Mama's Family (1983)

Name: Mama's Family
Genre: Comedy
Rating: 7.3
Cast: Vicki Lawrence, Ken Berry, Dorothy Lyman, Beverly Archer, Allan Kayser

Comedy

Thelma Harper and her spinster sister Fran open their home to Thelma's recently divorced son Vinton and his teenage son and daughter. It's quite an adjustment for everyone, especially the cranky, argumentative Thelma.

IMDb rating: 7.3 (7,765 votes)
Episode average: 8.0 ↑ +0.7 vs IMDb
Seasons: 6
Language: EN
Type: TV series

Shape drift trajectory: its last season breaks the pattern the earlier ones set. Rising Shows ranks whole shows by the shape of their rating trend rather than one average score, which is how you find a show that got better rather than a show that started well. See every Shape drift show in the explorer →

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Ratings refreshed Oct 3, 2026 · 6 seasons indexed

Cast

Seasons

Season 1 (1983)

7.79 avg 13 episodes 7.5 → 7.2 21 min avg

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Vint and the Kids Move In	7.5	184
2	For Better or Worse	7.9	133
3	The Wedding: Part 1	8.3	144
4	The Wedding: Part 2	8.6	149
5	Family Feud	8.1	153
6	Cellmates	8.4	151
7	Mama Gets a Job	8.1	141
8	Double Standard	7.3	116
9	Mama's Boyfriend	7.4	114
10	Fran's Dress	8.0	124
11	Alien Marriage	6.4	128
12	Positive Thinking	8.1	130
13	Mama's Silver	7.2	122

Season 2 (1983)

7.87 avg 22 episodes 7.6 → 7.6 21 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 2 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Flaming Forties	7.6	123
2	The Return of Leonard Oates	7.8	115
3	Country Club	8.4	116
4	Naomi and the Stork	7.4	90
5	Rashomama	8.9	170
6	Obscene Call	7.9	115
7	Ellen's Boyfriend	8.0	133
8	Aunt Gert Rides Again	7.5	105
9	Amateur Night	7.4	100
10	The Mama Who Came to Dinner	7.9	110
11	Mama Learns to Drive	8.1	108
12	Black Belt Mama	7.6	112
13	Mama Buys a Car	7.5	99
14	Supermarket	8.2	110
15	No Room at the Inn	7.9	94
16	Mama for Mayor: Part 1	7.8	99
17	Mama for Mayor: Part 2	7.6	100
18	Harper Versus Harper	7.8	103
19	Mama's Birthday	8.3	111
20	Mama Cries Uncle	7.8	99
21	Ask Aunt Fran	8.2	97
22	A Grave Mistake	7.6	102

Season 3 (1986)

8.04 avg 25 episodes 8.0 → 7.8 21 min avg

Mid-peak

Season 3 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Farewell, Frannie	8.0	119
2	Where There's a Will	7.9	102
3	Best Medicine	7.9	105
4	National Mama	7.9	94
5	Soup to Nuts	8.5	97
6	Mama and Dr. Brothers	7.8	90
7	Cat's Meow	8.6	99
8	The Love Letter	8.8	108
9	An Ill Wind	8.6	113
10	Steal One Pearl Two	7.6	93
11	Where's There's Smoke	8.3	117
12	Fly Naomi	7.7	94
13	Santa Mama	8.1	135
14	Desperately Seeking Anyone	7.9	91
15	Porn Again	8.0	91
16	Have It Mama's Way	8.4	93
17	Birthright	7.8	93
18	Grandma USA	8.2	106
19	Buck Private Bubba	7.7	90
20	Mama's Cousin	8.0	94
21	Mama with the Golden Arm	7.7	92
22	It Takes Two to Watusi	7.8	92
23	Fangs a Lot, Mama	7.8	91
24	The Best Policy	8.2	87
25	After the Fall	7.8	87

Season 4 (1987)

8.04 avg 25 episodes 8.2 → 8.0 21 min avg

Season 4 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Educating Mama	8.2	91
2	Zirconias Are a Girl's Best Friend	8.2	94
3	The Key to the Crime	8.5	104
4	Breaking Up Is Hard to Do	8.3	81
5	A Big Hand for Mama	7.9	92
6	Flounder's Day	8.2	94
7	Teacher's Pet	8.1	86
8	Child's Play	7.7	102
9	Mama Mania	7.3	102
10	Gift Horse	8.3	91
11	Workman's Holiday	7.5	79
12	Mama Sees Red	7.5	95
13	A Room with No View	8.1	91
14	The Sins of the Mother	8.1	119
15	A Friend Indeed	7.9	84
16	I Do, I Don't	8.6	91
17	Mama Gets the Bird	7.7	87
18	Mama's Girls	8.2	105
19	Mama on Jeopardy!	8.3	100
20	Mama Goes Hawaiian: Part 1	8.2	104
21	Mama Goes Hawaiian: Part 2	8.2	95
22	Bubba's Double Date	8.0	95
23	Bed and Breakdown	8.1	92
24	Naomi's Identity Crisis	8.0	85
25	Pomp and Circumstance	8.0	88

Season 5 (1988)

7.95 avg 25 episodes 8.2 → 7.7 21 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 5 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Ladies Choice	8.2	86
2	Baby Talk	7.3	76
3	Naomi's New Position	7.8	83
4	The Really Loud Family	9.4	124
5	Many Unhappy Returns	7.8	81
6	Found Money	7.7	84
7	My Mama, Myself	8.2	88
8	Full House	7.6	78
9	Bedtime for Bubba	8.0	83
10	What a Dump	7.7	90
11	Mama Bell	8.5	97
12	Very Dirty Dancing	8.4	108
13	Mama's Layaway Plan	7.9	81
14	My Phony Valentine	8.1	88
15	The Big Wheel	8.1	86
16	More Power to You	8.4	85
17	Mama in One	7.4	91
18	There's No Place Like... No Place	7.2	86
19	April Fools	8.4	91
20	Reading the Riot Act	7.7	86
21	A Taxing Situation	7.4	77
22	The Mother of Invention	8.0	89
23	Hate Thy Neighbor	7.5	83
24	Dependence Day	8.4	86
25	And Mama Makes Three	7.7	79

Season 6 (1989)

8.03 avg 20 episodes 8.5 → 8.2 21 min avg

Shape drift

Season 6 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Mama's Medicine Show	8.5	92
2	An Affair to Forget	7.8	84
3	Mr. Wrong	8.1	85
4	Now Hear This	8.4	87
5	Tri-State's Most Wanted	7.9	82
6	Mama Fights Back	7.8	78
7	A Blast from the Past	8.4	93
8	Psychic Pheno-Mama	8.0	80
9	Take My Mama, Please	8.1	77
10	Bubba's House Band	8.4	117
11	Mama Takes Stock	7.5	81
12	War of the Roses	8.2	82
13	Mama Takes a Dive	7.5	81
14	Mama Gets Goosed	8.1	93
15	The Big Nap	7.6	81
16	Pinup Mama	8.2	86
17	Guess Who's Going to Dinner	7.7	88
18	Look Who's Breathing	7.8	82
19	There Is Nothing Like the Dames	8.4	88
20	Bye Bye Baby	8.2	98

Mama's Family (1983)

Cast

Seasons

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