You remember The Carol Burnett Show I’m sure. Then there is no doubt that you also remember Mama’s Family. This show was a delightfully entertaining TV Show that was suitable for people of all ages. I watched the tv show growing up, with my family might I add. About a year ago I started looking for Mama’s Family on Ebay, and other sites, hoping to find the complete series. That’s when I found Season 1, and after some research found that only Season 1 was available, anywhere. Surprised by this as the show was no doubt successful.
ABOUT THE SHOW
Mama’s Family was indeed a spin off of The Carol Burnett Show, which also had a previously featured a skit called “The Family,” which is what Vicki Lawrence based her show off of. In 1983 Mama’s Family the tv show debuted with the Harper Family, a family out of Raytown, Missouri. Thelma Harper was the head of the hosuehold, played by Vicki Lawrence, a gray-heaired widow and wise-cracker who also shares a house with her sister Fran, who writes for the local newspaper. At the beginning of the show Thelma’s son Vinton moves in with his two kids, Buzz and Sonja. The very same year Vinton meets his soon-to-wife, Naomi Oats, his new neighbor, and a former cheerleader from back when they were both in school. Vinton also has two sisters. Carol Burnett plays the negative love-lorn sister Eunice. Betty White plays the snooty but loveable Ellen. Both frequently appeared as Thelma’s daughters on many episodes.
NBC cancelled Mama’s Family after 35 episodes. Two years later CBS revived Mama’s Family show in syndication.
Fall of 1986 as the show returned, many of the characters had left the show to pursue other careers, including Rue McClanahan and Betty White who went on to star in “The Golden Girls,” whereas the rest of the cast was axed, leaving only Mama Harper, Vinton, and Naomi. And they played Buzz and Sonya as having gone off to college, Aunt Fran chokes on a fish bone at the Bigger Jigger, after Mama scares her in the ladies room. Two new characters are introduced to the show one being Beverly Archer, as the square homemaker extraordinare Iola Boylen, who plays both neighbor and bestfriend to Mama Harper. The other new character introduced was Bubba Higgens, Eunice’s son, who comes to live with Mama after being released from juvenile hall. Spring of 1990, the very last series episode you see Naomi and Vinton have their first daughter, who they name Tiffany Thelma Harper. The birth happens during Season 6, in Mama’s driveway, in a trailer that sits on Mama’s property.
There was a retrospective reunion for Mama’s Family on Vicki Lawrence’s Talk Show appropriated names Vicki! in 1994. There were 6 Seasons filmed, but only Season 1 is available on DVD.
VIDEO CLIPS
Want to refresh your memory on Mama’s Family? See free video clips at http://www.televisionhits.com/mamasfamily/ .
SIGN THE PETITION : Season 2 News
“A recent chat with WWW.TVSHOWSONDVD.COM and Warner Brothers have showed that Mama’s Family may be released on DVD if the fans of Mama’s Family feel the syndicated edited cuts are good enough for fans. They do not own the rights to the unedited original cuts and they are only allowed to supply the edited cuts. Warner Brothers will not release another set unless fans are willing to buy their version. We need you to sign our official petition in our message board to help generate sub-sequent seasons of Mama’s Family on DVD.
“TVSHOWSONDVD.COM’S Gord Lacey has agreed to help us with the petition and contact Warner Brothers about our petition, isn’t that great news! We would all appreciate you to go over to our message board directly and please sign the petition to get Mama’s Family Season 2 and subsequent seasons released on DVD, please help make this official petition a success. The ball is in our court, let’s not screw this one up.”
Sign the petition at http://mamasfamilysite.proboards15.com
MAMA’S FAMILY: AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
EMMY 1984, won for Outstanding Costume Design for a series Ret Turner (costume designer) and Bob Mackie (original costume concept) for the episode “Mama’s Birthday.” Also nominated for an Emmy in 1987, and 1983, but did not win.
Nominated for Young Artists Awards in 1984, 1985, 1989.
CAST ADDRESSES
Beverly Archer
606 N. Larchmont Blvd. #309
Los Angeles, CA 90004
USA
Ken Berry
Contacting Information available at his official website www.kenberry.com
Carol Burnett
c/o Kalola Productions
8383 Wilshire Boulevard-1034
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
USA
Tim Conway
P.O. Box 17047
Encino, CA 91416-7047
USA
Allan Kayser
1100 N. Alta Loma Rd. #707
Los Angeles, CA 90069
USA
1136 Stradella Road #302
Los Angeles, CA 90024
USA
CAST BIOGRAPHIES
Cast biographies can be found for Vicki Lawrence, Ken Berry, Beverly Archer, Dorthy Lyman, Allan Kayser, and Supporting Cast Members at http://www.televisionhits.com/mamasfamily/
Don’t forget to sign the petition at http://mamasfamilysite.proboards15.com .
All you have to do is state your name and email address to tell warner Brothers that you would like to see future sets of Mama’s Family on DVD.
