Forgotten Gems of the 70's: That's My Mama!

Good day and greetings to Day 5 of Forgotten Gems of the 70's Week.  As it is the final day of the topic I went deep for obscure and barely remembered series and that is why Sanford and Son did NOT fall under this.  C'mon, it is kinda hard to forget Red Fox.  That being said I found a show based in Washington D.C. in a middle-class African American neighborhood.  Primarily the show revolves around a barber shop that is a family owned business.  With a working-class bachelor living life and enjoying it his mother does not approve of this cavalier lifestyle and tells him such many a time and varied volumes.  This is That's My Mama!

What do you mean you don't like my dress???!!!

Junior: Wooooooooooooooo, WHEEE!  I spoil it, I got it, and I got to report it!






20 something Clifton Curtis (Clifton Davis of Little Ladies of the Night, Scott Joplin, Superdome, The Night the City Screamed, Amen, Max Keeble's Big Move and Halloweentown High) inherited his father's barbershop and cuts no corners for upkeep or customer service.  A shave, haircut and local gossip is the order of the day and enjoying the freedoms of single life is the game.  His Mama, Eloise (Theresa Merritt of They Might Be Giants, The Goodbye Girl, The Wiz, The Great Santini, All That Jazz, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Billy Madison and Home Fries) is a sharp-tongued, opinionated woman that wants Clifton to settle down and start a family.  Trying to set Clifton up with some rather... eccentric women, it is clear that Mama only is looking for two things in a woman.  Fertile and single.

Clifton shares the house with his mother and his best friend Earl (Teddy Wilson of What's Happening!!, Good TimesThe Ambush Murders, The Redd Foxx Show and Genuine Risk) works with him at the shop.  Two seniors Wildcat (Jester Hairston of The Amos 'n Andy Show, Gypsy Colt, Full of Life, The Last Tycoon, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and Amen) and his childhood buddy Josh (DeForest Covan of Going Places, Reform School, Pork Chop Hill, Black Samson, The Day of the Locust snf Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens) sit around, BS and play checkers with each other instilling the words of wisdom to this young boys.   Dropping by for a daily visit is Junior (Ted Lange of Black Belt Jones, Larry, The Love Boat, Terminal Exposure, Othello, The Redemption, Gang of Roses and Who Shot Mamba?) a wise cracking, smooth talking ladies man filling the fellas in on conquests and potential ones on the way.

YAHTZEE!!!  Oh you old fool, we playin' checkers!

Adding more strife to life is his sister Tracy (Lynne Moody of Soap, Hill Street Blues, E/R, A Flight for Jenny and Knots Landing and then replaced by Joan Pringle of Ironside, J.D.'s Revenge, The White Shadow, In the House and One on One) who is married to anal retentive accountant Leonard Taylor (Lisle Wilson of Mississippi Summer, Police Story, The Incredible Melting Man, The White Shadow, The Ratings Game, Just Between Friends, What's Happening Now! and Tales from the Crypt) who has not been able to break wind since Martin Luther King marched peacefully with his congregation.  Seriously, you need a pencil sharpened, just ask this man to bend over and drop trou. Heck I think he could work up drafting pencils as well.

Quick couple of observations about the series now.  Lasting only two seasons it comes clear to me that this was not a heavily watched show.  Comedic timing, shenanigans aside, it fell pale into comparison to Good Times and Sanford and Son.  Even the Jeffersons raised more laughs overall.   Eloise bails Clifton and gang out of more trouble but never let them hear the end of it and frankly they kind of deserved each and every earful.  

I have looked into several re-run syndicated channels and this is one that does not show up on the roster, coupled with being only 39 episodes, it should be pointed out that almost the entire cast went on to be recognized later on.  Lange for Loveboat, Teddy Wilson as Sweet Daddy in Good Times and Joan Pringle for White Shadow as Sybil Buchanan.  Short lived and deserving of a little love the series had made its way restored to DVD and Blu-Ray.

There's a dirty pie joke to be had but I will behave.