I just starting watching this from the beginning on DVD. I have seen the show many years ago but I'm only familiar with the Bubba/Iola episodes. I have a question about the original family. Mama and Fran are sisters. Is Fran supposed to be a lot younger than Mama? Also, how old was Ellen? Because a couple years later, Fran and Ellen became Blanche and Rose, about the same age. Just curious about that.

Fran was referred to as Mama's "baby sister" so yes there are supposed to be a lot of years between them, it was just never stated how many. (In Rue's autobiography she wrote that no one ever really gave her much info on the Fran character so she had a hard time getting a handle on who Fran was exactly supposed to be or how to act. It wasn't a very pleasant or rewarding role for Rue).

Betty White was 60 when filming began but I assume the Ellen character is supposed to be in her early-to-mid-40s since it's was stated that Mama was 65 years old in the travel agency episode and was likely in her early 20s when she became pregnant with Ellen.

Fran was referred to as Mama's "baby sister" so yes there are supposed to be a lot of years between them, it was just never stated how many. (In Rue's autobiography she wrote that no one ever really gave her much info on the Fran character so she had a hard time getting a handle on who Fran was exactly supposed to be or how to act. It wasn't a very pleasant or rewarding role for Rue).

Betty White was 60 when filming began but I assume the Ellen character is supposed to be in her early-to-mid-40s since it's was stated that Mama was 65 years old in the travel agency episode and was likely in her early 20s when she became pregnant with Ellen.

Thanks for the response. What you say makes sense. The whole situation was just confusing to me at first, lol.

Whatever you see as Ellen's age (I would say about 45 in the NBC years) I would put Eunice a year behind her, and Vinton 2 or 3 years behind Eunice, based on "Mama's Birthday" when we see them as kids.

Also, a discrepancy you will notice about Mama and Fran's ages: yes, there are obviously many years between their births, but in the "Mama Learns to Drive" episode you will notice Frannie says, "Remember Thelma, it's like that time that Daddy took us up to Ray Lake when we were kids. He just threw us in and said 'Okay girls, it's either sink or swim!' " (typing that out I can't believe a dad would do that to presumably little girls, lol)