October 9, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES II & IV • Page 21 ‘Mama’s Family’ highlights dysfunctional group by Dennis Seuling “Mama’s Family: The Complete Series” (Time Life) collects all episodes of one of the top comedy TV shows of the 1980s. Vicki Lawrence stars as Thelma “Mama” Harper, matriarch of a squabbling family in the Midwest- ern blue-collar suburb of Raytown. Mama is a formida- ble, buxom, gray-haired, no-nonsense widow with sharp opinions and a fiery temper and is not shy about speaking her mind. She shares her small house with her sister Fran (Rue McClanahan), a journalist for the local newspaper. Mama’s slow-witted son Vint (Ken Berry), a locksmith, moves in at the start of the series with his irritating kids, Buzz (Eric Brown) and Sonja (Karin Argoud), after his wife has run off to become a Vegas showgirl. Vint soon takes up with flirtatious neighbor Naomi (Doro- thy Lyman). Mama’s extended family includes her two daughters, highfalutin’ Ellen (Betty White) and high- strung Eunice (Carol Burnett), and Eunice’s husband, Ed (Harvey Korman). “Mama’s Family,” a spinoff of a series of sketches called “The Family” developed for “The Carol Burnett Show” in 1974, debuted on NBC in January 1983 and ran for six seasons. Mama’s trademark is the acerbic, snappy retort combined with a severe, judgmental countenance that could give a hit man pause. The success of the series lies in its ability to balance broad comedy with warm- hearted family drama. This box set contains all 130 episodes on 24 DVDs. The first two seasons feature the rare, original broadcast Vicki Lawrence as Thelma ‘Mama’ Harper in the 1980s TV sitcom, ‘Mama’s Family.’ masters of the shows with Korman’s pompous introduc- tions as Alistair Quince (spoofing Alistair Cooke). The set also contains 10 hours of extras, including a cast Advertise your restaurant in The Villadom TIMES. You’ll reach over 47,000 households. 201-652-0744 www.villadom.com Cook Up Some Business! reunion roundtable with Lawrence, Berry, Lyman, and others. Bonus features also include new interviews with cast and crew (including Betty White), a one-on-one of Vicki interviewing Mama via split screen, a new Bur- nett and Lawrence interview, the 1982 CBS-TV movie “Eunice,” and several “Family” sketches from “The Carol Burnett Show.” “The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector’s Edi- tion” (Warner Home Video) is a six-disc Blu-ray box set of Christopher Nolan’s reimagining of the Batman fran- chise, starting with “Batman Begins” (2005) and con- tinuing with “The Dark Knight” (2008) and “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012), along with bonus material. The set also includes two new featurettes and new collectible memorabilia. The first featurette, “The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of the Dark Knight Trilogy,” focuses on the estab- lishment of the franchise. It contains never-before-seen footage, rare moments, and exclusive interviews with director Guillermo Del Toro, film critic Richard Roeper, and others. The second is a conversation between direc- tors Christopher Nolan and Richard Donner (“Superman: The Movie”) as they discuss the ups and downs of bring- ing the two most iconic superheroes to the big screen. Memorabilia includes Mattel Hot Wheels vehicles The Tumbler, The Batpod, and The Bat; gift cards featuring Scarecrow, Joker, Bane, Harvey Dent, and Ra’s al Ghul; and a 48-page hardcover book featuring production stills and behind-the-scenes images from all three movies. (continued on Crossword page)