- Mama's Family originated with Thelma "Mama" Harper, and her younger sister Fran living together in Mama's house.
- Thelma Harper and her spinster sister Fran open their home to Thelma's recently-divorced son Vinton and his teenage daughter and son, Sonja and Buzz. It's quite an adjustment for everyone, especially the cranky, argumentative Thelma, especially when Vinton becomes interested in pretty, sexy neighbor Naomi and marries her and moves her into Thelma's house.—Kevin Ackley <kackley1@aol.com>
- Spun off from a Carol Burnett sketch, Mama's Family originated with Thelma "Mama" Harper and her younger sister Fran living together in Mama's house. Mama's youngest son Vinton moved in with his two teenage kids, Buzz and Sonja in the first episode, despite Fran's unwillingness. A few episodes later, Vint married their neighbor, Naomi Oates. Mama had two daughters as well, Vint's older sisters. Ellen, her firstborn, tries to be proper and thinks she's rich unlike the family, but tends to rub their cons in their faces. She can be very snobby at times, and has no trouble with being a showoff. Eunice, the middle child grown into a massive drama queen, is easily upset and absolutely hates Ellen and is very jealous of her. She is married to Ed Higgins; he's not the world's most successful man, and Eunice reminds him of this every chance she gets. The show was temporarily canceled in 1984, being kicked off of NBC's lineup. In 1986 it was brought back in first-run syndication. Buzz, Sonja, Fran, Eunice, Ed, and--eventually--Ellen were dropped; Buzz and Sonja had presumably graduated from high school, moved out, and started their own lives; Fran had choked to death on a toothpick in the bathroom of the Bigger Jigger; and Eunice and Ed had moved to Florida, leaving their delinquent son Bubba with Mama, Vint, and Naomi. Also introduced was their neighbor Iola Boylen, who lived (practically) alone with her mother, who has basically shut herself off from the world. Iola fills her time by making all sorts of unique handicrafts (like a "Mary Had a Little Lamb" picture made from dryer lint; the lamb was actually bigger than Mary because Iola had found more gray lint). She tries to keep her cool, but occasionally she loses it in very funny displays. The show was in first-run syndication until 1990, when it ended with Vint and Naomi having a baby.—Matthew Blumenstein corrected by JS
- Thelma Harper, a cranky, sharp-tongued widow, shared a small house with her high-strung sister Fran. Thelma's scatterbrained son Vinton moved back in with Thelma, bringing his teenagers Sonja and Vinton, Jr. (Buzz), after his wife ran out on him to become a Las Vegas showgirl. Soon after settling in, Vinton became romantically interested in Thelma's next-door neighbor Naomi; when they got married soon after, she moved into Thelma's house as well. Thelma's daughters, spoiled, rich, snobbish Ellen and foulmouthed Eunice, and Eunice's husband Ed occasionally visited (Ellen's husband, Bruce, was talked about but never seen). In 1986, Fran died, Buzz and Sonja moved out, and Ed and Eunice moved to Florida. Bubba, Ed and Eunice's son, had served a term in juvenile hall for car theft, so he was not allowed to go to Florida with them, so he ended up living with Thelma. Iola, who lived across the street from Thelma her whole life but did not join the cast until 1986, was the loony neighbor who lusted after Vinton.—Anonymous
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