THAT'S MY MAMA: WHOSE CHILD IS THIS? {SERIES PREMIERE} (TV)

Summary

The premiere of this comedy series about a barber in Washington D.C. and his highly opinionated mother.

Clifton Curtis owns and operates a barber shop in Washington D.C., where his “Mama” works as well. She constantly complains that he is still single at the age of twenty-five, and wishes he would settle down and marry instead of going around dating “tramps.” She tries to warn him against the lifestyle he has chosen, but he does not see it as a big deal and tries to calm her down. He opens up shop and an unknown woman enters and embraces him, much to his confusion. The woman in question is Judy Davis, a woman who worked as a waitress at a diner near where he was stationed when he served in the military. Judy reveals that she intends to marry Clifton and claims that he is the father of her child. He does not believe her and is highly resistant to the idea of marrying her. However, his friend Earl arrives and instantly recognizes Judy, unwittingly corroborating her story. She leaves for the time being and Clifton explains the situation to Earl, although he points out that anyone from their unit could possibly be the child’s father, even Earl himself. They do their best to conceal the situation from Mama, although she is suspicious of their behavior.

Judy returns with her baby, whom she reveals she named “Clifton, Jr.,” making Clifton uncomfortable. He is further frustrated when he learns that Earl is spreading the news about the baby around the neighborhood. Mama emerges and meets Judy and the baby, noting that the baby resembles Clifton when he was an infant. Soon Mama figures out that Clifton is apparently the father of the child, angering her. Later, Clifton’s sister Tracy arrives and gloats over Clifton’s misfortune. Mama is quite bitter about the situation and refuses to speak directly to Clifton. Tracy leaves as Judy arrives with her attorney, and Mama greets Judy coldly. She sits Judy down and demands to know the full story of her interactions with Curtis, but soon changes her mind. He explains that he intends to prove that Clifton is the father via a blood test, and asks Clifton to have his lawyer contact him to set a court date. Alternately, he proposes a cash settlement, but Judy does not want to go to court or be paid off, explaining that her only aim is to marry the father of her child. Mama brings Clifton aside and reveals that she now believes his assertion that he is not the child’s father, much to Clifton’s relief. She goes back to Judy and her lawyer, claiming that Clifton has decided to marry her; Clifton plays along with the deception. Earl arrives and reveals that Judy’s lawyer is actually the cook from the diner where she worked; they are married and merely pretended that Clifton had fathered a child with her to scam money out of him. She becomes incensed and storms out. Clifton and Mama resolve their differences, although Mama comments that she would like Clifton to have a baby of his own one day. Includes commercials.

Details

• NETWORK: ABC
• DATE: 8:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 0:29:04
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: B:11393
• GENRE: Comedy
• SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Comedy; Comedy
• SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1974-1975
• COMMERCIALS:
  • TV – Commercials – Life Savers hard candy
  • TV – Commercials – Life breakfast cereal
  • TV – Commercials – Pillsbury cooking dough
  • TV – Commercials – Wheaties breakfast cereal
  • TV – Commercials – Wisk laundry detergent
  • TV – Promos – “Paper Moon”
  • TV – Promos – “The Sonny Comedy Revue”

CREDITS

• Allan Blye … Executive Producer, Theme Music by
• Chris Bearde … Executive Producer, Theme Music by
• Gene Farmer … Producer, Theme Music by
• Walter N. Bien … Producer
• Allan Baumrucker … Co-Producer
• Bob LaHendro … Director
• Dan T. Bradley … Created by
• Allan L. Rice … Created by
• Larry Siegel … Writer
• Jack Eskew … Music by
• Clifton Davis … Cast, Clifton Curtis
• Theresa Merritt … Cast, Eloise "Mama" Curtis
• Ed Bernard … Cast, Earl Chambers
• Lynne Moody … Cast, Tracy
• Jester Hairston … Cast, Wildcat
• DeForest Covan … Cast, Josh
• Ted Lange … Cast, Junior
• Judy Pace … Cast, Judy
• Theodore Wilson … Cast, Carruthers