Charlotte Rae on "Barbara Mandrell & The Mandrell Sisters" (1981)

['80sSitcoms]

Her first scene is at 19:33

Second scene is at 33:07

Song is at 40:33 (wait'll you see her with her "deluxe dress ponytail"!)

-

[RetroGuy2000]

Thanks for sharing this! We definitely watched Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters during its run; I likely saw this episode when it originally aired. This show seemed similar to Hee Haw, which we also adored. I see one of the Mandrell sisters moved on to Hee Haw when their show was cancelled.

Charlotte's long hair, with the ribbon, looks so pretty, there.

[TV Guy]

Charlotte certainly liked appearing with puppets in 80s TV shows. First there was that other clip from the kids show with the gorilla puppet. And in this one, she’s appearing with a John Denver puppet. Maybe she was compensating because she was never invited to appear on the Muppet Show.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Thanks for sharing this!

Yes, people need to see this!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

We definitely watched Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters during its run

We did too!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I likely saw this episode when it originally aired.

I likely did too!

But I hope the show didn't traumatize you like it did me!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

This show seemed similar to Hee Haw, which we also adored.

I picture it more like a "Carol Burnett Show" type of variety show, I think just because of the stage feeling more like a centralized location during the show, whereas Hee Haw zinged all over the place with so many different sets, lol (not a bad thing, just a different feel). But, of course the country/Nashville genre sure felt in line with HH.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I see one of the Mandrell sisters moved on to Hee Haw when their show was cancelled.

I loved Irlene when I was a kid! lol

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Charlotte's long hair, with the ribbon, looks so pretty, there.

Yeah, JSC should've taken note of that and tried to be more "daring"/various with Charlotte's hair sometimes. C"mon, at least let her have long hair with a ribbon when she goes out to dinner in "The Marriage Brokers"! lol

And it's so interesting to see Charlotte interact with grown-up "older young women", lol.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

But I hope the show didn't traumatize you like it did me!

Traumatize? How?

I picture it more like a "Carol Burnett Show" type of variety show, I think just because of the stage feeling more like a centralized location during the show, whereas Hee Haw zinged all over the place with so many different sets, lol (not a bad thing, just a different feel). But, of course the country/Nashville genre sure felt in line with HH.

I didn't get a Carol Burnett Show vibe at all, but the Hee Haw vibe is strong.

I loved Irlene when I was a kid! lol

I remember really liking Cathy and the dog. And, as a young kid, the animated donkey.

Yeah, JSC should've taken note of that and tried to be more "daring"/various with Charlotte's hair sometimes. C"mon, at least let her have long hair with a ribbon when she goes out to dinner in "The Marriage Brokers"! lol

That would have been nice!

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Traumatize? How?

There was one episode where one or more of the Mandrell sisters were throwing cream pies at someone's faces (it may be have been all 3 sisters going at one another). I remember lying down on the floor by one of our couch's end tables by the hall watching, and feeling VERY uncomfortable. I wanted it to be over immediately!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I didn't get a Carol Burnett Show vibe at all, but the Hee Haw vibe is strong.

Yeah, with all the country/gospel material and stars. But the variety sketch/songs format and staging details remind me of TCBS since it's staged in front of a studio audience like all those variety shows of the '70s, where they would sometimes pull back and show the view looking over the audience down to the stage. That reminds me of Carol's Q&A sessions, and also award shows. (I read an interesting book on the making of HH, and you probably know there were no audiences---in fact, for several years they were in a cramped studio)

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I remember really liking Cathy and the dog. And, as a young kid, the animated donkey.

Oh. Cathy bugged me. I like her okay now though in the reruns.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

There was one episode where one or more of the Mandrell sisters were throwing cream pies at someone's faces (it may be have been all 3 sisters going at one another). I remember lying down on the floor by one of our couch's end tables by the hall watching, and feeling VERY uncomfortable. I wanted it to be over immediately!

It's crazy what can make kids uncomfortable.

Yeah, with all the country/gospel material and stars. But the variety sketch/songs format and staging details remind me of TCBS since it's staged in front of a studio audience like all those variety shows of the '70s, where they would sometimes pull back and show the view looking over the audience down to the stage. That reminds me of Carol's Q&A sessions, and also award shows. (I read an interesting book on the making of HH, and you probably know there were no audiences---in fact, for several years they were in a cramped studio)

Yeah, if the canned laughter didn't clue me in, the laugh track on the animated donkey's jokes should have. Mike Jones says some musical performances were taped in front of a live studio audience (when it was taped at the Opry House) , and I do remember them showing some audience reaction shots during the last year or so. But yeah.

Oh. Cathy bugged me. I like her okay now though in the reruns.

Oh, man. I thought she was the best!

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

It's crazy what can make kids uncomfortable.

Right? The playing cards in their colorful and shadowy march in Disney's "Alic in Wonderland" made my dad uncomfortable.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Oh, man. I thought she was the best!

To me, as a little boy, it was like she was trying too hard.

My favorite by far was Misty! And I loved "Misty's Country Bedtime Stories"!