Episodes Order

[JR1]

I know some first-season shows were filmed and shown later ("Alien Marriage" and "Mama's Silver," for instance), but season 2 also had some episodes taped earlier, but aired later. "Ask Aunt Fran" and "A Grave Mistake" look like early season 2 tapings, but not aired until season's end. I haven't watched the DVD versions of those shows yet, to see if it's explained that they're regarded as flashbacks or not (like the aforementioned season 1 shows).

Also- is the production code number always indicative of the order of taping? I'm surprised they would have taped "Vint and the Kids Move In" after a few other episodes.

['80sSitcoms]

"Ask Aunt Fran" and "A Grave Mistake" are not regarded as flashbacks; indeed, there were no more Alistair Quince introductions by that point.

The production code # does seem to correspond to the order of taping. The very first shows taped were "Mama's Silver" and "Alien Marriage". After these two shows though, Vicki felt something was very "off" about the show and ordered production shut down until they fixed things, and she asked to please bring Harvey Korman in as a director (he co-directed with Roger Beatty; Roger did all the camera directing, Harvey worked with the characters, most notably Mama). After that, Vicki felt Mama was finding her way as more of a sitcom character than the sketch character she had been.

Also, a great indicator of episode tape order is Sonja's hairstyles. If you go by the production codes being tape order, this corresponds to her various hairdos (particularly in season 2 where she went from a tomboy with a ponytail to a sophisticated pageant queen [!] ).

[schmave]

Yeah ... taken in the order they're shown, those two episodes make no sense being shown after the Vint-Naomi relationship has blossomed. I don't think Naomi was even mentioned although it's been years since I've seen those episodes.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by schmave

Yeah ... taken in the order they're shown, those two episodes make no sense being shown after the Vint-Naomi relationship has blossomed. I don't think Naomi was even mentioned although it's been years since I've seen those episodes.

Naomi is in "Alien Marriage" (in a scene between she and Mama in their backyards, chatting over the fence) but she is not mentioned in "Mama's Silver". But, with the Alistair Quince introductions, they are both introduced as being flashback episodes.

[JR1]

Then "Vint and the Kids Move In" was filmed after those two episodes? Odd, as they were already living with Mama in those ones. I wonder why those two episodes at the end of season 2 were aired later than when they were filmed.

(There apparently were a couple of episodes of "ALF"- "Mama's" companion show now on MeTV- taped in season 3 that aired in season 4- one, though, referenced Kate and Willie's new baby, which was born at the end of season 3. So, I don't know if those shows were taped at the end of season 3 or if they jut added the baby Eric reference later.

'80sSitcoms- yes, I read (and heard via the DVDs) how Vicki brought Harvey in and such, as she didn't think what they had done with the first couple of episodes was funny.

['80sSitcoms]

I think that's why those two episodes didn't air until later in the season, because Vicki was so unhappy with them (at least as to Mama's portrayal), and probably asked for them to be broadcast well after the show had been on the air and (hopefully) become a hit; so when the audience did see them, they wouldn't give up on the show if those episodes seemed "off" or "unfunny" because they would have hopefully already fallen in love with the series by then. That's my theory.

Despite Vicki's frustration and disappointment in those two episodes---at least at the time they were produced---I, however, really really enjoy them. And Mama definitely has some funny moments in them.

And so yes, "Vint and the Kids Move In" was filmed after those two. I guess since the series had no pilot to speak of (NBC just greenlighted it on the golf course with Joe Hamilton, no request for a pilot made), they could just do whatever episodes they wanted first, and then film the "beginning" episode once they had all the characters established. Again, my theory, lol.

[stevea]

I guess I'm gonna need to recheck the DVD to find where Vicki explains her dissatisfaction. I'm a big fan of the show, but never heard that story.

As far as the 2nd season out of order question goes, networks routinely shuffle episodes out of production order. Sometimes it's noticeable, sometimes not. I think there are certain instances where scenes are sometimes retaken and reediting is done to cover obvious discrepancies.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by stevea

I guess I'm gonna need to recheck the DVD to find where Vicki explains her dissatisfaction. I'm a big fan of the show, but never heard that story.

Yes, there's more than one interview with her saying this. Check her interviews on the TimeLife StarVista MF sets, and check her interview at the Emmy TV Legends interview web site. She may even mention this is in a Carol Burnett Show interview or two, but definitely in the MF and Emmy TV Legends interviews.