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Mama's Family was a American sitcom which ran from 1983 to 1985 on NBC and from 1986 to 1990 in first-run syndication. It was a spinoff of a series of comedy sketches called The Family which appeared on The Carol Burnett Show. The Family was roughly based on Burnett's childhood.
After the cancellation of The Carol Burnett Show, The Family was spun off into a series called Mama's Family which aired first an NBC network program. Burnett, who played Thelma's short-tempered daughter Eunice, never appeared after the first season.
After the show was cancelled on NBC, it continued to film for first-run syndication. Many cast changes occurred around this time, with only the characters Thelma, Vinton and Naomi staying on as regulars. Two more characters were added: neighbour Iola Boyland and Bubba Higgins, Thelma's grandson. New relatives and neighbors were brought in to evoke comedic situations.
Premise of the Show
The premise of Mama's Family centered around a squabbling family living in fictitious Raytown, a blue-collar town somewhere in the Midwest.
The family was headed by buxom Thelma Harper, a grey haired, opinionated, sharp-tongued widow. Living with her originally was only her high-strung sister Fran, a journalist for a local paper. At the start of the series, her somewhat dim-witted son Vinton, whose wife has just left him to become a Las Vegas showgirl, and his two children, Buzz and Sonja, moved in with her. Vinton was a locksmith by trade and took a job at Kwik Keys, a lock sales shop in the Raytown Mall.
During the first season, Vinton had a relationship with the flirtatious next-door neighbor Naomi, whom he soon married. Thelma thought little of Naomi, referring to her as a floozy. Also seen during the first few seasons was her daughter, foulmouthed Eunice, Eunice's husband Ed and her other daughter, the snobbish Ellen. Both Eunice and Ed had appeared in “The Family” skits on the Carol Burnett Show, and Ellen had also occasionally appeared .
When the show went into syndication, major cast changes occurred and only Thelma, Vinton and Naomi remained as regulars from the first seasons. Vinton’s children, Buzz and Sonja, had moved away to college, never to be spoken of again. Aunt Fran had passed away and Eunice and Ed had moved to Florida. Their son Bubba, who had just been released from Juvenile hall after doing time for car theft, was foisted on his grandma Thelma to raise.
Also added to the cast of characters was Iola, a thirty-something prissy neighbor with a crush on Vinton. Iola lived with her demanding mother (referred to but never seen) and had practically no social life, especially with men, choosing to hang around Thelma much of the time, sometimes to Thelma’s annoyance. Iola had been friends with the Harpers since childhood.
A recurring theme throughout the syndicated seasons was Naomi's desire to become a mother. Following through with this, the penultimate season concluded with Naomi's announcement that she was pregnant. Preparation for the baby then became a major theme in the final season. The series finale had Naomi giving birth to a baby girl, whom the family decided to name Tiffany Thelma.
Characters
- Thelma Harper, the sardonic matriarch of her family. Played by Vicki Lawrence.
- Vinton Harper, Thelma's slow-witted son. Played by Ken Berry.
- Naomi Oates-Harper, Vinton's girlfriend (and later, wife.) Played by Dorothy Lyman.
- "Buzz" Harper, Vint's son with his first wife. He later went away to college and was never spoken of again. Played by Eric Brown.
- Sonja Harper, Vint's daughter with his first wife. Like her brother, she later went away to college and was never spoken of again. Played by Karin Argoud.
- Tiffany Thelma Harper, Vint and Naomi's newborn daughter.
- Ellen Jackson, Thelma's rich, snobby daughter. Played by Betty White.
- Ed Higgins, Eunice's husband. Played by Harvey Korman.
- Eunice Higgins, Thelma's short-tempered daughter. Played by Carol Burnett.
- Bubba Higgins, Ed and Eunice's son. Played by Allan Kayser.
- Aunt Fran Crowley, Thelma's sister. She died by choking on a toothpick. Played by Rue McClanahan.
- Iola Boylen, Thelma's nosy neighbor. Played by Beverly Archer.