Why did Franny and Ellen leave Mama’s Family? Were they let go from the show or did they both decide to leave the show? If they left the show, do you think they left because they were offered parts to play on The Golden Girls? They could have stayed on Mama’s Family and play on The Golden Girls at the same time. I’m sure Vicky Lawrence was sad to see them leave the show as they all seemed close. Any info on any of this?

They left the show because NBC cancelled Mamas Family. Then both of them were offered Golden Girls the following year before the syndication of Mamas Family. Betty White does appear in one of the first few episodes in the 3rd season in syndication while also appearing in Golden Girls.
The show was totally revamped for syndication. Everyone changed, characters left, new ones added.

I love that Betty came back for syndication.

This has been asked and pondered before but what if NBC renewed Mamas Family for a third season. Rue and Betty could have been under contract and may not have been available for Golden Girls. It was Rue that convinced Bea to do Golden Girls too. Had Mamas Family not been cancelled its possible there could have been a completely different cast of Golden Girls.

We had an excellent thread about that exact possibility several years back.
My guess at the time was, and still is, that even a third season might still have allowed for the Golden Girls as we know it ... especially if it was known in advance that the third season would be it and the show would wrap by the spring of 1985.
To me, the fourth season is where the butterfly effect would come into play. That's the one that might have dramatically altered the landscape of both Golden Girls and Mama's Family, the latter because syndication might not have happened in 1986 or at all if you had four network seasons in the books by then.

Here is that thread. I didn't realize it was 11 years ago now.
https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=314358

As far as Fran and Ellen, I miss them in the syndicated years way more than I miss Iola and Bubba in the NBC episodes. Best Medicine is one of my favorite episodes because it's the last time we see Betty White, and the last show that really links the NBC and syndicated years.

I love that Betty came back for syndication.

Besides Mama herself Betty *Ellen* was the only character to appear in all versions of the show, the Family Sketches, the TV movie, Mama's Family NBC, and Mama's Family synd.

Besides Mama herself Betty *Ellen* was the only character to appear in all versions of the show, the Family Sketches, the TV movie, Mama's Family NBC, and Mama's Family synd.
You're right! That's a great trivia question.

I wish Betty and Rue had both continued to make occasional appearance in the syndicated version. Both were missing from several of the episodes of the original NBC version anyway, so it shouldn't have been a problem for them to continue showing up once in awhile even after moving on to Golden Girls. As it was they immediately killed off Aunt Fran in the first syndicated episode. I know Rue didn't like the Aunt Fran role though, so she probably would not have agreed to come back for guest appearances anyway.

I'm going off-topic here--but the role that is really the most missed in the synd. years is Eunice.

I wish Betty and Rue had both continued to make occasional appearance in the syndicated version. Both were missing from several of the episodes of the original NBC version anyway, so it shouldn't have been a problem for them to continue showing up once in awhile even after moving on to Golden Girls. As it was they immediately killed off Aunt Fran in the first syndicated episode. I know Rue didn't like the Aunt Fran role though, so she probably would not have agreed to come back for guest appearances anyway.

I wish Fran hadn't died, I wish something good had happened to her like she got married or took a lucrative job elsewhere, that way the door could have been open for her to make a guest appearance now and then

I'm going off-topic here--but the role that is really the most missed in the synd. years is Eunice.

Apparently Eunice was trying to start a spin-off of her own during that time, a scene from the pilot is actually available to watch

I wish Fran hadn't died, I wish something good had happened to her like she got married or took a lucrative job elsewhere, that way the door could have been open for her to make a guest appearance now and then
I hate the way they made Aunt Fran die: choking on a fish bone, in a bathroom stall, at the Bigger Jigger. That never was funny to me especially when Mama implicated herself making fun of her so she went to the bathroom.
They made her death a comedy skit. I agree they should have had her die of natural causes or get married and move out.
But then again Carl died in the bathroom too.

I hate the way they made Aunt Fran die: choking on a fish bone, in a bathroom stall, at the Bigger Jigger. That never was funny to me especially when Mama implicated herself making fun of her so she went to the bathroom.
They made her death a comedy skit. I agree they should have had her die of natural causes or get married and move out.
But then again Carl died in the bathroom too.

Yes, everything seemed to become cartoony in the syndicated episodes