Adamantium
10-22-2014, 12:28 PM
I just finished watching the first 13 episodes of “Mama’s Family” on DVD. In other words, all of season one. I had never watched this season before. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I was only familiar with the Bubba/Iola seasons and was quite shocked to learn there were a couple seasons before those characters arrived. Besides Thelma “Mama” Harper, Vinton Harper and Naomi Oates/Harper, who appear in all six seasons, the first season includes Vinton’s teenage kids from a previous marriage: Buzz and Sonja. Aunt Fran is Mama’s “baby” sister, who also lives in the house and isn’t happy that Vinton, Naomi, Buzz and Sonja all moved in. Others in the show are recurring characters Ellen (Betty White), Mama’s eldest daughter, Eunice (Carol Burnett), Mama’s crazy daughter and Ed (Harvey Korman), Eunice’s husband. Korman also serves double-duty as he hosts each episode as the character Alistair Quince. Two of the episodes on the DVD were the syndicated versions and thus did not include his opening segment.
I thought the first season was okay. Nothing great and yet you can sense that greatness is coming, or in other words, it shows great promise. Buzz and Sonja are kind of dull and I can see by their performances why they are later written out of the series. I liked Aunt Fran, even though Rue McClanahan, who portrayed her, did not like the character and wasn’t happy being there. I didn’t like that there were about five or so episodes in the 13 episode season, Fran did not appear in. In fact, out of the first 13 episodes only Vicki Lawrence and Ken Berry appear in all of them. There were two flash back episodes, which if the Alistair Quince openings were cut off, you would be confused and think the episodes were shown out of order. But all in all a good season. Speaking of Alistair Quince, I didn't like him. I just wanted to start the show. I didn't like him opening each episode. A couple were funny but most of them (to me) were not.
My favorite episode is probably “Mama Gets a Job” and my least favorite would probably be “Alien Marriage.” But neither of those are absolutely great nor absolutely horrible.
I thought the first season was okay. Nothing great and yet you can sense that greatness is coming, or in other words, it shows great promise. Buzz and Sonja are kind of dull and I can see by their performances why they are later written out of the series. I liked Aunt Fran, even though Rue McClanahan, who portrayed her, did not like the character and wasn’t happy being there. I didn’t like that there were about five or so episodes in the 13 episode season, Fran did not appear in. In fact, out of the first 13 episodes only Vicki Lawrence and Ken Berry appear in all of them. There were two flash back episodes, which if the Alistair Quince openings were cut off, you would be confused and think the episodes were shown out of order. But all in all a good season. Speaking of Alistair Quince, I didn't like him. I just wanted to start the show. I didn't like him opening each episode. A couple were funny but most of them (to me) were not.
My favorite episode is probably “Mama Gets a Job” and my least favorite would probably be “Alien Marriage.” But neither of those are absolutely great nor absolutely horrible.