Thelma Harper, better known as Mama, is a fictional character played by American actress Vicki Lawrence. Mama is a purse-lipped, thickset senior citizen in her mid-to-late 60s. She has lived in an unspecified part of the Southern United States called "Raytown" for her entire life, evident from the southern drawl of her speech.

"vicki lawrence and mama: a two-woman show" Emmy Award- winning comedienne Vicki Lawrence is one of the most beloved television personalities of her generation. Plucked out of total obscurity as a high school senior, Vicki went on to become part of the now-legendary cast of the "Carol Burnett Show."

Mama's Family: Created by Dick Clair, Jenna McMahon. With Vicki Lawrence, Ken Berry, Dorothy Lyman, Allan Kayser. Mama's Family originated with Thelma "Mama" Harper, and her younger sister Fran living together in Mama's house.

Vicki Lawrence (born March 26, 1949), [1] sometimes credited as Vicki Lawrence Schultz, is an American actress, comedian, and singer. She is best known for her character Mama (Thelma Harper) . Lawrence also originated many other characters on CBS 's The Carol Burnett Show from 1967 to 1978, the variety show's entire series run.

Mama's Family is an American sitcom television series starring Vicki Lawrence as Mama (Thelma Harper). The series is a spin-off of a recurring series of comedy sketches called "The Family" featured on The Carol Burnett Show (1967–78) and Carol Burnett & Company (1979).

After the Burnett Show, Vicki went on to star in “Mama’s Family,” which consistently topped the ratings for its entire six-year run of original shows. “Mama” has attained almost a cult status among her legions of loyal television viewers. Ms. Lawrence will take the stage first. “My new show will not be a retrospective,” she explains.

May 24, 2024 · Vicki Lawrence may have been the head of the household in her TV series Mama's Family, but she had another starring role as a mama elsewhere. She was the mom of three TV children and had two of her own at home in real life.

Jan 10, 2025 · Comedy legend Vicki Lawrence, known and loved for her Emmy-winning performances on The Carol Burnett Show and her iconic role as ‘Mama’ in Mama’s Family, is bringing her new production, ‘Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show,’ to the Sedona Performing Arts Center at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22.

Jan 24, 2023 · Vicki Lawrence once had an identity crisis with the character “Mama.” — until Harvey Korman set her straight on a comedic journey of self-discovery. “Harvey told me: ‘You are Mama; she is you, and you are the character that lives in your gut,” Lawrence said this week in a telephone interview.

May 10, 2024 · After Burnett's show ended in 1978, Lawrence was on her own and became a full-time Mama. In a 1983 interview with The Park City Daily News, Lawrence said it was a big responsibility to break away from Burnett and take on her own show, and it wasn't something she was ready to do right away.