Mama's Family Episode Rating Graph

Mama and Bubba will graduate from high school together, but Bubba wants to skip the ceremony.

The mail is late,meaning Mama's pention check is late also,so she has to wait around for the mailman.Come to find out Iola had it the whole time and now it's to late to get to the bank to deposit it.So Iola suggests that Mama use the new Auto-Teller, instead of letting her checks for the bills bounce. Mama deposits the check and asks for $20.00 cash,which the machine deducts from her account,but never gives to her.So she blasts it with her pocket book and it soon starts spitting out money.$800 to be exact. Later at the dinner table,the family and Iola take part in Bubba's survey for his class and all disagree on what people should do with found money.It soon comes out that the teller-matic gave Mama $800 and suddenly everyone agrees that they should keep the money,with everyone having ideas on how best to spend it.But Mama decides to return to the bank the next day and put it in her account instead.

Mama and the whole family attend the Inauguration ceremony as the Mayor prepares to swear Mama in as the New Mayor of Raytown.Vint interupts things by trying in vain to take a picture several times.Thus upsetting the Mayor and he leaves. Mama takes over as Mayor and it soon becomes clear she is unprepared for the job.Her first council meeting turns into a free for all,with Mama unable to make a decision or knowing exactly what's she supposed to do. Soon enough the whole town is in an uproar.There's a garbage strike and a transit walkout after Thelma suggest they drop all senior citizens off at there doors.Plus the boyscouts are mad at her too and others are calling for her resignation. Ellen hears about the mess on the radio and her and Mayor Tutwiller come to the rescue.He sends a pound of chocalate to the Boy Scouts and settles the garbage and Transit strikes.Mama realizes she doesn't have what it takes to be Mayor so she soon resigns her post.Telling the council she pressing family

Naomi and Vinton are taking a childbirth class. When Vint is called in to work, Mama has to go to class with Naomi instead of going to the Bingo Bonanza with Iola, so an impatient Mama creates chaos by trying to speed things along and offering her own perspective on the "miracle of birth".

After heckling a stand-up comedian at the Bigger Jigger, Mama accepts a challenge to do a routine of her own.

Mama finally decides to buy herself a car after her meals on wheels job falls through because she can't find a ride.So she takes the thousand dollars she has saved and goes shopping for a car. She sees an ad in the newpaper for ""Willie Potts Used Cars"", Vint says he knows him, because he used to live just around the block. Mama remembers that Willie used to love her Oatmeal cookies, so in hopes of getting a deal, she bakes him a bag full. Arriving at the lot, Willie acts as though he doesn't remember them at all, but offers to paint any car on the lot blue for Mama, when she says she wants a blue car, but she refuses saying it had to be born blue. She finally finds one to her liking, talks Willie down from the initial price of $1500 dollars to her maximum price of $1000. Unfortuantely the car turns out to be a real ""Lemon"" and Willie refuses to give her money back. So Mama walks in on an important meeting with Willie and the head of Ray Corp, Oscar Babcock, whose planning to buy a whol

Ellen talks Mama into having Mayor Tutwiller's Re-Election press conference at the house.As the Mayor starts his speech starts going on about how the senior citizens are being treated in Raytown.The Mayor hears enough and he gets into a shouting match with Mama,and then challenges her to run herself. Mama's story makes the local tv news,as they appear the next morning outside her house.She has a few unkind things to say about the mayor,before Ellen arrives and says she's not running. But eventually Mama decides to run against Mayor Tutwiller. Mayor challenges Mama to a face-to-face debate on KRAY TV.Hoping to squash her chances of winning,by making her look unprepared.But she shows the Mama up forcing him to use fake an important phone call and leave suddenly. On Election night,Mama and the whole family gather round the tv,to see the results.She trails early on, as the night wears and on one by one they all fall asleep.In the end Mama ends up falling alseep as they announce she won.

Naomi trys to fix breakfast for her family but Mama dumps it out, with Naomi complaining about never being able to do anything for her husband and step-kids, saying Mama is always cleaning and cooking and won't let her do anything. Mama's vacuum cleaner then breaks and Vint says she can borrow Naomi's brand new one. The one Vint bought her for a wedding present. Naomi comes in while Mama's using it. She starts complaining about nothing being hers. Just then the vacuum starts smoking and burns a whole in the carpet. As it turns out Mama ran over one of Naomi's key chains. They start fighting and agree to go to court over it. Small claims court Judge W.E. Packard oversees the case. Which ends up in a free-for-all as Mama and Naomi both call witnesses including Vint being called twice (once by each). In the end, the Judge finds Mama and Naomi in contempt of court and fine's them $100 each and also orders them to pay their own damages.

After 50 years, Mama finally gets her chance to sing at Raytown's Founders' Day celebration.After nearly being hit by lightning, Mama finds a new outlook on life.

Mama's already annoyed and trying to avoid Roselle so she won't have to head up the latest charity drive. While Bubba's late for dinner, which of course annoys Mama even more. He's learning to use the school video camera as he's planning to make a film about the Harper family for a school project. So to begin he has everyone gather at the dining room table, problem is their all decked out in their best clothes.

After watching detective movies on TV for a week, and hearing that Iola's mother is missing, Mama dreams that she is a film noir-style detective hired to find her client's mother.

Fran gets a fill-in job as a an advice columnist, when she asks Mama for an answer to a question and Mama does what she does best, tells people what to do and Fran uses it. Soon Fran's editor takes notice of her popularity and Buzz advice's Mama that she should be getting some of the money Fran is now earning. But Fran refuses saying she plans to slowly stop using Mama's ""Home-Spun"" advice as she adds some pyschological insights in her latest article. Fran's got a date that night with her editor, Dwight Nettles, who loves the advice Fran's been giving but can't understand why Fran included all the psychological babble (which he edited out)in her latest article. He also has a problem he needs some advice on and that's why he wanted to see her tonight. Seems ""his friend"" has just hired a new woman at work and has the hots for her, even though he's married, he wants to know what to do. Fran sneaks away from the table and calls Mama from the pay phone to beg her advice. Mama recognizes ri

Vint wins a Mother's Day dinner for two at a North African (Moroccan) restaurant called Abdul's Garden of Eating. As a result, Mama and Naomi fight over which of them Vinton should take.

Mama's sitting up late waiting for Bubba when Vint and Noami come in and start telling her about the new best seller they just bought.It seems the book gives couples ideas on how to get pregnant more easily.One of them they seem intent on trying is doing it in different places. Bubba finally does come in and introduces his new study buddy Toni Malone,a girl.Mama flips and refuses to leave them alone until Bubba threatens to move into the college's Co-ed dorm.Which convinces Mama to go to bed. The next morning,while cleaning Bubba's room they find a black lace bra in the sheets.Thinking it's Toni's,Mama tries to get Bubba to admit to it over dinner,but he doesn't.So Mama and Iola get the idea to stitch bells to his mattress,that way if Bubba and Toni do decide to do something they'd be caught.But in the middle of the stitching job,they hear someone coming so they hide in the closet.

Mama and Fran are putting green stamps into her books,when Vint and Naomi come in from an evening with their friends.They're complaining about not being able to invite anyone over.So Fran mentions having a party for their friends at the house.Mama agrees to cook the dinner and take Buzz and Sonya,along with Fran to the movies for the night,to leave Vint and Naomi alone. Fran and Mama battle over what movie to see,E.T. is Mama's choice and they get ready to leave,when Mama bends over and her back starts spasming.The family has to help her to the floor as she can't move now.She tells Fran and the kids to go on ahead and she'll meet them if her back gets better.Vint and Naomi's friends arrive a minute later and the party begins. Mama is the center of attention as everyone first listens to her story during dinner (which are served on Naomi's new dinner trays,she got with the Green stamps of Mama's).Then they end up feeding her,and then Mama tells Mar'sue that Naomi said she was a snob and

An anonymous letter convinces Vint that he's adopted, so he sets out to find his biological mother.

Mama, Naomi and Iola are planning to go to a show at the Pepper Pot Playhouse, while Vint and Bubba are set to play poker with the ""poker pals"". Mama finds out who's starring in the play and decides not to go, so Naomi and Iola leave as the ""pals"" arrive. Mama's headed off to bed when the phone rings, come to find out the other guys can't play. So Vint begs Mama to set in. Mama proves to be a much better player than anyone expected and is soon the hit of the evening, sharing embarrassing stories about Vint as a kid. Until she gets pulled away from the table by Vint and he begs her to build him up, so the ""pals"" will think he's a big man. Problem is that doesn't go as well and Mama soon begins boring every one with her endless stories. The last shoe drops when Mama reveals, in another story, that Vint touches the end of his when he's not telling the truth. Which ends up costing him a hand and he storms out mad. Naomi and Iola return and Naomi thinks the play was horrible.

Thelma invites Reverend Meecham to dinner in the hopes of being named the president of the Church Ladies League. However, a surprise visitor of Hubby's throws a hitch into her plans.

Carl's long lost brother, Roy Harper, shows up out of nowhere on Carl's birthday. Not knowing that his brother has been dead for 11 long years. Vint, against Mama's wishes, asks Uncle Roy to stay with them for a while. Meanwhile Sonya has entered a beauty pageant and Noami, Ellen and Mama help her get ready. That's where Uncle Roy tells her the story of when he saw Princess Grace at the White house and how beautiful she was and how she has the same smile. He also encourages Vint to chase his dream of being a firemen, even going so far as to get him an application for the Ray Town Fire Department. Lastly, Roy is telling Thelma how her elbows remind him of Dorothy Lamure's and that that's what first attracted Carl to him and how he wishes he had seen her first. They hug but he leaves before anything really happens. Leaving his cooler, which means he'll be back, Thelma hopes.

In this Thanksgiving episode, Mama, Bubba, Vinton, Naomi, Iola, and Aunt Effie (Dorothy Van) all go for cover in the basement when an unexpected tornado passes by Raytown.

Mama starts a senior citizens' tap-dancing troupe in an effort to get Aunt Effie to exercize.

Naomi's ailing and all the signs point to her the Stork being on the way for her and Vint. A fact that Mama is the first to discover, after administering ""Aunt Ida's Tater Masher Test"". Naomi is hesitant to tell Vint, because he wanted to wait to start their family until they get their own place. Mama accidently spills the beans to Buzz and Sonya, who think it's great. But Fran is worried how they can manage having another person in the house. Vint's surprisingly favorable reaction to the news, prompts a discussion as to were it will be sleeping. A screaming match results as no one wants to give up their room. Naomi,wanting to make sure she is pregnant, makes an appointment.The doctor runs some tests and tells her to wait. One by one the family arrives at the doctor's office, First Mama and then Vint, followed Buzz and Sonya, lastly Fran. All have ideas on what they should do for the baby. Mama settle it by saying the babies bunking with her. Unfortunately come to find out, it was a

Naomi annouces her and Vint can't get pregnant because Vint is shooting blanks,so Iola suggests that they try and adopt a baby.Turns out she has a cousin who works for an adoption agency in Hinkley. So she sets up an interview. It goes well as they pass interview after interview easily until the final one.Where they and Mama have to meet with Dr. Richards, a family psychologist.

Naomi's on top of the world with the news that she has an interview for the now vacant Assistant Manager's job at Food Circus. While Vint worries if she gets the job she'll never be home. All of this is because a new manager (Archie Woods) has taken over and begins to shakes things up, including firing the old Assistant Manager. Naomi arrives for her interview full of new ideas for the store. Problem is there are several job requirements that she didn't count on when she applied. Like, for instance, having to make it with Mr. Woods if she wants the promotion or for that matter to even keep her old checkers job. She's horrified and it takes a while before she can explain to Mama and Iola what exactly happened.

Mama's worldly cousin (Vicki Lawrence in a dual role) annoys Mama with her neverending stories.

After shopping at Food Circus for over 40 years, Thelma knows more about the store than it's manager. After hearing some of her ""Old Fashion horse sense,"" Mr. Palmer (the Manager) hires her for the store, as a customer consultant. Being her job to give people advice on what to buy. Her new post in the store is right next to the express lane, Naomi's counter. It doesn't take long before Naomi starts to complain about having her 'mother-in-law' so close, saying it's distracting her from her work. So, Mr. Palmer comes upon the idea that Mama should know everything about the running of the store, starting with Naomi teaching her how to be a checker. Mama's first test turns into a fiasco, when she can't get the hang of ringing things up. After that, she gets her first customers (with Naomi as her bagger). It goes smoothly ar first, but things soon turn sour when Mama has to look up the price for a special and it takes her forever. After a continuing stream of more problems and the register

Mama's cousin Gert (Imogene Coca) was once a sprited woman, but time in an old folks home has left her lifeless.

Vinton and Naomi persuade Mama to have a psychic called "Madame Rita" give everyone readings. At first, Mama is surprised by the psychic's ability, but later sets out to expose the phony medium.

It's the day before Mama's birthday and Vint decides to make her a present instead of buying her something. It ends up being a really ugly cocktail belt, which Bubba's not sure what to think of when he sess it. A little later, a knock comes at the front door and it's Vint's boss, Mr. Carstairs. He wants Vint to hold on to a gift he bought for his ""Mother"", his pet name for his wife. A $200 diamond bracelet. The problem's start when Mama finds it and thinks it's for her after she reads the card and it says ""to my darling mother."" So not being able to except such an expensive gift she takes it back to the store and exchanges it. Buying gifts for everyone else in the process. Bubba gets an LP, Naomi gets her bed sheets and Vint's get the watch he wanted.

Mama is surprised to learn she was entered in the Grandma USA contest by Bubba. She is at first reluctant to compete, but changes her mind when she finds out the grand prize is a dream kitchen, complete with a self cleaning oven. Vint then starts to wonder why they would select Mama over all the other entries, Bubba says it's because he sent in Naomi's picture instead of Mama's. A fact this is only discovered after they are greeted by the host, Raytown personality Eddie Edwards, and he thinks Naomi is entering. After considering his options, Edwards agrees to let Mama compete instead, thinking it might be a novelty to have someone in the pageant who really looks like a Grandma.

Unhappy with the rut she's gotten into, Naomi decides to make a change and arrives home with the news that, after seeing an ad in the paper, she's decided to attend school to train as a flight attendant. Vint gets upset because she didn't ask him first. While, Bubba joins the debate team to be near a girl he likes. Naomi aces her first exam, which only serves to make Vint more upset. With a growing rift between Vint and Naomi, Iola tries to make her move and asks Vint to have ice cream with her one night. What Vint views as innocent, Mama see clearly as Iola trying to get her claws into Vint and tells him so in no uncertain terms. Naomi tries to get everyone in the family to help her train for that night's big test, but the only one who will is Mama.

Naomi is giving Bubba and Vint a love test to see how romantic they are,from the latest issue Lady's Circle.As it turns out Vint is a ""cold fish"" and Bubba is a ""Red Hot Romeo"". Vint decides to try and be more romantic and gets Bubba to.write a romantic letter to Naomi

Mama is the editor of the years church bazaar cookbook, in it she plans to use her own recipe for Chili. Iola objects thinking it should be hers that Mama uses. Soon Naomi too throws her hat in the ring, saying she makes the best Chili. So the three decide to have to a chili cook-off with the winner getting her recipe in the cookbook. Vint, being stuck in the middle of this brewing argument, is choosen, against his will, as the judge of the contest. All three have identical supplies, with Mama and Iola also have identical ingredients. While Naomi's chili is far different from the other two as it includes two giant cans of store bought chili, plus beer, cheetos and several other items not usually associated with chili. Each bringing back a certain memory from one of her ex-husbands or boyfriends. Each bowl is lettered as the contest begins and Vint decides the 'B' bowl is the best, which belongs to Iola, and she runs home to show her father and dare her mother to throw it out again.

It's Mama's birthday and she doesn't want no fuss. No cake, no party, and no presents. She only wants one thing, everyone to help clean out the attic. She thinks they could get it done in a couple of hours if everyone pitched in. But Vint, Sonya, Ellen, and Naomi all come up with some silly excuses to get out of it. Buzz is the only one who can't think of one so he agrees. While there cleaning Buzz asks Mama to tell him about her 30th birthday party. In a flashback, we see Mama and the kids as she's getting ready for her party and thinking Carl is going to get a big promotion at work she orders a 19 cubic foot deep freeze. Then Grandma Crowley calls to say she can't make Thelma's Birthday cake. Carl comes in and announces he didn't get the promotion, right as they deliver the deep freeze. Thelma has to use a fruitcake as her cake,topped by Vint's present of a paper heart. Thelma soon finds out that Carl didn't the promotion as Burt Wembley Stops by to thank Carl for turning it down. He

Mama's going on about Vint's friend Claude being a bum and everything, when Ellen finally brings Mama's silver back. Mama wants Vint to put it up right then, so no one will steal it. But he first gets a call from Claude, who needs a favor. Seems Claude got in a bar fight and he's locked up in jail and needs $250 for his bail. Vint catches Ellen before she leaves and asks her, but she refuses. So he pawns Mama's silver to get the money. The next morning Mama goes to put some stuff away in the closet and discovers it's gone. She wakes Vint up and he admits he took it and pawned it. Blowing her top Mama tells Vint to get her silver back and he then tells her why he needed the money. That only serves to get her madder. In the midst of the screaming match, Vint decides to leave, and Sonya says she can stay with Nancy. So Vint goes to the basement to pack his stuff, but Mama can't stand to see him go and calls him back upstairs and in their own way they make peace, at least for a few moments

Claude, having come up with another hair brained scheme, tells Vint that he has a good deal, and Vint could make $1600 (and Claude will make $400 for a finders fee). The plan is for Vint to marry a girl from Portugal who needs her green card to stay in the country. The Family finds out accidently, when Mr. Costa and Zenada drop by for an unannounced visit. It seems Zenada will have to stay with the family for a few days to make it look like a real marriage. Which Mama is of course flat out refusing to let her do. Mama is out bringing in the laundry, when Naomi comes over to complain about the sap falling on her car from Mama's tree. When Mama tells her about the marriage, and she tells Mama how illegal it is and how she saw it on 60 minutes. Seems Vint could get a felony for false marriage if he goes threw with it. Claude and the bride to be stop by to drop off her roll-a-way bed and a few of her things. When Mama starts screaming and manages to explain a few things. Vint begins to rea

Mama and Iola are preparing for the Crystal Thorn flower contest, and Iola is angry to find that Mama's flowers have cross-pollinated with one of hers, producing a pink-and-white hybrid. At first neither of them wants it, but when floral expert Mayjune Beasley tells Mama that it could win the award, both Iola and Mama claim ownership.

Vinton learns that he is about to lose his job because Kwik Keys is being shut down by the new owners, a corporation called Bernice. When Bubba discovers that an old stock certificate Mama owns is now ten shares of Bernice, she sets out to save Vinton's job.

Mama's sister, Frannie, has just passed away, and even if she can't bring herself to tell how Frannie actually died (it was by inhaling a tooth pick in the ladies room at the Bigger Jigger). Mama is never the less determined to give her late sister something she never had, a ""perfect day"". But things soon turn from perfect to terrible as one disaster after another strikes. First Mama finds out Don and Loraine won't be there and ofcourse Buzz and Sonya won't either (for unexplained reasons) and Ed and Eunice have moved to Florida (a blessing). Then Ellen calls and says she's got something more pressing business and can't make it either. Later, as the the family gets home from the funeral, we find out Vint forgot to shut the hearse door, resulting in the coffin flying out of the hearse and down the on-ramp to the free way.

After Uncle Oscar passes away, Mama is willed his gabby pet parrot.

It's Valentine's day and Naomi feels unloved and Vint buying her cheap stuff for doesn't help. Mama and Iola however are busy making hearts for the Valentine's day banquet at the church. Naomi starts bugging Iola about not having a date,so she says she had one but turned it down, while getting some snacks Mama hears this. Feeling sorry for her, Mama tells Iola that the movie they were gonna watch tonight is off and she should get herself a date. Mama then comes up with the story that she too has a date. Now Mama has to try and find a gentleman to go out with. Iola comes over later the afternoon and tells Thelma that Roselle got a date from ""Rent-A-Gent"". So feeling desperate Thelma calls ""Rent A Gent"" and gets a date herself.

When Mama traumatizes Vinton at work with the "Binky Bunny" lunchbox she made for him when he was a kid, she must find a way to cure him of his trauma before he loses his job.

Iola arrives to collect for the church rummage sell. While Naomi and Vint have nothing, Mama is looking through her jewelry case. Soon finding her dear departed mother's old brouch. Naomi comments that it may be worth some serious money. Bubba then comes in and annouces his college class is going to Oswald Caverns and it'll only cost two hundred bucks. Which Mama refuses to give him. Naomi and Vint convince Mama to let them have the brouch appraised and that's when the ghost of ""Grandma Crowley"" appears to Mama and tells her not to sell her it. Later, as Vint and Naomi leave for the jewelers. Iola shows up and is spooked to hear the story of the ghost. Vint and Naomi arrive back and say the brouch could be worth $1600. Mama demands they go back and get it, so she rushes them through dinner, where Bubba announces he got a job to pay for his trip (which he ends up getting fired at). Iola returns to inform Mama about her findings in the latest issue of a psychology magazine.

Vinton and Naomi buy an RV and plan to move to a trailer park; however, they are unable to start the vehicle once it is in the driveway. Meanwhile, Mama is planning to host a fancy backyard luncheon for an snooty society group called the Dames.

Mama, Vint and Ed throw Eunice a suprise birthday party at the bigger jigger, problem is she's hoping for a trip to the Babalonian Roof Gardens. The birthday party soon turns ugly as Vint mentions Duke Reeves (he has a poster on the bar announcing his run for congress), who came to the house one day with flowers wanting to take Eunice out for a soda. But Mama turned him down and sent him away. Eunice starts making a huge scene about Duke being the only man she's ever loved. Vint goes to pick up Naomi and Ed goes to read the bathroom walls, when the argument escalates into an all out fight, and Eunice ends up punching a cop out and Mama wacks one with her pocket book and Mama and Eunice end up in jail. Scarlet, a hooker, arrives soon after they do and their fighting soon gets on her nerves and she tries to mediate a truce. She then tells them about her Mama and how she hated her every day, until she died and how she wished she was still living. Mama and Eunice make up just as Ed comes t

Tired of living in the basement, Vint and Naomi agree to switch rooms with Bubba - pleasing everyone except Mama.

Vint and Naomi are doing their taxes while Bubba works on Mama's, but their using the long form and she's using the short. So they figure out they'll get a $300 refund, while Bubba tells Mama she'll owe $250.T hat is until she starts listing items she could deduct. Like pies she made for the bake sale and clothes she gave away for a rummage sale.

When Naomi is upset about her baby being late, Mama tries to calm her down with a false story about Carl. Mama tells Iola what really happened (both the false and true versions are seen in flashback, with Carl played by Ken Berry). Later that day, Naomi goes into labor and Mama ends up delivering her baby girl, Tiffany Thelma Harper.

After Vint is invited to join the Mystic Order of the Cobra, a local men's club, Mama attempts to sabotage his induction.

Mama brings Auntie Effie home to nurse her back to health after she falls off the roof of her house while.trying to reshuffle it.

Thelma and Iola prepare to go a cruise down the Ray River on the Dixie Bell,seems they got a special, two for one deal and that's the only way they could go.Then Iola comes in and says her mother had another dizzy spell and she can't leave her.So Mama reminds her of a few of the times her mother has prevented her from doing stuff.Feeling enpowered Iola runs home to confront her mother. She returns minutes later,with the news that she confronted her mother and said she was gonna go on that cruise.Who responded to her plea for independence by throwing her out.Mama and the family reluctantly agree she should stay with them until the cruise.But this arrangment quickly turns sour. Iola takes over Mama's kitchen and works non-stop from daylight till dawn,including vacuuming under Vint and Naomi's bed at 7:00 in the morning.She's also a terrible bunk mate,getting up to go to the bathroom constantly and opening the window and then adding more covers.

After Mama wins a trip to Hawaii on Jeopardy!, Mama and the family (plus Iola) say aloha!

After Bubba comes home late and drunk, Mama is enraged and gives him an excessive punishment.

Didi, an old friend of Naomi's and a professional wrestler, talks Naomi into being a last-minute substitute for her ailing tag-team partner for a match. When Mama accidentally knocks Didi out just before the match, Naomi and Mama have to wrestle against Didi's weighty opponents.

Mama suspects that Vint is having an affair with his new trainee Heather, so she and Iola go to his workplace to investigate.

The Harpers rent out a room during the Tri-State Fair.

Vint, Naomi and Bubba are preparing for the upcoming Bowl-A-Thon, hoping to beat the Huflanders, who've won 8 years in a row. When Mama returns with Aunt Effie from their Cousin Ludie's funeral, were they where the only mourners. Deciding this won't happen to her, Mama begins to plan her own funeral. Including spending the $1200 the family had saved for their Grand Canyon trip. Having to replace Mama on their team, Vint, Naomi and Bubba choose Iola, as Mama refuses to go, saying it's to expensive. Soon after they leave though, Mama gets a shock from the lamp and passes out. Dreaming about her own funeral and how everyone walked out to go bowling.

Vinton is chosen to play Santa @ the Raytown Mall. However, with too much practice, he loses his voice! So Mama fills in the last second as Santa Claus. She deals with many brats, but was touched by a little girl who wanted tools for her unemployed daddy. Mama's also upset that her star's missing (the one her husband made for her on their 1st Christmas).

Mama's reign as the Church Ladies League President only has two weeks to go and being that it's limited to one term Mama needs someone to nominate her for a second term. So she drafts Iola to take on the CCL's power broker in Alberta Meechum. but it doesn't quite go as planned as a very nervous Iola stumbles through her nomination of Mama. Thelma versus Iola Alberta makes it clear that she thinks it's unfair to ask anyone to carry the load of being president for another two years. So in a shocking twist she nominates Iola and it's soon decided to have an election. The campaign turns nasty quick and Mama challenges Iola to a public debate.

Mama forgets one of Bubba's phone messages but refuses to admit she needs to write them down, as she did earlier with Naomi. So Iola suggests they get a answering machine. Thinking it would cost to much, Mama refuses, until Iola says she has one they can have for free. Meanwhile, Naomi brings a stray dog home and her and Vint try to find a home for it, while trying to keep it hid from Mama. They lock it up in the garage, where Mama keeps hearing it bark but they convince her she's losing her mind. After intercepting a series of phone messages, Mama becomes convinced there gonna send her off, because she's going crazy. But all is soon revealed, and the dog finds a home at the senior citizens center.

Bubba and Vint are playing basketball out back, when Mama comes out and starts talking about Lolly Purdue and how bad a job she is doing as the CCL President. Mama's also trying to avoid Lolly because she doesn't wanna have to hand write the thank you notes Lolly wants. But little does Mama know, that Iola has already agreed to do it. Just as they are finishing Lolly shows up with some bookmarks she wants put in the envelopes, even though they've already been sealed. That gives Mama and Iola the reason they need to try and impeach her. So they schedule a special meeting of the CCL's board. But Lolly shows up unexpectedly, and Mama puts her to work in the kitchen. As Iola and the other ladies move to the porch (then onto her house), Mama makes a major discovery; Lolly can't read. That's why she messed up the recipe and a number of other things. So as her and Mama began to talk, they decide to start a program for people who wanna learn to read and write.

Mama encourages Iola to find herself a man, but the man she finds turns out to be a domineering blowhard.

Mama is invited to her junior high school's 50th reunion, but she is reluctant to go because of a false rumor that was spread about her years ago that earned her the nickname "Hotpants"

Eunice is telling Mama how bad her life sucks, while at the same moment making everyone else's life a living hell too. That's when Buzz comes in and tells Mama about how he just made the debate team after listening to a positive thinking tape. Eunice and Mama both shrug it off as nothing, that is until Eunice gets home and Ed wants his supper, and she starts listening to the tape while she starts dinner and it begins to work. The next day Eunice shows up at Mama's house with presents and a new sunny out look. She gives Vint the old movie reels of their childhood and Naomi gets the ear rings she's been admiring. Eunice then announces she got a role in a play at the Pepper Pot Playhouse. Problem is, her rehearsal schedule conflicts with a sale that she was gonna take Mama too. So she invites Mama to go with her and go to the sale afterwards. Eunice plays ""Sadie"", a small but important part, according to Eunice. With Mama sitting by they make a run through of Eunice's lines and then the d

Iola spends all her time with a new friend.

Mama is attracted to actor Leslie Lemoyne, until she sees him on "Tri-State's Most Wanted" (the local version of America's Most Wanted), and believes that he is the infamous "widow waster".

Ellen Shows up and announces she's been given the ""Woman of the Year"" award at the Raytown Country Club that night.But what she doesn't know is Mayor Tutwiller has invited Mama and the family along as a surprise for Ellen. In a side plot Vint thinks Mama's lost his bowling ball after she says she put it in a ""Safe Place"".As expected the family arrives at the country club and Ellen is mortified.They ofcourse embarass her with the way they act. Finally after dinner,which Mama complains wasn't done.Mayor Tutwiller starts the ceremony by letting Mama say a few words.It turns out to be more than few as she basically brings the house down with comments.

Vint's dumb luck gets Mama dragged to a party with the "beach bum" she's been trying to avoid.

Mama finds Frannie's diary when she goes to get Bubba for breakfast. Inside is a note telling Mama to call the executor of her will, Larwin P. Finstadler. When Mr. Finstadler arrives he informs Mama that Fran was worth $35,000. Fran's will stipulated 10% of that would go to the ""Ray of Hope Home for Wayward Girls"". But the other $31,500 was to be split evenly between Mama, and Vint and Naomi. Only one stipulation stands between Mama and the money, she has to keep from losing her temper for a period of two weeks and it's totally on her honor. So for the next two weeks Vint and Naomi wait on her hand and foot, trying to keep her from getting upset. Including paying Bubba $10 to do his homework and doing the dishes and most of the other housework. While they begin to bicker among themselves, Mama relaxes and takes it easy.

After many years of not seeing each other, since high school, Vinton and Mama's next door neighbor Naomi Oates are reunited. They become quite close and Vint tells her that he had a big crush on her in high school. After coming home from the Bigger Jigger at 2 in the morning, Naomi and Vint go down to the basement to look at Vint's collection of TV Guides (25 years worth). Naomi remarks on how cute Mr. Ed is because that was her favorite show. They end up sleeping together and the next morning, while Mama and Fran are in the kitchen having breakfast, Naomi attempts to sneak out and is caught. Mama throws a fit and is outraged at Vint. Naomi, who had just sold her house, asks Vint to come with her to Arizona to run a trailer park because the job wants a husband and wife. Vint agrees and lets everyone know that he and Naomi plan on getting married and moving to Arizona. Mama is so shocked that she tells them that they can have the wedding at her house.

Mama and Iola are working hard on a homemade quilt to enter an upcoming contest when Iola comments about the house being so quiet lately. Vint and Naomi arrive home from visiting a friend of their's who just had a baby girl. Which gives Naomi the idea that she wants one too. Mama's dead set against the idea and makes it clear to Vint about her feelings. When that bit of pushing fells to get through. Mama decides to give them a taste of what having a baby is like. So, thinking they have a day off, she sets a little plan into motion to discourage them. Namely asking to babysit for one of her neighbors, who has a baby with a real penchant for high pitched crying. Problem is Naomi and Vint have decided to go into work late, leaving Mama to baby sit little Garth. It's a chore to finally get him to stop crying, but every time Mama gets him to be quiet someone slams a door and he starts again. In the end, Mama is wore out and falls asleep right as Naomi and Vint come in.

After attending a family wedding, Bubba, Mama, and Iola fantasize about what married life would be like with the objects of their affections.

After Naomi loses her memory, Mama seizes the opportunity to "reprogram" her.

A man from the State Department asks the Harpers to host a Russian national named Olga for one day as part of "Project Heartland."

Mama is appalled when she finds a girlie magazine named Casanova under Bubba's bed while cleaning. She firsts wants to know were Bubba could get such a magazine. It soon comes out that Naomi, who wasn't paying much attention, sold it to him a few days before at Food Circus. Thinking something needs to be done, Iola has the idea to boycott Food Circus until they stop selling magazine's like that. Iola, Mama, Aunt Effie and Pearl form MOP (Mothers Opposing Pornography), and set out to picket in front of Food Circus, much to the dismay of Naomi. Who insists they go home. First Pearl breaks ranks for a tuna offer and then Effie needs to use the bathroom, and finally Iola leaves when the store offers Triple Coupons. Just as it seems all hope is lost, the media arrives and they end up getting on the National news.

Mama's in a hurry to get to the mall for a sale and tries to hurry Fran along to finish eating. But before that can happen Fran's boss at the newspaper calls. Telling her she has to come in and re-edit her latest story. Mama is obviously upset because she can't drive and has no way to get to the sale. Meanwhile Vinton, Mama's only son, drops by the house and announces that he and the kids have been evicted from their house. Now he's hoping that he, his daughter Sonja, and his son Buzz, can stay with Mama until he gets back on his feet. Against Fran's wishes Mama agrees. Vint gets the basement, Buzz gets the attic, and Sonja gets Fran's writing studio because she refuses to sleep on the couch. Fran is outraged by this, and her and Mama have a huge argument about it. Fran's mood turns even more sour when she finds out Sonja stumbled up on the book that she'd been working on recently and reads it. Fran says it's an invasion of her privacy and finally makes the decision that she'll move out. Because she can't take the stress anymore. Of course Mama had no idea that Fran was actually writing in her studio. But later as things settle down a bit, her and Mama have a heart to heart and she changes her mind and decides to stay after all.

Mama finds herself competing on Jeopardy!

Mama hopes to raise enough to purchase a VCR by selling Iola's gaudy, homemade gifts at a yard sale.