Carol Burnett was originally intended to play the "Mama" character while Lawrence was to play her daughter, but because of Burnett's desire to swap roles, Lawrence played Mama. See more

Character development and evolution
The character of "Mama" was originally based, at least in part, on the relationship between Carol … See more

In "The Family" sketches, Thelma and her late husband, Carl Harper, have five children: Ellen, Eunice, Philip, Larry, and Jack. This created … See more

Lawrence has resurrected the character of Thelma (still in her late sixties) several times on the game show Hollywood Squares, on stage in her two-woman show, on her talk show in the early 1990s, on the TNN talk show Primetime Country and in the 2008 TV … See more

Mama's appearance is based on that of a stereotypical elderly woman. She is a thickset, pursed-lipped widow, with silvery blue curls. All of her … See more

Unlike the ill-tempered and stormy personalities alongside Mama in "The Family" sketches and the assertive and forceful personalities in the first incarnation of Mama's Family, … See more