Mrs. Harper, formerly Crowley, is the star of the show Mama's Family and supporting character of The Carol Burnett Show. She is the stay at home mother of at least six children. This amount of children depends on the script. Also she married young and had her first child even younger. She was 51 years old when we first see her on The Carol Burnett Show, and is now 61 years old before Mama's Family begins. As a stay at home mother who had to tolerate her incompatible and morbidly ill husband as well as her own parents and in laws, eventually inheriting both real estate properties. Thelma became severely socially awkward and painfully shy. She did not learn to drive a car successfully until age 63. It took her even longer for her to finish High School. And despite being a valued contributor which would make her the perfect job candidate, her time at home as a shut in makes her unable to cope with unfamiliar surroundings, and is unable to improvise in most employment situations. She also has terrible luck at various Home Economics tasks, depending on her family for repairs. In The Carol Burnett Show, she is completely dependent on Eunice, eventually compelling Eunice to write a story in which Mama died anyways. In Mama's Family, she her self must take care of her entire family in their inherited real estate properties. She is still very dependent on them for the bills as she is frequently depicted as penniless. However, she eventually learns that she is an heiress of "Bernice Corporation". She spends most of her free time with The Boylan Family, particularly fellow Church Lady Iola Boylan. Thelma also takes care of the elderly Aunt Effie and started a dance academy together. Later, Thelma considers converting to being a Vegetarian, and learned how to cook an Impossible Goose that the family enjoyed. Their pet goose Leland is also under the care of Aunt Effie. In addition to being painfully shy, and burned out by her family constantly, Thelma also worries due to other horrors in her life, such as The Bathroom Curse. Everybody in her family has died in a bathroom. She occasionally drinks your average Beer. Either way she is going to be aggressive and hostile. She often tells others off and even smacks them with her purse. She has several times knocked down armed criminals, and does many other heroic deeds that makes her highly respected.
Appearances
Mama's Family
Main cast, played by Vicki Lawrence
- Episode 1x01: Vint and the Kids Move In (Jan 22, 1983)
- Episode 1x02: For Better or For Worse (Jan 29, 1983)
- Episode 1x03: The Wedding (Part 1) (Feb 5, 1983)
- Episode 1x04: The Wedding (Part 2) (Feb 12, 1983)
- Episode 1x05: Family Feud (Feb 19, 1983)
- Episode 1x06: Cellmates (Feb 26, 1983)
- Episode 1x07: Mama Gets a Job (Mar 5, 1983)
- Episode 1x08: Double Standard (Mar 12, 1983)
- Episode 1x09: Mama's Boyfriend (Mar 19, 1983)
- Episode 1x10: Fran's Dress (Mar 26, 1983)
- Episode 1x11: Alien Marriage (Apr 2, 1983)
- Episode 1x12: Positive Thinking (Apr 30, 1983)
- Episode 1x13: Mama's Silver (May 7, 1983)
- Episode 2x01: Flaming Forties (Sep 29, 1983)
- Episode 2x02: The Return of Leonard Oates (Oct 13, 1983)
- Episode 2x03: Country Club (Oct 20, 1983)
- Episode 2x04: Naomi and the Stork (Oct 27, 1983)
- Episode 2x05: Rashomama (Nov 3, 1983)
- Episode 2x06: Obscene Call (Nov 10, 1983)
- Episode 2x07: Ellen's Boyfriend (Nov 17, 1983)
- Episode 2x08: Aunt Gert Rides Again (Dec 1, 1983)
- Episode 2x09: Amateur Night (Dec 8, 1983)
- Episode 2x10: The Mama Who Came to Dinner (Dec 22, 1983)
- Episode 2x11: Mama Learns to Drive (Jan 7, 1984)
- Episode 2x12: Black Belt Mama (Jan 14, 1984)
- Episode 2x13: Mama Buys a Car (Jan 21, 1984)
- Episode 2x14: Super Market (Feb 4, 1984)
- Episode 2x15: No Room at the Inn (Feb 11, 1984)
- Episode 2x16: Mama for Mayor (Part 1) (Feb 18, 1984)
- Episode 2x17: Mama for Mayor (Part 2) (Feb 25, 1984)
- Episode 2x18: Harper Versus Harper (Mar 10, 1984)
- Episode 2x19: Mama's Birthday (Mar 17, 1984)
- Episode 2x20: Mama Cries Uncle (Mar 24, 1984)
- Episode 2x21: Ask Aunt Fran (Mar 31, 1984)
- Episode 2x22: A Grave Mistake (Apr 7, 1984)
- Episode 3x01: Farewell, Frannie (Sep 27, 1986)
- Episode 3x02: Where There's a Will (Oct 4, 1986)
- Episode 3x03: Best Medicine (Oct 11, 1986)
- Episode 3x04: National Mama (Oct 18, 1986)
- Episode 3x05: Soup to Nuts (Oct 25, 1986)
- Episode 3x06: Mama and Dr. Brothers (Nov 1, 1986)
- Episode 3x07: Cat's Meow (Nov 8, 1986)
- Episode 3x08: The Love Letter (Nov 15, 1986)
- Episode 3x09: An Ill Wind (Nov 22, 1986)
- Episode 3x10: Steal One, Pearl Two (Nov 29, 1986)
- Episode 3x11: Where There's Smoke (Dec 6, 1986)
- Episode 3x12: Fly Naomi (Dec 13, 1986)
- Episode 3x13: Santa Mama (Dec 20, 1986)
- Episode 3x14: Desperately Seeking Anyone (Jan 10, 1987)
- Episode 3x15: Porn Again (Jan 17, 1987)
- Episode 3x16: Have It Mama's Way (Jan 24, 1987)
- Episode 3x17: Birthright (Jan 31, 1987)
- Episode 3x18: Grandma USA (Feb 7, 1987)
- Episode 3x19: Buck Private Bubba (Feb 14, 1987)
- Episode 3x20: Mama's Cousin (Feb 21, 1987)
- Episode 3x21: Mama with the Golden Arm (Feb 28, 1987)
- Episode 3x22: It Takes Two to Watusi (Mar 7, 1987)
- Episode 3x23: Fangs a Lot, Mama (Mar 14, 1987)
- Episode 3x24: The Best Policy (Mar 21, 1987)
- Episode 3x25: After the Fall (Mar 28, 1987)
- Episode 4x01: Educating Mama (Sep 26, 1987)
- Episode 4x02: Zirconias Are a Girl's Best Friend (Oct 3, 1987)
- Episode 4x03: The Key to the Crime (Oct 10, 1987)
- Episode 4x04: Breaking Up Is Hard to Do (Oct 17, 1987)
- Episode 4x05: A Big Hand for Mama (Oct 24, 1987)
- Episode 4x06: Flounder's Day (Oct 31, 1987)
- Episode 4x07: Teacher's Pet (Nov 7, 1987)
- Episode 4x08: Child's Play (Nov 14, 1987)
- Episode 4x09: Mama Mania (Nov 21, 1987)
- Episode 4x10: Gift Horse (Nov 28, 1987)
- Episode 4x11: Workman's Holiday (Dec 5, 1987)
- Episode 4x12: Mama Sees Red (Dec 12, 1987)
- Episode 4x13: A Room with No View (Dec 19, 1987)
- Episode 4x14: The Sins of the Mother (Jan 9, 1988)
- Episode 4x15: A Friend Indeed (Jan 16, 1988)
- Episode 4x16: I Do, I Don't (Jan 23, 1988)
- Episode 4x17: Mama Gets the Bird (Jan 30, 1988)
- Episode 4x18: Mama's Girls (Feb 6, 1988)
- Episode 4x19: Mama on Jeopardy! (Feb 13, 1988)
- Episode 4x20: Mama Goes Hawaiian (Part 1) (Feb 20, 1988)
- Episode 4x21: Mama Goes Hawaiian (Part 2) (Feb 27, 1988)
- Episode 4x22: Bubba's Double Date (Mar 5, 1988)
- Episode 4x23: Bed and Breakdown (Mar 12, 1988)
- Episode 4x24: Naomi's Identity Crisis (Mar 19, 1988)
- Episode 4x25: Pomp and Circumstance (Mar 26, 1988)
- Episode 5x01: Ladies Choice (Nov 5, 1988)
- Episode 5x02: Baby Talk (Nov 12, 1988)
- Episode 5x03: Naomi's New Position (Nov 19, 1988)
- Episode 5x04: The Really Loud Family (Nov 26, 1988)
- Episode 5x05: Many Unhappy Returns (Dec 3, 1988)
- Episode 5x06: Found Money (Dec 10, 1988)
- Episode 5x07: My Mama, Myself (Dec 17, 1988)
- Episode 5x08: Full House (Jan 7, 1989)
- Episode 5x09: Bedtime for Bubba (Jan 14, 1989)
- Episode 5x10: What a Dump (Jan 21, 1989)
- Episode 5x11: Mama Bell (Jan 28, 1989)
- Episode 5x12: Very Dirty Dancing (Feb 4, 1989)
- Episode 5x13: Mama's Layaway Plan (Feb 11, 1989)
- Episode 5x14: My Phony Valentine (Feb 18, 1989)
- Episode 5x15: The Big Wheel (Feb 25, 1989)
- Episode 5x16: More Power to You (Mar 4, 1989)
- Episode 5x17: Mama in One (Mar 11, 1989)
- Episode 5x18: There's No Place Like...No Place (Mar 25, 1989)
- Episode 5x19: April Fools (Apr 1, 1989)
- Episode 5x20: Reading the Riot Act (Apr 15, 1989)
- Episode 5x21: A Taxing Situation (Apr 22, 1989)
- Episode 5x22: The Mama of Invention (May 6, 1989)
- Episode 5x23: Hate Thy Neighbor (May 13, 1989)
- Episode 5x24: Dependence Day (May 20, 1989)
- Episode 5x25: Mama Makes Three (May 27, 1989)
- Episode 6x01: Mama's Medicine Show (Sep 23, 1989)
- Episode 6x02: An Affair to Forget (Sep 30, 1989)
- Episode 6x03: Mr. Wrong (Oct 7, 1989)
- Episode 6x04: Now Hear This (Oct 14, 1989)
- Episode 6x05: Tri-State's Most Wanted (Oct 21, 1989)
- Episode 6x06: Mama Fights Back (Oct 28, 1989)
- Episode 6x07: A Blast From the Past (Nov 4, 1989)
- Episode 6x08: Psycho Pheno-Mama (Nov 11, 1989)
- Episode 6x09: Take My Mama, Please! (Nov 18, 1989)
- Episode 6x10: Bubba's House Band (Nov 25, 1989)
- Episode 6x11: Mama Takes Stock (Dec 2, 1989)
- Episode 6x12: War of the Roses (Dec 9, 1989)
- Episode 6x13: Mama Takes a Dive (Dec 16, 1989)
- Episode 6x14: Mama Gets Goosed (Dec 23, 1989)
- Episode 6x15: The Big Nap (Jan 20, 1990)
- Episode 6x16: Pinup Mama (Jan 27, 1990)
- Episode 6x17: Guess Who's Going to Dinner (Feb 3, 1990)
- Episode 6x18: Look Who's Breathing (Feb 10, 1990)
- Episode 6x19: There Is Nothing Like the Dames (Feb 17, 1990)
- Episode 6x20: Bye-Bye -- Baby! (Feb 24, 1990)