Hi,
I just wanted to get other peoples feed back on this. I know we all go on about the differences about the NBC years and the syndicated years. THe number of bed rooms, th cast changes, the smaller living room etc..., but all this stuff is sort of funny but for what ever reason I don't really mind it. But the one thing that drives me crazy in the latter years is that they just prentend the earlier characters never even existed!
Mostly it is Buzz and Sonia, but they hardly ever mention fran and Ellen. And they do talk about Eunice but we never see her again. She was such a big part of the show in the skits on Carol Burnett in the 1970's and now she is just gone for years.
It was so much fun to see all the old characters in the NBC episodes. You never knew who was going to stop by and clash with mama. I do love the syndicaited episodes, but they really should have tried harder to keep the earlier character "alive" by at least talking about them more.
Let me know if this bothers you...

That's happened in a lot of sitcoms,and it bugs me too.I know exactly how you feel.The character of Ginny Wrobliki on One Day At A Time is one example.She only lasted one season before she left without a trace,and was never seen or referred to ever again.The same thing happened to a lot of characters on All In The Family.Another perfect example would be Chrissy of Three's Company.Once she left,she was treated as if she never even existed.Although the reason for that was on account of how Suzanne Somers had demanded more money,thinking she was superior to all her co-stars,and caused a major fall out with everyone involved with the series.It came to a point where they did not want her back.So perhaps the reason that some sitcom characters leave without a trace,and are forgotten thereafter,is because their portrayers don't like what they're doing. ;)

That's a big reason I think the NBC shows hold an underrated appeal. So many Mama's Family fans go right to the new episodes, but the network cast was a great ensemble with a heck of a lot of talent. Would Betty White come by? Carol Burnett? You never knew. The syndicated episodes are a world unto themselves (too much so, IMO, considering the disconnect with the NBC shows), and you always knew it'd be the same characters in every episode.

I like them both because each incarnation had its merits (i.e. Iola was a great 'Ethel' to Mama's 'Lucy' when they got into a crazy situation), but I prefer the NBC years because of the whole 'theatre' ambience. The syndies look and feel like a sitcom, but the NBC shows are like little filmed stage plays. I also prefer how Naomi was a smart, stronger opponent for Mama until they rewrote her into a ditz and made Vint a real dimbulb as opposed to the spineless Mama's boy he was in the beginning. I suppose it ended up working better for the comedy, but I prefer the original character shadings.

I really like both versions the same but it was like once the syndicated episodes started they forgot the NBC episodes existed. Buzz and Sonja were only mentioned once in the syndicated episodes and Naomi and Vint became dimwits. However, Ken Berry and Dorothy Lyman did brilliant jobs with their characters. Iola and Bubba were also nice addictions. Iola is one of my all-time favorite TV characters, ever. Iola is pure comic genius.

I really wish Carol Burnett & Betty White continued to appear in the later shows. That's why I like the NBC shows better although the syndicated ones were good too.

Can we just say that ALL sitcoms did this at one point or another. Go to TV Tropes and read up on "Chuck Cunningham Syndrome."

It's a stretch to say Chuck Cunningham Syndrome applies to Mama's Family. While Buzz and Sonya weren't mentioned after the first syndicated episode, I don't think the show was retconned to take them out of existence. If that were the case, they wouldn't even have been mentioned for Fran's funeral.

As far as continuity issues, this show was very good (with a few exceptions like the bedrooms upstairs and Cousin Cora being homeless after inheriting Uncle Oscar's boating business...I'm sure there's more but I can't think right now) about remembering the past episodes. To me the only biggest difference from the NBC episodes and the syndicated episodes is the characters (especially Mama) attitudes went from grumpy to more lighthearted and somewhat carefree. I like to think that because Eunice and Ed moved to Florida, that's what made Mama happier and more easy going.

That's a big reason I think the NBC shows hold an underrated appeal. So many Mama's Family fans go right to the new episodes, but the network cast was a great ensemble with a heck of a lot of talent. Would Betty White come by? Carol Burnett? You never knew. The syndicated episodes are a world unto themselves (too much so, IMO, considering the disconnect with the NBC shows), and you always knew it'd be the same characters in every episode.

I was really excited when I first saw the episode Pomp and Circumstance, I REALLY thought Eunice was going to show up. lol

I think all the characters STILL existed, they just didn't mention them, just b/c ppl don't mention ppl doesn't mean they go out of being.

Lots of ppl also say Bubba didn't exist in the NBC years but was ressurected in the syndicated episodes, b/c he DID exist on the Carol Burnett sketches.

Watching Best Medicine yesterday on my Mama's Family playlist on another site, it suddenly occurred to me ... was that meant at the time it was filmed to be Ellen's last appearance? She and Mama "reconciled," so everything with them was (for that time) in a nice, tidy package.
And by then, even through only one season, Golden Girls was a huge hit.

Watching Best Medicine yesterday on my Mama's Family playlist on another site, it suddenly occurred to me ... was that meant at the time it was filmed to be Ellen's last appearance? She and Mama "reconciled," so everything with them was (for that time) in a nice, tidy package.
And by then, even through only one season, Golden Girls was a huge hit.


Hmmm it's hard to say if it was meant to or not, I think Betty just got busy with the GG and that's why she didn't return.