History Trivia / MamasFamily

** Lawrence also made two appearances as Thelma Harper's mother - once in a flashback sequence and once as a ghost.

** The change to Fran's character apparently came about because of Naomi Oates. According to Dorothy Lyman, Naomi was first slated to be a gossipy, drop-in neighbor (similar to what Iola Boylan became, making the season four episode where the two characters switch personalities something of a DevelopmentGag). The role was redesigned into Thelma's trampy, tempestuous rival in order to provide a better showcase for Lyman. Vicki Lawrence and Carol Burnett were big fans of her performance as Opal Sue Gardner on ''Series/AllMyChildren'', and they chose her to play Naomi for this reason. As Rue [=McClanahan=] already had a signed contract, Fran had to be re-written.

* McLeaned: Happens to Aunt Fran between the NBC and syndicated runs. This was because Rue [=McClanahan=] was involved with ''Series/TheGoldenGirls'', but it's unlikely she'd have wanted to return either way due to how she felt about her character (see WhatCouldHaveBeen below for more information).

** Vicki Lawrence has a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance, out of wig and costume, at the beginning of "Rashomama" as a nurse who walks past Naomi, Ellen and Eunice in the hospital (Mama herself is largely only seen through flashbacks in this episode).

* RetroactiveRecognition: [[Series/TheCarolBurnettShow Vicki Lawrence]] is the head of a family that includes [[Series/FTroop Captain Parmenter]], [[Series/TheGoldenGirls Rose Nylund, Blanche Devereaux]], and of course, [[Series/TheCarolBurnettShow Carol Burnett]].
** After the series ended, Beverly Archer went on to play Gunny Alva Bricker on ''Series/MajorDad''.
** Fred Willard plays a crooked used car salesman in "Mama Buys a Car".
** William Windom, known for playing Dr. Seth Hazlitt on ''Series/MurderSheWrote'', plays the title character in "Mama's Boyfriend".
** In "The Sins of the Mother", Iola's younger self is played by a young [[Series/LasVegas Nikki Cox]].
** In addition to creating ''Mama's Family'', Dick Clair and Jenna [=McMahon=] also created ''Series/TheFactsOfLife''.
** Dick Martin directed three "Alistair Quince" segments. Martin is best known for co-hosting ''Series/RowanAndMartinsLaughIn''.
** Jim Geoghan wrote three episodes. Geoghan is best known as co-creator and co-executive producer of ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody''.
** Ann Elder wrote two episodes. Elder is best known as a regular performer on ''Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In''.
** Sara V. Finney and Vida Spears wrote an episode. Both are best known as co-creators and co-executive producers of ''Series/TheParkers''.
** Danny Kallis wrote an episode. Kallis is best known as creator and executive producer of ''Series/SmartGuy'' and also served as co-creator and co-executive producer of ''The Suite Life of Zack and Cody''.
** Earl Boen, who plays Lloyd Meechum, the Harpers' henpecked minister (and appeared as a clergyman character on other series, including ''Series/TheGoldenGirls''), should be known to ''[[WesternAnimation/KimPossible Kim Possible]]'' fans as one of the voice actors for Senor Senior Sr., sharing the role with the late [[Series/FantasyIsland Ricardo Montalban]], as well as [[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Simon Stagg]] and [[WesternAnimation/CliffordTheBigRedDog Mr. Bleakman]]. Filmgoers would recognize him as Dr. Silberman in the first three {{Franchise/Terminator}} films. And fans of Franchise/TheSecretOfMonkeyIsland know him as the voice of BigBad [=LeChuck=].
** Creator/YeardleySmith, better known as the voice of [[TheSimpsons Lisa Simpson]], plays an escaped fellow inmate of Bubba's in "Where There's Smoke".
** Mayor Alvin Tutweiler is Alan Oppenheimer- [[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983 Skeletor, Man-At-Arms, Mer-Man]], [[WesternAnimation/FlashGordon1979 Ming the Merciless]], [[WesternAnimation/FilmationsGhostbusters Prime Evil]], and [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers Beachcomber, Warpath and Seaspray]].

** According to Rue [=McClanahan=], the original concept for Aunt Fran was radically different. Fran was initially conceived to be far more assertive and bossy, and would've served as the primary foil to Thelma. [=McClanahan=] had never before played a character of this type and eagerly signed on. She was bitterly disappointed upon learning that Fran had been re-written into a prissy spinster. Consequently, Rue did not enjoy her experience on the series that much and wasn't at all sorry when it was cancelled.
** The change to Fran's character apparently came about because of Naomi Oates. According to Dorothy Lyman, Naomi was first slated to be a gossipy, drop-in neighbor (similar to what Iola Boylan became, making the season four episode where the two characters switch personalities something of a DevelopmentGag). The role was redesigned into Thelma's trampy, tempestuous rival in order to provide a better showcase for Lyman. Vicki Lawrence and Carol Burnett were big fans of her performance as Opal Sue Gardner on ''Series/AllMyChildren'', and they chose her for the part of Naomi for this reason. As Rue [=McClanahan=] already had a signed contract, Fran had to be re-written.

** Burnett decided to try for another spin-off idea when she and Hamilton divorced in 1984 (around the time ''Mama's Family'' ended its run on NBC), which resulted in Hamilton getting the rights to "The Family" sketches in the divorce terms, due to the fact that he was the executive producer of ''The Carol Burnett Show'' and helped write several of "The Family" sketches. Burnett phoned up Lawrence one day proposing a syndicated series featuring Eunice and Mama, but Lawrence told her she and Hamilton had already signed with [[Creator/{{Lorimar}} Lorimar-Telepictures]] (then the series' syndicated distributor) to relaunch ''Mama's Family'', causing Burnett to promptly hang up on her. The two actresses eventually reconciled following Hamilton's death in 1991.
** According to Rue [=McClanahan=], the original concept for Aunt Fran was radically different. Fran was initially conceived to be far more assertive and man-hungry, and would've served as the primary foil to Thelma. [=McClanahan=] had never before played a character of this type and eagerly signed on. She was bitterly disappointed upon learning that Fran had been re-written into a prissy spinster. Consequently, Rue did not enjoy her experience on the series that much and wasn't at all sorry when it was cancelled. (Incidentally, [=McClanahan=]'s [[Series/TheGoldenGirls next television role]] would be much closer to the original concept for Aunt Fran, and would become her best-known role.)
** The change to Fran's character apparently came about because of Naomi Oates. According to Dorothy Lyman, Naomi was first slated to be a gossipy, drop-in neighbor (similar to what Iola Boylan became, making the season four episode where the two characters switch personalities something of a DevelopmentGag). The role was redesigned into Thelma's trampy, tempestuous rival in order to provide a better showcase for Lyman, who had so impressed Vicki Lawrence and Carol Burnett with her very similar role of Opal Sue Gardner on the long-running soap opera ''Series/AllMyChildren'' that they handpicked her for the part of Naomi. As Rue [=McClanahan=] already had a signed contract, Fran had to be re-written.

** Yeardley Smith, better known as the voice of [[TheSimpsons Lisa Simpson]], plays an escaped fellow inmate of Bubba's in "Where There's Smoke".

** Mayor Alvin Tutweiler is Alan Oppenheimer- [[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983 Skeletor, Man-At-Arms, Mer-Man]], [[WesternAnimation/FlashGordon1979 Ming the Merciless]], [[WesternAnimation/FilmationsGhostbusters Prime Evil]], and [[WestenAnimation/TheTransformers Beachcomber, Warpath and Seaspray]].

** According to Rue [=McClanahan=], the original concept for Aunt Fran was radically different. Fran was initially conceived to be far more assertive and man-hungry, and would've served as the primary foil to Thelma. [=McClanahan=] had never before played a character of this type and eagerly signed on. She was bitterly disappointed upon learning that Fran had been re-written into a prissy spinster. Consequently, Rue did not enjoy her experience on the series that much and wasn't at all sorry when it was cancelled.
** The change to Fran's character apparently came about because of Naomi Oats. According to Dorothy Lyman, Naomi was first slated to be a gossipy, drop-in neighbor (similar to what Iola Boylen became). The role was redesigned into Thelma's trampy, tempestuous rival in order to provide a better showcase for Lyman, who's style of comedy made her seem an ideal replacement for Carol Burnett. As Rue [=McClanahan=] already had a signed contract, Fran had to be re-written.

** Earl Boen, who plays Lloyd Meechum, the Harpers' henpecked minister (and appeared as a clergyman character on other series, including ''Series/TheGoldenGirls''), should be known to ''[[WesternAnimation/KimPossible Kim Possible]]'' fans as one of the voice actors for Senor Senior Sr., sharing the role with the late [[FantasyIsland Ricardo Montalban]], as well as [[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Simon Stagg]] and [[WesternAnimation/CliffordTheBigRedDog Mr. Bleakman]]. Filmgoers would recognize him as Dr. Silberman in the first three {{Franchise/Terminator}} films. And fans of Franchise/TheSecretOfMonkeyIsland know him as the voice of BigBad [=LeChuck=].

* EditedForSyndication: The Alistair Quince introductions for the NBC episodes. In a more minor example, said episodes also used exterior shots of a different house for the opening (seen on the TimeLife DVD releases); for syndication, these shots were replaced with shots of the house used during the 1986-1990 run.

** Vicki Lawrence has a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance, out of wig and costume, at the beginning of "Rashomama" as a nurse who walks past Naomi, Ellen, and Eunice through the hospital (Mama herself is largely only seen through flashbacks in this episode).

** Plans for a spin-off of the "Family" sketches had been discussed as early as Seasons 9-10 of ''Series/TheCarolBurnettShow''. Executive producer (and Burnett's then-husband) Joe Hamilton came to Vicki Lawrence with the news that he had made a deal to produce a weekly half-hour sitcom based on the sketches, but Lawrence -- who'd just given birth to her second child -- declined to participate, and the deal was off.
** After the success of the ''Eunice'' special, Hamilton, Burnett and Harvey Korman again appealed to Lawrence to play Mama in her own series. Burnett and Korman promised to make guest appearances, but assured Lawrence that she didn't need them anymore and could carry the show on her own. This time, Lawrence agreed. Burnett ultimately appeared in six episodes of the NBC run (her sixth and final appearance was only in voiceover), while Korman played Ed Higgins in two episodes, plus introduced many of the NBC episodes in character as Alistair Quince. Korman was also the primary director of the two NBC seasons.

** The change to Fran's character had to do with modifications made to the Naomi character. Originally, Naomi was slated to be a gossipy, drop-in neighbor (similar to what Iola Boylen became). The role was redesigned into Thelma's trampy, tempestuous rival in order to provide a better showcase for Dorothy Lyman, who's style of comedy made her seem an ideal replacement for Carol Burnett. As Rue [=McClanahan=] already had a signed contract, Fran had to be rewritten.

** According to Rue McClanahan, the original concept for Aunt Fran was radically different. Fran was initially conceived to be far more assertive and man-hungry, and would've served as the primary foil to Thelma. McClanahan had never before played a character of this type and eagerly signed on. She was bitterly disappointed upon learning that Fran had been re-written into a prissy spinster. Consequently, Rue did not enjoy her experience on the series that much and wasn't at all sorry when it was cancelled.
** The change to Fran's character had to do with modifications made to the Naomi character. Originally, Naomi was slated to be a gossipy, drop-in neighbor (similar to what Iola Boylen became). The role was redesigned into Thelma's trampy, tempestuous rival in order to provide a better showcase for Dorothy Lyman, who's style of comedy made her seem an ideal replacement for Carol Burnett. As Rue McClanahan already had a signed contract, Fran had to be rewritten.

* EditedForSyndication: The Alistair Quince introductions for the NBC episodes. In a more minor example, said episodes also used exterior shots of a different house for the opening (seen on the DVD releases); for syndication, these shots were replaced with shots of the house used during the 1986-1990 run.

** After the success of the ''Eunice'' special, Burnett decided to shop around a TV series focusing on the character Eunice only to find out that NBC had already approached Lawrence and Hamilton about doing a spin-off focusing on Lawrence's character. Burnett gave the two her blessing and appeared in five episodes of the NBC run.
** Burnett decided to try for another spin-off idea when she and Hamilton divorced in 1984 (around the time ''Mama's Family'' ended its run on NBC), which resulted in Hamilton getting the rights to "The Family" sketches in the divorce terms, due to the fact that he was the executive producer of ''The Carol Burnett Show'' and helped write several of "The Family" sketches. Burnett phoned up Lawrence one day proposing a syndicated series featuring Eunice and Mama, but Lawrence told her she and Hamilton had already signed with [[Creator/{{Lorimar}} Lorimar-Telepictures]] (then the series' syndicated distributor) to relaunch ''Mama's Family'', leaving Burnett to promptly hang up on her. The two actresses eventually reconciled following Hamilton's death in 1991.

** Earl Boen, who plays Lloyd Meechum, the Harpers' henpecked minister (and appeared as a clergyman character on other series, including ''Series/TheGoldenGirls''), should be known to ''[[WesternAnimation/KimPossible Kim Possible]]'' fans as one of the voice actors for Senor Senior Sr., sharing the role with the late [[FantasyIsland Ricardo Montalban]], as well as [[WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Simon Stagg]] and [[WesternAnimation/CliffordTheBigRedDog Mr. Bleakman]].

** Creators Dick Clair and Jenna [=McMahon=] absolutely hated how Mama became more sympathetic during the series, as they had based the original sketches on their frosty relationships with their own mothers.

* CreatorBacklash: Creators Dick Clair and Jenna [=McMahon=] absolutely hated how Mama became more sympathetic during the series, as they had based the original sketches on their frosty relationships with their own mothers.

** Mayor Alvin Tutweiler is Alan Oppenheimer- [[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983 Skeletor, Man-AtArms, Mer-Man]], [[WesternAnimation/FlashGordon Ming the Merciless]], [[WesternAnimation/FilmationsGhostbusters Prime Evil]], and [[WestenAnimation/TheTransformers Beachcomber, Warpath and Seaspray]].

* ActingForTwo: Vicki Lawrence in "Mama's Cousin", which features [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a visit from Mama's cousin]].

* CreatorBacklash: Creators Dick Clair and Jenna McMahon absolutely hated how Mama became more sympathetic during the series, as they had based the original sketches on their frosty relationships with their own mothers.