The “Fluffy” situation

[TVLegend]

Was the “Fluffy” story ever revisited on Mama’s Family?

Anyways, it was disgusting. Poor Eunice, being lied to all those years, thinking that she didn’t take good care of the rabbit and he ran away and it was all her fault. When in reality, Mama waited until Eunice went off the school to take the rabbit out it’s cage, slaughter it, cook it, and serve it for supper. Ellen, Phillip, Larry, Jack, and Carl were no better for letting Mama do something as nasty and cruel and vicious and malicious as that. So sick.

[Wawwie]

Originally Posted by TVLegend

Was the “Fluffy” story ever revisited on Mama’s Family?

Anyways, it was disgusting. Poor Eunice, being lied to all those years, thinking that she didn’t take good care of the rabbit and he ran away and it was all her fault. When in reality, Mama waited until Eunice went off the school to take the rabbit out it’s cage, slaughter it, cook it, and serve it for supper. Ellen, Phillip, Larry, Jack, and Carl were no better for letting Mama do something as nasty and cruel and vicious and malicious as that. So sick.

I don't remember this.

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by Wawwie

I don't remember this.

Have you ever watched “The Family” skits on The Carol Burnett Show? If not, in one of the sketches, where Mama, Ed, Eunice, and Ellen clean out Mama’s old attic, Eunice and Ellen get into another one of their spats and Ellen reveals a shocking home truth (Eunice’s pet rabbit, Fluffy, that was mentioned earlier in the sketch never ran away, in fact, Mama waited until Eunice went to school to take the rabbit out of the cage, slaughter it, cook it for supper, and serve it to her family as “fried chicken”, having Eunice believe that she took horrible care of Fluffy and he let loose and ran away.) The sketch is on YouTube.

Also, note that the original “Family” sketches from The Carol Burnett Show were quite more dramatic and dark than the episodes on the spinoff, Mama’s Family. In these series of sketches, the sketches are told from Eunice’s perspective, as Mama is more mean, rude spiteful, and cantankerous, and Ed has a backbone and isn’t afraid to stand up to Mama. I think you’d like it, but you have to adjust and get used to the premise and setting. It’s vastly different from Mama’s Family.

[Bonniegirl]

OMG !! I am glad I never saw this! This is horrible !!

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by Bonniegirl

OMG !! I am glad I never saw this! This is horrible !!

Yeah, if you’re used to lighthearted and often comedic sitcoms, then I don’t think you’d like The Family sketches. It has it’s moments where it’s very funny and humorous, but it has very dark humor at times and takes a dark turn. Very funny but dramatic at the same time. I don’t think you’d like Mama either. It was bad enough that she killed Eunice’s pet and fed it for supper, but she’s done a lot of other cruel, malicious, heartless, intentional things over the show’s course. To be blunt, Mama, in The Family sketches, in layman’s terms, is a total bitch. In these series of sketches, Eunice has to take in a lot, which makes her more miserable and nervous and less problematic. Ed is no picnic either, while he’ll speak up to Mama, he’d hold hands with Mama before he’d ever with Eunice.

[TheLittleFaerie]

Originally Posted by TVLegend

Have you ever watched “The Family” skits on The Carol Burnett Show? If not, in one of the sketches, where Mama, Ed, Eunice, and Ellen clean out Mama’s old attic, Eunice and Ellen get into another one of their spats and Ellen reveals a shocking home truth (Eunice’s pet rabbit, Fluffy, that was mentioned earlier in the sketch never ran away, in fact, Mama waited until Eunice went to school to take the rabbit out of the cage, slaughter it, cook it for supper, and serve it to her family as “fried chicken”, having Eunice believe that she took horrible care of Fluffy and he let loose and ran away.) The sketch is on YouTube.

Also, note that the original “Family” sketches from The Carol Burnett Show were quite more dramatic and dark than the episodes on the spinoff, Mama’s Family. In these series of sketches, the sketches are told from Eunice’s perspective, as Mama is more mean, rude spiteful, and cantankerous, and Ed has a backbone and isn’t afraid to stand up to Mama. I think you’d like it, but you have to adjust and get used to the premise and setting. It’s vastly different from Mama’s Family.

It's hard to believe it's the same Mama that couldn't even bring herself to kill the goose for Christmas dinner lol.... But I think the Thelma Harper of the CB show is one of the nastiest characters ever and boarder line abusive. Archie Bunker looks like a saint compared to her.

Most of the ppl I know who grew up on Mama's Family do not really like the Family Sketches. I like both but in different ways... as I basically grew up during a time when both were on re-runs.

It's just funny how Mama went from mean cruel bitter old woman that no one could stand to being feisty cool granny that everyone wanted to be around

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by TheLittleFaerie

It's hard to believe it's the same Mama that couldn't even bring herself to kill the goose for Christmas dinner lol.... But I think the Thelma Harper of the CB show is one of the nastiest characters ever and boarder line abusive. Archie Bunker looks like a saint compared to her.

Most of the ppl I know who grew up on Mama's Family do not really like the Family Sketches. I like both but in different ways... as I basically grew up during a time when both were on re-runs.

It's just funny how Mama went from mean cruel bitter old woman that no one could stand to being feisty cool granny that everyone wanted to be around

I like both as well, but to be honest, I prefer The Carol Burnett Show “Family” era better. It hits home more. I mean, my mother isn’t as cruel or malicious as Mama, but she, in a way, resembles her, and in fact, most of my family members are almost exactly like Mama, Eunice, and Ed, dysfunctional as ever. It doesn’t get as dramatic though. I don’t think my mother would ever kill my pet rabbit and serve it for supper as “fried chicken”. CB’s Mama and Syndicated Mama are almost two different people. Network Mama is the closest we ever had to CB Mama in Mama’s Family.

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by TheLittleFaerie

Most of the ppl I know who grew up on Mama's Family do not really like the Family Sketches. I like both but in different ways... as I basically grew up during a time when both were on re-runs.

I grew up with both and prefer The Family sketches and NBC years of Mama's Family. The syndication years of Mama's Family are too cartoony. It went from being focused on the Harper family to Lucy and Ethel type comedy with Mama and Iola. I also don't care for the character changes in Vint and Naomi. Vint and Naomi were smarter and stronger characters in the NBC years. In the syndication years, Vint is turned into a goofy type character and Naomi is a cheap airheaded bimbo who's horny most of the time. The character depth we had in the NBC years was erased for the syndication years. Mama turned into an angry old lady in the syndication years. Every episode guarantees you at least one Mama moment where she's intentionally wanting to put someone down because she thinks she is better than everyone. It wasn't like that in the NBC years and the Family sketches.

I don't think Fluffy was ever brought up in Mama's Family. That's only been used for the Family sketches. I hope someday they're able to release all the Family sketches. I've seen majority of them. There's a couple from season 11 of Carol Burnett Show that I haven't been able to see yet.

[TheLittleFaerie]

Originally Posted by Christopher

I grew up with both and prefer The Family sketches and NBC years of Mama's Family. The syndication years of Mama's Family are too cartoony. It went from being focused on the Harper family to Lucy and Ethel type comedy with Mama and Iola. I also don't care for the character changes in Vint and Naomi. Vint and Naomi were smarter and stronger characters in the NBC years. In the syndication years, Vint is turned into a goofy type character and Naomi is a cheap airheaded bimbo who's horny most of the time. The character depth we had in the NBC years was erased for the syndication years. Mama turned into an angry old lady in the syndication years. Every episode guarantees you at least one Mama moment where she's intentionally wanting to put someone down because she thinks she is better than everyone. It wasn't like that in the NBC years and the Family sketches.

I don't think Fluffy was ever brought up in Mama's Family. That's only been used for the Family sketches. I hope someday they're able to release all the Family sketches. I've seen majority of them. There's a couple from season 11 of Carol Burnett Show that I haven't been able to see yet.

That's true, but I think Mama became more likeable in syndication, she became "feisty cool granny" type... I thought in many of the VERY late episode Mama was just basically Vicky in a wig, her voice becomes more like Vicky, and she acts much younger.

I would have loved to see how Eunice would have translated into a syndicated episode... I wonder how hers and Mama's fights would have gone? Seeing as how syndicated Mama backs down to NO ONE, but neither did Eunice, but Eunice could usually always dominate Mama in a fight, so I wonder how it would play out in syndication years.


I've seen all the Family sketches except the Divorce sketch.... where Mama drops in on Dan and Eunice unexpected and catches him in her bathrobe... Unless I saw it when I was little. I hope it surfaces someday

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by Christopher

I grew up with both and prefer The Family sketches and NBC years of Mama's Family. The syndication years of Mama's Family are too cartoony. It went from being focused on the Harper family to Lucy and Ethel type comedy with Mama and Iola. I also don't care for the character changes in Vint and Naomi. Vint and Naomi were smarter and stronger characters in the NBC years. In the syndication years, Vint is turned into a goofy type character and Naomi is a cheap airheaded bimbo who's horny most of the time. The character depth we had in the NBC years was erased for the syndication years. Mama turned into an angry old lady in the syndication years. Every episode guarantees you at least one Mama moment where she's intentionally wanting to put someone down because she thinks she is better than everyone. It wasn't like that in the NBC years and the Family sketches.

I don't think Fluffy was ever brought up in Mama's Family. That's only been used for the Family sketches. I hope someday they're able to release all the Family sketches. I've seen majority of them. There's a couple from season 11 of Carol Burnett Show that I haven't been able to see yet.

Exactly. Not only that, but on the syndicated years, it had little to no variety and it was only Mama, Vinton, Naomi, Iola, and Bubba, almost NO guest stars. Maybe a few, but that was it.

Like you said, I had no interest in seeing a dumbass Vinton and a “special” Naomi. And the way they wrote Eunice and Ed off was disgusting, having them look like terrible parents.

[TheLittleFaerie]

Originally Posted by TVLegend

Exactly. Not only that, but on the syndicated years, it had little to no variety and it was only Mama, Vinton, Naomi, Iola, and Bubba, almost NO guest stars. Maybe a few, but that was it.

Like you said, I had no interest in seeing a dumbass Vinton and a “special” Naomi. And the way they wrote Eunice and Ed off was disgusting, having them look like terrible parents.

In the syndicated years, I think audiences kept hoping for a surprise guest appearance from Carol Burnett... Sadly it didn't happen. UNLESS the "lost episode" is real, supposedly there was a lost episode where Eunice makes a visit and has some sort of bad news. There were supposedly 5 lost episodes.


I HONESTLY thought Eunice was going to make a surprise visit in Pomp and Circumstance

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by TheLittleFaerie

In the syndicated years, I think audiences kept hoping for a surprise guest appearance from Carol Burnett... Sadly it didn't happen. UNLESS the "lost episode" is real, supposedly there was a lost episode where Eunice makes a visit and has some sort of bad news. There were supposedly 5 lost episodes.


I HONESTLY thought Eunice was going to make a surprise visit in Pomp and Circumstance

I doubt that, Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence/Joe Hamilton weren’t on good terms during that period, and I don’t think they would risk all that drama just for an episode. They would’ve had to recast Eunice and Ed to make that possible and everybody knows how god awful that would’ve been.

About Pomp and Circumstance, I thought so too, until Eunice made the phone call. I knew damn well that wasn’t the “real” Eunice, so at that point, I just gave up.

[TheLittleFaerie]

Originally Posted by TVLegend

I doubt that, Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence/Joe Hamilton weren’t on good terms during that period, and I don’t think they would risk all that drama just for an episode. They would’ve had to recast Eunice and Ed to make that possible and everybody knows how god awful that would’ve been.

About Pomp and Circumstance, I thought so too, until Eunice made the phone call. I knew damn well that wasn’t the “real” Eunice, so at that point, I just gave up.

I know some ppl felt it would have been good to have a "stand-in" play Eunice in Pomp and Circumstance.... like maybe someone could have put on Eunice's wig and dress and they could have just gotten the back of her head in the audience at the graduation.

As far as post syndicated Eunice..... I HAVE seen pics of Carol, Harvey and Vicky dressed as Eunice, Ed and Mama.... it looks like it's from the 90s... Carol and Harvey look considerably older and Mama looks like she does in the syndicated episodes of Mama's Family. Eunice is wearing glasses and sitting next to a type-writer. And I've even seen a CLIP from whatever that was from on a news show about Carol Burnett. It appears they are in Eunice's house, Mama and Ed start to walk out and Eunice shouts, "You sit down and you stay where you are OLD LADY!" Again they all look older and Eunice is wearing glasses! So I have NO IDEA where that is from unless Carol did some Family Sketches on her new short-lived show in the 90s... OR I'm wondering of the special she did in 1993, if they did like a private Family Sketch for the audience that never made it to DVD. B/c honestly Carol and Vicky looked like they did in that special when they dressed up as Eunice and Mama, also Harvey looked like he did in that special.


As far as the 5 lost episodes that are SUPPOSEDLY floating around, you've probably heard of them, but they are:

Eunice returns with bad news

Buzz returns and wants to move back into the Harper house, causing tension with Bubba

Buzz and Sonya wreck the car

The Harpers are snowed in

Mama and Iola get into the frozen food business... ~Supposedly this was an NBC episode that featured Iola ~


Again, they're probably not real but they have been floating around in the internet since like the late 90s lol

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by TheLittleFaerie

As far as the 5 lost episodes that are SUPPOSEDLY floating around, you've probably heard of them, but they are:

Eunice returns with bad news

Buzz returns and wants to move back into the Harper house, causing tension with Bubba

Buzz and Sonya wreck the car

The Harpers are snowed in

Mama and Iola get into the frozen food business... ~Supposedly this was an NBC episode that featured Iola ~


Again, they're probably not real but they have been floating around in the internet since like the late 90s lol

I doubt these are true. They wrote Buzz and Sonja off like they never existed to begin with. Vint forgot he was a father when Naomi announced she was pregnant. The only reason Bubba was added in the syndication years was to keep a connection to Eunice. I didn't like that. They should have kept Vint's kids. The NBC years showed Mama didn't care about Eunice's kids. Remember when Mama got a job? She proudly put a picture of Buzz and Sonja on her desk but not Eunice's boys. Mama picked and chose who her grandkids were and Bubba was never one of them. That's why I never liked the addition of him in the syndication years. The love Mama claims she had for him felt fake because the first two years she never mentioned him and couldn't stand his mother.

[TVLegend]

Originally Posted by Christopher

I doubt these are true. They wrote Buzz and Sonja off like they never existed to begin with. Vint forgot he was a father when Naomi announced she was pregnant. The only reason Bubba was added in the syndication years was to keep a connection to Eunice. I didn't like that. They should have kept Vint's kids. The NBC years showed Mama didn't care about Eunice's kids. Remember when Mama got a job? She proudly put a picture of Buzz and Sonja on her desk but not Eunice's boys. Mama picked and chose who her grandkids were and Bubba was never one of them. That's why I never liked the addition of him in the syndication years. The love Mama claims she had for him felt fake because the first two years she never mentioned him and couldn't stand his mother.

Also, I didn’t like the way they wrote Eunice and Ed as bad parents. The Eunice and Ed I KNOW wouldn’t abandon Bubba like that. So basically, the whole syndication years was just retconned.