Mama's Family'' characters). It was during this time that Burnett was involved in an acrimonious divorce from Hamilton, who produced both ''The Carol Burnett Show'' and ''Mama's Family''. Burnett felt Lawrence had been disloyal to her and held a grudge against her until Hamilton's death in 1991. By the time of Hamilton's death, Burnett and Lawrence had reconciled. Lawrence's autobiography reads:

Series end

After ''Mama's Family'' was picked up in first-run syndication, ratings for the series improved, becoming the highest-rated first-run program in syndication. According to Ken Berry, Lawrence had seemingly grown tired of playing the "Mama" role by 1990 and wanted to end the show. According to Lawrence, who would reprise Mama on stage for many years thereafter, the series ended because it had reached the standard threshold of 100 episodes and no longer needed to produce any more. The

series finale A series finale is the final installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. It may also refer to a final theatrical sequel, the last part of a television miniseries, the last installment of a literary series, or ...

featured Naomi giving birth to a baby girl, who was named Tiffany Thelma.

Cast and characters

Thelma Mae Crowley Harper (Mama)

Role

Thelma Harper, better known as Mama, is the

title character The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...

main character A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

of ''Mama's Family''. Despite the title of "Mama," few characters in the sitcom actually refer to Thelma as Mama. Thelma plays a variety of roles in the series, including grandmother, mother-in-law, sister, neighbor friend, and mother, depending on the supporting character in question. Thelma is the widowed matriarch of a rural

Southern Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, M ...

family. She is an elderly country woman in her mid-to-late 60s, who speaks in a southern drawl. Always active with housework and the nurturance of her family, Mama is usually seen cooking, cleaning, and providing (begrudgingly) support to her family.

Appearance

Mama's appearance is based on that of a stereotypical elderly woman. She is a thickset, purse-lipped widow with silvery gray curls. All of her daytime outfits were short-sleeved, floral-print dresses with lace collars. Costumer Ret Turner color-coded Mama in flowery colors, mainly mixtures of blues, greens and lavenders. As much of Mama's time was spent cooking and cleaning, she often wore overlapping aprons over her dresses. Mama's lower legs were always enveloped by visible support hose (a feature that was nonexistent during "The Family" sketches, but made its first appearance when she donned them during a segment of the 1973 ''Eunice'' movie). For

footwear Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serves the purpose of protection against adversities of the environment such as wear from ground textures and temperature. Footwear in the manner of shoes therefore primarily serves ...

, Mama regularly wore white orthopedic, colonial shoes that took an Alfred J. Cammeyer evening oxford heels style. Mama regularly wore a few fashion accessories, including a white

pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...

necklace, white pearl earrings as well as a

wristwatch A watch is a portable timepiece intended to be carried or worn by a person. It is designed to keep a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is designed to be worn around the wrist, attached ...

. Mama's outerwear worn when visiting public venues always consisted of the same purple sweater, draped casually over her shoulders without arms in the sleeves; headpieces made completely of artificial plant petals; and a white purse, which she didn't hesitate to use as a weapon when given the opportunity.

Persona evolution

In contrast to her more stereotypically elderly, dependent, invariably spiteful and cantankerous character on "The Family" skits, Mama's hostilities were significantly toned down in the sitcom's first life. Though still cantankerous, the character expanded with wisecracks and humor, pesky antics, unseemliness and

naivete Naivety (also spelled naïvety), naiveness, or naïveté is the state of being naive. It refers to an apparent or actual lack of experience and sophistication, often describing a neglect of pragmatism in favor of moral idealism. A ''naïve'' may ...

. Mama's unseemliness and naivete were exemplified by her inability to drive (episode " Mama Learns to Drive"); inability to act in socially acceptable ways in public and in the presence of guests (episodes "

The Mama Who Came to Dinner "The Mama Who Came to Dinner" is the television pilot and series premiere of the American sitcom '' Family Matters'', a spin-off of '' Perfect Strangers'' (1986–93) set in Chicago. The episode was directed by Joel Zwick and written by Willi ...

", " Country Club" and " Ellen's Boyfriend"); inability to hold jobs outside the home (episodes " Mama Gets a Job", "

Supermarket A supermarket is a self-service shop offering a wide variety of food, beverages and household products, organized into sections. This kind of store is larger and has a wider selection than earlier grocery stores, but is smaller and more limit ...

" and " Mama for Mayor"); etc. These characteristics often resulted in the humiliation or frustration of her loved ones. By the show's second life, Mama was no longer naive (Vinton overwhelmingly assumed this role) and far more capable of high spirits than ever before. This version of Mama had the fewest stereotypically elderly traits. She was dutiful in caring for her home, garden and family; independent; and active in the community along with best friend Iola Boylen. For example, Mama returned to high school and graduated (episodes " Educating Mama," " Teacher's Pet," and " Pomp and Circumstance"); she was heavily involved in the Church Ladies League and at one point its president (episode " Where There's Smoke"); Mama participated in dirty dancing (episode " Very Dirty Dancing"); went on a trip (episode " Mama Goes Hawaiian"), etc. Highlighting her much more relaxed nature during the syndicated seasons, Mama's main character trait during this time was her many fretful wisecracks, typically made in a high-pitched, whiny voice. Despite that, this era of Mama was more derogatory than ever; rough, abrasive and brash in manner; volatile and explosive in temper; and smart-mouthed with a proneness for making snappy retorts. Unlike the preceding sketch comedy and television movie, Thelma had many characteristic expressions on the program, ''"Good Lord!"'' being her most frequently used. She occasionally stated this in alternate ways, such as ''"Good Lord in heaven!"'' ''"Well Good Lord!"'' ''"Good heavens!"'' or ''"Good night Louise!"'' Among her additional expressions included ''" Horse pucky!"'' ''" The hell you say!"'' ''" Hell's bells!"'' "(insert the sender's claim or statement here) '' my aunt Fanny!"'' ''"Now hear this,"'' ''"God-awful,"'' ''" In a pig's eye!"'' ''"In a pig's patoot!"'' ''"Shoot!"'' ''"For crying out loud!"'' ''"For pity's sake!"'' ''"For heaven's sake!"'' ''"Real good!"'' (sarcastically) etc. Disparaging and impudent, Thelma had a series of name-calling

catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...

s she often used to refer to certain members of her family or her family as a whole, such as ''"Nitwit,"'' ''"Dimwit,"'' ''"Goon,"'' ''"Goober goon,"'' ''"Lamebrain,"'' ''"Dunce,"'' ''"Tramp,"'' ''"Floozy,"'' etc.

Vicki Lawrence on evolution of Mama

Vicki Lawrence has stated that at the beginning of ''Mama's Family'', she noticed that the writers had made adjustments to her character from "The Family" skits, significantly toning down Mama's hostilities and nastiness. Lawrence originally disapproved of the change in character, believing that toning down her then-familiar aggression and spite into a less difficult, more agreeable Mama, capable of humor and high spirits, would not be funny. Lawrence has revealed, however, that after counsel from Harvey Korman that the character needed to be reshaped for sitcom television, she came to accept the adjustments made to "Mama". Korman suggested that Mama had to be less one-dimensionally hostile because the entire show would revolve around her—that more characteristics would need to be added into the mix. Korman's opinion was that people could not be expected to come home from work, pop a beer, and put up their feet to a character who was so one-dimensional; she would have to be more than just disagreeable for a whole half hour, or viewers would become bored after awhile. According to Korman, silly elements needed to be added to the character. Lawrence has stated that it took her a while to warm up to this, but that she later came to greatly appreciate how Mama "blossomed" and "matured" from her early years on "The Family". She added that she still favors the adjustments in Mama's character and partly credits Korman with who Thelma Harper is today. "The Family" sketch writers, however, who had based "The Family" characters on their own family members, disliked the less aggressive Mama designed for sitcom television. In February 2013, Lawrence also remarked that "The Family" sketch version of Mama was created by writers (

Dick Clair Dick Clair (November 12, 1931 – December 12, 1988) was an American television producer, actor and television and film writer, best known for the television sitcoms ''It's a Living'', '' The Facts of Life'', and '' Mama's Family''. Early life ...

and

Jenna McMahon Mary Virginia Skinner (May 24, 1925 – March 2, 2015), known professionally as Jenna McMahon, was an American writer, producer, actress and comedian. She was best known for her Emmy Award-winning work as a writer on the variety/sketch comedy pr ...

) who hated their mothers. Clair and McMahon also created and wrote for ''Mama's Family.''

Family members and friends

Harper family tree

*Magenta = Crowleys *Orange = Harpers *Blue = Harper children *Red = Harper in-laws *Green = Harper grandchildren *Note: Thelma's mother was shown on two occasions on the show (once in a flashback and once as a ghost, played both times by Vicki Lawrence), but her name wasn't revealed. There were at least two Crowley brothers (mentioned in passing in "Double Standard" and "Mama with the Golden Arm"); one was named Clyde ("Pomp and Circumstance"). A cousin named Cora is seen in "There's No Place Like...No Place", and an Uncle Oscar is mentioned in "Mama Gets the Bird", but it is not known if he was from Thelma's side of the family or her husband Carl's. Eunice also mentions having a son named Billy, but Billy's whereabouts are unknown in Mama's Family.

Recurring characters

*Carl Harper, a predominantly

unseen character An unseen character in theatre, comics, film, or television, or silent character in radio or literature, is a character that is mentioned but not directly known to the audience, but who advances the action of the plot in a significant way, and w ...

(although once played by Ken Berry in flashback scenes of the series finale), he is the deceased husband of Mama and father of Ellen, Eunice, and Vinton. While he's occasionally made mention of especially by Thelma, he only appears in flashback episodes. Though even in flashbacks, he's unseen for the most part, as he's usually only portrayed in voice as a man who spent the vast majority of his life nested on the

toilet A toilet is a piece of sanitary hardware that collects human urine and feces, and sometimes toilet paper, usually for disposal. Flush toilets use water, while dry or non-flush toilets do not. They can be designed for a sitting position popu ...

in the bathroom with the door closed. In fact, Carl died on the toilet. He's characterized as a grouch who screams from the bathroom about how he doesn't want to be interrupted during his long hours on the toilet, even for emergencies. *Effie Crowley Harper, Thelma's cousin (in season 2) and later her sister-in-law (in season 4), known for her rum balls deceptively filled with

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

bestowed to the family. She lives in nearby Ceciltown on a farm. Played by Dorothy Van. *Reverend Lloyd Meechum, the Harpers' henpecked minister. Played by Earl Boen. * Alberta Meechum, Reverend Meechum's stuck-up, catty wife and a perennial thorn in the side of Thelma Harper. Played by

Anne Haney Anne Ryan Haney ( Thomas; March 4, 1934 – May 26, 2001) was an American stage and screen actress. She was best known for her roles in ''Mrs. Doubtfire'' and ''Liar Liar'', as well as Alberta Meechum on the sitcom ''Mama's Family''. Early yea ...

* Mayor Alvin Tutweiler, the mayor of Raytown and Ellen's boyfriend. Played by

Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s, and he has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New Yor ...

. *Eddie Edwards, a TV personality in Raytown, who hosts such programs as ''Good Morning, Raytown'' and the ''Grandma USA'' pageant. Played by Wayne Morton. *Clive Montaigne, the head of the community theater, who fashions himself an actor just as important as actors in New York and London. The people in town treat him like a mini-celebrity, despite only running the community theater. Played by Rod McCary. *Luann Fayette, Naomi Harper's flamboyant and flirtatious best friend. She is only seen once but mentioned several times. Played by Jennifer Richards. *Mr. and Mrs. Boylen, Iola's elderly, predominantly unseen parents, who live across the street from Thelma. Not much is mentioned of her father, but her mother is often alluded to as a grotesquely large, temperamental, T.V.-watching

invalid Invalid may refer to: * Patient, a sick person * one who is confined to home or bed because of illness, disability or injury (sometimes considered a politically incorrect term) * .invalid, a top-level Internet domain not intended for real use As ...

. Although they are largely unseen, Mama once called out a greeting to an elderly woman living next to her whom she referred to as "Ms. Boylen." This was a brief moment from the episode "Mama Learns To Drive," from the show's first life (season 2), prior to the appearances of Iola. *Roselle Huplander, an obese acquaintance of Thelma and Iola who is never seen. On a few occasions Thelma has spoken to her over the phone, but more often she is gossiped about by Thelma and Iola. Once, at a church fair, she gave Vint a black eye when he suggested that she weighed 309 pounds at the "Guess Your Weight" booth he was running. The character was named after the show’s wig designer, Roselle Friedland. *Dwayne and T-Boy, Bubba's best friends, played by Beau Bishop and

Grant Heslov Grant Heslov (born May 15, 1963) is an American actor and filmmaker known for his producing and writing collaborations with George Clooney, which have earned him four Oscar nominations. As a co-producer of ''Argo'' (2012), he received the Academ ...

respectively. More spoken of than ever seen. *Mr. Alan Hanson, an intelligent, laid-back night-school teacher of Thelma and Bubba and love interest of Thelma Harper. Her relationship with him is unceremoniously discontinued in the series, however. Played by

Joseph Campanella Joseph Anthony Campanella (November 21, 1924 – May 16, 2018) was an American character actor. He appeared in more than 200 television and film roles from the early 1950s to 2009. Campanella was best remembered for his roles as Joe Turino on ' ...

. *Amy Johnson, girlfriend of Bubba Higgins. Played by Amy Benedict. *Lolly Purdue, member and later president (succeeding Thelma) of the Church Ladies League. Revealed to be illiterate. Played first by Doris Hess, then

Marge Redmond Marjorie Redmond (December 14, 1924 – February 10, 2020), known as Marge Redmond, was an American actress and singer. Early years Marjorie Redmond was born in Cleveland, Ohio in December 1924 and was raised in Lakewood by J.V. Redmond, a fir ...

. *Officer Sneed, an extremely youthful-looking, strange police officer. Played by Allan David Fox. *Claude Cainmaker, Vint's seedy friend, who is always thinking up schemes. Played by Geoffrey Lewis. *Alistair Quince, the erudite host who introduced Mama's Family during the first and second seasons. The character was a takeoff on Alistair Cooke, who at the time introduced Masterpiece Theater each week on PBS. These intros were edited out when the show went into syndication but have been restored in the DVDs released by StarVista/Time Life. The character first appeared as Alistair Cookie on ''The Carol Burnett Show''. Played by

. *Mama Crowley (played by Vicki Lawrence), Thelma's dearly departed mother, who only appeared in flashback sequences or by photo. She had a dismal, forbidding appearance, constantly grimacing and wearing nothing but dark, somber dresses. She first appeared in the first NBC incarnation of the show (episode " Mama's Birthday") as a burly elderly woman with a surly nature. In this appearance, she spoke to a middle-aged Thelma over the phone. The conversation ended with Mama Crowley hanging up on Thelma, following Thelma's resentful protests against Mama Crowley's contemptuous remarks about her husband, Carl. Mama Crowley's second appearance was in the show's reincarnation in first-run syndication (episode " My Mama, Myself"). In this appearance, Mama Crowley appeared as a slender ghost, haunting Mama. Taking on a menacing, overbearing, and harassing nature, she spent the entirety of the episode relentlessly criticizing, insulting, ordering about and hissing at Thelma. On more than one episode of the show's second life, Thelma alluded to needing forbearance in dealing with her mother's harassing, censorious nature growing up. For example, in the episode " Mama Makes Three," Thelma visited a psychiatrist with Vinton and Naomi. During the session, she began ranting and raving about her childhood and her mother, even referring to Mama Crowley as a "complainful stubborn old biddy." Vinton has also described Mama Crowley as being "mean" in her treatment of him, Eunice, and Ellen when they were all children. *Church Ladies League, also known as CLL. Their motto is "Gentle Helpers; Kind and Good" and First Lady Alberta Meechum served as the first president. Members include Thelma Harper, Lolly Purdue,

Iola Boylen ''Mama's Family'' is an American sitcom television series starring Vicki Lawrence as Mama (Thelma Harper). The series is a spin-off of a recurring series of comedy sketches called " The Family" featured on ''The Carol Burnett Show'' (1967–78) ...

, Roselle Huplander, Inez, and Florence. The association was first mentioned in "Where's There's Smoke", when Mama was nominated for president of the Church Ladies League. It was mentioned later in the episodes "Reading the Riot Act", "Ladies Choice" and "Mama's Medicine Show". Their award bears the name "Church Ladies League Woman of the Year."

Episodes

Altogether, ''Mama's Family'' had six seasons consisting of 130 episodes. The show's first life consisted of thirty-five episodes, making for two seasons. The show's second life consisted of ninety-five episodes, making for four seasons.

Favorites of Vicki Lawrence

On September 30, 2013, Vicki Lawrence was asked what her favorite episodes of the series are: * Lawrence answered that among the early seasons, her favorite is the episode " The Wedding (Part 2)." Her reason for favoring this episode is the big names featured in it. She listed Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Betty White, Ken Berry and Dorothy Lyman. In admiration, Lawrence remarked, "How much help does one girl get?" and "It's just an amazing supporting cast. Dear God, Carol was funny in that show!" * Lawrence has described another favorite from the early seasons as the episode " Rashomama," which is a takeoff on the Japanese film ''

Rashomon is a 1950 Jidaigeki psychological thriller/ crime film directed and written by Akira Kurosawa, working in close collaboration with cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa. Starring Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyō, Masayuki Mori, and Takashi Shimura as v ...

''. The episode is about Mama getting hit with a kettle in the kitchen and it is her, Betty, Dorothy, and Carol. At the emergency room, the three of them all have different versions of what happened to Mama. Lawrence explained, "We redo the scene three different ways, and it's pretty funny." * As other episode favorites, Lawrence has named " Family Feud" and " Mama on Jeopardy!" Lawrence stated she loved having this dysfunctional family sent out into the real world. In particular, she enjoyed the inclusion of

game show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, ...

s because "people know the format of these shows so perfectly, and to watch this crazy family get stuck in that format was really fun to me. Probably because I also love game shows so much." * As another episode favorite, Lawrence named " The Love Letter." Stated Lawrence, "It was a great episode, a record-holder actually. I think Bubba writes a love letter for Vint, who is having some problems with Naomi. In the course of the 22-minute episode, everybody thinks that the love letter is meant for them. Mama thinks it is for her from the repair guy who is there. Iola is sure Vint has written it to her. The show actually ran 22 minutes with no costume changes or anything. I remember the night that we did it. We did it in 22 minutes and were out at 7:25, and our director said, 'Good night, you're done!'" Lawrence added, "Honestly, I have to say, by the time we finished the show, we had it down to a four-day workweek, so I kind of felt like we got paid to play dress up really."

Ratings

* Season 1: #59 * Season 2: #66

Home media

On September 26, 2006,

Warner Bros. Television Warner Bros. Television Studios (operating under the name Warner Bros. Television; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division) is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of ...

released season 1 of ''Mama's Family'' on DVD. The DVD release features the syndicated versions of the episodes, which edits roughly three minutes from what originally aired. Warner Bros. claimed to only own the rights to the syndicated form. Due to issues relating to

ownership Ownership is the state or fact of legal possession and control over property, which may be any asset, tangible or intangible. Ownership can involve multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different ...

rights between the show's production companies, ''Mama's Family'' for a long time had difficulties coming out on DVD, with only its first season available for many years. However, in May 2013, it was announced that StarVista Entertainment would release all 6 seasons of the sitcom to DVD, as well as a complete series box set, which was available only through the StarVista website. Most of the original unedited versions, dubbed "The Joe Hamilton Cuts," were presented on DVD. Included with the package were extras of over 10 hours of bonus material, as well as a new cast reunion with Vicki Lawrence and the show's syndicated cast members. In addition, StarVista offered a "Signature" collection of the entire series, autographed by Vicki Lawrence, which was limited to 500 copies. In the fall of 2013, Star Vista began releasing individual season sets, Seasons 1 & 2 were released on September 10, 2013, followed by season 3 on February 25, 2014. Season 4 was released on June 24, 2014, Season 5 on September 23, 2014 and the sixth and final season was released on February 10, 2015. In conjunction with the complete seasons, Star Vista released a "best-of" single-disc unit for each season. Selected by Vicki Lawrence, each release has 6 (season 1 has 7) of her personal favorite episodes from each season.

Awards and nominations

Primetime Emmy Awards

TV Land Awards

Young Artist Awards

Syndication

After the series finale in 1990, the entire series (including the NBC episodes) was placed in off-network syndication, airing in most cities every weekday. ''Mama's Family'' also ran on TBS from January 1997 until August 2006 premiering weekday mornings. In October 1998, TBS aired a full hour of Mama’s Family weekday afternoons at 6:05 pm/et and then moved the show to 4:05pm/et in November 1998.Televisionhits.com: ''Mama's Family'' Schedule
/ref> That same month, ION Television (formerly the PAX network) began airing reruns of the series. The show aired Monday through Friday at 8:00 to 9:00 pm from 2006 to 2008. ET. In December 2006, CMT began re-airing the series. ''Mama's Family'' currently airs on

Logo TV Logo TV (often shortened to Logo, and stylized as Logo.) is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global. Launched in 2005, Logo was originally dedicated to lifestyle and entertainment progr ...

and MeTV.

International versions

An Italian version called '' La mamma è sempre la mamma'' (''Mom is always mom'') aired on Odeon TV in 1988.

Post-television show appearances of Thelma Harper/Mama

* Vicki Lawrence has been reprising her role of Mama in her untelevised touring stage show, entitled ''Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show''. In the show, Lawrence first performs stand-up comedy as herself, then comes out in character as Mama, giving her opinions on modern-day topics. During the break between the two acts, the audience is shown

blooper A blooper is a short clip from a film or video production, usually a deleted scene, containing a mistake made by a member of the cast or crew. It also refers to an error made during a live radio or TV broadcast or news report, usually in terms o ...

s from the syndicated seasons of the series. Lawrence also sings the lyrics she wrote for "Bless My Happy Home," the show's theme song, which were omitted from the version used on-air. * Lawrence has also appeared in her Mama role on several Halloween-themed episodes of the 1998–2004 run of '' Hollywood Squares'' with Tom Bergeron at the helm. * Lawrence appeared on '' RuPaul's Drag Race'' in the "All-Stars" season as Mama in the skit "RuPaul’s Gaff-In." * Lawrence appeared on '' The Queen Latifah Show'' as Mama the Monday after

Mother's Day Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in th ...

2014 in a comical skit that aired prior to each commercial break. Lawrence also appeared on the show 8 days later alongside two other well-known actresses to speak about her role of Mama and her personal life. * Lawrence resurrected the character in promos for reruns of ''Mama's Family'' on the MeTV channel in 2015–2016. * Lawrence resurrected the character during the 2015 and 2016 TV seasons of ''The Doctors'', where she talked about health-related issues.

References

Bibliography

* ''Mama for President: Good Lord, Why Not?'', by Thelma Harper, as told to Vicki Lawrence and Monty Aidem, Thomas Nelson, 2008. * ''"Mama's Family": The Unofficial Episode Viewing Guide'', by Andrew Whitenack, ANDDAR Publications, 2011.

External links

* *
The ''Mama's Family'' Site
* {{The Carol Burnett Show 1983 American television series debuts 1984 American television series endings 1986 American television series debuts 1990 American television series endings 1980s American sitcoms 1990s American sitcoms American television spin-offs English-language television shows First-run syndicated television programs in the United States NBC original programming Television series about dysfunctional families Television series about single parent families Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios American television series revived after cancellation Television series based on comedy sketches Television shows set in Missouri Television series by Lorimar-Telepictures