Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Konterr Brilliant and touching

Teddie Blake The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

shannasman9 I think Vicki Lawrence as Mama was the absolute best portrayal of a mother that I have ever seen. I immediately fell in love with this show that show from the very first time I saw it. I enjoyed how Vinton would do things like pawn off Mama's silver to get his friend Claude out of jail and then he goes and tell Mama what he did. Also how could anyone forget Carol Burnett as Eunice? She did the best she could as Eunice Higgins. My favorite episode is when Mama and Eunice are in jail because of Eunice's hissyfit at the Bigger Jigger. She finds out that years before an old boyfriend named Duke Reeves comes over to her house but gets sent away by Mama. That was one of my favorite episodes in the whole series. When it comes out on DVD I'm so getting it. Long live Mama and Eunice. Thank you

stejujo This show is hysterical! Vicki Lawrence is hilarious as Mama, and Ken Berry is a riot as Vint, who's one string short of a shoelace. The first two seasons were pretty funny, but the Season 3-6 episodes were better. I especially like the episode where Mama gets a radio show. But in the beginning of season 3, I think Iola should've had a more proper introduction, although she was mentioned a few times in seasons 1&2 as "Ms. Boyland." I love the way Iola pouts, and I admire her loyalty to her parents (even though she was a little too loyal). Sometimes I thought Naomi (as in the character, not Dorothy Lyman) was something that I shouldn't say, but she was kind of a hoot, especially when she squeaks her voice, like when she calls, "Vinton!" It's too bad Eunice was only in seasons 1&2, because she, too, was a riot, the way she freaked out over things. I would have liked to see her and Bubba form a reconciliation. Overall, this show is a knockout still after being ended for 17 years, and I'm glad it's being shown on the ion channel. 9/10.

rcj5365 "MAMA'S FAMILY"-Situation Comedy produced by Joe Hamilton Productions. Over 100 episodes were produced and it ran on network television(on NBC from 1983-1985)and later on went into first-run syndication(from 1986-1990).Executive Producer of this series was Joe Hamilton. The years it ran on NBC-TV from January 22,1983 until the final episode of the series on August 17,1985. Then the series went into first-run syndication from September of 1986 through September of 1990."Mama's Family" mined comedy from a squabbling family in the Midwestern blue collar town of Raytown,USA. The noisy clan was headed by Thelma "Mama" Harper(Vicki Lawrence),a buxom,gray-haired widow with sharp opinions and a sharper tongue who shared her small house with her high-strung sister,Fran(Rue McClanahan),a journalist for a local paper. Mama's lazy,dim-witted son,Vinton(Ken Berry),a locksmith by trade,moved in at the start of the series with his troublesome teenage children Buzz(Eric Brown)and Sonja(Karin Argroud),after his wife ran off to become a Las Vegas showgirl. Much to Mama's disgust,Vint soon took up with the town slut,a flirtatous neighbor Naomi Oates("that floozy!")whom he would become engaged to and eventually marry in the show's first season. From there a battle of wits would ensue when Naomi moves in with Vint giving Mama Harper various fits. The role of Naomi Oates was played by Dorothy Lyman(of "All My Children" fame and later on would direct and write several episodes of the series) Further uproar was caused by the periodic visits of Mama's two married daughters,the foulmouthed Eunice(Carol Burnett)and the snobbish Ellen(Betty White),and later on Mama's best friend,the prissyish Iola(Beverly Archer)and Vint's co-worker Bubba Higgins(Allan Kayser). Ed(Harvey Korman)was Eunice's dolt of a husband. During the series entire run only actors Vicki Lawrence,Ken Berry,Dorothy Lyman,and Harvey Korman remain throughout the entire run of the show when it was on NBC and later when it went into first-run syndication.The program was based on a series of sketches that were originally seen on "The Carol Burnett Show" and later made into the highly-rated special titled "Eunice" in 1982. During the first two seasons of the show,when it was on NBC,each episode began with a short,pompous introduction by "your host" Alistair Quince(Harvey Korman),seen seated in his arm chair. NBC aired reruns of "Mama's Family" during the summer of 1985. When the series ended its run on NBC-TV in August of 1985,two principal actors(Rue McClanahan and Betty White)went on to greater glory with "The Golden Girls",which premiered that same year. It was the show "The Golden Girls" that replaced "Mama's Family" on the NBC network after it was cancelled.In the fall of 1986,"Mama's Family" was cancelled by NBC and returned to TV in first-run syndication where it remained until 1990. Fran recently passed away and Ed and Eunice had moved to Florida. They had neglected to mention this to their delinquent son Bubba,who,after serving a term in juvenile hall for car theft,ended up living with Mama in Fran's old room,much to the consternation of Naomi and Vint,who thought they were getting it. Iola was the prissy neighbor who barely concealed her romantic designs on Vinton. The biggest event in the run of "Mama's Family" came in the spring of 1990 when Naomi,who had been seemingly been pregnant for an eternity,presented Vint with a bouncing baby girl named after his mama-Tiffany Thelma. Toward the end of the series(and possibly the final episode of the series) Vint and Naomi had moved out of the house,but not out of her shadow,as they were now in a trailer on her property.In point,"Mama's Family" was one laughable if not hilarious riot of a show with one situation after another with some outrageously funny results. Vicki Lawrence took the character of "Mama Harper" from The Carol Burnett Show and made it into one of the funniest character ever to grace the tube for the seven seasons that it was on the air.

Studioart81 Before "Roseanne" and during the height of "The Golden Girls", one perhaps lesser known sitcom made it big. It was none other than "Mama's Family." I was a die-hard fan of this show when it aired in syndication in the late 80s and early 90s. While not as realistically funny as say "Roseanne", I liked "Mama's Family" for its down-home Southern humor. My grandmother and I seemed to never tire of this show. I taped nearly all episodes in syndication. Naturally, I am pleased that the first season has finally been released on DVD. Yet, it needs more in the way of special features, even if the original uncut episodes are not available.The series concerned the Harper family situated in Raytown, part of the "tri-state area" as Mama often said. Presumably, it was based on the real-life city of Raytown, Missouri. Vicki Lawrence is Mama, better known as Thelma Harper. Thelma is an unemployed, widowed, sarcastic, but lovable person who, in the original NBC series, shares her small house with her journalist sister Fran, played by Rue McClanahan. Ken Berry is her dim-witted, locksmith son Vinton, who moves into her house with his children Buzz and Sonja from his first marriage. He soon marries next-door neighbor Naomi, whom he knew in high school but never dated. Naomi is a cashier at the local store Food Circus, and like Vinton, has been married before. Plans to live on their own do not work out, so Vint and Naomi move into Thelma's house and live in her basement. Adding more tension and humor to the plot are Mama's daughters: the drunken, argumentative Eunice, played by Carol Burnett, and rich, stuck-up Ellen, played by Betty White. Harvey Korman is Eunice's husband Ed. Ellen's husband Bruce is mentioned but never seen; they eventually divorce. Thelma is often seen as manipulative, bossy, and difficult to work and live with. Fortunately though, she has a caring anf loving side. This makes her a humorous and likable character. On a side note, "Mama's Family" was originally based on characters and stories from "The Carol Burnett Show."The NBC series ran for two seasons (35 episodes) from early 1983 to mid 1985, and was then canceled. Initially, it looked like the end of the series, but that was short-lived. In 1986, an updated version of "Mama's Family" was picked up by CBS and sold into first-run syndication for four seasons. Only Thelma, Vint, and Naomi from the NBC cast remained in the syndicated series. Fran was written out as having passed away, Buzz and Sonja had graduated high school and moved out (no explanation was given as to their whereabouts, but they may have gone out West to be closer to their mother), and Ed and Eunice had relocated to Florida. Ellen makes one guest appearance, but otherwise fades. Ed and Eunice's son Bubba is in reform school in Raytown for stealing a car, and moves in with Mama after serving his sentence. Neighbor Iola Boyland makes frequent appearances at Mama's house and has a crush on Vint. Iola is unemployed, not married, and lives with her domineering parents. She is also very into arts and crafts, and designs many treasures. Later on, Vint and Naomi have a baby girl named Tiffany Thelma.In my opinion, the syndicated edition of "Mama's Family" was much better than the NBC edition. The first edition, while good, was too dramatic and tense at times (i.e. they do a lot of yelling and screaming). The house interior also has a different design, with a large window between the stairs and the closet, darker wallpaper, and darker stage lighting as well. Mama, Vint, and Naomi are not as funny either, as all three have a tougher edge to their characters. They are made funnier and grow into themselves much more in the syndicated series. In syndication, the interior design of the house is better. The window between the stairs and the closet is removed, the wallpaper is a much brighter flower-like color, the doors are painted yellow, and the lighting is much brighter. The symbolism here I believe is that the show was supposed to be funnier in syndication, and it definitely was! My only hope is that enough consumers purchase the first season DVD set, and future seasons are released and have special features. Live on "Mama's Family"!