Episode
Mama's Family: Mama Bell
Overview
Mama forgets one of Bubba's phone messages but refuses to admit she needs to write them down, as she did earlier with Naomi. So Iola suggests they get a answering machine. Thinking it would cost to much, Mama refuses, until Iola says she has one they can have for free. Meanwhile, Naomi brings a stray dog home and her and Vint try to find a home for it, while trying to keep it hid from Mama. They lock it up in the garage, where Mama keeps hearing it bark but they convince her she's losing her mind. After intercepting a series of phone messages, Mama becomes convinced there gonna send her off, because she's going crazy. But all is soon revealed, and the dog finds a home at the senior citizens center.
Details
- Series
- Mama's Family
- Season
- Season 5
- Episode
- Episode 11
- Air date
- 1989-01-28
- Runtime
- 25 min
Episode context
Mama Bell is Episode 11 in Season 5 of Mama's Family. It aired on 1989-01-28. The runtime is 25 min.
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Episode 10: What a Dump
Mama plays host to the neighborhood block party, where Mayor Tutwiller is set to make a major announcement. Mama thinks he's going to award her the ""Golden Troll"" award for the best yard in Raytown. But he instead annouces that the city council has voted to make Raylane the new city dump and buy all the houses on the block. Mam though refuses to move, even though everyone else is for it.
Bubba plans to move into the dorm and Vint and Naomi find a newspaper ad for their dream house, which with the money they'll get from the city for the old house, they can now afford. Meanwhile, Bubba is working on a history paper for class on the founder of Raytown, James A.Ray. It seems he can find plenty of facts about his life but nothing about his death.
Episode 12: Very Dirty Dancing
Mama is sacked out on the couch after laser surgery to remove a Corn from her toe. Having Bubba wait on her hand and foot, when Vint and Naomi come in, dressed for a dance contest their going to. Mama's starts talking about her memories of the place where the event being held and everyone decides to go along with them as their cheering session.
Mama runs into an old friend, Ramon and they decide to enter the contest against Vint and Naomi, as do Bubba and Iola. Two of the final three are ofcourse Vint/Naomi and Mama/Ramon. It comes down to having to draw from a hat to determine which dance your gonna do. In the end Mama and Ramon win in an upset after doing the ""Latin Sizzle"" aka Dirty Dancin.
More episodes from this season
Episode 9: Bedtime for Bubba
Mama's sitting up late waiting for Bubba when Vint and Noami come in and start telling her about the new best seller they just bought.It seems the book gives couples ideas on how to get pregnant more easily.One of them they seem intent on trying is doing it in different places.
Bubba finally does come in and introduces his new study buddy Toni Malone,a girl.Mama flips and refuses to leave them alone until Bubba threatens to move into the college's Co-ed dorm.Which convinces Mama to go to bed.
The next morning,while cleaning Bubba's room they find a black lace bra in the sheets.Thinking it's Toni's,Mama tries to get Bubba to admit to it over dinner,but he doesn't.So Mama and Iola get the idea to stitch bells to his mattress,that way if Bubba and Toni do decide to do something they'd be caught.But in the middle of the stitching job,they hear someone coming so they hide in the closet.
Episode 13: Mama's Layaway Plan
Vint, Naomi and Bubba are preparing for the upcoming Bowl-A-Thon, hoping to beat the Huflanders, who've won 8 years in a row. When Mama returns with Aunt Effie from their Cousin Ludie's funeral, were they where the only mourners. Deciding this won't happen to her, Mama begins to plan her own funeral. Including spending the $1200 the family had saved for their Grand Canyon trip.
Having to replace Mama on their team, Vint, Naomi and Bubba choose Iola, as Mama refuses to go, saying it's to expensive. Soon after they leave though, Mama gets a shock from the lamp and passes out. Dreaming about her own funeral and how everyone walked out to go bowling.
Episode 8: Full House
Mama, Naomi and Iola are planning to go to a show at the Pepper Pot Playhouse, while Vint and Bubba are set to play poker with the ""poker pals"". Mama finds out who's starring in the play and decides not to go, so Naomi and Iola leave as the ""pals"" arrive. Mama's headed off to bed when the phone rings, come to find out the other guys can't play. So Vint begs Mama to set in.
Mama proves to be a much better player than anyone expected and is soon the hit of the evening, sharing embarrassing stories about Vint as a kid. Until she gets pulled away from the table by Vint and he begs her to build him up, so the ""pals"" will think he's a big man. Problem is that doesn't go as well and Mama soon begins boring every one with her endless stories.
The last shoe drops when Mama reveals, in another story, that Vint touches the end of his when he's not telling the truth. Which ends up costing him a hand and he storms out mad. Naomi and Iola return and Naomi thinks the play was horrible.
Episode 14: My Phony Valentine
It's Valentine's day and Naomi feels unloved and Vint buying her cheap stuff for doesn't help. Mama and Iola however are busy making hearts for the Valentine's day banquet at the church. Naomi starts bugging Iola about not having a date,so she says she had one but turned it down, while getting some snacks Mama hears this. Feeling sorry for her, Mama tells Iola that the movie they were gonna watch tonight is off and she should get herself a date. Mama then comes up with the story that she too has a date.
Now Mama has to try and find a gentleman to go out with. Iola comes over later the afternoon and tells Thelma that Roselle got a date from ""Rent-A-Gent"". So feeling desperate Thelma calls ""Rent A Gent"" and gets a date herself.
Episode 7: My Mama, Myself
Iola arrives to collect for the church rummage sell. While Naomi and Vint have nothing, Mama is looking through her jewelry case. Soon finding her dear departed mother's old brouch. Naomi comments that it may be worth some serious money. Bubba then comes in and annouces his college class is going to Oswald Caverns and it'll only cost two hundred bucks. Which Mama refuses to give him.
Naomi and Vint convince Mama to let them have the brouch appraised and that's when the ghost of ""Grandma Crowley"" appears to Mama and tells her not to sell her it. Later, as Vint and Naomi leave for the jewelers. Iola shows up and is spooked to hear the story of the ghost. Vint and Naomi arrive back and say the brouch could be worth $1600.
Mama demands they go back and get it, so she rushes them through dinner, where Bubba announces he got a job to pay for his trip (which he ends up getting fired at). Iola returns to inform Mama about her findings in the latest issue of a psychology magazine.
Episode 15: The Big Wheel
The entire family is abuzz with Lotto fever, except Mama that is, who just wants Iola to get back with the cinnamon so they can start on the snickerdoodles for the church bake sale. Iola returns with a lottery ticket she bought with the change from Mama's money. Trying to pick her numbers, Mama suggestions Iola can borrow her kids birthdays.
The night of the drawing, Bubba and Naomi have two tickets each while Vint spent his entire check on tickets. To everyone's surprise, Iola matches all 6 numbers and wins a chance to appear on the Lotto Show.
Episode 6: Found Money
The mail is late,meaning Mama's pention check is late also,so she has to wait around for the mailman.Come to find out Iola had it the whole time and now it's to late to get to the bank to deposit it.So Iola suggests that Mama use the new Auto-Teller, instead of letting her checks for the bills bounce.
Mama deposits the check and asks for $20.00 cash,which the machine deducts from her account,but never gives to her.So she blasts it with her pocket book and it soon starts spitting out money.$800 to be exact.
Later at the dinner table,the family and Iola take part in Bubba's survey for his class and all disagree on what people should do with found money.It soon comes out that the teller-matic gave Mama $800 and suddenly everyone agrees that they should keep the money,with everyone having ideas on how best to spend it.But Mama decides to return to the bank the next day and put it in her account instead.
Episode 16: More Power to You
Naomi and Vint rush in to get ready for the awards banquet that night for Food Circus. While Mama complains to the meter guy about her electric bill saying it's always a certain price but this month it's $20.00 higher and she refuses to pay it.
Episode 5: Many Unhappy Returns
It's the day before Mama's birthday and Vint decides to make her a present instead of buying her something. It ends up being a really ugly cocktail belt, which Bubba's not sure what to think of when he sess it. A little later, a knock comes at the front door and it's Vint's boss, Mr. Carstairs. He wants Vint to hold on to a gift he bought for his ""Mother"", his pet name for his wife. A $200 diamond bracelet.
The problem's start when Mama finds it and thinks it's for her after she reads the card and it says ""to my darling mother."" So not being able to except such an expensive gift she takes it back to the store and exchanges it. Buying gifts for everyone else in the process. Bubba gets an LP, Naomi gets her bed sheets and Vint's get the watch he wanted.
Episode 17: Mama in One
Trying to update the church's phone directory is hard enough, but having to do it with everyone running in and out is impossible. But fortunately for Mama her wishes of a quite house are answered. First Bubba announces that he's pledging a fraternity called ""Sigma Alpha Pie"" or ""SAP"" and will be away all weekend. Then Iola asks Mama to watch her goldfish for the weekend while she takes her parents on a trip. Vint gets a call next and he and Naomi are invited to use a friends cabin all weekend.
Mama anticipates a few days of peace all alone, but after finishing the update on the phone directory and realizing the Tv is on the blink and not being able to read, she is totally consumed with boredom. So much so that she starts talking to the goldfish, while also over feeding him. Not to mention reorganizing the kitchen is a complete failure as she ends up out on the front Porch ""Singing in the Rain"" literally.