I grew up watching the Carol Burnett Show as a child and the Family Sketches, then one day years later I turned on the TV and Mama's Family was on, it was in the syndicated episodes, and I recognized Mama as "That old woman from the Carol Burnett Show" So I started watching and I just assumed that Iola was supposed to be Eunice, I knew she was not Carol Burnett but just thought they must've gotten another actress to play Eunice for WHATEVER show this is lol

So I started my Mama's Family watching when it was in syndication and got hooked on the show, THEN one day I turned it and something just felt OFF about the show, there was Fran and Ellen and I was like "Who are THEY?!" So then I assumed that Fran was supposed to be Iola, and again must have had to change actresses for some reason. And Mama just acted DIFFERENT. The show has started back over with the NBC episodes and it was the Wedding episode, then at the end Eunice walked in and I was like, "IT'S EUNICE!!" I haven't seen her for like 3 years!!

My first memory of Mama's Family was seeing the "Mama's Birthday" episode on NBC when I was little. It originally aired the day after my sixth birthday, but I don't think I was that young when I first saw it. I think it was probably during that period when NBC showed re-runs through 1985.
I didn't get into show until much later though, around 1991. One of my buddies loved it and loaned me a VCR tape with a few episodes. Those episodes? The Wedding (both parts) and Cellmates. To this day, they are among my three favorite episodes of the series, and The Wedding is among my favorite episodes of any sitcom.
In those days, Mama's Family aired at 10 every night on our local Fox affiliate in Columbus. I watched it quite a few nights in that summer of 1991, and that time the syndicated episodes were airing. They were/are funny, of course, but I have a soft spot for the NBC episodes because those were what I saw first (and that's the same reason I always feel like something is missing when I watch the syndicated episodes).
Both versions have their positives and negatives, but the NBC shows are superior in their acting, casting and writing IMO. The syndicated episodes have the more "corny" funny moments, while outside Sonja I thought the NBC episodes were more "intelligent" funny.

I first started watching in 1990. So I wonder if that was the first time it was shown in reruns?

I first started watching in 1990. So I wonder if that was the first time it was shown in reruns?

My mother and I would visit my dad in the nursing home (he had Alzheimers) in the early 1990s, on Saturday afternoons. We would then go out somewhere for a late lunch/early dinner, and go to her apt. and watch MF reruns at 7 pm. We were both hooked. This became a ritual for several years. MF was followed by a local lottery game show called the Hoosier Millionaire. Hooked on that, too.

MF was followed by a local lottery game show called the Hoosier Millionaire. Hooked on that, too.

Oh man...you two must have loved the Saturday they showed the lottery episode "The Big Wheel"---talk about a theme night! :lol:

I first started watching in 1990. So I wonder if that was the first time it was shown in reruns?

Good question. Considering that's the year the first-run episodes and there were enough episodes for the show to go into syndication, I'm guessing you are correct. 1991 is the first year I remember reruns being shown in Columbus but they very well could have aired the year before.

Then I wonder when I first started watching in 1990 if that was actually on the tail end of the ACTUAL run!?

In my area, local reruns started airing weekday afternoons in 1989 (the same station aired first-run episodes on late Sunday afternoons). However, they did NOT air the NBC episodes--only the Bubba era. In 1990, our Fox affiliate started airing MF back-to-back at 6pm, and they ran ALL the episodes.

Yes that my introduction to the show was when it was on Fox. It was Who's the Boss the Mama's Family at 5:30.

My introduction to Mama's Family was watching some episodes on VHS that my brother had taped off of the tv.

After that, I just had to watch more. And more. And more.