The story of an Italian/Irish/Greek family and the cooking show hosted by the matriarch of the family, well played by Lila Kaye. The show was filmed in the family's home, and much of the screen time was devoted to the filming of the show. The ethnic humor made the show old-fashioned in a way, but wasn't particularly offensive (and often quite funny). The "show-within-a-show," on the other hand, was fairly innovative. Had this premiered on a better network or better era for sitcoms, there's every chance it could've had a long and happy life. But CBS in 1984 was not a good place for shows like this.
3 Reviews
Prelude To The Reality show?
richard.fuller11 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Mama Malone (pronounced Maloni) was about a woman, Lila Kaye, who had a TV cooking show and the camera often panned out into her family business with her daughter and grandson and the handsome priest who would visit as well.
I always remember the daughter saying she would crawl thru broken glass on her hands and knees for that one, talking about the priest.
Literally a Kardashian in the making, and all the other reality shows of family life being filmed.
I also remember the episode with Paul Benedict (Mr. Bentley) and he wore funny slippers and they spread the rumor he was gay and he and Mama Malone had to have a serious talk about how unfairly he had been treated.
Benedict would say the line, 'I don't care for Rocky I, II, III or IV.' which was funny at the time as there had been no Rocky IV yet.
The big deal about Mama Malone is it was scheduled to go on the air and a quick show called Filthy Rich, spoofing Dallas, was tossed out there and became the sudden bigger hit, so Mama Malone was shuffled off to Saturday night where it floundered unforgotten.
I liked Filthy Rich at first, then it got kind of weak, so I managed to see Mama Malone eventually and found it to be quite good, but the damage was done. both shows are gone now.
Lila Kaye is perhaps best seen as the barmaid in American Werewolf In London and she would turn up on cheers after Nick Colasanto passed away, with the potential to be his replacement, but that wasn't to be. They went with Woody Harrelson instead.
Shame, actually. She had an incredibly funny episode in which she was a woman whose passion had put all her late husbands in the grave and Sam wondered if that would be a good way to go, with the old, out-of-shape Kaye. Very funny.
I always remember the daughter saying she would crawl thru broken glass on her hands and knees for that one, talking about the priest.
Literally a Kardashian in the making, and all the other reality shows of family life being filmed.
I also remember the episode with Paul Benedict (Mr. Bentley) and he wore funny slippers and they spread the rumor he was gay and he and Mama Malone had to have a serious talk about how unfairly he had been treated.
Benedict would say the line, 'I don't care for Rocky I, II, III or IV.' which was funny at the time as there had been no Rocky IV yet.
The big deal about Mama Malone is it was scheduled to go on the air and a quick show called Filthy Rich, spoofing Dallas, was tossed out there and became the sudden bigger hit, so Mama Malone was shuffled off to Saturday night where it floundered unforgotten.
I liked Filthy Rich at first, then it got kind of weak, so I managed to see Mama Malone eventually and found it to be quite good, but the damage was done. both shows are gone now.
Lila Kaye is perhaps best seen as the barmaid in American Werewolf In London and she would turn up on cheers after Nick Colasanto passed away, with the potential to be his replacement, but that wasn't to be. They went with Woody Harrelson instead.
Shame, actually. She had an incredibly funny episode in which she was a woman whose passion had put all her late husbands in the grave and Sam wondered if that would be a good way to go, with the old, out-of-shape Kaye. Very funny.
Memorable if only for its song
gjempty10 April 2003
My best friend and I were in our early twenties that summer. I worked on Friday or Saturday nights, I can't remember which night the show aired. Needless to say it was busy though because it was a restaurant.
My friend told me about this show and it's hilarious song: "That's Mama Malone, she's the best-a bake-a, pizza-maka, taste-uh-take-uh, mama in the world" or some nonsense like that. He insisted it was so funny I had to arrange for the night off one week before it went off the air.
We were smokin a little too much weed then I think ;)
My friend told me about this show and it's hilarious song: "That's Mama Malone, she's the best-a bake-a, pizza-maka, taste-uh-take-uh, mama in the world" or some nonsense like that. He insisted it was so funny I had to arrange for the night off one week before it went off the air.
We were smokin a little too much weed then I think ;)
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