I'm strongly thinking about making the 1980s Sitcom theme last for two months simply because there are so many characters that I love that I won't have time to bring up. I'm not going to do that though and since I only have two more of these to do for this month, I though I would bring up my favorite matriarch to grace a TV screen in that decade. I would like to introduce you to Thelma Harper the star of "Mama's Family".
First of all I just have to say, look at that picture. How can you not smile seeing Vicki Lawrence dressed up as Mama Harper? Just look at the expression on her face, it's brilliant and her performance never failed to brighten up my day.
Thelma Harper was the head of a rather dysfunctional family that included her grown children, grown grandchildren, and various other relatives. A lot of them would end up living with her at various times and Thelma's relationship with them though contentious and quarrelsome at times, was still loving. Even when they would shout, yell and fight, you could tell they were only doing it because they loved each other but didn't know how to express it any other way.
Thelma was a headstrong woman who not only wouldn't back down, I'm not really sure she could back down. It's wasn't in her DNA to do that. She was sure of what she knew and what she believed and nothing would deter her from that. She has one of the smartest mouths and quickest tempers on TV and I never failed to laugh out loud when Mama would really get going. She even lost out on some money left to her buy her sister because she couldn't control that temper for two weeks.
Mama Thelma Harper will go down as one of the feistiest, grouchiest, sharp tongued characters in the history of TV who also happened to be one of the funniest and loving.
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