I hear time and time again that most people like the syndicated version (with Bubba and Iola ) better. I like that version too

But it just doesnt have me rolling on the floor like the NBC version. Maybe its because Mama was way too watered down in the syndies. In the NBC shows there were some pretty memorable and funny moments. The show wasn't quite together you could tell it was a work in progress..

I didnt really care for Buzz and Sonya either. But I just feel like it was funny because it was different than most sit comes because the comedy came from the actual characters rather than punchlines and jokes. That was pretty novelty!

Still, I like both versions of the show, I just wish they hadn't toned it down like they did. The first 2 Seasons of the Syndies were good, but after that it was just like you could tell it was Vicki Lawrence in a wig.

I personally prefer the syndicated episodes. I never really thought that Betty White and Rue McClanahan were a good fit on this show. (they were far better on Golden Girls) I also thought that the character of Iola was a good addition to this series. I do agree however that the Mama character did get somewhat "watered down" later in the syndicated run.

I personally prefer the syndicated episodes. I never really thought that Betty White and Rue McClanahan were a good fit on this show. (they were far better on Golden Girls) I also thought that the character of Iola was a good addition to this series. I do agree however that the Mama character did get somewhat "watered down" later in the syndicated run.


I Love the NBC episodes. I favor them over the syndicated, especially when Eunice and Ed were there. Fran and Ellen too! But in retrospect, I'm glad they (Rue and Betty) didn't continue on to the 2nd format, cause then they would have never been Golden Girls!!!!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I like them both, and I try not to compare the two.

I see them just as different times in a family's life. And as in life, things change all the time.:)

I love all the episodes, and Iola and Bubba were perfect, but if I have to choose, I say NBC. The show had a classier look, liked a stage play.

Also, I preferred the cranky, traditional Mama of the early seasons.

It worked well for the show's comedy, but they were trying to make Mama too much of a "hip Grandma" later on.

In small doses, this was hilarious, like when she sang that torch song at the Grandma USA beauty contest. By the last season, they were overusing this gag.

It seemed strange and cheap to see her coming storming into a scene, carrying her groceries and shimmying as she belted out a few lines of "Proud Mary".

As a general rule, I prefer the NBC episodes. They were somewhat darker in tone and yet there was a real emotion resonance throughout the episodes. That said, even with the lighter tone of the syndicated episodes, there were definitely some memorable moments and great singular episodes. It's just that those episodes felt more like a live-action cartoon, though I'm sure that was by design to make the series more marketable.

And while I never minded Buzz, Sonya was just a waste of time and space. Honestly can't think of a single funny thing she ever said or one memorable scene she was in during those two seasons. At least Buzz had the scene with Vint before the wedding...

As a general rule, I prefer the NBC episodes. They were somewhat darker in tone and yet there was a real emotion resonance throughout the episodes. That said, even with the lighter tone of the syndicated episodes, there were definitely some memorable moments and great singular episodes. It's just that those episodes felt more like a live-action cartoon, though I'm sure that was by design to make the series more marketable.

And while I never minded Buzz, Sonya was just a waste of time and space. Honestly can't think of a single funny thing she ever said or one memorable scene she was in during those two seasons. At least Buzz had the scene with Vint before the wedding...


Yes, I agree !

You are alone.

The second coming was incredible - funny in every possible way, didn't feel like a tacky skit given life for 30 minutes. And they put two perfect additions in, IOLA and Bubba. Honestly, Thelma and Iola made the show for me.

You are alone.

The second coming was incredible - funny in every possible way, didn't feel like a tacky skit given life for 30 minutes. And they put two perfect additions in, IOLA and Bubba. Honestly, Thelma and Iola made the show for me.

Well, that is your opinion. In all honesty, the syndicated shows turned into a snooze fest the last few Seasons- with the possible exceptions of a few episodes. The early shows had me in stitches. Esp. when Mama goes looking for work. Its just hilarious.

And while I never minded Buzz, Sonya was just a waste of time and space. Honestly can't think of a single funny thing she ever said or one memorable scene she was in during those two seasons. At least Buzz had the scene with Vint before the wedding...

I thought Sonya could be hilarious at times. The way she says that marriage is "barfy" in one episode, and when asked what she was going to be doing on a certain Saturday she pauses, thinks a moment, and says nonchalantly, "mess around." Then of course there was the time that Mama and (I think)Vint were having a serious discussion in the dining area, and Sonya, who had just gotten up and trudged into the kitchen like a zombie, bursts through the door complaining, "ugh, we're out of cocoa puffs!!"

It was Sonja's apathetic way she carried herself that was funny. I thought.

I think there's a lot to be said for both versions. An earlier poster made the point of not trying to compare the NBC years vs syndicated, and the more I've watched the show I agree with that.
My only problem with the syndicated years was that in all but the earliest episodes and less than a handful after that, the show wasn't about the "family" at all. Eunice, Ed and even the late Fran hardly ever were mentioned by anyone, and Ellen, Buzz and Sonya dropped off the face of the Earth. I'm not saying I wanted Buzz and Sonya to come back for good, necessarily, but at least bring the relatives back into the mix occasionally.
I thought the writing was crisper and funnier in the NBC shows, and the situations were more humorous in the syndicated years. I'd have loved to have seen one episode with the entire family.