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That's My Mama

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That's My Mama
Created byDan T. Bradley
Allan L. Rice
Developed byStanley Ralph Ross
StarringClifton Davis
Theresa Merritt
Theodore Wilson
Lynne Moody (Season 1)
Jester Hairston
(Season 1)
DeForest Covan
(Season 1)
Ted Lange
Lisle Wilson (Season 2)
Joan Pringle (Season 2)
Helen Martin (Season 2)
Theme music composerAllan Blye
Chris Bearde
Gene Farmer
(1974–1975)
Lamont Dozier (1975)
ComposersJack Eskew (1974–1975)
Lamont Dozier (1975)
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes39
Production
Executive producersAllan Blye
Chris Bearde (1974–1975)
David Pollock
Elias Davis (1975)
ProducersWalter N. Bien
Gene Farmer
Running time25 minutes
(per episode)
Production companiesBlye-Bearde Productions
(1974–1975)
(season 1)
Pollock/Davis, Inc.
(1975)
(season 2)
Columbia Pictures Television
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 4, 1974 (1974-09-04) –
December 24, 1975 (1975-12-24)

That's My Mama is an American television sitcom that was the first series to be produced by Columbia Pictures Television and originally broadcast for 39 episodes on ABC from September 4, 1974, to December 24, 1975. That's My Mama was never a ratings success, having always been beaten by NBC's Little House on the Prairie among other competing programs, and was not among the 30 most-watched U.S. programs in the Nielsen ratings for either the 1974–1975 or 1975–1976 television seasons. As a result, the series ended on Christmas Eve 1975.

Synopsis

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Set in a middle-class African American neighborhood in Washington, D.C., the program revolved around the character Clifton Curtis (played by Clifton Davis), a man in his mid-20s who worked as a barber at Oscar's Barber Shop, the family barber shop he had inherited from his late father. While Clifton enjoyed being a bachelor, his loving, but tart-tongued and opinionated mother Eloise "Mama" Curtis, played by Theresa Merritt, wanted him to settle down and find a nice wife. Additional characters – such as Clifton's two best friends—Earl, played by Teddy Wilson, an easy-going mailman and Junior, played by Ted Lange, a suave and good-humored ladies' man—came and went over the course of a typical day at Oscar's Barber Shop. Other characters included Tracy, Clifton's little sister, played by Lynne Moody and later by Joan Pringle and her husband, Leonard, played by Lisle Wilson, as well as local seniors Josh and Wildcat, played by DeForest Covan and Jester Hairston. Clifton Davis and Hairston would work together again years later in the hit sitcom, Amen.

The original title for That's My Mama was The Furst Family of Washington. One year before the series debuted, ABC aired the pilot episode of this version, starring Merritt opposite Godfrey Cambridge as her son Oscar, as a one-off special.[1]

That's My Mama Now!

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In 1986, inspired by the success of What's Happening Now!!, Columbia Pictures Television produced a pilot for a sequel series called That's My Mama Now! with Ted Lange as the star. It lacked enough stations signing up to ensure revival.[2]

Cast

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Ernestine Wade originally portrayed the role of Laura in two episodes: "Clifton's Sugar Mama" (season 1, episode 5) and "The Birthday Party" (season 2, episode 1). Ed Bernard originated the role of Earl Chambers in the first two episodes of season 1: "Whose Child Is This?" and "Honesty Day". Teddy Wilson took over the role in episode 3 of season 1, and was added to the main cast. In addition, Wilson appeared as a different character in the pilot episode while Bernard portrayed the role of Earl in that episode.

Episodes

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Season 1 (1974–1975)

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No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"Whose Child is This?"Bob LaHendroLarry SiegelSeptember 4, 1974 (1974-09-04)
22"Honesty Day"Bob LaHendroTom Tenowich & Ed ScharlachSeptember 11, 1974 (1974-09-11)
33"Clifton's Dubious Romance"Bob LaHendroLarry SiegelSeptember 18, 1974 (1974-09-18)
44"Cousin Albert"Bob LaHendroHal Goldman & Al GordonSeptember 25, 1974 (1974-09-25)
55"Clifton's Sugar Mama"Bob LaHendroRon FriedmanOctober 2, 1974 (1974-10-02)
66"Clifton's Big Move"Bob LaHendroLarry SiegelOctober 9, 1974 (1974-10-09)
77"Mama Steps Out"Bob LaHendroLarry SiegelOctober 16, 1974 (1974-10-16)
88"The Loan"Bob LaHendroBob ShayneOctober 23, 1974 (1974-10-23)
99"Clifton's Con"Bob LaHendroThad Mumford & Dan WilcoxOctober 30, 1974 (1974-10-30)
1010"Clifton's Persuasion"Bob LaHendroLarry SiegelNovember 6, 1974 (1974-11-06)
1111"Oscar's Affair"Bob LaHendroStory by : Jerry Ross
Teleplay by : Jerry Ross & Larry Siegel
November 13, 1974 (1974-11-13)
1212"Tracy's Trouble"Bob LaHendroHal Goldman & Al GordonNovember 20, 1974 (1974-11-20)
1313"The Gun"Bob LaHendroJay Moriatry & Mike MilliganDecember 4, 1974 (1974-12-04)
1414"Song and Dance Man"Bob LaHendroRon FriedmanDecember 11, 1974 (1974-12-11)
1515"Mama Gets Fractured"Bob LaHendroLarry SiegelDecember 25, 1974 (1974-12-25)
1616"The Last Haircut"Bob LaHendroStory by : David and Sally Evans
Teleplay by : Larry Siegel
January 8, 1975 (1975-01-08)
1717"The Shakedown"Stan LathanRick MittlemanJanuary 15, 1975 (1975-01-15)
1818"The Ambulance Chaser"Stan LathanSimon MuntnerJanuary 22, 1975 (1975-01-22)
1919"Earl's Girl"Bob LaHendroJerry RossJanuary 29, 1975 (1975-01-29)
2020"The Witness"Bob LaHendroHal Goldman & Al GordonFebruary 5, 1975 (1975-02-05)
2121"Clifton and the Kid"Alan RafkinStory by : Jay Moriarty & Mike Milligan
Teleplay by : Jay Moriarty & Mike Milligan and Larry Siegel
February 12, 1975 (1975-02-12)
2222"The Hero"Norman AbbottEric TarloffFebruary 19, 1975 (1975-02-19)
2323"The Image Maker"Stan LathanRon FriedmanFebruary 26, 1975 (1975-02-26)
2424"Trial and Error"Norman AbbottRick MittlemanMarch 5, 1975 (1975-03-05)
2525"Clifton and Politics"Bob LaHendroIlunga AdellMarch 12, 1975 (1975-03-12)
2626"Stephanie's Boyfriend"Bob LaHendroRon FriedmanMarch 26, 1975 (1975-03-26)

Season 2 (1975)

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No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
271"The Birthday Party"Arnold MargolinLloyd GarverSeptember 10, 1975 (1975-09-10)
282"Business is Business"Noam PitlikWalter Bien & Gene FarmerSeptember 17, 1975 (1975-09-17)
293"Mama's Solution"Herbert KenwithCharlie HauckSeptember 24, 1975 (1975-09-24)
304"That's Earl, Brother"Arnold MargolinMilton R.F. BrownOctober 1, 1975 (1975-10-01)
315"A Date with Judy"Burt BrinckerhoffLarry SiegelOctober 8, 1975 (1975-10-08)
326"Earl's Dad and Mama's Glad"Arnold MargolinLloyd GarverOctober 15, 1975 (1975-10-15)
337"Weekend Daddy"Arnold MargolinBud WiserOctober 22, 1975 (1975-10-22)
348"Clifton and La Femme"Arnold MargolinDavid Pollock & Elias DavisOctober 29, 1975 (1975-10-29)
359"Mama's Big Move"Arnold MargolinBud WiserNovember 5, 1975 (1975-11-05)
3610"Queen of the Ribs"Mort LachmanJim ParkerNovember 12, 1975 (1975-11-12)
3711"A Man from the Past"Burt BrinckerhoffCharlie HauckNovember 19, 1975 (1975-11-19)
3812"Get Your Kicks on Routes 22 and 76"Mort LachmanWinston MossDecember 3, 1975 (1975-12-03)
3913"Clifton's Casual Fling"Jerry MarkusLloyd Garver & Winston Moss & Thad Mumford & David Pollock & Elias DavisDecember 17, 1975 (1975-12-17)
4014"That's my Papa"Stuart MargolinStuart Margolin(Unaired)

Catchphrases

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  • "Wooooooo, WHEE!! I got it, I got it, and I got to report it!"—Junior's (Ted Lange) introduction whenever he had a bit of juicy gossip to tell Clifton and anybody else in the barbershop who happened to be listening.

Home media

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Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released both Seasons on DVD in Region 1 on August 23, 2005. The majority of episodes are presented on both DVD releases in their edited-for-syndication form. Only a handful of episodes are presented in their original unedited form.

On June 13, 2017, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released That's My Mama- The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1.[3]

DVD Name Ep # Release Date
Season 1 26 August 23, 2005
Season 2 13 August 23, 2005
Complete Series 39 June 13, 2017

Cultural references

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In the movie Coming to America, Eddie Murphy has a brief role as Randy Watson, who is explained by Arsenio Hall’s character, Reverend Brown, to have played “Joe the Policeman" in the (fictional) "What’s Goin' Down” episode of That's My Mama.

In the Family Guy episode "Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington," Peter testifies before Congress. Trying to think of a snappy line with which to end his speech, he finally quips "Well, that's my mama!" (This was the tagline at the end of each That's My Mama episode's prologue.)

Syndicated rebroadcast

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Catchy Comedy aired That's My Mama during its Weekend Binge marathon block on February 12–13, 2022 and again on February 3, 2024.

References

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  1. ^ "Television Obscurities". July 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-01-27. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
  2. ^ "What's Happening!! : Classic TV". tvparty.com. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  3. ^ OooooWEE! I Got It! I Got It! And I GOT to Report It: 'The Complete Series'! Archived 2017-05-21 at the Wayback Machine
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