Same house as Mama's Family? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brett Ferino · 01-23-2003, 05:43 PM

I've always thought that the GAB house looked very much like the one on MF. Is it the same house? Because all the floors, colors, etc. look the same...

Wildchats · 01-23-2003, 05:52 PM

it looks a lot alike but its not the same house. I mean, I generally observed a lot of tvshows, and they are either 2 ways.......

1. Livingroom to the left of the screen with front door and kitchen leading to the right of the tv screen such as :

SilverSpoons, Golden Girls, Gimme A Break Final Season

2. Living Room to the right of the tv screen an moving left you have the kitchen as in....

Mama's Family, Gimme A Break Seasons 1-5, Diffrent Strokes, Alf

GAB's set looks a lot like ALF's set. I mean, GAB's set stopped in 1986, when ALF premiered. It looks like they stole the living room and kitchen floor plan from them. The divider between the kitchen and dining room for example...even if slightly different but still in the same area, right next to the dining room.

AtlantaBravesFan29 · 01-23-2003, 07:11 PM

The exterior of the Gimme A Break house looks like the house on Eight is Enough,the Mama's Family house had a front porch attached to the house

Brett Ferino · 01-23-2003, 08:39 PM

About the GAB house from the MF house, the only thing that is likely different is the porch that they have. Remember in the opening credits on MF where Mama goes out and gets the mail? And at the end, we see the house again. Note that in episodes that ended in the day, the background would be daytime and night would be nightime..

Justmarko · 02-08-2003, 04:40 PM

Does anyone remember when "Mama's Family" was on NBC and one of the early episodes circa 1983 had Mama going to a cabin with an old flame and mentioning that she never missed "Gimme A Break"???? She said "Lord, that woman has a mouth on her" or something close to that talking about Nell's character!!!!!!!

Brett Ferino · 02-08-2003, 05:05 PM

Hey, I sorta think that Nell and Mama were a bit similar..

Justmarko · 02-09-2003, 04:49 AM

Indeed they were women!

jonjon32811 · 05-23-2004, 02:43 AM

I think the interior of the living room of Gimme A Break was the same as The Cosby Show "Pilot".

Eric777 · 06-08-2004, 12:54 PM

I think you may be right Both Gimme A Break and Mama's Family both taped at the same studio. So you never know.

Bonniegirl · 05-09-2018, 10:42 PM

Nell's childhood home in Alabama, the ep. Where she went home and her Father died was the same exact house as in Season 9 of One day at a time, the house that Barbara and Julie moved into with their Husbands!

I mean it TOTALLY was the same exact house, same set for sure.

Than Nell went back home to visit another time and it was a different house!

Smartboy · 05-10-2018, 01:42 PM

Even though I have nothing special to say about this particular topic, I am happy to see some conversation being stimulated!

MrCleveland · 05-20-2018, 10:08 PM

I think the GAB interior is more similar to AITF interior...

Mort Lachman worked on BOTH shows, and I see GAB as a tone-down AITF...Chief Kaniski was a more toned-down Archie Bunker, Nell Harper seemed to be more into it like Maude or The Jeffersons, and the daughters had some parts of Gloria Bunker-Stivic. Then there's Johnathan who's a watered-down Mike Stivic.

Here's the AITF Living Room...

And here's the interior of the GAB Living Room...

See any similarities?

Smartboy · 05-21-2018, 01:37 AM

Now that you mention it, I can make some sense out of you logic of this being, sort of, like an eighties style "All in the Family" type show. A lot of the episodes were quite similar to the episodes of "All in the Family", but not as heavy handed.

MrCleveland · 05-21-2018, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smartboy

Now that you mention it, I can make some sense out of you logic of this being, sort of, like an eighties style "All in the Family" type show. A lot of the episodes were quite similar to the episodes of "All in the Family", but not as heavy handed.

That's because 80's shows probably use the AITF formula, but since Boomers were having children of their own (Gen X and Y) the shows were more family focused.

Not Just Gimme a Break!, but Diff'rnt Strokes, The Facts of Life, Family Ties, Growing Pains, Full House and Mr. Belvedere just to name a few...were sitcoms that had moral issues, but more family-oriented than social-oriented. This style of sitcom lasted even up to the 1990's.

Smartboy · 05-21-2018, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrCleveland

That's because 80's shows probably use the AITF formula, but since Boomers were having children of their own (Gen X and Y) the shows were more family focused.

Not Just Gimme a Break!, but Diff'rnt Strokes, The Facts of Life, Family Ties, Growing Pains, Full House and Mr. Belvedere just to name a few...were sitcoms that had moral issues, but more family-oriented than social-oriented. This style of sitcom lasted even up to the 1990's.

That is all very insightful my friend.

01-23-2003, 05:43 PM	#1
Brett Ferino Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 18, 2000 Location: PA Posts: 3,782	Same house as Mama's Family? I've always thought that the GAB house looked very much like the one on MF. Is it the same house? Because all the floors, colors, etc. look the same...

01-23-2003, 05:52 PM	#2
Wildchats Me Senior Member Join Date: Jul 15, 2001 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,076	it looks a lot alike but its not the same house. I mean, I generally observed a lot of tvshows, and they are either 2 ways....... 1. Livingroom to the left of the screen with front door and kitchen leading to the right of the tv screen such as : SilverSpoons, Golden Girls, Gimme A Break Final Season 2. Living Room to the right of the tv screen an moving left you have the kitchen as in.... Mama's Family, Gimme A Break Seasons 1-5, Diffrent Strokes, Alf GAB's set looks a lot like ALF's set. I mean, GAB's set stopped in 1986, when ALF premiered. It looks like they stole the living room and kitchen floor plan from them. The divider between the kitchen and dining room for example...even if slightly different but still in the same area, right next to the dining room.
	__________________ Guys, check out all my websites! I lived in Los Angeles for 13 years and worked on many fun shows! www.MarkSinacori.com Check out my website! http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3254521/?nmdp=1& Check out my IMDB page! https://www.facebook.com/MarkTSinacori My public facebook! Please like it! https://www.tiktok.com/@marksinacori?lang=en My TikTok! Last edited by Wildchats; 07-11-2018 at 06:07 AM.

02-08-2003, 04:40 PM	#5
Justmarko Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 24, 2003 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 35	A "Mama's Family" Nell connection Does anyone remember when "Mama's Family" was on NBC and one of the early episodes circa 1983 had Mama going to a cabin with an old flame and mentioning that she never missed "Gimme A Break"???? She said "Lord, that woman has a mouth on her" or something close to that talking about Nell's character!!!!!!!

05-23-2004, 02:43 AM	#8
jonjon32811 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Sep 08, 2001 Location: Orlando, Florida, U.S.A. Posts: 11	GAB house I think the interior of the living room of Gimme A Break was the same as The Cosby Show "Pilot".

06-08-2004, 12:54 PM	#9
Eric777 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 20, 2002 Posts: 569	Same Studio I think you may be right Both Gimme A Break and Mama's Family both taped at the same studio. So you never know.

01-23-2003, 07:11 PM	#3
AtlantaBravesFan29 Atlanta Braves Fan Senior Member Join Date: Aug 13, 2002 Location: Pleasanton,TX--40 Miles South Of San Antonio Posts: 1,859	The exterior of the Gimme A Break house looks like the house on Eight is Enough,the Mama's Family house had a front porch attached to the house

01-23-2003, 08:39 PM	#4
Brett Ferino Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 18, 2000 Location: PA Posts: 3,782	About the GAB house from the MF house, the only thing that is likely different is the porch that they have. Remember in the opening credits on MF where Mama goes out and gets the mail? And at the end, we see the house again. Note that in episodes that ended in the day, the background would be daytime and night would be nightime..

02-08-2003, 05:05 PM	#6
Brett Ferino Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 18, 2000 Location: PA Posts: 3,782	Hey, I sorta think that Nell and Mama were a bit similar..

02-09-2003, 04:49 AM	#7
Justmarko Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 24, 2003 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 35	Indeed they were women!

05-09-2018, 10:42 PM	#10
Bonniegirl AKA Hazel Horvath Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 10, 2014 Posts: 65,786	Nell's childhood home in Alabama, the ep. Where she went home and her Father died was the same exact house as in Season 9 of One day at a time, the house that Barbara and Julie moved into with their Husbands! I mean it TOTALLY was the same exact house, same set for sure. Than Nell went back home to visit another time and it was a different house!

05-10-2018, 01:42 PM	#11
Smartboy Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 06, 2007 Location: South Orange, NJ Posts: 4,231	Even though I have nothing special to say about this particular topic, I am happy to see some conversation being stimulated!

05-20-2018, 10:08 PM	#12
MrCleveland Drew Carey from Hell Forum Star Join Date: Nov 10, 2007 Location: The City of Cleveland, in The State of Cleveland, in The United States of Cleveland Posts: 14,226	I think the GAB interior is more similar to AITF interior... Mort Lachman worked on BOTH shows, and I see GAB as a tone-down AITF...Chief Kaniski was a more toned-down Archie Bunker, Nell Harper seemed to be more into it like Maude or The Jeffersons, and the daughters had some parts of Gloria Bunker-Stivic. Then there's Johnathan who's a watered-down Mike Stivic. Here's the AITF Living Room... And here's the interior of the GAB Living Room... See any similarities?
	__________________ Thank God for kids that love Obscure Things. Lee Hazlewood (1929-2007) You ARE Special to God! Rev. Ernest Angely (August 1921-May 2021)

05-21-2018, 01:37 AM	#13
Smartboy Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 06, 2007 Location: South Orange, NJ Posts: 4,231	Now that you mention it, I can make some sense out of you logic of this being, sort of, like an eighties style "All in the Family" type show. A lot of the episodes were quite similar to the episodes of "All in the Family", but not as heavy handed.