Thelma Mae Harper (nee Crowley), also known as Mama, is a fictional character played by American actress Vicki Lawrence. She is a senior citizen who has lived in an unspecified part in the Southern United States for her entire life which is evident by the southern drawl of her speech and her customs. She is an exaggerated version of a prototype middle twentieth century lower middle class grandmother in the United States South. Vicki Lawrence originated the Mama character which first appeared in "The Family" sketches on The Carol Burnett Show (1974–78) and Carol Burnett & Company (1979); Eunice was a 1982 made-for-TV movie based on "The Family" sketches characters; Mama's Family (first on NBC 1983–84, then revolutionized in first-run syndication 1986–90); and finally in the ongoing Vicki La