HOLLYWOOD -- The actress who plays the irascible 65-year-old Thelma Harper in TV's 'Mama's Family,' can be seen in a new cable show as a woman half Mama's age in the person of Vicki Lawrence.
Vicki, who gained fame playing Mama on the defunct 'Carol Burnett Show,' is the hostess of 'The Great American Homemaker,' a daily half-hour USA Network magazine series with tips on recipes, home repairs, exercise, pets, chores, kids and all the rest.
It's designed for mothers in their 20s and 30s, which prompts Vicki to say she is typecast for the job.
'I'm a homemaker,' she said. 'I cook and vacuum and iron. I have a cleaning lady come in, but this morning I did two loads of laundry before coming to work.
'Sometimes on the show I give my own tips, like how to get rid of cockroaches and my own quick energy drink of sugarless ice cream, banana, brewers yeast, carob, honey and milk.
'I qualify for this show. Look here,' she said, grabbing a publicity handout. 'It says, 'Vicki was chosen as host because she epitomizes the young American homemaker.'
'As actresses go -- and they all tend to be a little dingy -- I'm down-to-earth and a normal-type housewife.'
Vicki is the mother of Courtney, 8, and Garrett, 6. She serves them breakfast and fixes their lunches before going to work. She is home in time to cook their dinner.
She eschews live-in help because, 'we like to scream and run naked to the coffee maker.'
The show combines pretaped segments from across the country with various experts giving tips and information on a variety of subjects of interest to women.
The woman executive producer of the show explained that Vicki's decision to marry her makeup man, Al Schultz (who now manages her career), was significant evidence that she is a genuine person.
Vicki, moreover, is not associated with the glamour and glitz of Hollywood. When a housewife viewer hears Vicki's recipe for meatballs, she is more credible than, say, Bo Derek.
Vicki wants to change her image from dowdy old Thelma Harper to someone nearer herself. She is troubled that filmmakers don't think of her as anyone but Mama.
'I want to play some of the housewife roles that go to Teri Garr,' Vicki said. 'But they don't think of me. Because I've been associated with the Burnett organization so long, they think I'm umbilically attached. Or that I'm so rich that I don't care.'
In truth, Vicki does care. She would like to be identified as someone other than a corseted sexagenarian with a sharp tongue and a quick temper.
One reason she agreed to host 'The Great American Homemaker' was to give viewers the opportunity to see the real Vicki.
True, viewership of USA Cable is not as great as NBC, on which 'Mama's Family' is seen. The cable company serves some 120 cities with a potential of 65 million viewers, which ain't bad.
'It's wonderful to be myself and prove I'm under 65, that I wasn't born with gray hair,' Vicki said. 'My goal in life is to play an ingenue just once. It's also good to remind my husband he's not going to bed with Thelma.'
Vicki has played Thelma since she was 24. It doubtless bruises her ego -- she is an actress after all -- when people fail to discern the difference between Vicki and waspish old Mama.
'I could dress up as Thelma anywhere east of the Mississippi and run for governor and win,' she said. 'People in rural America love Mama. She's honest and forthright. But it would be depressing to have Mama as my only identity.'
'Mama's Family' is a ratings loser, a fact not lost on its star. Vicki is convinced all the series needs is a decent timeslot.
'Children love our show. We should have an 8 o'clock slot. Instead, they've got us on opposite 'Love Boat.'
'Generally, urban people won't admit they watch a rural comedy show because it isn't the chic thing to do,' she said indignantly. 'One of our own NBC publicity people told me, 'We all watch your show like we do 'Family Feud,' but we won't admit it.'
'That makes me damn mad,' said Vicki, sounding exactly like Mama.
