MAMA'S FAMILY: VINT AND THE KIDS MOVE IN {SERIES PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
The premiere in this comedy series, inspired by the sketch on "The Carol Burnett Show," about the cantankerous "Mama" Thelma Harper and her troublemaking family.
In this episode, jokingly introduced by "Alistair Quince," Thelma is exasperated when her live-in younger sister Fran cancels plans at the last moment to attend to her "measly" newspaper job. Thelma's son Vinton then stops by with his two aloof teenagers, Sonja and Bubba, whose mother has recently run off to Las Vegas. Vinton timidly explains that they have been "very politely" evicted from their home due to months of non-payment. Thelma is forced to allow the trio to move in with her for the time being.
Thelma quickly summons her eldest daughter Ellen to clear out her belongings in order to make room for Vint and the kids. Thelma admits that she has not yet told Fran about the abrupt change. Busybody neighbor Naomi Oates stops by to complain about Thelma's elm tree and its sap damage to her car, but she is then delighted to find that her old high school pal Vint – who quickly confesses to a teenage crush on her – is recently divorced and moving in right next door. Fran returns home in the midst of the chaos and is outraged to find that Thelma has given away her "studio" as a bedroom, particularly when Sonja and Bubba read parts of her still-unfinished novel. She dramatically declares that she is moving out of the house, but soon realizes that she may have little choice but to remain with her oddball family after all. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: January 22, 1983 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:25:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 115173
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Families
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1983-1984; Syndicated - 1986-1990
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Joe Hamilton … Executive Producer
- Ed Simmons … Supervising Producer
- Dick Clair … Producer, Created by, Writer
- Jenna McMahon … Producer, Created by, Writer
- Robert Wright … Associate Producer
- Harvey Korman … Director
- Roger Beatty … Director
- Peter Matz … Music by
- Vicki Lawrence … Cast, Thelma 'Mama' Crowley Harper
- Ken Berry … Cast, Vinton Harper
- Dorothy Lyman … Cast, Naomi Oates
- Eric Brown … Cast, Vinton 'Buzz' Harper, Jr.
- Karin Argoud … Cast, Sonja Harper
- Rue McClanahan … Cast, Aunt Fran Crowley
- Betty White … Cast, Ellen Harper Jackson
- Harvey Korman … Cast, Alistair Quince