Mama's Family

Get a list of all of the episodes here.


     In a time of social distancing, COVID-19 & toilet paper hoarding, I wanted to go back to a simpler time when some of the biggest problems in Raytown were if Naomi was after Vint's insurance money or if Mama was going to win a lawsuit after falling in the bank. Trust me, it's worth finding out.

     Mama's Family started as a sketch from The Carol Burnett Show called The Family. Once it went on it's own & hit tv, it lasted from 1983 - 1990 and they made 130 episodes! 

     The show centers around Thelma Harper, also known as Mama & the trials and tribulations of her youngest child Vint moving back home after his wife leaves him & his 2 children AND he loses their house. Oddly, after a few episodes, Vint's kids suddenly disappear & Bubba appears! Vint's kids, Buzz & Sonja, were in more episodes than it seems like. I looked it up. Buzz appeared in 31 episodes while Sonja was in 28. Not sure what cause them to make the switches that were made but in came Bubba & he lasted for 95 episodes & went all the way to the finale.

     The thing that's fun about this show is that it's set in sort of an Anytown, USA but you know it's set in small-town Midwest. The scenarios that the Harper family get into can happen to any family anywhere. For example, in a later episode, Bubba gets dumped on prom night so Mama (his grandmother) gets him a date with her best friend's (Iola) niece. She's not exactly what you'd call Bubba's type but Mama means well. I'm not giving away anymore than that, you have to watch the show. It's hilarious! You see what I mean, though. These are things that happen in life. 

      I chose to look back at this show because we need something like this now. We need to look back at a comedy during a time when life was light & easy. When we could laugh at the simple things & no one took anything too seriously. They say laughter is the best medicine. I think Mama's Family is a big dose of funny! Let me know what you think & make sure you subscribe to my blog. You never know what I'll review next.