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

Supermarket

Vicki Lawrence

Ken Berry

Dorothy Lyman

Rue McClanahan

Eric Brown

Karin Argoud

Harvey Korman

No Room at the Inn

Mama Buys a Car

Buzz and Sonya are the organizers of a dance to raise funds to build a new gym at the high school. They get an idea after finding some of Mama's old stuff from the attic and hearing her stories about the Gym, and the way it was used as the Raytown U.S.O during the War. They wanna use Mama's stuff and have a 40's theme for the dance. But the other member's of the committee decide they would rather have a Punk Rock theme instead and hire a hot new band called Medication.

Mama's disappointed and let's them take her stuff to be sold at the junk sale. Only after later talking to Fran does she realize how much the stuff really means to her. So her and Fran hurry to the gym to try and save her stuff from being sold. Only to find out the band got arrested (again) and won't be able to play after all. They need to save the dance, so she plays some of her records and everyone has a surprisingly good time.

Flaming Forties

Naomi's 2nd ex- husband, Leonard Oates, returns to Raytown after 3 years a wealthy man. Seems he's now the worm king of Tallahassee, Florida. Thanks to his mail order worm business. He's returned with the intention of winning his ex back and taking Naomi back to Tallahasse with him.

As Naomi battles with the decision of what to do she gives Mama a permanent. But leaves the solution on to long and Mama's hair comes out looking like a ""Huge Q-tip"". So after Leonard tells Naomi he'll meet her at the Bigger Jigger at noon for her decision. She has a sit down with Fran who tells her ""she has to live with herself.""

Mama has to follow her to the jigger to get her to finish her hair and the whole family tags along. Later at the Bigger Jigger, Leonard makes Naomi choose and in the end Naomi chooses Vint and her new life over Leonard, because Vint, as she puts it, trusted her.

The Return of Leonard Oates

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.

Country Club

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 and the Stork

The story starts in the hosptal, and Vint comes into the scene with Naomi, Ellen, and Eunice standing the the middle of the lobby, looking worried. As he asks what happened, Naomi is the first one to tell him the story of what happened in the kitchen that day.

Mama and the girls were in the kitchen making gooseberry jam, and she was being the perfect daughter-in-law, Ellen was helping a little bit, and Eunice comes into the door late, claiming that her car broke down, and that she was almost run over out on route 5. Ellen said that she was out on route 5 getting the berries, and she didn't see her at all. However, Eunice thinks different.They pick a fight, and then the gooseberries start to stick to the pot. When Mama says: ""Sweetie, Get that pot for me"", they both run to the pot and start to argue for it. They tell Naomi to butt out, and then they fight for the pan. As they are swinging it around, they smack Mama in the afce with it. She is out cold.

The next one to tell the story is

Rashomama

Mama finds Naomi at work being overly nice,and she explains to Mama she's trying to win the Food Circus Friendly Employee of the Month.Which she ends up doing in the end,and gets her picture posted on a poster in the front of the store.

Naomi soon arrive's home to celebrate and recieves a very disturbing phone call.An obscene phone call.He calls back several times,even asking for Naomi by name when Vint answers the phone.Mama and Fran soon come to the conclusion that it's all Naomi's fault,for the way she dresses and walks.Not to mention her efforts at work to be voted Friendly Employee of the Month.

This all changes when Naomi leaves for work and the guy calls back.Not getting Naomi he talks the same way to Mama,then Fran and even Vint.They realize he'll talk to anyone that way and it's not Naomi's fault at all.So they all head down to Food Circus to apologize.

Obscene Call

Mama won't let anyone leave because Ellen (who recently divorced her husband Bruce) is on the way over for another one of her european slide shows. This being the 4th time in two weeks that she's been over, everyone is bored out of their minds, including Mama. But when Ellen shows up, she can't stay, seems she has a meeting with a new club she's joined called ""Quiters and Losers"". Meanwhile, Vint is involved in a key selling contest at work, where the winner gets a dinner for 4 at a very expensive restaurant.

Turns out Ellen is actually seeing a new boyfriend, who is a much younger man and he's invited her to the ShayRay for dinner. Only problem is, Vint won that contest at work and the prize is a dinner for 4 at ShayRay's. That's where they run into Ellen and the family finally meets her new boyfriend, Glen. After hearing one to many of Mama's rude comments Glen gets up to leave and wants Ellen to go with him, but Mama makes her stay.

Later at home, Ellen angrily confronts Mama over h

Ellen's Boyfriend

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

Gert Rides Again

Mama, Fran and Naomi take Vint to the Bigger Jigger to try and cheer him up over not getting a promotion at Kwik Keys. Naomi then convinces Vint to do his Fred Astaire routine for the Jigger's talent show. She rushes home to get his costume and sheet music and arrives back to find him nervous and about to quit. But after some urging from Naomi he goes on and he's a smash hit and wins the contest, along with the $100 prize and is invited back for the Saturday night show

But Vint let's the little success go to his head. He first buys a new jump suit and changes his stage name to ""Vinnie Vegas"". Even going so far as to change his routine to something completely different. Mama and Fran (who he fired) refuse to go and after he tells Naomi to act like one of his groupies and not his wife, she stays home to. But Mama, Fran and Naomi soon realize how big a flop he's gonna be and they rush to the Bigger Jigger to stop him.

They arrive in time and Mama pulls him into the men's bathroom, which f

Amateur Night

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

The Mama Who Came to Dinner

Mama's wanting desperately to go to the mall and pick up this blue hat she wants. But no one will drive her, seems everyone has plans. Then Frannie suggests she learn how to drive and Mama refuses, saying she's to old to learn a new trick like that. After Mama leaves the family goes about planning who will teach her. It comes down to Vint, who decides to teach Mama about keys first since he's a lock smith. Next it's Buzz and Sonya's turn to help her learn the rules of the road. Which doesn't go any better than Vint's lesson.

Mama finally begs Fran into driving her to the mall, but Fran makes Mama drive instead, which again turns into a disaster as they get stuck in a traffic accident and Mama gets out and leaves. Ellen thinking she can teach her, takes Mama to the mall parking lot, (it's empty on sundays). But Mama ends up crashing Ellen's car into the planter in the center of the lot.

Thinking she'll never learn to drive Mama gives up, until she gets a call from the store about the Bl

Mama Learns to Drive

Naomi gets home from her self defense class all fired up and Fran and Sonya decide to go next time.But Mama refuses saying it's a waste of time and there's no need for it.Although she's scared to go to her bingo games anymore.

So Naomi,Sonya and Fran head to there Karate class and Mama to her Bingo.But Mama never makes it to Bingo as she is mugged while waiting for the bus.She gets home still shaking and clutching her purse strap.And quickly decides she too will join the Karate class,where Naomi is the star pupil.And Sonya is falling in love with Chuck,the instructor.Mama finds it tough to fit in.

A while later Mama returns to the same bus stop where she meets an elderly lady and begins telling her about the classes and how she was mugged.When the same mugger attacks again,but he turns his back to take the other womens purse and Mama wacks him in the head with her purse which is loaded with a light weight Iron.

Black Belt Mama

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

It's Vint and Naomi's first wedding anniversary and Vint prepares by reserving two days and one night at a kinky hotel out of town. Meanwhile, Buzz and Sonya want to have a slumber party for girls and boys, but Mama refuses saying it'll be girls only. Shortly before Vint and Naomi leave for their honeymoon, Aunt Effie calls to say she's fallen and can't get up, and asks Thelma to come out and help. Mama hitches a ride with the honeymooner's and puts Fran in charge of the slumber party.

Later as they are finally alone at the motel, Naomi is dressed as a Matadorette and Vint is dressed as a bull. Suddenly there's a knock at the door and it's Mama saying Effie wasn't hurt and all she wanted was someone to do her bidding, so she left and hitched a ride with a trucker to the hotel. Since she has no way home and there's no available rooms at the motel she has to stay with them.

Not being able to sleep Mama on either the role away bed or the water bed. Mama decides to watch TV for a while, sh

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.

Mama for Mayor (1)

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

Mama for Mayor (2)

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.

Harper Versus Harper

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 Birthday

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.

Mama Cries Uncle

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

Ask Aunt Fran

Mama can't get anyone to go with her to Carl's grave, so she goes by herself. After arriving and having a long talk with Carl, Mama notices that the grave next to Carl's, that was supposed to be reserved for her, has another women's name on it instead. She panics and rushes home.

Ellen arrives an hour late (as usual) to take Mama to the cemetary, just as Mama comes in and tells everyone what she's just discovered. Fran and Mama soon head back to the cemetary to get the problem cleared up. It turns out Carl's head stone was accidently placed two plots down. So Mama feels like she's been cheating on Carl and says Carl has to send her a gift to let her know, it's ok.

Meanwhile, Sonya goes out with a loser named Michael and he ends up flirting with a sophomore cheerleader who likes him and Sonya dumps him. He then shows up with flowers and after Sonya refuses to talk to him, he gives the flowers to Mama. Who takes it as Carl's sign that everything's ok.

A Grave Mistake

Thelma Harper and her spinster sister Fran open their home to Thelma's recently divorced son Vinton and his teenage son and daughter. It's quite an adjustment for everyone, especially the cranky, argumentative Thelma.

Supermarket

Seasons6

Season 2 Episodes22

Cast7

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