How many bedrooms were upstairs? There had to be more than 2 bedrooms.

Seasons 1-2: Thelma had a bedroom.Fran had a bedroom.Fran had a studio. Buzz had a bedroom.Sonia had a bedroom.That's 5 bedrooms.

Seasons 3-6: Thelma had a bedroom. Bubba had a bedroom.That's 2 bedrooms.

Vinton and Naomi always had the basement.

What I don't understand is in that one episode when Vinton and Naomi wanted to switch bedrooms with Bubba. If there were 5 bedrooms upstairs, they could have easily have moved upstairs. I never understood that.

How many bedrooms were upstairs? There had to be more than 2 bedrooms.

Seasons 1-2: Thelma had a bedroom.Fran had a bedroom.Fran had a studio. Buzz had a bedroom.Sonia had a bedroom.That's 5 bedrooms.

Seasons 3-6: Thelma had a bedroom. Bubba had a bedroom.That's 2 bedrooms.

Vinton and Naomi always had the basement.

What I don't understand is in that one episode when Vinton and Naomi wanted to switch bedrooms with Bubba. If there were 5 bedrooms upstairs, they could have easily have moved upstairs. I never understood that.

Buzz had a bedroom in the attic, when his bedroom was shown it looked like a normal room. Sonya's room was Fran's former studio. So there would have been 3 at the most in the NBC years.

In the syndicated episodes the continuity changed, and apparently there were only 2

Buzz had a bedroom in the attic, when his bedroom was shown it looked like a normal room. Sonya's room was Fran's former studio. So there would have been 3 at the most in the NBC years.

In the syndicated episodes the continuity changed, and apparently there were only 2

I'm sure there was still an attic in Seasons 3-6. I remember when Bubba first moved in he took over Fran's bedroom. Bubba could have moved into the attic taking over Buzz's bedroom. Vinton and Naomi could have took over Fran's bedroom or Sonja's bedroom which was Fran's studio.

I'm sure there was still an attic in Seasons 3-6. I remember when Bubba first moved in he took over Fran's bedroom. Bubba could have moved into the attic taking over Buzz's bedroom. Vinton and Naomi could have took over Fran's bedroom or Sonja's bedroom which was Fran's studio.

The studio room has been debated among fans for years, it seemed to have disappeared once syndication started. If you notice Mama's house is MUCH smaller in the syndicated years, that HUGE window in the living room is gone, so that would have eliminated much of the upstairs area.

Here's how I've always rationed it, with a continuity change:

In the NBC episodes Eunice and Ellen shared a room when they were young, their old room became Fran's studio *Eunice mentioned this once*. Vint's childhood room likely became Fran's room.

In the Syndicated episodes. Eunice and Ellen's room likely became Fran's room, which became Bubba's room, and I get the impression Vint ALWAYS slept in the basement lol Maybe when he was LITTLE LITTLE, Thelma and Carl stuck him in with Ellen and Eunice for a while until he got bigger. I do know way back in the day it was not uncommon for opposite sex siblings to share a room when they are really young.

Many fans seem to think that Buzz and Sonya no longer existed in the syndicated episodes, though I don't hold to that theory. In the episode Direct to Video, Thelma mentions "Her kids and all of their kids", so that implies more grandchildren than just Bubba.

The number of bedrooms in Mama's house changed significantly due to a complete set redesign between the show's original NBC run (Seasons 1-2) and its return in syndication (Seasons 3-6). While the house "shrunk" for production reasons, here is the breakdown of the upstairs layout across the series:

Seasons 1-2 (NBC Years)
During the early seasons, the house was much larger and technically contained three bedrooms plus an attic upstairs:

Thelma’s Bedroom: Her permanent room upstairs.
Fran’s Bedroom: Aunt Fran’s private room.
Fran’s Studio (Eunice and Ellen's former room): This was a writing room that Sonya eventually took over as her bedroom.
The Attic: Buzz slept in a finished room in the attic.

Including the attic, there were effectively four sleeping spaces upstairs during the NBC run.

Seasons 3-6 (Syndicated Years)
When the show was revived in syndication, the set was rebuilt to be smaller and more budget-friendly. This led to a major continuity shift where the upstairs was depicted as having only two bedrooms:

Thelma’s Bedroom: Remained upstairs.
Bubba’s Bedroom (formerly Fran's): After Fran's off-screen death, Bubba moved into her old room.
Missing Rooms: Fran's studio and the attic bedroom essentially vanished from the layout and were rarely, if ever, mentioned again.

Why didn't Vinton and Naomi move upstairs?
The show never provided a logical in-universe explanation for why Vinton and Naomi stayed in the basement if multiple rooms were available, which has been a long-standing point of debate for fans.

Production Reason: The writers likely kept them in the basement to maintain the "stuck in the basement" dynamic as a source of comedy and conflict.

Fan Theory: Many fans speculate that Fran’s old studio was simply too small for a married couple (often described as more of a "cramped closet" or office), or that Thelma used the extra space for storage once the kids were gone

The number of bedrooms in Mama's house changed significantly due to a complete set redesign between the show's original NBC run (Seasons 1-2) and its return in syndication (Seasons 3-6). While the house "shrunk" for production reasons, here is the breakdown of the upstairs layout across the series:

Seasons 1-2 (NBC Years)
During the early seasons, the house was much larger and technically contained three bedrooms plus an attic upstairs:

Thelma’s Bedroom: Her permanent room upstairs.
Fran’s Bedroom: Aunt Fran’s private room.
Fran’s Studio (Eunice and Ellen's former room): This was a writing room that Sonya eventually took over as her bedroom.
The Attic: Buzz slept in a finished room in the attic.

Including the attic, there were effectively four sleeping spaces upstairs during the NBC run.

Seasons 3-6 (Syndicated Years)
When the show was revived in syndication, the set was rebuilt to be smaller and more budget-friendly. This led to a major continuity shift where the upstairs was depicted as having only two bedrooms:

Thelma’s Bedroom: Remained upstairs.
Bubba’s Bedroom (formerly Fran's): After Fran's off-screen death, Bubba moved into her old room.
Missing Rooms: Fran's studio and the attic bedroom essentially vanished from the layout and were rarely, if ever, mentioned again.

Why didn't Vinton and Naomi move upstairs?
The show never provided a logical in-universe explanation for why Vinton and Naomi stayed in the basement if multiple rooms were available, which has been a long-standing point of debate for fans.

Production Reason: The writers likely kept them in the basement to maintain the "stuck in the basement" dynamic as a source of comedy and conflict.

Fan Theory: Many fans speculate that Fran’s old studio was simply too small for a married couple (often described as more of a "cramped closet" or office), or that Thelma used the extra space for storage once the kids were gone

Sonya a couple of times complained that her room was too SMALL even for her alone, so it makes sense that Vint and Naomi would not see it as a significant improvement

Remember the NBC house and Syndication house were completely different houses. It gets forgotten because when the show was picked up for syndication they changed the outside of the house for the NBC years for continuity. I believe the original house looked bigger than the one in Pasadena, CA.
This is why when Mama runs for Mayor its confusing to see them in a yard of a house that does not look familiar. They found a house in CA that sort of looked like the one in the opening. I wish someone would find the original NBC house. I read once it was in Missouri but who knows.

Remember the NBC house and Syndication house were completely different houses. It gets forgotten because when the show was picked up for syndication they changed the outside of the house for the NBC years for continuity. I believe the original house looked bigger than the one in Pasadena, CA.
This is why when Mama runs for Mayor its confusing to see them in a yard of a house that does not look familiar. They found a house in CA that sort of looked like the one in the opening. I wish someone would find the original NBC house. I read once it was in Missouri but who knows.


There were actually 3 houses used, the Mama for Mayor and Mama Learns to Drive was a different house than the NBC openings.

There were actually 3 houses used, the Mama for Mayor and Mama Learns to Drive was a different house than the NBC openings.
Yes. I don't think they were going to pack up and fly to Missouri and shoot Mama For Mayor episode :lol: They found the closest thing in Pasadena.

The original Mama house is out there somewhere for someone to find.

Yes. I don't think they were going to pack up and fly to Missouri and shoot Mama For Mayor episode :lol: They found the closest thing in Pasadena.

The original Mama house is out there somewhere for someone to find.

I have a pic of the one in Missouri, I tried to upload it but it wouldn't upload for some reason, it said "error", I'll keep trying.

But a couple of things I DO like about that blue/gray house, if you look to the left, you can see a plastic lawn flamingo in the side yard, it makes me wonder if this pic IS actually from the Mayor episode, and it's fixed up to be Mama's house here, I do know this house was used in several TV shows and commercials, including a Dell commercial in the early 2000s.

Also notice how on the right side of the house we can see protruding windows! That kinda matches up with those windows in the living room that vanish in the syndicated episodes.

I have a pic of the one in Missouri, I tried to upload it but it wouldn't upload for some reason, it said "error", I'll keep trying.

But a couple of things I DO like about that blue/gray house, if you look to the left, you can see a plastic lawn flamingo in the side yard, it makes me wonder if this pic IS actually from the Mayor episode, and it's fixed up to be Mama's house here, I do know this house was used in several TV shows and commercials, including a Dell commercial in the early 2000s.

Also notice how on the right side of the house we can see protruding windows! That kinda matches up with those windows in the living room that vanish in the syndicated episodes.
I wonder if the owners of the house put the pink flamingo there as a tribute to Mamas Family. The house was white in the Mayor episode, right? This house is painted and updated from that episode. But good catch about the side windows.

I wonder if the owners of the house put the pink flamingo there as a tribute to Mamas Family. The house was white in the Mayor episode, right? This house is painted and updated from that episode. But good catch about the side windows.


I honestly thought it was still this blue/gray color in Mama for Mayor, and in the one where she buys a car when they're all in front of the house. B/c when I was younger I had NO IDEA different houses were used, and I could NOT understand WHY it looked so different in the Mayor episode when they were all in the front lawn.


But the Missouri house is definitely white.

I honestly thought it was still this blue/gray color in Mama for Mayor, and in the one where she buys a car when they're all in front of the house. B/c when I was younger I had NO IDEA different houses were used, and I could NOT understand WHY it looked so different in the Mayor episode when they were all in the front lawn.


But the Missouri house is definitely white.
My memory is the Mama for Mayor house is white. It was to match the opening. But you are right about when Mama buys a car. But that scene is tricky because they are in the street and you dont know for sure if they walked down a house or two. But the house in back of them is not white (our memories are consistent here).

My memory is the Mama for Mayor house is white. It was to match the opening. But you are right about when Mama buys a car. But that scene is tricky because they are in the street and you dont know for sure if they walked down a house or two. But the house in back of them is not white (our memories are consistent here).


So when I first saw the episode where she buys a car, I ASSUMED they were standing across the street, b/c I didn't know a different house was used so I didn't recognize that blue/gray house as Mama's lol , kid me kept trying to get a glimpse of the FAMILIAR Mama's house, since at that time it was edited over the opening and closing of the NBC episodes lol