Mama's Family DVD news

[JiminyCrick91]

Not much but it something.

In the pilot, "Mama" Harper (Vicki Lawrence) and Aunt Fran (Rue McClanahan) open the doors of their home to Mama's son, Vinton (Ken Berry) and his kids after a divorce. By the second episode of the series, Vint is rekindling his high school romance with his old sweetheart, Naomi (Dorothy Lyman), and by the third episode Vinton and Naomi are getting hitched, with Naomi moving into Mama's house, too! This could only happen in <i>Mama's Family</i>, the spin-off of the popular skit from <i>The Carol Burnett Show</i>. Carol Burnett (as "Eunice"), Harvey Korman and Betty White were also regulars when the series first premiered on NBC in 1983.

But the network cancelled the series after a 13-episode first season and a 22-episode second season, and it looked like the end for the Harpers in '84. However, *nothing* could keep Mama down; the show returned in first-run syndication during 1986, and went on to last 4 more full seasons. That was done without McClanahan and White, though, since they both left to do a new show called <i>The Golden Girls</i>. Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman moved on, too. Yet the show remained popular, and was nominated 3 times for Emmy Awards based on Ret Turner and Bob Mackie's costume designs...and won the award for that second nom, the 1984 one.

Fans of the show have dearly been seeking DVD news for a long time, and TVShowsOnDVD's registered members have voted to put the show up to #11 on our most-wanted unreleased show list. Now we have great news for you: Warner Brothers is considering <i>Mama's Family</i> for release. Things are looking good, although a release hasn't actually been greenlit yet. It won't be a "TV Favorites" best-of release, either...99% of voters want season sets, and that's exactly what Warner is considering for <i>Mama's Family</i>.

So this is good news all around, but it's not quite official yet. Don't fret, though, because we'll let you know when it is. Our thanks to reader Ryan Pepper for his valuable help with this story. Stay tuned!

http://tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=4733

[Robin Hood]

This is the best day of my life.

[Mushu2083]

Sweet. I liked the episode when Mama gets addicted to the home shopping channel. I liked the part where she keeps a pearl necklace in the toilet.

[AwallaceUNC]

I knew Robin Hood would be excited about this when I saw it on TVSoDVD this morning. I'm looking forward to it as well and consider it good news.

-Aaron

[Escapay]

This is the best day of my life.

The best day of your life and you only give yourself ONE dancing elephant?

Anyways, my favorite Mama's Family episode is when they're on Family Feud (with Richard Dawson), and Mama's prepping for her kiss, and they blurt out answers when they're not supposed to, and the best part, when Mama says that one thing people wind up is...a letter.

Escapay

[Robin Hood]

Sweet. I liked the episode when Mama gets addicted to the home shopping channel. I liked the part where she keeps a pearl necklace in the toilet.

That's one of my favorite episodes too! I think it's called Zirconias Are a Girl's Best Friend.

This is what I hope to be included on the set:

Eunice (1982) (TV Movie)

Season One
1.1 - Vint and the Kids Move In (1/22/83)
1.2 - For Better or For Worse (1/29/83)
1.3 - The Wedding: Part 1 (2/5/83)
1.4 - The Wedding: Part 2 (2/12/83)
1.5 - Family Feud (2/19/83)
1.6 - Cellmates (2/26/83)
1.7 - Mama Gets a Job (3/5/83)
1.8 - Double Standard (3/12/83)
1.9 - Mama's Boyfriend (3/19/83)
1.10 - Fran's Dress (3/26/83)
1.11 - Alien Marriage (4/2/83)
1.12 - Positive Thinking (4/30/83)
1.13 - Mama's Silver (5/7/83)

I would like for them to include season two also, but I am afraid they will turn to double-sided discs.

I think I am getting ahead of myself, but yeah.

[Mushu2083]

I like the Family Feud episode too. I like it when Mama just blurts out "Bunny Rabbit!" at random times.

[Lazario]

I like the Bubba episodes.

[Robin Hood]

Not really much of an update but a poster (Daysfan79) on the IMDB message boards posted a bit of news about the DVD release of Mama's Family, here's what he/she wrote:

Okay it has been 3 months, and I was getting impatient waiting for news regarding the release of 'Mama's Family' onto DVD since news came in December that Warner Brothers was considering a release. After persistent requests to different people with no response back, I finally got an answer back from the VP of TV Marketing. I found out that a release is definitely going to happen. That's the good news. The bad news is that they couldn't give me a release date just yet and that it would only be season 1 which contains just 13 episodes. I was hoping seasons 1 & 2 would be packaged together seeing how this is the complete NBC run before it was cancelled and sent into syndication with new episodes on CBS. I guess we should be lucky a release is happening at all. Also, I promise this information is all legit. This is my all-time favorite show, and I wouldn't get everyones hopes up, make up a story or jump to conclusions like some people tend to do on these message boards. Looking forward to season 1 but am a little disappointed it will be so 'dismal' in its content. Hopefully season 2 won't be far behind as well as the other 4 seasons which are all full seasons.

[Lazario]

This really is a shame. Though I could surely talk about what a great character Thelma is and how fresh the humor stayed over the course of all of it's (however many) seasons, these are true, I hate to see this get a Night Court release - starting off at a pathetic 13-show first season with little hope of a 2nd season ever getting off the ground while Warner just spits out seasons 5 and 6 and so-on of Fresh Prince and Full House. And the only episodes I made sure to watch were the ones with Bubba, damn he was fine! But this is the kind of show that they should definitely double-up on all the seasons.

[Robin Hood]

I just thought I would let everyone know that August 31st will be the last day that Mama's Family will be shown on the TBS network. TBS decided not to renew their contract.

Remember to keep voting for the show over at http://www.tvshowsondvd.com. Mama's Family is currently number six on the unreleased chart.

[JiminyCrick91]

I just thought I would let everyone know that August 31st will be the last day that Mama's Family will be shown on the TBS network. TBS decided not to renew their contract.

Damn. Well I geuess I should start waking up at 5:55 so I can start DVD+R'in.

[Robin Hood]

That's what I am doing too. There are 79 episodes left to air starting Monday (if you live in Canada).

[Harbinger]

I so hope they release it on DVD. I can never wake up that early to watch Mama's Family.

[Robin Hood]

If you are interested in recording it on DVD or VHS you can set the timer to record it without having to wake up at 4:30 in the morning, that's what I do.

[Robin Hood]

The first season will be out on DVD September 26th!

[The Little Merman]

This is the best day of my life.

I knew the exact moment that I read "Mama's Family DVD News", that ol' Robin Hood would be out of his mind excited.

*tlm

[MickeyMousePal]

Coming out September 26...and artwork too.

It's been 6 months since we told you Warner Bros was preparing to release <I>Mama's Family</I>, and now they've announced the set for a <B>September 26</B> release. We also have an exclusive look at the season 1 artwork:


<CENTER><B>MAMA KNOWS BEST!</B>

WARNER HOME VIDEO BRINGS THE HIT COMEDY SERIES

MAMA'S FAMILY

<B>TO DVD September 26, 2006</B></CENTER>

BURBANK, CA (June 19, 2006) - Good Lord! Warner Home Video is bringing one of television's most beloved dysfunctional families to DVD this fall with the release of Mama's Family: The Complete First Season on <B>September 26, 2006</B>. The two-disc set will include 13 episodes of the show's first season and will retail for $ 26.97. Order due date for Mama's Family: The Complete First Season has been set for August 22, 2006.

Mama's Family, the delightfully offbeat comedy whose successful run spanned from January 22, 1983 to March 12, 1990, originally began as a skit on the legendary Carol Burnett Show. Entitled The Family, the sketch was roughly based on Carol Burnett's childhood and was such a hit that it generated its own spin-off series which premiered on NBC.

Mama's Family mined humor from a squabbling family in the Midwestern blue collar suburb of Raytown. The noisy clan was headed by Thelma Harper "Mama" (Vicki Lawrence, The Carol Burnett Show, The Vicky Lawrence Show) a buxom, gray-haired widow with sharp opinions and a sharper tongue who shared her small house with her high-strung sister Fran (Rue McClanahan, The Golden Girls), a journalist for a local paper. Mama's lazy, dimwitted son, Vint (Ken Berry, F-Troop) a locksmith by trade, moved in at the start of the series with his troublesome teenage children, Buzz (Eric Brown) and Sonja (Karin Argoud), after his wife runs off to become a Las Vegas show girl. Much to Mama's disgust, Vint soon took up with the flirtatious neighbor Naomi (Dorothy Lyman, All My Children), who works as a checker at the local grocery store, Food Circus.

Mama's Family also starred Betty White (Golden Girls) as Ellen Jackson, Harvey Korman (The Carol Burnett Show) as Ed Higgins/Carl Harper/Alistair Quince and Carol Burnett (The Carol Burnett Show, Carol & Company) as Eunice Higgins.

The first time on DVD, Mama's Family: The Complete First Season will include all 13 episodes from the show's premiere season, which aired from January 1983 to May 1983.

"Mama's Family is one of those shows that has a unique appeal because of its offbeat humor which pokes fun at the faults and dysfunctions of a quirky mid-western family. The premise of the show was great, the cast was terrific and, the story lines were funny," commented Rosemary Markson, WHV Vice President, TV Marketing. She added, Mama's Family is one of those shows that gets better and better season after season. For years fans have anxiously been asking us to release it on DVD and we are delighted to bring it to consumers at last. There is no other series like Mama's Family. It has such character, charm and appeal. It's meant for those who want to take a break from everyday life and just have a great laugh."

The Basics
Street Date: September 26, 2006
DVD SRP: $26.97
Running Time: 338 min (est.)

With operations in 90 international territories Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video's film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video, and New Line Home Entertainment.

<CENTER><img src="http://www.tvshowsondvd.net/graphics/ne ... ily_S1.jpg" alt="News Graphic" width="375" height="552" border="0"></CENTER>

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=5883[/quote]

[JiminyCrick91]

That cover art is VERY good. Mama's moody even in the photo but where's Eunice??

[Robin Hood]

Great news! But good lord, can Warner do anything right? Where is the pilot movie and why isn't Betty White on the cover?