TUESDAY TV

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Do you remember this series!?
What catches your spying-eye radar!?

“Mama’s Family” started life as a series of “The Family” comedy sketches on the fan favorite “The Carol Burnett Show” (1974-9) & “Carol Burnett & Company” (1979). The actual series was also preceded by a made-for-TV movie, ‘Eunice’, which aired on CBS 03/15/1982. The series itself, based in small-town USA Raytown, debuted 01/22/1983 on a rival network & lasted 2 seasons, until 04/07/1984, after several timeslot changes & resulting ratings drop. Then, Joe Hamilton Productions revived the series for 1st-run syndication, premiering 09/27/1986, lasting until 02/24/1990. [The scene depicted in the photo was during the show’s original run, when Mama was forced into learning how to drive.] The cast is headed by Vicky Lawrence (who sang the original version of “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia”) as “Thelma (Mama) Harper” & includes Ken Berry (“Vinton”, all seasons), Dorothy Lyman (“Naomi”, all seasons), Eric Brown (“Buzz”, 1st 2 seasons), Karin Argoud (“Sonya”, 1st 2), Betty White (“Ellen”, 1st 2 & 1986; her personal Cadillac Seville was featured in at least 1 episode), Carol Burnett (“Eunice”, 1st 2 seasons), Harvey Korman (“Ed Higgins”, 1st 2; also voiced “Carl”, “Thelma”’s dead husband & introduced the original episodes in “Masterpiece Theatre” style), Rue McClanahan (“Frances”, “Thelma”’s sister, 1st 2 seasons), Allan Kayser (“Bubba Higgins”, revival) & Beverly Archer (“Iola Lucille Boylen”, revival). Other recurring & guest characters were portrayed by Dorothy Van, Earl Boen, Anne Haney, Alan Oppenheimer & others.