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


Mot Morenzi

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I'll do up a full review once I've finished it but it is terrific so far. They did about as great a job as one could hope for. The new interviews with the cast and crew are great, plus a 15 minute blooper reel is a lot of fun.

 

The NBC episodes don't look quite as sharp as the syndicated ones but that is most likely due to a switch to higher quality videotape. With 2 exceptions, they were able to source the first two seasons from the original masters. 2 first season episodes, however, had to be the shortened, syndicated versions because the masters were lost: Cellmates and Mama's Boyfriend. Disappointing but unavoidable. All the Hamilton estate had in their vaults. But everything else is marvelously intact along with the Harvey Norman intros.

 

There were some minor music alterations/edits made to a few shows but this is hardly the first series that has happened to. The editing is so seamless that anyone not familiar with them would never notice...I sure didn't until I read about them. All in all I'm having a blast watching this. And the package art is wonderful.

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I'll do up a full review once I've finished it but it is terrific so far. They did about as great a job as one could hope for. The new interviews with the cast and crew are great, plus a 15 minute blooper reel is a lot of fun.

 

The NBC episodes don't look quite as sharp as the syndicated ones but that is most likely due to a switch to higher quality videotape. With 2 exceptions, they were able to source the first two seasons from the original masters. 2 first season episodes, however, had to be the shortened, syndicated versions because the masters were lost: Cellmates and Mama's Boyfriend. Disappointing but unavoidable. All the Hamilton estate had in their vaults. But everything else is marvelously intact along with the Harvey Norman intros.

 

There were some minor music alterations/edits made to a few shows but this is hardly the first series that has happened to. The editing is so seamless that anyone not familiar with them would never notice...I sure didn't until I read about them. All in all I'm having a blast watching this. And the package art is wonderful.

Also wonderful "extras" .  The "Eunice" teleplay is on there, a reunion of the syndicated cast; plus Vicki and Carol reminisce; individual interviews with Vicki Lawrence, Ken Berry, Dorothy Lyman , Beverly Archer (Iola), Allen Kaysar (Bubba) and Betty White (Ellen).  There's even a bit where Vicki is interviewing Mama.  And there's more, I haven't watched it all yet.  Plus it comes with a booklet with Mama's Family Tree.

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This is truly a great set. The interviews are amazing, if at times repetitive of information, but better to have too much than too little. It is too bad they weren't able to get the kids from the network seasons back for some reflection, but I believe they've both moved on to things besides acting and probably were unavailable or uninterested. But that's so minor an issue its not worth thinking twice about.

 

The menu design is great too, incorporating the same motifs and artwork used on the various covers. Not overdone either the way some DVD menus are. Plus each booklet includes linear notes about that season from the executive producer.

 

I'm on season 5 now. Can't believe how fast I've gone through it.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Totally agree with you on this, always have felt that way, very pretentious, heavy-handed piece of nonsense, blatant Emmy-shooting at making Carol a "serious dramatic actress" , love her, love Eunice, but not this Eunice. (She did get nominated as I recall, probably because she is so beloved in the industry but I suspect that was probably the only Emmy nom.) The ending was particularly bad IMO and not credible.

 

I have to disagree with this. I finally watched the Eunice special today for the first time and it blew me away. The first three acts felt like Burnett show sketches in that they were more lighthearted and funny with dramatic undertones. But then the dramatic elements become overtones in the last act. All that had been simmering under the surface finally came to a boil. It was a catharsis, almost, watching that last act, where Eunice finally admits the tragedy of her life and accepts some responsibility. I was in tears by the end of it.

 

It was definitely more heavy handed than the sketches, but I think if you take all the sketches into account they make for a perfect build up to that final moment.

 

I was also amazed watching Ken Berry in this special. It really shows off his versatility as an actor. There were times I couldn't believe I was watching the same man who would go on to play Vinton Harper. His Philip was so controlled and upstanding and dignified, compared to his "dumber than a bag of rocks" take on Vinton.

 

And the special also really shows what a rotten worm Ed Higgins was. And what a black-hearted witch Ellen truly was. It may not have been for everyone but it knocked my socks off.

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  • 2 months later...

I got the first two seasons for Christmas today and have burned through half the first season. It has been so long since I've seen the network episodes in reruns (probably since Grade 6 or so)and they are so much funnier than I remembered. Look forward to the rest!

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I got the first two seasons for Christmas today and have burned through half the first season. It has been so long since I've seen the network episodes in reruns (probably since Grade 6 or so)and they are so much funnier than I remembered. Look forward to the rest!

 

Fun! Yeah, the network episodes have a lot going for them. "Rashomama" is one of my favorites from the entire series. Season 3 is getting a stand-a-lone release in the first quarter of 2014 as well.

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I got the second season of Mama's Family for Christmas and love it (aside from the packaging). My favorites have to be Rashomama and Mama Learns to Drive. If anyone doesn't like Alaister Quince then "boo on you". I like the little voice overs during the end credts too.

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