Characters and Story
In addition to veteran stage actress Peggy Wood in the title role and Rosemary Rice as Katrin, the cast included Judson Laire as Papa and Dick Van Patten as brother Nels. The youngest child, Dagmar, was portrayed by Robin Morgan (who later became a radical feminist activist and poet) and then by Toni Campbell after Morgan left the show. Also featured were Ruth Gates, Carl Frank, Alice Frost, Malcolm Keen, Roland Winters, Kevin Coughlin and Patty McCormack.
Although earlier incarnations of the material had focused primarily on the relationship between Mama and Katrin, the television series typically dealt with a specific family member's problem and eventually drew all of them into helping with its resolution. The program aired live, with kinescope recordings prepared for West Coast broadcasts. The popularity and high ratings of Mama prompted a national re-release of I Remember Mama in 1956. In some theaters, this was accompanied by a stage presentation of "Dish Night," a recreation of the dinnerware giveaways theaters held during the 1930s to attract ticket-buyers.
From its premiere in 1949 to 1955, Mama proved to be not only a ratings winner for CBS, it also became a Friday night tradition when millions of families across America (including children already dressed for bed) gathered around the television set to tune in to another episode concerning the Hansen family.
Read more about this topic: Mama (TV Series)
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