If you remember, in the VERY EARLY Family Sketches from the Carol Burnett Show Mama was spunkie, and fiestier, she joked around some, went through the house singing when she her boyfriend was coming over, Did impressions of her dog Topaz, and actually did smile some, etc....

But after about the first 4 or 5 Family Sketches Mama becomes the grumpier doom and gloom Mama who never smiles and she remainds that way through the remainder of the sketches and stays that way for the most part through out the NBC run of Mama's Family, then when MF goes into syndication she's happier and spunkier again.


Does it have to do with the glasses? LOL I noticed also in the early Family sketches Mama's glasses are round and she is brighter and happier then her glasses are flat on top and she becomes grumpier , then in the syndicated episodes of Mama's Family they are round again and she's happier again.


My theory is when Vickie first started playing Mama she was new to it so she was basically just being Vickie and being herself for the most part, then she developed Mama, then by the time the synd. episodes of MF came around she was so used to playing the role she became Vickie again and was being herself for the most part.

It just seems like you could really see Vickie's personality coming through the character in her very early and very later preformances.