MAMA’S FAMILY – THE COMPLETE SERIES (NBC 1983-84, SYN 1986-90) RETAIL QUALITY! Vicki Lawrence, Ken Berry, Dorothy Lyman, Rue McClanahan, Beverly Archer, Allan Kayser

Mama’s Family was a blue-collar comedy that lasted for six seasons about a Midwestern family headed up by a sharp-tongued widow with a heart of gold, Mama Thelma Harper (Vicki Lawrence). The show got its start in the 1970s as a popular sketch on The Carol Burnett Show.  The sketch was originally called The Family and appeared frequently on the one-hour show and, later, on the 30-minute syndicated series. The sketch was originally written to star Carol Burnett as Mama and Vicki Lawrence as Eunice, but creator Burnett switched the roles around shortly before production.  As Lawrence put it later, “Carol was the big star, and we just listened to her.” In the end, the decision seemed to be the right one. The sketch was a hit on the show, and soon Lawrence was approached about turning the skit into a comedy series. Surprisingly, she turned it down at first, stating that she didn’t want to leave The Carol Burnett Show.  After Lawrence’s made-for-TV movie, Eunice, was a ratings success in 198