Mama's Family to get FANTASTIC box set this September!

[Mot Morenzi]

 

So excited for this release!

[Mot Morenzi]

http://timelife.com/products/mama-s-family-the-complete-series

 

Here's the website with more information.

[C L A U D E]

So am I. Mama's Family sketches were my all time favorite part of Carol's show. This is one I will definitely be buying regardless of the price.

[Brock]

$200 would bankrupt half of Raytown.

[Mot Morenzi]

Yeah I know. But it'll be worth it for the bonus features alone. So glad they got Carol and Betty involved!

[C L A U D E]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, cancel my order, this is the so so series that FOLLOWED those terrific sketches on the Burnett show, i'd much rather have THOSE than this watered down comedy. BUT, at least those great pros are there among the Golden Palace retreads or Archie Bunker's Place. Why can't they just release the ones from the Burnett show, those were the BEST!

[Mot Morenzi]

I think they are going to include some of the family sketches as bonus features. And the early NBC episodes arent as watered down as the syndicated ones. I get a kick out of both versions.

[C L A U D E]

I think they are going to include some of the family sketches as bonus features. And the early NBC episodes arent as watered down as the syndicated ones. I get a kick out of both versions.

You're right, as comedy series go, it wasn't the best but those guest stars like Betty and Carol DO make it a great addition to our comedy collections.

[mickie]

I am looking forward to this release, a bit expensive tho, but only available thru Time Life, so you won't be able to find it in the stores cheaper. Good Lord, as Mama would say.

[Mot Morenzi]

 

You're right, as comedy series go, it wasn't the best but those guest stars like Betty and Carol DO make it a great addition to our comedy collections.

 

I personally prefer the darker, more tragic tone of the sketches myself as well. I view the two as different timelines however so I don't mind either variation. I'm mostly excited for the early network episodes that featured Carol and Betty.

[C L A U D E]

I am looking forward to this release, a bit expensive tho, but only available thru Time Life, so you won't be able to find it in the stores cheaper. Good Lord, as Mama would say.

Yup, two thins that always stop me from getting something, if you can't get it in stores and if it's too SPENSIVE, that's why I still dun't have the Dick Van Dyke show.

[C L A U D E]

I personally prefer the darker, more tragic tone of the sketches myself as well. I view the two as different timelines however so I don't mind either variation. I'm mostly excited for the early network episodes that featured Carol and Betty.

That's the mark of a great series, if you remember, decades later, some scene or dialogue. I never forgot when Mama dies and Carol or rather Eunice, doesn't enjoy her freedom but instead gets tangled up taking care of her aunt.

[sharon]

I can't wait to get this (on the installment plan!). The syndicated years with Bubba and Iola are my favorites.

[Luvsbway]

I'm more a fan of the syndicated years too. Vint's kids drove me nutts and I didn't like Naomi in the 80's years. My favorite episode is probably when Bubba makes a documentary.

[sharon]

I'm more a fan of the syndicated years too. Vint's kids drove me nutts and I didn't like Naomi in the 80's years. My favorite episode is probably when Bubba makes a documentary.

Vint's kids were so odd. They tried to make them cool, but it just didn't work. The documentary! I liked with Naomi said, "I was just a little girl, but I knew what was hot!" I think my favorite one is when Bubba and Vint thought they killed Iola's freeze-dried cat.

[LucyImHome]

 

 

I personally prefer the darker, more tragic tone of the sketches myself as well. I view the two as different timelines however so I don't mind either variation. I'm mostly excited for the early network episodes that featured Carol and Betty.

Seasons 1 & 2 are going to be available separately, in stores.

[C L A U D E]

Seasons 1 & 2 are going to be available separately, in stores.

Well, thank God for that!

[Mot Morenzi]

Seasons 1 & 2 are going to be available separately, in stores.

 

Yes I was aware of that. But I'll still go for the whole shebang because I also enjoy the syndicated years (plus there are a lot I haven't seen so I have a lot of new stuff to look forward to) plus the full set of bonus features is too much to resist.

[Harrison]

I am quite excited about this. I discovered Mama's Family years ago in the late 90s when it was on TBS and have loved it ever since. I haven't seen this series in quite a long time with it departing cable syndication in 2007. I am not sure if I will be getting this box set when it comes out unless its at a discount price. Two hundred bucks is a bit too much and I know that TimeLife will be depending on the hardcore fans in the months following this DVD release. I know overtime the price will probably decrease as their consumer aim will be changed to casual fans. They've done this practice before with other series such as the 60s classic, Get Smart. I think I may just wait and get this later down the road ... I probably won't have the time to watch it to begin with and it's not like I won't ever see it again. Heck, if I can wait four years what's another year or so? Plus while wait, I have episodes of The Carol Burnett Show on DVD box set that I haven't seen before to watch. I still have lots to watch with that series. But I am thrilled that Mama's Family: The Complete Series will be on DVD soon. The opportunity to get that is now a reality and no longer a fantasy. Thank you, TimeLife.

[JoeySanJoaquin]

As cool as this complete MF box set collection sounds, unfortunately I'm betting there's one "special bonus feature" which could have been included most folks aren't even aware of or know about but I was fortunate enough to be "in the right place at the right time" to witness it's occurrence: Back in summer of 2001 -- same year as the last Lucy Convention here in Burbank, if I'm not mistaken -- Carol Burnett was taping a "reunion" special of sorts, reuniting her old "Carol Burnett Show" cast at her old stomping grounds, CBS Television City to produce what basically ended up being a clip show and sitting with each other, reminiscing with "remember when..."-type anecdotes. Turned out well enough, and when it aired, high rated enough that there was another similiar effort ("Let's Bump Up the Lights") a few years later.

 

What didn't end up either airing during the original broadcast nor on the eventual DVD (would have made a nice bonus feature then!) was a brief bit featuring Vicki Lawrence dressed up as Mama, waiting in line in the hot California sun, along with ne'er do well son-in-law Ed Higgins (a then still with us Harvey Korman), thinking she's in line to get into The Price is Right (which is in fact, to this day, taped at Television City!) but learning to her dismay that she was in fact in line with the rest of us to be the audience for this Carol Burnett special!

 

It was a treat to see Vicki, Harvey and -- if memory serves, Tim Conway in a brief cameo as the head usher brandishing a megaphone -- and of course, "Mama" and Tim get into it! -- put through their paces for at least an hour or so as several takes were done to capture this brief scene that sadly, apparently ended up on the proverbial cutting room floor.

 

I for one sure would get a kick out of seeing it again!

[C L A U D E]

As cool as this complete MF box set collection sounds, unfortunately I'm betting there's one "special bonus feature" which could have been included most folks aren't even aware of or know about but I was fortunate enough to be "in the right place at the right time" to witness it's occurrence: Back in summer of 2001 -- same year as the last Lucy Convention here in Burbank, if I'm not mistaken -- Carol Burnett was taping a "reunion" special of sorts, reuniting her old "Carol Burnett Show" cast at her old stomping grounds, CBS Television City to produce what basically ended up being a clip show and sitting with each other, reminiscing with "remember when..."-type anecdotes. Turned out well enough, and when it aired, high rated enough that there was another similiar effort ("Let's Bump Up the Lights") a few years later.

 

What didn't end up either airing during the original broadcast nor on the eventual DVD (would have made a nice bonus feature then!) was a brief bit featuring Vicki Lawrence dressed up as Mama, waiting in line in the hot California sun, along with ne'er do well son-in-law Ed Higgins (a then still with us Harvey Korman), thinking she's in line to get into The Price is Right (which is in fact, to this day, taped at Television City!) but learning to her dismay that she was in fact in line with the rest of us to be the audience for this Carol Burnett special!

 

It was a treat to see Vicki, Harvey and -- if memory serves, Tim Conway in a brief cameo as the head usher brandishing a megaphone -- and of course, "Mama" and Tim get into it! -- put through their paces for at least an hour or so as several takes were done to capture this brief scene that sadly, apparently ended up on the proverbial cutting room floor.

 

I for one sure would get a kick out of seeing it again!

Wow, great story, yeah, I kinda woulda liked seeing that myself.

[Lucyilove]

I'm more a fan of the syndicated years too. Vint's kids drove me nutts and I didn't like Naomi in the 80's years. My favorite episode is probably when Bubba makes a documentary.

 

Me too, in fact I wasn't surprised when NBC cancelled the show in it's network run as I didn't think it was that good and wasn't a regular viewer, Vicki was the whole show then, Betty's character was probably the least appealing thing she ever did and Rue just wasn't well cast as prudish type (I always felt Iola was a reworking of the character and a superb example of great retooling). And the kids added nothing to the show. The syndicated episodes were much funnier and had notably less emphasis on fighting although Mama was her undiluted sour old self.

 

Re "Naomi in the 80's years", I thought the show was JUST in the 80's, did it last longer than I remember? I actually always loved Dorothy Lyman who more than a few thought had the potential to be something of a "new Lucy", she was awesome on ALL MY CHILDREN and got me hooked on a soap for the first and only time in my life. I remember Jane Pauley interviewing her and commenting on the similarities which Lyman had clearly heard before. (I always think of this character though as "Skeeter", Vint's nickname for her rather than Naomi.)

[C L A U D E]

Me too, in fact I wasn't surprised when NBC cancelled the show in it's network run as I didn't think it was that good and wasn't a regular viewer, Vicki was the whole show then, Betty's character was probably the least appealing thing she ever did and Rue just wasn't well cast as prudish type (I always felt Iola was a reworking of the character and a superb example of great retooling). And the kids added nothing to the show. The syndicated episodes were much funnier and had notably less emphasis on fighting although Mama was her undiluted sour old self.

 

Re "Naomi in the 80's years", I thought the show was JUST in the 80's, did it last longer than I remember? I actually always loved Dorothy Lyman who more than a few thought had the potential to be something of a "new Lucy", she was awesome on ALL MY CHILDREN and got me hooked on a soap for the first and only time in my life. I remember Jane Pauley interviewing her and commenting on the similarities which Lyman had clearly heard before. (I always think of this character though as "Skeeter", Vint's nickname for her rather than Naomi.)

Yes, after Mama, for me, the only other decent thing about the series was the great Dorothy Lyman, whatever happened to her?

[Luvsbway]

She directed a bunch of episodes of The Nanny.

[C L A U D E]

She directed a bunch of episodes of The Nanny.

Really? That's nice, I have to really get that series on DVD, I keep meaning to.