Time Life To Release New ‘Mama’s Family’ DVD Collection Next Month

Courtesy: Time Life Entertainment

Time Life Entertainment will release another collection of classic Mama’s Family episodes next month on DVD.

The company announced this week it will release Mama’s Family: The Mama’s Family Favorites Collection on Tuesday, March 7.  The 6-disc, 37-episode collection features some of the series’ most memorable episodes from each of its six seasons over 895 minutes.  That’s almost 15 hours of classic entertainment from Time Life Entertainment and Mama’s Family.

The episodes culled for this collection are the same episodes featured in Time Life Entertainment’s previous standalone “Best Of” Mama’s Family collections.  In this case, those DVDs have all been culled into one single set for fans who might not have been able to get their hands on the previously released single-disc collections.

Mama’s Family: The Mama’s Family Collection will retail for MSRP of $89.95.  More information on this and other titles from Time Life Entertainment is available online now at:

 

 

 

Website: http://timelife.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TimeLifeUS

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TimeLifeUS

 

 

 

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Time Life’s Latest Carol Burnett Show Box Set Is A Treasure In Itself

Courtesy: Time Life Entertainment

Television today is not what it used to be. Between all of the drama, serials, and sex there really is not a lot worth watching anymore. That is not to say that there is nothing worth watching. But television’s true worthwhile commercial offerings are, at least in the eyes of this critic, few and far between. It goes without saying that in terms of current offerings on television, PBS is the last bastion of truly worthwhile programming. While it is the last bastion of truly worthwhile programming on television, there are other options available on DVD and Blu-ray thanks to the likes of Shout! Factory and Time Life Entertainment. Both companies have proven in the past ten years or so to be the leading names in the home entertainment market in terms of truly worthwhile television offerings. And next month Time Life Entertainment will show why it holds its title once again when it releases its latest collection of classic Carol Burnett Show episodes The Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes – Treasures From The Vault. The six-disc set is a continuation of Time Life Entertainment’s previous Carol Burnett Show box set, The Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes. That set was released this past September. Just as with that box set, the episodes collected for this set lie at the heart of its presentation. The collective work of the show’s writers and cast is another important element in its presentation. The set’s companion booklet rounds out its most important elements. Each element plays its own important part in the whole of Time Life Entertainment’s new Carol Burnett Show box set. Altogether, they make The Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes – Treasures From The Vault one more treasure for fans of the classic variety show and of classic TV in general.

Time Life Entertainment’s latest collection of episodes from The Carol Burnett Show is one more treasure for fans of the classic variety show and for classic TV fans in general. This is especially true in an age when commercial networks’ offerings are largely anything but being worth the watch. The main element that makes it such a wonderful treasure is its episodes. As with Time Life’s previous Lost Episodes collection from The Carol Burnett Show this collection lifts its fifteen total episodes from the series’ first five seasons. This is important to note because none of the episodes from the show’s first five seasons had ever been released in any of Time Life’s previous Carol Burnett Show box sets up until the release of this box set and its predecessor. Considering that the series’ first five seasons’ episode count totals 134 episodes, and only 30 of those episodes will have seen the light of day upon this box set’s release, that still leaves 104 episodes to be released. That means that this latest installment will hardly be the last collection to feature episodes from the series’ first five seasons. Since it looks like Time Life won’t be releasing the series in its complete season sets or even full series run anytime soon, this is a very good thing for fans. It means that the laughs and guffaws will keep coming for some time to come. And that’s just the beginning of this box set’s positives. The work of the show’s writers and cast together makes for plenty of entertainment for audiences.

The episodes featured in Time Life Entertainment’s latest Carol Burnett Show collection are important in their own right to the set’s overall presentation. That is because they are just one more collection of previously unreleased episodes from the series’ first five episodes. Collectively speaking they are hardly the last episodes from The Carol Burnett Show’s early years to be released. Considering the total number of episodes that made up the show’s first five seasons, there are plenty more to come. It would have been nice to have these episodes in full standalone season sets. But beggars can’t be choosers. Now considering this, they are collectively just one part of what makes this collection its own treasure. Throughout the course of this collection’s featured episodes, the writers and cast work together to give audiences loads of laughs. One episode that clearly exhibits this comes late in the set’s run in the form of “Cheek to Cheek.” This skit, included in Disc Twelve (Yes, twelve. That will be discussed later) pokes fun at the dance numbers that filled so many classic movies from the 1930s and 40s. It compares those classic scenes (and numbers) to what a real life scenario would look like if everybody suddenly broke out in song and dance. The very concept was, for its time, original to say the least. And the very thought is in itself pretty funny. Watching Harvey suddenly breaking out in song and dance, taking Carol and having her dance around in the “restaurant” adds to that hilarity. Harvey’s almost Woody Allen style character is a laugh riot with his New York accent and glasses. It is something that audiences simply must see in order to appreciate. On another note “The Secretaries” offers just as much entertainment. Carol stars opposite Harvey Korman as Ms. Farnum, Mr. Bradley’s secretary. Ms. Farnum has to choose her temporary replacement so that she can go on vacation. She ends up coming face to face with some candidates that definitely outshine her with hilarious results. The ultimate outcome won’t be revealed here. But it will leave audiences in stitches, needless to say. As if that isn’t enough, “The Wonderful World of Hospitals” offers its own share of entertainment. Guest star Jonathan Winters stars opposite Harvey Korman in this sketch. Winters is hilarious as the doctor being interviewed here. His character is one part Jonathan Winters and one part Groucho Marx. It’s something that must be seen to be believed and appreciated. At one point he laughs at one of his jokes and ever so subtly uses his stethoscope to check his own heart rate after the fact. The subtlety of that movement is so funny. Again, it’s one of those moments that is so absurd that one can’t help but laugh at it. The very concept behind the skit makes the writers well deserving of their applause once again here. The same applies to Korman for his ability to maintain a certain seriousness throughout the sketch even with Winters’ laugh riot performance. It’s just one more way in which the combined efforts of the series’ writers and cast make this latest collection of episodes a true treasure. There are plenty of other moments that could be cited as examples, too. Ken Berry’s footwork as he dances to “Mr. Bojangles” is another example that could be cited in this argument. As Carol and her castmates pay tribute to Warner Brothers’ Looney Tunes, audiences will find themselves laughing just as much. And Carol’s set closing performance as the famed Charwoman is perhaps the highest of the set highest moments. The moment in question sees the Charwoman closing down the set of The Carol Burnett Show at the end of a season. She imagines that she is in each of the sketches that were churned out in the season in question. It is a truly memorable and moving moment that is certain to leave at least some audiences shedding tears of joy thanks to its beauty and gentility. Whether for that moment, those directly noted here or even those not directly noted, it can be said of the cast and writers’ work here that both play integral parts in the overall presentation of Time Life Entertainment’s new Carol Burnett Show box set. Together with the episodes themselves, both elements combine to give audiences even more reason to purchase this box set. Even with their importance they are still not all that should be noted of the collection. The set’s companion booklet rounds out its presentation.

The episodes that are featured in Time Life Entertainment’s new Carol Burnett Show box set and the work put into each episode by the show’s writers and cast go a long way towards making the collection in whole enjoyable. as important as both elements are to the set’s presentation they are not the set’s only notable elements. The companion booklet that comes with the box set is just as important to the set as the previously noted elements. That is because it continues a tradition established by Time Life in the company’s previous Carol Burnett Show presentations. The tradition in question is making the booklet not just a booklet but a part of the set’s overall experience. It features a full episode guide that is specific to each of the set’s discs. Audiences will note of the listed discs that rather than simply labeling them as Disc 1 – 6, Time Life has instead labeled them as Disc 7 – 12. This is important to note because it tells audiences that Time Life didn’t just throw together a bunch of episodes and random discs. Instead it proves to audiences that the set is a direct connection to Time Life’s previous Lost Episodes collection. Time Life is to be applauded quite soundly for that. What’s more there are even little tidbits about different episodes throughout the guide that come from Carol herself and in general. All of this taken into consideration, it shows clearly why the companion booklet that comes with The Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes — Treasures From The Vault is just as important to the set in whole as the set’s featured episodes and the content of each episode. It works together with those elements to show once and for all, without a doubt, that this set is indeed a treasure of its own both for Carol Burnett Show fans and for classic TV lovers in general.

The Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes — Treasures From The Vault is a treasure of its own both for fans of The Carol Burnett Show and for classic television lovers in general. It shows this mainly through its collected episodes. The episodes are another sampling of previously unreleased episodes from the series’ first five seasons. The work put into each episode by the series’ writers and cast make each episode a laugh riot for any viewer. The companion booklet included in the six-disc sets completes audiences viewing experience as it not only offers a complete disc-by-disc episode guide but also bonus background information on specific episodes. Audiences even get to choose from the episodes within each disc, making the overall viewing experience all the more enjoyable. Each element plays its own important part in the overall presentation of The Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes — Treasures From The Vault. Altogether they show clearly why the collection is a treasure in and of itself both for fans of The Carol Burnett Show and for classic TV fans in general. It will be available on Tuesday, February 9th and can be ordered online via Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Carol-Burnett-Show-Treasures-Vault/dp/B018DQV44I/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1453840504&sr=1-1&keywords=the+carol+burnett+show+treasures+from+the+vault. More information on this and other titles from Time Life Entertainment is available online now at:

Website: http://timelife.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TimeLifeUS

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TimeLifeUS

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Mama’s Family Goes Out On Top In Its Sixth And Final Season

Courtesy: StarVista Entertainment

Mama’s Family is one of the sharpest comedies to ever grace any of the television world’s major networks. It can justifiably be said that if not for Mama’s Family, there would likely be no Roseanne. Either that or Roseanne might not have come along until much later than it did. It was Vicky Lawrence’s character of Thelma who paved the way not only for Roseanne Barr, but many other comediennes that would follow in her footsteps for years to come. Originally released in 2006, StarVista Entertainment obtained the distribution rights to the series some years ago and started re-issuing the series in 2013. Now almost two years after StarVista Entertainment re-issued the first of the series’ seasons that run has finally come to an end with the release of its sixth and final season last month. Regardless of audiences’ familiarity with Mama’s Family, every viewer will agree in watching this final season that even twenty-five years after the last episode aired, the series is still just as entertaining today as it was in its first run so long ago. The main reason that it remains so entertaining to this day is its writing. The writers crafted stories that were laugh riots both for themselves and for the sharp, witty one-liners tossed into the dialogue. The execution of those stories and one-liners by the show’s cast adds even more enjoyment to the show’s final season. In other words, the work of the show’s cast in interpreting the writers’ work adds even more to the overall enjoyment of these episodes. Last but not least of all worth noting of this set is the bonus material included in Season Six’s triple-disc box set. This includes both the set’s companion booklet and it’s bonus interviews with the show’s cast and crew. Each element by itself proves the sixth season of Mama’s Family to be a fitting finale for what is one of the greatest sitcoms of the 20th century. It is also one more welcome addition to the collection of any classic TV fan and any Mama’s Family fan, too.

The sixth and final season of  Mama’s Family is a fitting finale for what is not just itself a great sitcom, but also one of the greatest sitcoms of the 20th Century. As with its first five seasons, it proves this yet again thanks to the efforts of the show’s writers. The writers crafted in the sixth season of Mama’s Family twenty-one episodes that are just as ripe with laughs as any of the episodes from the series’ first five seasons. They are so funny both because of the premises of the stories themselves and for the jokes incorporated into each story. For example, in “An Affair to Forget,” Thelma suspects Vinton of cheating on Naomi with his new trainee Heather. The result sees Thelma and Iola end up spying on him only to find out that Naomi and Heather are actually good friends and that nothing was going on between Heather and Vinton after all. Of course they have to save face, so they get out of dodge real fast so to speak. Their reactions throughout the entire story right up to that final moment are a laugh riot. The writers’ sharp, witty commentary about the role of men and women in society in “Mr. Wrong” will have audiences laughing just as hysterically. When Iola’s boyfriend Bert introduces himself to Thelma’s family, his sexist mindset comes out, forcing Thelma’s tongue and her hand. She compares Bert to Pee-wee Herman when Iola says Bert is humorous and outgoing. Thelma shoots back that so is Pee-wee Herman, but she wouldn’t date him. Then she goes on to call Bert a liar, a blowhard, and a pig, to which Iola responds, “alright. So he’s not perfect.” This back and forth is a moment that will have both men and women alike laughing. Ironically enough even today there are still men like Bert. That’s what makes Thelma’s commentary so funny. The related jokes about her grandson trying to find love through a “romance line” will have audiences laughing just as much. And even the dream sequence that makes up “The Big Nap” will please any classic crime films and TV shows. Seeing Lawrence dressed up as an old-time detective is itself funny. The use of the sepiatone effect for the dream sequence and the acting on the part of the cast shows just how much fun everybody had making this episode. The episode’s story, which centers on a handful of recipes, is so funny in itself that one can’t help but watch and see what happens. It’s one more example of how the work of the writers behind Mama’s Family managed to so easily keep this sitcom such a laugh riot for so long. Now with the re-issue of the series’ final season, its original fans and possibly even a whole new generation of fans will see this for themselves. With any luck, in seeing this, it will turn audiences of all ages away from all the serials out there today and back to the joy that is another wonderful classic sitcom.

The work of the writers behind Mama’s Family proves to be just as entertaining in the series’ sixth season as in its first as has been evidenced already. Thelma’s jokes and biting social commentary are just as relevant and laugh-inciting today as they were in the series’ original run so long ago. While the writers are to be commended just as much today as they were then, the cast is to be commended, too. Vicky Lawrence’s timing is spot on from one episode to the next. It is almost as rapid fire as Groucho Marx with the same sharp wit as Carol O’Connor in his days on All in the Family. Ken Berry’s Vinton remains the perfect comic relief. And straightwoman Iola plays off of Lawrence’s Thelma just as well. The pairing of the two creates its own share of laughs from the season premiere to its finale. Interestingly enough, Beverly Archer plays the role so well that one can’t help but feel kind of sorry for Iola. That’s because Archer makes her such a simpleton yet someone who has a good heart. It makes her a great contrast to Thelma’s much more quick-witted personality. And it really plays on the old adage that opposites attract, which is why the pair works so well on-screen especially in Carol Burnett’s departure from the show. Even Dorothy Lyman adds her own comic element to the show as Vinton’s ditzy wife Naomi. She is especially entertaining because even today, every viewer knows somebody like her. Those same sorts still exist today. And they are quite like her. In many cases, actors whose series have been on air so long have a tendency to phone it in so to speak and just go on cruise control. But the cast of Mama’s Family is one cast that maintained its professionalism right to the end. The end result is one more season that shows exactly why Mama’s Family remains in its sixth season just as entertaining as any of today’s current offerings if not more so. And it is one more reason that anyone looking for real comedy with heart and soul should add this season of Mama’s Family to their own home DVD collection.

Bot the work of the writers and the cast of Mama’s Family proves just as solid in this the series’ final season as its debut season only years before. Both are equally important to the overall enjoyment and success of the set. But they aren’t all to be considered. The companion interviews and booklet included with Mama’s Family Season Six rightfully lives up to the title of bonus material. It rounds out the elements that make this season so enjoyable and such a success. The companion booklet offers a short but concise look at some of the season’s highlights courtesy of freelance writer Andrew Whitenack. The booklet also offers a full episode list for each of the set’s three discs. The bonus interviews offer just as many laughs as the episodes themselves and just as much insight into the show. Vicky Lawrence sits down with Writer/EP Rick Hawkins for discussions on the show’s guest stars, the addictive nature of the show, working with Harvey Korman and so many other topics. Jim Evering discusses working on both The Carol Burnett Show and Mama’s Family. And writer Manny Basanese offers up his own thoughts on the show, too. He notes that he came on in the last season. Considering how young Basanese looks, such a comment coupled with the fact that he notes he watched the series himself before coming on means he had to have been pretty young when he watched it. That in itself is a bold statement. Despite some of the show’s language and topics even six seasons in, it shows how much the show appealed to younger audiences even in its original run. It’s a subtle yet bold statement. And it’s yet more proof of why the bonus material included in the sixth season of Mama’s Family makes this box set so enjoyable and the set in whole such a success.

The bonus material included in the sixth season of Mama’s Family proves in its own way why this final box set is such a joy for anyone looking to break away from the monotony of television’s current offerings. The laughs and insights offered through the both the companion booklet and the bonus interviews will have audiences laughing just as much as with the episodes themselves. Speaking of the episodes, the combined work of the show’s writers and its cast six seasons in will have audiences laughing till they cry tears of joy. This is quite the statement especially when these episodes are compared to television’s current bland offerings. The combination of all three elements together shows clearly why the sixth season of Mama’s Family is a must have for any classic TV fan and a must have for anyone looking to escape the monotony of all the crime dramas, medical procedurals, and serials currently polluting the television spectrum today. Mama’s Family Season Six is available in stores and online now. More information on this and other titles available from StarVista Entertainment is available online at:

Website: http://timelife.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TimeLifeUS

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TimeLifeUS

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Time Life, StarVista Announce Release Date, Specs For New Carol Burnett Show Compilation

Courtesy: StarVista Entertainment/Time Life Entertainment

StarVista Entertainment and Time Life Entertainment will release another new set of episodes from the beloved Carol Burnett Show next month.

The Carol Burnett Show: Together Again will be released Tuesday, February 24^th on DVD. The single-disc release will boast three more episodes from the classic variety/sketch comedy series. All three episodes are presented exactly as their aired in their original broadcasts on CBS in 1973 and 1978. This means that all three episodes will be completely uncut. The included episodes in question are Episode #705 (Original airdate: September 29, 2973), Episode #712 (Original Airdate: December 15, 1973), and Episode #1115 (Original Airdate: January 8, 1978). The episodes included in the upcoming DVD feature some of the greatest names from television’s golden era. Those stars include: Roddy McDowell (Cleopatra, Planet of the Apes Series, Fright Night), Ruth Buzzi (Laugh-In, The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts), Gloria Swanson (Sunset Boulevard, The Gloria Swanson Hour), Richard Crenna (Judging Amy, JAG, Rambo series), and Ken Berry (Mama’s Family, F Troop, The Andy Griffith Show).

The Carol Burnett Show: Together Again will be available in stores and online Tuesday, February 24^th. It will retail for MSRP of $12.95. It can be ordered online via Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Carol-Burnett-Show-Together-Again/dp/B00NUSWZ9I/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1421421317&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Carol+Burnett+Show+Together+Again. More information on this and other releases from StarVista Entertainment and Time Life Entertainment is available online at:

Website: http://www.timelife.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TimeLifeUS

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TimeLifeUS

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

StarVista, Time Life To Release Latest Carol Burnet Box Set Next Month

Courtesy: StarVista Entertainment/Time Life

StarVista Entertainment will release the latest in a continuing series of DVD sets from the Carol Burnett Show next month.

The Carol Burnett Show: Carol’s Crack Ups will be released by StarVista Entertainment Tuesday, April 15^th.  The new set features seventeen more episodes of The Carol Burnett Show on six discs.  Each episode presented in this new box set was hand-picked by Carol Burnett.  Fans of CBS’ hit sitcom Mama’s Family will be pleased to know that “The Family”, the skit that led to Mama’s Family, will be featured throughout the set’s seventeen total episodes.  Also included among the set’s sic discs are more installments of the beloved skits, “Carol & Sis”, “Alice Portnoy”, “The Charwoman” and “The Old Folks” just to name a handful.  There are also guest appearances from Carl Reiner, Charo, Roddy McDowall, Ruth Buzzi, Andy Griffith and lots more.

The classic resurrected skits featured throughout all six of this set’s discs are only part of what audiences can expect from Carol’s Crack Ups.  StarVista has sweetened the deal for fans by adding bonus cast interviews and commentary, bonus sketches, and two previously unavailable featurettes in: “Tim Conway: Chief Cracker Upper” and “Tim On The Street.”

The Carol Burnett Show: Carol’s Crack Ups retails for $59.95.  More information on this latest release and the complete 22-disc collection of Carol’s Crack Ups is available online at http://timelife.com and http://www.facebook.com/TimeLifeUS, and http://twitter.com/timeLifeUS.  To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

StarVista, Time Life Announce Release Date, Details For Mama’s Family Season Three

Courtesy: StarVista Entertainment/Time Life

Thelma Harper returns this winter!  StarVista Entertainment and Time Life have announced that they will release the third season of the hit sitcom Mama’s Family on February 25^th, 2014.  There are changes for the Harper family in the series’ third season.  The most noticeable of those changes is the departure of Vint’s kids, Buzz and Sonja.  The pair was replaced in Season Three by a new character named Bubba Higgins.  Bubba was the child of Ed and Thelma’s daughter Eunice.  He was played by Allan Kayser.  His sudden appearance is explained by his having been previously incarcerated in juvenile hall.  It is explained that he decided to move in at Thelma’s because Ed and Eunice had moved to Florida.  It’s not the only change that viewers see this season.  Ellen (Betty White—Golden Girls) goes under the knife, and Thelma’s sister Fran (Rue McClanahan—Golden Girls) dies.  Of course, Thelma doesn’t let it remain a somber occasion.  She harps on Ellen for how she did her hair for the funeral.  There are plenty more laughs from this, the penultimate season of Mama’s Family in its original run.  The upcoming box set’s release’s bonus features and guest appearances will impress, too.

Mama’s Family Season Three comes packed with its own share of bonus features.  Fans of The Carol Burnett Show that weren’t lucky enough to get their hands on any of the stand-alone box sets or the complete series set get yet another classic “The Family” skit taken from said show as a bonus in this set.  Also included is a profile of Bubba Higgins, an interview with Allan Kayser, and a Mama’s Family cast reunion.  If the bonus features aren’t enough for viewers, maybe the guest star lineup will.  Golden Girls star Betty White returns again.  Brent Spiner (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Dr. Joyce Brothers, Jack Dodson (The Andy Griffith Show), and Lewis Arquette (Best in Show) all make appearances, too.

All twenty-five episodes of Season Three are included across four discs.  The set is listed at an MSRP of $29.95.  More information on Mama’s Family Season Three and other releases from StarVista Entertainment and Time Life is available online at http://www.facebook.com/TimeLifeUS and http://www.timelife.com.  To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Time Life, Star Vista Score Another Hit With Mama’s Family Season Two

Courtesy: Time Life Entertainment/StarVista

The second season of the hit classic sitcom Mama’s Family is one more wonderful addition to the home library of this show’s fans.  While it might have been edgy for its day during its original television broadcasts, it still had its own comic value.  In comparison to the fare being offered to today’s audiences, it is just as valuable for that same reason.  Season Two offers audiences just as many laughs as the show’s first season thanks to its writing staff.  Audiences see Thelma get a job working alongside Naomi in what is one of the season’s best episodes.  Fans also get in the season premiere, one of the most relatable of storylines when Thelma teaches Buzz and Sonja about the “good old days.”  And Thelma’s “help” with Fran’s advice column hits some hilarious highs, too.  These are just a few of the great episodes offered up in Season Two.  And they’re just part of what fans will appreciate in this season’s box set, too.  Fans will also appreciate the StarVista and Time Life Entertainment have included a bonus booklet with the set.  The booklet in question offers viewers a brief yet thorough synopsis of each episode contained on the set’s four discs.  Completing Season Two is the inclusion of the original TV movie Eunice that would eventually lead to the creation of Mama’s Family after The Carol Burnett Show ended.  These aspects and much more make Mama’s Family Season Two all the more worth adding to any fan’s home library.

Mama’s Family Season Two offers up to fans twenty-one complete episodes.  One of those episodes, “Mama for Mayor” is actually split into two separate episodes, bringing the grand total to twenty-two episodes.  What audiences will appreciate most of all from these episodes is that unlike the previous release of Mama’s Family in 2006, these episodes (as well as those in the release of Season One) include the famed introductions by Alastair Quince (Harvey Korman).  These introductions were allegedly not included in the show’s previous release in 2006.  They are a welcome addition to the whole presentation.  It’s one more part of the show’s writing that made it so fun.  Of course, the writing behind the episodes themselves will definitely entertain audiences, too.  One of the best examples of that writing is in the episode “Supermarket.”  This episode sees Thelma being forced to work alongside Naomi when she takes a job as a customer consultant at her local grocery store.  The rivalry between the two women reaches comedic heights as the pair go toe-to-toe.  In another of this season’s best moments, Thelma takes Buzz and Sonja on a trip back to the “good old days” when she sees what had become of youth culture in the world at that time.  Every generation can relate to this laugh riot episode.  And of course, Thelma’s biting commentary comes into hilarious play when she helps Fran with her advice column.  This is an episode that will leave any true comedy lover laughing tears of joy.  And it serves as one more example of how solid the show’s writing was and still is today in comparison to today’s sitcoms.

The writing staff on Mama’s Family did a top notch job writing the episodes for the show’s second season.  There are more laughs throughout this season than can be noted in one sitting.  Audiences will just have to take them all in when they order this set themselves.  When they order this set, they’ll find that the laughs aren’t all to appreciate.  Along with such solid writing, fans of the show will appreciate the Time Life Entertainment and Star Vista have included Eunice.  Eunice was the TV movie that would eventually lead to the creation of Mama’s Family after The Carol Burnett Show’s end.  Being that Mama’s Family only lasted roughly two seasons in its original run, this inclusion is a big bonus for the show’s original fans.  It brings everything full circle and makes this season even more of a full experience for those looking to get back to a better brand of comedy.

The writing behind each of the show’s episodes in Season Two and the inclusion of Eunice offer viewers so much to appreciate.  But Time Life and Star Vista didn’t stop there.  Just as with the show’s first season, a bonus episode guide was included with the set.  The guide offers a brief yet concise synopsis on each the season’s episodes.  Many audiences take episode guides in box sets for granted.  But there are a lot of box sets released even today that don’t offer episode guides.  The inclusion of this little, but important bonus helps tie everything together.  It gives viewers the chance to know the plot of each episode, and thus make a decision which episode(s) to watch.  In turn, it helps audiences make a fully informed decision on which episode(s) they want to watch.  The resultant effect is even more appreciation of the show’s writing and of the set’s overall presentation.  This season is available now along with the show’s first season, and can be ordered direct online via the Time Life Entertainment website at http://timelife.com/products/mama-s-family-seasons-one-two.  More information on this and other releases from Star Vista and Time Life Entertainment is available online at http://timelife.com.  To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Time Life, StarVista Deserve Applause For Mama’s Family Re-Issue

Courtesy: Time Life/StarVista/Warner Home Video

Television today is a pale shadow of what it once was.  It used to have so much heart and substance.  But somewhere along the way, something changed.  Both the heart and substance were thrown out the window in favor of programming overly laden with sex and violence.  Thankfully StarVista, Time Life and Warner Home Video have officially released another nugget of television’s past in the form of Mama’s Family Season 1 that reminds audiences of what once made television great.  The first season of this spinoff from The Carol Burnett Show is front loaded with so many laughs that even audiences not familiar with the iconic comedy will agree it’s a welcome re-issue.  It also boasts some wonderful acting on the part of star Vicky Lawrence and her co-stars.  On a more extrinsic level, audiences will appreciate Season One’s packaging.  The packaging for the discs is right along the lines of most other companies.  All things considered, Mama’s Family Season One proves in its new re-issue to be just as fun as it has ever been.  It is a highly recommended piece for anyone looking for a change of pace from what TV studios offer today.

The debut season of Mama’s Family is the funniest of the show’s six total seasons.  It offered some of the greatest writing of any sitcom of the twentieth century.  It was completely unlike anything else on the air at the time.  It took the classic nuclear family setup from older family based sitcoms and completely turned it on its ear.  Even more interesting, it did so without being too racy or edgy.  By comparison to today’s programming, that speaks volumes for this sitcom.  Mama’s Family walked a very fine line even during the 80s.  But it never crossed that line.  It’s just part of the writing that made (and still makes) it such a cult hit.  Season One also offered its share of pure laughs.  A prime example of that lies in an episode that sees Thelma and company make an appearance on the hit game show, Family Feud.  Then host Richard Dawson was even on hand for the laugh riot episode.  This was such a funny episode in that it took that dysfunctional family element and took it outside the walls of Thelma’s house into a wholly new environment.  The result is one of the funniest episodes of Season One and of the entire series.

The writing behind Mama’s Family made this sitcom unlike anything else on television at the time.  It continues to do so today.  But what is good writing without a cast to bring the scripts to life?  Luckily, the cast that made “The Family” a hit on The Carol Burnett Show were also the cast here in Season One of Mama’s Family.  It would have been so easy to replace any of the core cast with new actors for the series.  Luckily that didn’t happen.  In turn, the chemistry developed among the original cast members was allowed to develop here.  It was obvious just how much chemistry the cast had, too.  This is especially the case between Burnett and Lawrence.  Audiences will be laughing nonstop as they watch the pair argue so convincingly as if they really were mother and daughter.  The episode, “Cellmates” is proof of that.  When the pair end up in jail together, it leads to one of the funniest moments between the pair in Season One.  The occasional appearances of Betty White and Rue McClanahan as Fran and Ellen added their own extra comic element, too.  Ironically enough, the pair would go on to star together in The Golden Girls only a couple years later.  That aside, the acting of both women and the rest of the show’s cast in Season One proves to be one more reason that any true fan of comedy should watch at least this season.

Writing and acting are obviously the most important part of any television program’s success.  Both elements have made Mama’s Family a huge success even roughly three decades after it first premiered.  There is one more piece of the puzzle to examine in what makes  the newly re-issued first season of Mama’s Family a success.  That piece to the puzzle is its packaging.  Season One’s packaging follows the standard used so commonly today for multi-disc box sets.  Two of the set’s three discs are placed on either side of a plastic “insert” while the third is placed in its own spot on the back side of the case.  This standard packaging format helps to protect the integrity of the discs.  It also is more ergonomic.  Packaging usually doesn’t get much credit for DVD and blu-ray sets.  But it really is an important part of any release’s full presentation.  And in this case, it’s the icing on the cake of a much welcomed and needed blast from the past that is available now on DVD.  It can be ordered along with the larger complete set online at http://timelife.com/products/mama-s-family-the-complete-series.

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StarVista, Time Life Announce Release Date For Mama’s Family Sets

Courtesy: Joe Hamilton Productions/Lorimar-Telepictures/StarVista/TimeLife

Courtesy: Joe Hamilton Productions/Lorimar-Telepictures/StarVista/Time Life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s been a long time coming.  But comedian Vicki Lawrence’s sitcom spawned from The Carol Burnett Show, Mama’s Family, will finally see the light of day once more.  Earlier this year, Time Life and StarVista released Mama’s Family: The Complete Series.  And now for those that might not have managed to get their hands on the complete set, the two companies have announced that they will release the first two seasons of the hit sitcom this Summer.

Mama’s Family Season One and Mama’s Family Season Two will be released together on Tuesday, September 10^th.  The first of the sets will be available for an MSRP of $22.95 and the second for $29.95.  The upcoming release of the show’s first two seasons marks the first time that they have ever been available to the public on DVD.  They feature the show exactly as it originally aired, as all material included in these sets was taken from the show’s original broadcast masters, otherwise known as the “Joe Hamilton” cuts.  Each episode is introduced by the late, great Harvey Korman as Alastair Quince (taking a playful stab at Alastair Cooke).  Audiences will be happy to see among the included bonus features, the DVD teleplay, “Eunice” and much more.

Courtesy: Joe Hamilton Productions/Lorimar-Telepictures/StarVista/Time life

The complete details of the sets’ bonus features is listed below.

BONUS FEATURES 

• THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON – Featurette: Mama’s Family Tree: The Branches (All About Eunice and Ellen); Family History: A Classic “Family” Sketch from ‘The Carol Burnett Show’, featuring Betty White (Show #1012, December 11, 1976)

• THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON – Movie: “Eunice” (Original Air Date: March 15, 1982); Featurette: Mama’s Family Tree: The Roots (All About Mama and Fran); Interviews: Vicki Lawrence interviews Mama, Vicki Lawrence interviews Carol Burnett, Betty White

Courtesy: Joe Hamilton Productions/Lorimar-Telepictures/StarVista/Time Life

Courtesy: Joe Hamilton Productions/Lorimar-Telepictures/StarVista/Time Life

Along with the first two full seasons, StarVista and Time Life will also release two “best of” compilations featuring some of the show’s best moments.  These compilations will also be available on September 10^th.  They can all be ordered online direct at http://www.mamasfamilydvds.com.  The complete series can be ordered for an MSRP of $199.95.  The “Best of” compilations will be available for $12.95 each.

Courtesy: Joe Hamilton Productions/Lorimar-Telepictures/StarVista/Time Life

Audiences can find out more about these releases and more from StarVista and Time Life online at http://wwwStarVista.TimeLife.com, http://www.facebook.com/TimeLifeUS, and http://twitter.com/TimeLifeUS.

Courtesy: Joe Hamilton Productions/Lorimar-Telepictures/StarVista/Time Life

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.