When I read the threads here, it seems everyone likes the witty and nicer Mama. IMHO, I like Mama when she is more true to her original character on the Carol Burnett show. I like episodes like Alien Marriage, The Mama who came to dinner, Mama gets a job, Mama's Silver. She has a mean streak that is funny when she tells people off.
Am I the only one?:wave:

When I read the threads here, it seems everyone likes the witty and nicer Mama. IMHO, I like Mama when she is more true to her original character on the Carol Burnett show. I like episodes like Alien Marriage, The Mama who came to dinner, Mama gets a job, Mama's Silver. She has a mean streak that is funny when she tells people off.
Am I the only one?:wave:
No, I’m a fan of “mean mama” myself, and in fact, I prefer the NBC years over syndication. In the NBC years, there seems to be this sense variety or freshness, including a bigger cast, and it seems more realistic, as opposed to the syndicated era, where Mama is portrayed as this feisty, lively modern thinker. Also, along with Mama’s character changing, Vint gets dumbed down to this clueless idiot, Naomi turns into this screeching beach blonde who’s always feeling quite sexy, and Fran, Buzz, and Sonya are replaced with Iola and Bubba, which I feel was a downgrade. I still like the syndicated years a lot, but it feels like a shell of the Carol Burnett sketches and the NBC years. Also, there’s not nearly as much guest starts in the syndicated years as compared to the NBC years, so things get tired and a bit stale rather quickly.

When I read the threads here, it seems everyone likes the witty and nicer Mama. IMHO, I like Mama when she is more true to her original character on the Carol Burnett show. I like episodes like Alien Marriage, The Mama who came to dinner, Mama gets a job, Mama's Silver. She has a mean streak that is funny when she tells people off.
Am I the only one?:wave:

I like mean Mama when she has Eunice to play off of, but not if she's the main character of the show, carrying the whole show. I think it was either Harvey or Vickie herself who said something like, "If Mama is going to carry the show, she will have to do more than just sit around and frown all the time" And that's true... Family Sketch Mama would get old fast in a 30 min sitcom as the main character

No, I’m a fan of “mean mama” myself, and in fact, I prefer the NBC years over syndication. In the NBC years, there seems to be this sense variety or freshness, including a bigger cast, and it seems more realistic, as opposed to the syndicated era, where Mama is portrayed as this feisty, lively modern thinker. Also, along with Mama’s character changing, Vint gets dumbed down to this clueless idiot, Naomi turns into this screeching beach blonde who’s always feeling quite sexy, and Fran, Buzz, and Sonya are replaced with Iola and Bubba, which I feel was a downgrade. I still like the syndicated years a lot, but it feels like a shell of the Carol Burnett sketches and the NBC years. Also, there’s not nearly as much guest starts in the syndicated years as compared to the NBC years, so things get tired and a bit stale rather quickly.


Syndicated Mama is a totally different person from Family Sketch Mama. In the Family Sketch Mickey's Apartment where they had a Chinese dinner, Mama had NO CLUE about Chinese food and thought ppl would mysteriously "disappear" if they went into a Chinese restaurant..... I remember in a syndicated episode of M.F. Mama was eating Chinese food, pronouncing and knowing about all the items like an expert lol

I'd love to see what Eunice's character would have been like in a syndicated episode

No, I’m a fan of “mean mama” myself, and in fact, I prefer the NBC years over syndication. In the NBC years, there seems to be this sense variety or freshness, including a bigger cast, and it seems more realistic, as opposed to the syndicated era, where Mama is portrayed as this feisty, lively modern thinker. Also, along with Mama’s character changing, Vint gets dumbed down to this clueless idiot, Naomi turns into this screeching beach blonde who’s always feeling quite sexy, and Fran, Buzz, and Sonya are replaced with Iola and Bubba, which I feel was a downgrade. I still like the syndicated years a lot, but it feels like a shell of the Carol Burnett sketches and the NBC years. Also, there’s not nearly as much guest starts in the syndicated years as compared to the NBC years, so things get tired and a bit stale rather quickly.
I agree with you but after reading many posts here maybe we are in the minority. I love every episode of the NBC years. While I still love some episodes on the syndication years, there are many dud episodes too.

"Mean Mama" was good for a secondary character, I just don't think she could have carried the show totally like that, and I don't think it would have lasted as long as it did.

I think Season 2 Mama was a good mix, she had a lot of her contrariness from earlier but also a lot of more nicer personality which would come later.

One thing though about syndicated Mama, she may have been a happier person, but I think her insults could be more cutting in ways and she could just be yelling at someone for no apparent reason.... in the syndicated episode you could just ask her "What time is it?" and she's likely to reply screaming, "WHAT THE HELL DO I LOOK LIKE, BIG BEN?" Earlier "mean Mama" was never like that

One line from mean Mama that makes me laugh every time is from Alien Marriage when Vint is pressuring Buzz to get on teams at school and be athletic. Mama chimes in and asks Vint why he is harping Buzz with this because Vint was never good at athletics. Vint responds "what about my volleyball ribbon?" Mama claps back "That was a fluke and you know it!" LMAO
Alien Marriage is one of my favorite episodes and Mama is screaming at Vint so loud that she almost loses her voice. I also love the line "and what the hell is this bird doing here!" And the hyterical .......sita sita

I love Mamas Silver and Alien Marriage with Claude Cainmaker. These were the 2 outlier episodes when Naomi was just a neighbor. Mama was on a roll on these episodes :) The friction was between her and Vint.

One line from mean Mama that makes me laugh every time is from Alien Marriage when Vint is pressuring Buzz to get on teams at school and be athletic. Mama chimes in and asks Vint why he is harping Buzz with this because Vint was never good at athletics. Vint responds "what about my volleyball ribbon?" Mama claps back "That was a fluke and you know it!" LMAO
Alien Marriage is one of my favorite episodes and Mama is screaming at Vint so loud that she almost loses her voice. I also love the line "and what the hell is this bird doing here!" And the hyterical .......sita sita

I love Mamas Silver and Alien Marriage with Claude Cainmaker. These were the 2 outlier episodes when Naomi was just a neighbor. Mama was on a roll on these episodes :) The friction was between her and Vint.


Those 2 episodes were definitely different lol Vint was also not a likeable person in those... he could be yelling at someone for no apparent reason, he didn't talk very nice to his kids in those 2, totally a different Vint from the loveable dimwit to come lol I believe it was Vickie herself who decided Mama needed a revamp and after viewing those 2 episodes

I just love Mama in any capacity.

I love the one where Mama gets a job at Food Circus, and they are sitting down to dinner. Naomi throws a fit and gets up to leave.

Mama: "Some people just can't separate their home life from their work life."

Naomi: "I don't have a home life. I have a basement life."

Mama: "Well, get back down in it where you belong!":lol:

The way she says that just cracks me up every time. She is exceptionally mean in that one, and it is glorious.

I just love Mama in any capacity.

I love the one where Mama gets a job at Food Circus, and they are sitting down to dinner. Naomi throws a fit and gets up to leave.

Mama: "Some people just can't separate their home life from their work life."

Naomi: "I don't have a home life. I have a basement life."

Mama: "Well, get back down in it where you belong!":lol:

The way she says that just cracks me up every time. She is exceptionally mean in that one, and it is glorious.
Yes that is another favorite line. Also earlier in the dinner she tells Naomi if people find out how easy her job is every chimp at the zoo is going to apply LMAO

Customer to Mama: Can you recommend a good dish washing detergent?
Naomi: Lemno is on sale in aisle 3.
Mama: You never washed a dish in your life! Besides...who wants their dishes to smell like fruit!


I also love in the Return of Leonard Oates when she tells him: Where did you get that jacket, was Sitting Bull having a garage sale.

LOL

I just love Mama in any capacity

That sums it up.

When I think of favorite episodes I do go back to the NBC years--the one where they go to the country club in particular. And the best fights are between Eunice and Thelma (Eunice and anybody, really--Ellen is another one for sure), so yes, the later years could have used Carol for sure.

But there's a lot of great episodes in the synd. years too. She IS less cranky, true, but she still gets a lot of great zingers.

In the episode "The Mama who came to dinner" Mama is so mean to everyone. I love what Naomi did to Mama at the end of that episode. In the syndication years, Mama ALWAYS got the last laugh. This is a rarity where Mama is put in her place and Naomi has the last laugh. Sweet revenge. Not only did Mama ruin the party, she embarrassed Naomi horrifically.

But the best mean Mama is "Mama gets a job" The way she insults the old couple at the travel agency is hysterical.


"You're in a sure fire hurry to see them naked women, aren't you?"
"Tahiti? Just by looking at you one would think you don't have a nickel to your names"
"Everyone knows about the free trip you mooched from your kids"
"I'll get you to Tahiti if I have to tie 2 innertubes together and shoo you there myself"

In the episode "The Mama who came to dinner" Mama is so mean to everyone. I love what Naomi did to Mama at the end of that episode. In the syndication years, Mama ALWAYS got the last laugh. This is a rarity where Mama is put in her place and Naomi has the last laugh. Sweet revenge. Not only did Mama ruin the party, she embarrassed Naomi horrifically.

But the best mean Mama is "Mama gets a job" The way she insults the old couple at the travel agency is hysterical.


"You're in a sure fire hurry to see them naked women, aren't you?"
"Tahiti? Just by looking at you one would think you don't have a nickel to your names"
"Everyone knows about the free trip you mooched from your kids"
"I'll get you to Tahiti if I have to tie 2 innertubes together and shoo you there myself"


I thought Mama seemed more like she did from the Carol Burnett Family Sketches in Mama who Came to Dinner, more than any other..... I always wanted to see someone put syndicated Mama in her place just once. Eunice usually always got the last word in any altercation, so that's why I'm always curious how Eunice would have interacted with syndicated Mama.... would Mama get the last word like she always does in the syndicated years, OR would Eunice get the last word like she usually did in years past?

The one time I REALLY disliked syndicated Mama was how she treated Fran's will executor. She was downright BEYOND rude to him for no reason.... Offering him cookies then slapping his hand shouting, "YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH DAMN COOKIES!" He should have poured the tea all over her....after her slapping him, he'd been justified

No, not at all. I much prefer the ornery and cranky version of Mama. I think it's funnier.

Another thing that worked better in the NBC years was the relationship between Naomi and Thelma. The original, long slinky-look Naomi was way feistier than synd. frizzy-wig Naomi, and she went toe to toe with Mama a few times in the NBC years. Synd. Naomi just took Mama's zingers--and normally just gave her a dirty look.

Another thing that worked better in the NBC years was the relationship between Naomi and Thelma. The original, long slinky-look Naomi was way feistier than synd. frizzy-wig Naomi, and she went toe to toe with Mama a few times in the NBC years. Synd. Naomi just took Mama's zingers--and normally just gave her a dirty look.
Yes. The dynamic of the show had changed. Mama now was the smartest one in the room and she knew it. She was quick witted and sarcastic. Vint and Naomi got dumber in syndication and Iola was a more peaceful annoyance and side kick for Mama. In the NBC years Mama was not the smartest one in the room and was more of a disrupter in everyone's life.

In season 3 the original feistier Naomi would come out a few times... When Naomi is trying to be a stewardess and practicing with Mama, Mama keeps asking for a funny drink and Naomi finally loses her patients and says, "If you'll shut up, I'll get you your damn drink!" lol

^Yes- and she in so many words gtold her what she could do with her wicky wacky bowl (or whatever it is). :lol: