That's My Mama which premeired in 1974 on ABC. I have been looking and Looking and I still have not found this show. Has anyone been lucky enough to see it?

I watched it years ago and liked it. The last time I saw it was in the mid 80's when it aired on one of my local channels in North Carolina.

Originally posted by mr roper
I watched it years ago and liked it. The last time I saw it was in the mid 80's when it aired on one of my local channels in North Carolina.


It never aired in Philadelphia

I don't think its syndicated very much. I enjoyed the show but it took awhile to get going. They had a few cast changes that you had to get use to.

"That's My Mama" had its moments, but compared to the concurrent "Good Times", "The Jeffersons" and especially "Sanford and Son" (with which it shares a lot of similarities) it couldn't compete.

But that's my opinion...

Originally posted by W.J. Griffin
"That's My Mama" had its moments, but compared to the concurrent "Good Times", "The Jeffersons" and especially "Sanford and Son" (with which it shares a lot of similarities) it couldn't compete.

But that's my opinion...



What were some of the similarities between THat's My Mama and the


Jeffersons
Good Times
Sanford and Son


And why couldn't it compete against those shows?

That's where Ted Lange (Isaac, Love Boat) got his start. He would burst in the barber shop (where most of the show was set), a la Kramer, saying "I got it, I got it, I got it! And I sho ain't gonna tell it! I couldn't have been no more than five years old, but I definitely remember that.

Originally posted by Sitcom Analyzer
What were some of the similarities between THat's My Mama and the


Jeffersons
Good Times
Sanford and Son


And why couldn't it compete against those shows?

Well, if you REALLY want to know...

"That's My Mama" was so obviously ABC's answer to "Sanford and Son" it could've been titled "Sanford's Mama". Theresa Merritt played a sweet but overbearing mother to Clifton Davis's cool-brother barber (running his late father's barber shop), and some of the supporting cast were softer versions of the "Sanford" cast (no Aunt Esther, to be sure, but Clifton did have a sister and a bland-o-rama brother-in-law, a jivin' best friend who was a postman, and the aformentioned "Junior", played by Ted Lange {Issac on "Love Boat"}).

The show had a rspectable run (two, two-and-a-half saesons, tops), but, to me, it didn't have the same impact that "Sanford and Son", "Good Times", or "The Jeffersons" had with their in-your-face attitudes, broad comedy, and moral outrage(though, in "Mama's'' defense, it was light-years ahead of the condescending "Love Thy Neighbor"...):rolleyes:

Originally posted by W.J. Griffin
Well, if you REALLY want to know...

"That's My Mama" was so obviously ABC's answer to "Sanford and Son" it could've been titled "Sanford's Mama". Theresa Merritt played a sweet but overbearing mother to Clifton Davis's cool-brother barber (running his late father's barber shop), and some of the supporting cast were softer versions of the "Sanford" cast (no Aunt Esther, to be sure, but Clifton did have a sister and a bland-o-rama brother-in-law, a jivin' best friend who was a postman, and the aformentioned "Junior", played by Ted Lange {Issac on "Love Boat"}).

The show had a rspectable run (two, two-and-a-half saesons, tops), but, to me, it didn't have the same impact that "Sanford and Son", "Good Times", or "The Jeffersons" had with their in-your-face attitudes, broad comedy, and moral outrage(though, in "Mama's'' defense, it was light-years ahead of the condescending "Love Thy Neighbor"...):rolleyes:


I know it came on Wednesday night. I wonder was that timeslot a bad spot?

Originally posted by Riff
It aired opposite "Little House on the Prairie" and "Tony Orlando and Dawn" for most of its run. There was just no audience left for it. That, and "When Things Were Rotten"...

I can't imagine changing actors -- and having actors changing roles -- helped, either.

I'm not giving up-i will try to get this show

Originally posted by Riff
You could try writing TV One, the upstart BET Two. They seem to be picking up the slack where BET left off, what, with their recent acquisitions of two CBS dramas nobody watched.

Their CEO also had this to say-- ""There aren't that many dramas about African-Americans out there, but we were fortunate enough to get some of the best," he said, adding that TV One expects to tap the bigger pool of urban comedies available
in syndication in the near future."


I just thought I would run across someone who would have it in there collection in the past 14 months

Originally posted by W.J. Griffin
Well, if you REALLY want to know...

"That's My Mama" was so obviously ABC's answer to "Sanford and Son" it could've been titled "Sanford's Mama". Theresa Merritt played a sweet but overbearing mother to Clifton Davis's cool-brother barber (running his late father's barber shop), and some of the supporting cast were softer versions of the "Sanford" cast (no Aunt Esther, to be sure, but Clifton did have a sister and a bland-o-rama brother-in-law, a jivin' best friend who was a postman, and the aformentioned "Junior", played by Ted Lange {Issac on "Love Boat"}).

The show had a rspectable run (two, two-and-a-half saesons, tops), but, to me, it didn't have the same impact that "Sanford and Son", "Good Times", or "The Jeffersons" had with their in-your-face attitudes, broad comedy, and moral outrage(though, in "Mama's'' defense, it was light-years ahead of the condescending "Love Thy Neighbor"...):rolleyes:


I just found out in a 1975 Jet Magazine that this was the problem with the show THat's My Mama. It was said that the mother was too overbearing. Here is a quote from one of the producers. "What we want to do in the 1975 season is reduce her overbearing matriarchal qualities" She was more STERN than Warm in the 1974-75 season."

Do you agree with this W.J. Griffin?

I could tell you "yeah, that's the way it wnet down", but, frankly, my memoris of this show are somewhat vague, at best. I don't remeber any definite change in quality one way or the other, as in regards to Theresa Merritt's "transformation".

What I DO remember is that this show was no where near as funny as the other Black sitcoms that were on the air at the same time. And the writing was, like, strictly from dullsville, man.(kinda like "Charlie and Company"...does anyone out there remember "Charlie and Company"? Me neither.)

I never bothered with it but it was syndicated in the 80s so I'm sure there are collectors who have it.

Originally posted by bencasey
I never bothered with it but it was syndicated in the 80s so I'm sure there are collectors who have it.


Not many, I been on this site for almost 2 years and no one has the show in their collection.

The show ran in syndication in the NY area a long time ago.
I think reruns of "That's My Mama" aired on BET in their early days, I think.

Originally posted by TJL
The show ran in syndication in the NY area a long time ago.
I think reruns of "That's My Mama" aired on BET in their early days, I think.

That's how I got to see it.

Originally posted by Brian Damage
That's how I got to see it.


Oh i thought you watched it on ABC in 74/75

I was too young back then.

In the '80s That's My Mama was on in syndication in the NY area.
(for a couple years somewhere in there).

I watched it. Actually I thought it was OK. The mother was overbearing a bit as I remember, but not so much that I didn't want to watch the show.

As far as any UPN sitcom on right now, I'd take That's My Mama before them in a hearbeat.

When I think of That's My Mama, I can't help but thinking of that part in Coming to America where Arsenio Hall (as the Reverend) introduces the Eddie Murphy character Randy Watson, Jr., he says: "You all remember him as Joe the policeman in the "What's Going Down" episode of That's My Mama."LOL I don't know if there was an episode with that title or not but I watched the show in syndication about 10 years ago & thought it was okay. Not as funny as Good Times, The Jeffersons, & Sanford and Son. Maybe that's one of the reasons it didn't last very long. Sitcom Analyzer, keep looking & I'm sure you'll find someone who has this show on tape. How many of you remember the scene in "Coming to America" that I mentioned? I know I'm not the only one who remembers that.

Originally posted by Dr. Jazz
When I think of That's My Mama, I can't help but thinking of that part in Coming to America where Arsenio Hall (as the Reverend) introduces the Eddie Murphy character Randy Watson, Jr., he says: "You all remember him as Joe the policeman in the "What's Going Down" episode of That's My Mama."LOL I don't know if there was an episode with that title or not but I watched the show in syndication about 10 years ago & thought it was okay. Not as funny as Good Times, The Jeffersons, & Sanford and Son. Maybe that's one of the reasons it didn't last very long. Sitcom Analyzer, keep looking & I'm sure you'll find someone who has this show on tape. How many of you remember the scene in "Coming to America" that I mentioned? I know I'm not the only one who remembers that.



How is the Jeffersons search going?-LOL

Originally posted by Dr. Jazz
When I think of That's My Mama, I can't help but thinking of that part in Coming to America where Arsenio Hall (as the Reverend) introduces the Eddie Murphy character Randy Watson, Jr., he says: "You all remember him as Joe the policeman in the "What's Going Down" episode of That's My Mama."LOL I don't know if there was an episode with that title or not but I watched the show in syndication about 10 years ago & thought it was okay. Not as funny as Good Times, The Jeffersons, & Sanford and Son. Maybe that's one of the reasons it didn't last very long. Sitcom Analyzer, keep looking & I'm sure you'll find someone who has this show on tape. How many of you remember the scene in "Coming to America" that I mentioned? I know I'm not the only one who remembers that.



I read in a 1975 TV guide today That's My Mama was offensive to Whites and Blacks.

I dont know if That's My Mama is even in syndication anymore. The last time I saw it was about 1983 or 84 when I lived in Mongtomery, Alabama. Actually, I enjoyed it because they didnt try all the heavy handed messages that Good Times was always doing. That was my problem with most all the Norman Lear sitcoms. The only one that seems funny to me today is The Jeffersons, because, except in the first couple of years, they didnt try to be topical, they were just funny. Sanford and Son never went much for social commentary they just made you laugh.

Originally posted by gv416
I dont know if That's My Mama is even in syndication anymore. The last time I saw it was about 1983 or 84 when I lived in Mongtomery, Alabama. Actually, I enjoyed it because they didnt try all the heavy handed messages that Good Times was always doing. That was my problem with most all the Norman Lear sitcoms. The only one that seems funny to me today is The Jeffersons, because, except in the first couple of years, they didnt try to be topical, they were just funny. Sanford and Son never went much for social commentary they just made you laugh.




Well after receiving 6 eps of That's My Mama, i liked the characters Earl and Junior. Clifton was a SQUARE and Mama was just not entertaining at all. I feel Junior should have had more screen time. BTW, Junior had the best entrance to a room in the HISTORY of TV sitcoms.

Well after receiving 6 eps of That's My Mama, i liked the characters Earl and Junior. Clifton was a SQUARE and Mama was just not entertaining at all. I feel Junior should have had more screen time. BTW, Junior had the best entrance to a room in the HISTORY of TV sitcoms.

:woohoo:
I liked Junior, but I recall critics dissing his entries as "embarrassing" and stereotypical. I thought he was funny.

So did you get to see the TV Guide for the premiere of that season? I saved it for years. One TV Guide had lead ups to the show, for several days: "Wednesday is Mama's Day," each ad featuring a slightly different beautiful portrait photo of Theresa. Then on Wednesday the photo telling viewers Tonight to watch That's My Mama


Wed was Get Christy Love night too, I think. A show which got murdered when they put it opposite either Police Woman -- ridiculous pitting like-genre shows against each other --or did they put it up against Cher? I recall it being opposite another show I liked.
I recall wanting to watch That's My Mama, but if it was opposite Little House that's why I didn't get to see enough episodes. I think the show premiered a week or two ahead of the regular season, though, in August 1974. I'd have to check.

Years later, on Tattletales, Theresa was on with her husband, and made a reference to Lynn Moody. The question was something along the lines of who makes you jealous or who would your husband date or be married to if not you, and she answered Lynn Moody --but Bert Convy, the host apparently never heard of Lynn Moody, nor saw the show, at least from his reaction, which I recall appeared that he presumed that Ms Moody was some private friend, and not a young actress of whose asssociation with Theresa via the sitcom was assumed by Theresa that everyone would be aware of.

Bert made more than one reference to Lynn which sounded either embarrassed or confused. :dizzy: :crazy:


:seeya:

:woohoo:
I liked Junior, but I recall critics dissing his entries as "embarrassing" and stereotypical. I thought he was funny.

So did you get to see the TV Guide for the premiere of that season? I saved it for years. One TV Guide had lead ups to the show, for several days: "Wednesday is Mama's Day," each ad featuring a slightly different beautiful portrait photo of Theresa. Then on Wednesday the photo telling viewers Tonight to watch That's My Mama


Wed was Get Christy Love night too, I think. A show which got murdered when they put it opposite either Police Woman -- ridiculous pitting like-genre shows against each other --or did they put it up against Cher? I recall it being opposite another show I liked.
I recall wanting to watch That's My Mama, but if it was opposite Little House that's why I didn't get to see enough episodes. I think the show premiered a week or two ahead of the regular season, though, in August 1974. I'd have to check.

Years later, on Tattletales, Theresa was on with her husband, and made a reference to Lynn Moody. The question was something along the lines of who makes you jealous or who would your husband date or be married to if not you, and she answered Lynn Moody --but Bert Convy, the host apparently never heard of Lynn Moody, nor saw the show, at least from his reaction, which I recall appeared that he presumed that Ms Moody was some private friend, and not a young actress of whose asssociation with Theresa via the sitcom was assumed by Theresa that everyone would be aware of.

Bert made more than one reference to Lynn which sounded either embarrassed or confused. :dizzy: :crazy:


:seeya:




Yeah it started the First week of Sept in 74