When I was a kid in the 1970s,I got to watch The Carol Burnett Show and see the hilarious "The Family" skits. "Eunice,I think you're short a propeller in the windmills of your mind!" Especially,Tim Conway in the most remembered one. Talking about the Siamese Elephant and cracking up the whole cast! That's what made it so great when I saw there'd be a series on NBC.
The intro episode was funny and exactly what I expected,"The Wedding" was hilarious and my favorite of that first season was,"Cellmates" when Eunice's temper on her birthday lands her and Mama in jail. It's a rare look at Eunice actually having nicer words with her mother in the end.
Season 2 favorite,is the very 1st of that season,"Flaming Forties",when Mama saves the school dance with her and Fran & Naomi lip-synching to her old copy of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy". (Thelma was born in 1920 and met her husband at the USO/school gym in 1943)
You definitely have to love the,"Mama For Mayor" episode,the funniest of the final season.
In the first seasons on NBC,I liked that while Vinton was a difficult son,he wasn't stupid. I liked Naomi in those seasons as well. Buzz & Sonja were typical teens. When the show vanished and returned in syndication,it sure was different.
Vinton had become kind of slow witted (but again not stupid),Naomi had become a more "flighty" blonde and Vints kids were no longer there. Aunt Fran had passed on (Rue McLanahan had gone on to "The Golden Girls".) Then there was (16/17 year old?) Bubba played by 23 year old Allan Kyser! He was the son of Ed & Eunice and nothing but trouble,unlike Buzz had been.
Iola Boylen "Knock-Knock!" was the spinster daughter of the only seen once Mrs. Boylen across the street,who like Aunt Fran,had never been married. She was a whiz at arts & crafts. Seems she spent more time doing that & bothering the family,than working on her social life,but then her mother forbade her from it.
In these four years Vicki Lawrence did some great shows where Mama proves time & time again that being old doesn't mean your life is done yet.
There was also a timely episode about "Emminent Domain",where the Govt. can take your property,whether you decide to sell or not. The Mayor and his associates want to buy up Thelma's neighborhood to tear down the houses and put up a city dump.
Themla's the only hold out and defends her home until she finds proof that her home is a historical monument. Much to the anger of her "get rich quick" neighbors.
A lot of shows also revolved around other social issues,like "mature magazines" sold in stores out in the open,sexual harassment and in terms of Bubba,taking pride in yourself and doing the right thing.
In the end,Vint & Naomi did move out...into a trailer in the driveway,where Naomi finally gave birth to baby Tiffany-Thelma,in the series ending show,"Bye Bye Baby". Ken Berry has since retired from show business.
A great show,that despite some 1980's references,seems to have aged well. "Well,I'll bet the neighbors are just loving this!" We did and we still are. (END)
The intro episode was funny and exactly what I expected,"The Wedding" was hilarious and my favorite of that first season was,"Cellmates" when Eunice's temper on her birthday lands her and Mama in jail. It's a rare look at Eunice actually having nicer words with her mother in the end.
Season 2 favorite,is the very 1st of that season,"Flaming Forties",when Mama saves the school dance with her and Fran & Naomi lip-synching to her old copy of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy". (Thelma was born in 1920 and met her husband at the USO/school gym in 1943)
You definitely have to love the,"Mama For Mayor" episode,the funniest of the final season.
In the first seasons on NBC,I liked that while Vinton was a difficult son,he wasn't stupid. I liked Naomi in those seasons as well. Buzz & Sonja were typical teens. When the show vanished and returned in syndication,it sure was different.
Vinton had become kind of slow witted (but again not stupid),Naomi had become a more "flighty" blonde and Vints kids were no longer there. Aunt Fran had passed on (Rue McLanahan had gone on to "The Golden Girls".) Then there was (16/17 year old?) Bubba played by 23 year old Allan Kyser! He was the son of Ed & Eunice and nothing but trouble,unlike Buzz had been.
Iola Boylen "Knock-Knock!" was the spinster daughter of the only seen once Mrs. Boylen across the street,who like Aunt Fran,had never been married. She was a whiz at arts & crafts. Seems she spent more time doing that & bothering the family,than working on her social life,but then her mother forbade her from it.
In these four years Vicki Lawrence did some great shows where Mama proves time & time again that being old doesn't mean your life is done yet.
There was also a timely episode about "Emminent Domain",where the Govt. can take your property,whether you decide to sell or not. The Mayor and his associates want to buy up Thelma's neighborhood to tear down the houses and put up a city dump.
Themla's the only hold out and defends her home until she finds proof that her home is a historical monument. Much to the anger of her "get rich quick" neighbors.
A lot of shows also revolved around other social issues,like "mature magazines" sold in stores out in the open,sexual harassment and in terms of Bubba,taking pride in yourself and doing the right thing.
In the end,Vint & Naomi did move out...into a trailer in the driveway,where Naomi finally gave birth to baby Tiffany-Thelma,in the series ending show,"Bye Bye Baby". Ken Berry has since retired from show business.
A great show,that despite some 1980's references,seems to have aged well. "Well,I'll bet the neighbors are just loving this!" We did and we still are. (END)