TV Show I Remember Mama

The tale of a Norwegian immigrant family in America. One of TV's first sitcoms. Stars Dick van Patten as Nels, one of the family's sons.

[@marlanebraun5635]

how good it is to be older and have wonderful memories of TV shows like this.

[@earthlingforever1269]

I watched this as a child with my own Mama. And at the end, when that sad song came on, even as a ten year old, it used to make me cry. It still does now that my Mama is gone.

[@ralphdavis9670]

I'm and old man now, and I remember this show, and I still miss my mama.

[@DJK-cq2uy]

Now i can rest easy. Enlightening

[@kareng321]

When I heard that Dick Van Patten died, I had to look up "I Remember Mama". It is my first memory of TV and we loved the show. I saw Dick through the years on TV and have to wonder if anyone else logged as many hours acting as he did. It seems like he was always busy. He will be missed.

[@williamschaefer4836]

I was Dagmar's age. A favorite, the Christmas time episode, 'When Dagmar talked with the animals in the barn'. Long ago memories.

[@elleneaton3482]

Is that episode available anywhere? My favorite memory also!

[@rosinamandato347]

I watched this show when I was a child TV was a lot different then it was a lot better. I have been trying to find an episode of this show called THe night the animals talked " it is about the birth of the Baby Jesus. the memory of that show still stays with me I would love to see it again and for my grand children to see it also

[@kayaccornero969]

I have been looking for the same episode.So memorable!

[@annchurchill2638]

What a treasure to find this kinescopeof of I remember Mama. MY earliest TV memories.I'm 76.

[@chenchem1]

My family watched this together every week. We could all laugh together about the aunt who was a gossip.

[@Johnflugelhorn]

Awesome! This was a must,must,must watch program every Friday evening in the 50s!

[@jonathansafren5529]

I used to watch this show at a neighbor's apartment, because we didn't have a TV until 1954.

[@DJK-cq2uy]

Wow

[@danguerriero3094]

This show along with others had a calming effect. The shows today seem somewhat unsettling. Different world and not a better one.

[@jflamm41]

Just had lunch with Junior High classmates and we mentioned remembering this program. It was a favorite of ours! When families stayed together through thick and thin. Television was black and white, we didn't worry about seeing inappropriate programming, and actually learned something worthwhile from television.

[@DJK-cq2uy]

Fat deal

[@barbarahornung5257]

Loved it...Friday nights...

[@carolgould5532]

It was a wonderful program and remembering it brings tears to my eyes also as I'm missing my Mama who passed away last year.

[@moshe219]

I loved this show and never missed it.

[@edithfisher4098]

I was a little girl. My mom loved this program. So glad I found it here. Brings back precious memories....and yes I remember MY mama

[@waynebrasler]

This was some cast! Every actor in the series was top of the line, all stage trained. Note that the settings almost all involve a corner. That is because in early television the sets tended to stand up by having two spread out wings (I know, I was there). And that studio space was at such as premium the settings had to suggest rather than show a lot. This same aspect of early television was evident in the Saturday morning series "Two Girls Named Smith," telecast in the same studio.

[@Moronvideos1940]

I was raised on good TV shows of old. This is a classic. Remember the Milton Berle show? Texaco Star Theater and Sid Caesar with Imogene Coca? .

[@marciar954]

Oh, yes; on our 12-1/2'' b/w screen. John Cameron Swayze, a must on Fri night. My mother asked my father, 'Ed, how did they get all those camels (125,000) on one boat?" (Swayze made the announcement weekly, the shipment of Camel cigs to 'the troops'.)

[@robertkelleher3037]

This was my favorite show when we got our first tv!

[@gmaronson]

I loved these shows when I was little. And I'll always be grateful to its makers for using the beautiful "Last Spring," one of Edvard Grieg's "Elegiac Melodies" as its theme. This turned me on to classical music, as did another great 1950s TV series, "The Big Show," which used Richard Strauss' "Ein Heldenleben" ("A Hero's Life") as its theme as well.

[@robertvonbargen6836]

Thanks, George, I've been scouring the net for this. I knew it was Grieg but thought it was from Holberg or Peer Gynt

[@gmaronson]

Wow. Just saw your comment for the first time. The closing theme is as I described ("Last Spring" from Elegaic Melodies of Grieg); the music during the show is from Grieg's Holberg Suite.

[@VintageClass11]

I recall an episode were Mama told the children the animals could talk at Christmas time.....am I imagining this ? Anyway it holds a fond memory for me .

[@rosemariekury9186]

I remember watching this show too when I was growing up. I think Peggy Wood also played the part of the mother nun in the Sound of Music!

[@gedmcgaffin1255]

Being a Scott this is the first time I've watched this show. But it instantly reminded me of my grandmother's home. Good memories. Thanks.

[@granskare]

I recall my dad saying about Maxwell, "what's wrong with the last drop" haha:)

[@brendaannedufaur6244]

I like the terrific movie I Remember Mama with Irene Dunne.

[@miapdx503]

I love it, one of those you can watch again and again. 🌹

[@carolynargabright8132]

Peggy Wood, played the Mother Superior in "The Sound of Music".

[@carroyo911]

"Everything's so expensive...ground steak is 14 cents a pound....hahaha

[@johngreen3543]

Convert the turn of the century money to our money of today multiply it by 40 (40 times 14cents=$5.60) AT Von's it is on special for $3.47 a pound. So 14 cents is indeed expensive in turn of the century money. No hahaha at all

[@patsalter1675]

This was the first tv show I remember watching with my grandma, at her house. We didn't have a tv at the time.

[@Shodansixtyone]

This was probably one of my favorite tv program back when I was a resident of Chapin Hall orphanage in Chicago. Hopalong Cassidy was another favorite in the '40's - radio was still back than but TV was the next big thing.

[@priscillabarnett804]

SUCH A GREAT PROGRAM. WISH WE HAD MORE LIKE THAT TODAY.

[@lynnsheffield8506]

I wrote to a tv network years ago to ask why, with all the reruns on tv, we don't get reruns of wonderful programs like this. I was told the type of film they used back then(cellulose?) didn't hold up well. It supposedly deteriorated more with each use.

[@annettepora8091]

This was my favorite tv show as a child.

[@DJK-cq2uy]

How enlightening

[@CarlDenbow]

My mother, whose parents had immigrated from Iceland, loved this show. I think it reminded her in some way of her own family as she was growing up. We would always watch it as a family. It was a weekly ritual. I, too, would like access to more of the episodes, if they still exist and can be made into a DVD or delivered in some electronic format. This show is based on the book, "Mama's Bank Account." My mother had read the book, which I think added to her understanding and like of the show.

[@mariacelestebustillobarraz3583]

Hi Carl. I lived in the US and watched the movie on TV, just by chance. It was 3+ hours long. I was glued to the TV. It finished around 2 am. I mentioned it to a friend who told me she had loved it as a kid in the 50's. I have searched for it ever since. Google it, I have seen it announced in several sites. I'm sure you can find it. Good luck.

[@CarlDenbow]

@@mariacelestebustillobarraz3583 Thanks, I've still not be able to find additional episodes. They may no longer exist. If you ever find them, please let me know. -- Carl

[@ericsamuelson5656]

Carl Denbow, its now on DVD from Alpha Video. Look for it at oldies.com.

[@michaeldanello3966]

Unfortunately the majority of these were performed live. I'm sure there are some kiniscopes but most are lost. It breaks my heart because this was one of our favorite shows when I was a boy. Peggy Wood played Mama to perfection. She was a noted stage actress but some might recall her playing Mother Superior in The Sound of Music. She was dubbed on the song Climb Every Mountain. It was her final screen appearance and she was nominated for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress

[@CarlDenbow]

Eric Samuelson The only thing I could find there was a 1940s movie, which is out stock, not the TV series. I put myself on the waiting list for the DVD of the movie. Thanks!

[@lynnsheffield8506]

Television & I were born around the same time. I Remember Mama was the very first program I remember watching. It was my favorite show.

[@ronaldcantoni443]

This really brings back my childhood, such show's don't exist anymore. Show's with family value's has eroded.

[@almonzowilder4091]

No apostrophes for plurals. Write "shows," and "values" 500 times.

[@vlobascio]

lol

[@darkprincessmelly]

The book is still one of my favorites. Thanks for the memories.

[@mikeedds166]

One of my grandmother's favorite shows. Brings back precious memories.

[@DJK-cq2uy]

Needed to know that Thanks for sharing. 🤪 🤪

[@DoctorMate]

Dick van Patten RIP He played Nels on "I Remember Mama". I remember this television program very well, and am saddened at the passing of Dick van Patten today. He was 86.

[@gmaureen]

DoctorMate When I heard today Dick had passed away, my first thought was his character Nels in the "I Remember Mama" TV show. Great series.

[@KYIRISH1]

DoctorMate RIP... Amen. That show goes back awhile. I believe we only had two TV channels in Louisville then!

[@kingbee1500]

KYIRISH1 Yep...WAVE-TV ( Ch. 5 NBC primary, ABC & Dumont secondary, from 11-24-48; WHAS-TV ( Ch.9 CBS primary, Dumont & ABC secondary, from 3/27/50.) Short-lived: WKLO- TV ( Ch. 21 ABC/Dumont, 4-1-53 to 9-30-53). In 1953 re-set, WAVE to Ch. 3; WHAS to Ch. 11. Next successful station: WLKY, Ch. 32 ABC, from 9-16-61.

[@itiswhatitaintanditaintwha1427]

Oh to go back to those days, even though I was a long time from being born yet! But it seems to me television was a lot better then!

[@ashjai]

My favorite show a long time ago.

[@cbross100]

This brought back such happy memories of my childhood!

[@Andrea2354]

My sister and I loved this show when we were little. It was one of a handful of sitcoms. Looking at it now it seems so old fashioned and dated...still, I love to see the shows from the old days.

[@BonnieAbel-jl7qb]

I watched this show every Friday night. I loved it. I think I was pre teen age😊

[@ralphharoldson5511]

To whomever posted this episode. Tusen takk.

[@Liz500]

I loved this show, too.

[@usermikes]

Even have the Maxwell House Coffee commerical....Theodore Roosevelt had taken a sip of Maxwell House Coffee he proclaimed it to be "good to the last drop".And that's how they got the slogan...

[@grandma3x7]

Thank you for sharing this, I loved this show when I was a child, I wish I could find it on DVDs to buy.

[@mariacelestebustillobarraz3583]

It's available. Search for it on the internet.

[@grandma3x7]

Thank you.

[@itiswhatitaintanditaintwha1427]

grandma Ha Thank heavens for KZbin!

[@MsRuthLittle]

click the 3 lines on top of the video list on the right then you can watch it anytime you want

[@waynebrasler]

Performed live from a studio in Grand Central Station! This is a kinescope. A T.V. camera would be placed in front of a T.V. screen as the program was broadcast. Dagmar is portrayed by Robin Morgan, who became a highly-respected force in the movement for equal opportunities and equal pay and equal respect for women.

[@maryperez6169]

Thank you

[@bubca12]

It was a favorite of my family when I was a child and we all watched the same TV. We looked forward to Friday nights when we watched Stu Irwin's Trouble With Father, Mama, Our Miss Brooks, and Topper. Then it was bedtime. We weren't allowed to stay up all night playing with X-boxes

[@earlrogersjr3026]

Yes those were the days, now that I turned 80 years old my memories are important to me and this is one of the most important one.

[@danguerriero3094]

Thanks Jacob this is really calming

[@monalongley9428]

This entire series should be remastered and available for purchase. Irene Dunn made wonderful movies. Our first TV was a used Philco in 1950 and I watched each week for wonderful family programs such as "I Remember Mama, Ed Sullivan, Lawrence Welk, & singing along with the bouncing ball.

[@catholicpriest1]

It would be difficult "remastering" this program. All they have are 16mm kinescope prints and they're probably not in very good shape.

[@luvbach1]

+Mona Longley Peggy Wood was Mama in the TV series.

[@christopherspiteri7740]

@@catholicpriest1 I read that kinescopes exist of only a small number of episodes. Most are actually lost.

[@DJK-cq2uy]

Such valuable information

[@lonewolfattack8071]

All 26 of the filmed episodes exist and are available for viewing at the Paley Center. Kinescopes of the live episodes, well, that's another story. Paley has about 15 of them (the bulk of which were donated by cast members), and a few others are in private hands, but most of them haven't turned up and are probably gone forever. We're lucky to have this one.

[@robertvonbargen6836]

Mama was played by Jo Van Fleet on Broadway and later she played a totally different Mama to James Dean in East of Eden - the town Madam in Monterey

[@sifu189]

loved this show.. it helped me get through my mothers death

[@sifu189]

thanks for sharing... love to see more shows

[@ruthiewilliams3482]

I so loved this

[@mrmjb1960]

Based on the mOvie "I Remember Mama" with Irene Dunne.

[@miapdx503]

I love the movie, I Remember Mama. I never knew there was a series! Glad I found it. 🌹

[@Brumus76]

What a jolt it would've been if the family members of this show could've jumped ahead in time to witness today's moral decadence in the movies. radio, news, etc. Progress with no restraints is a terrible thing.

[@parsonsnose8102]

Vintage, I remember that too and would love to find out if you can get it. Perhaps the Paley. I'll check in LA too. My sisters and I watched it religiously and why I find it interesting now is that I heard a legend that the animals can talk at Christmas but if you hear they you will die.!

[@serpentines6356]

I just saw the movie, "I Remember Mama", which I highly recommend. I never knew they even had a series on this.

[@xenafan234]

Too bad this can't be restored and fixed with all the Digital Tech, we have now a days.

[@axella]

We never did find out if Nels was smoking! (the writers of The Brady Bunch ripped off the "cigarettes found in the jacket", too).

[@vartanaghababian7648]

How sweet! The theme music is the opening of the Sarabande from the "Holberg Suite" by Edvard Grieg (or, at least, it's a cutting from it.)

[@guinnberger2681]

Yes, and the closing music is Våren (Springtime). How sweetly melancholy is Edvard Grieg's music. Before I knew who he was, I loved the music that accompanied *Mama*. A lovely memory from my childhood.

[@dianatelischak4390]

At age of Now 75, something about the Dagmar character came to mind during a personal counseling session. . Perhaps she was closest to my age back then (7-8). Would love to watch some episodes for old times sake!

[@Littlehawkins1]

We're performing the original play and I am mama.

[@lisat9322]

I wish they'd allow someone to upload the movie "I Remember Mama" so you could see it. It was wonderful and I'll never forget it. She reminds me a lot of my own mother. They don't make movies like that anymore and it's a shame. Good luck on your play and I hope you have a wonderful time!

[@lisat9322]

P.S. There are 3 other movies you'd probably enjoy as well. "Life With Father", "The Magnificent Amberson's" and "Little Women". They are all classics and I think everyone would enjoy them. I know I did.

[@mariacelestebustillobarraz3583]

Lisa T Search for it. It's available. Google it.

[@kraftpr]

Astounding! One brief commercial at the very end -- the rest all program. Today, it's all commercials -- maybe 5, 10 minutes of show. And the programs today are disgusting! When are all the TV "suits" gonna wake up and read some of these YT comments? This is the kind of programming television was meant to have -- wholesome, quality. Television has sunk to pandering to the lowest common denominator -- in my opinion.

[@Booker1477]

In fact, I'm drinking Maxwell House right now. Such great names - Dagmar, Nels, - gotta find out what happened to Peggy Wood!

[@christopherspiteri7740]

Thank you for posting this episode. i am actually looking for a specific episode of Mama, one entitled Dagmar's sorority sister shown on the 6th May 1955. Have you ever come across it anywhere. Thank you. Chris

[@Ettibridget]

She mispronounced Dagmar. Anyway, my mother used to enjoy this too when she was a child.

[@WearingaSmile]

I loved this show. Every year, I couldn’t wait until “The Night the Animals Talked” would be on. Does anyone know where that episode can be seen or purchased?

[@loriboyer3913]

I second this - my mother is hoping to revisit this episode from her childhood again in her lifetime!

[@lonewolfattack8071]

The filmed version of that episode from 1956 is available for viewing at the Paley Center. I don't know how many times they did it live prior to that (every Christmas from 1950 to 1955?), but it doesn't look like Paley has any of the live editions, sorry.

[@johngreen3543]

I am sad to report than very few episodes of I Remember Mama have survived

[@Julian9ehp]

The Paley Museum for Broadcasting (L.A. and N.Y.C.) probably has more episodes.

[@mollylea2643]

Did anybody actually recognize Dick Van Patten in that grainy film footage? Granted, the earliest thing I saw him in was Eight is Enough, but I'm usually pretty good at recognizing actors, and I could not tell it was him at all. I wouldn't have known it was him if I hadn't read the credits. Also, I could recognize Peggy Wood of Sound of Music fame in the starring role!

[@teriannebeauchamp254]

Molly Lea his voice is recognizable though

[@Sheri451]

This must have been filmed live and re broadcast on that kinescope thing.

[@usermikes]

The show was originally broadcast live from a television studio located above the waiting room in Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal.[1]

[@Sheri451]

I wonder how they kept the crowd waiting for the subways quiet?

[@nathanwatson6826]

A kinescope is a filmed copy of a broadcast. In the earliest days of television, videotape did not yet exist and all programs were transmitted live. The only way to save a copy was to point a camera at a television screen and film it. Those films became known as kinescopes. Incidentally, they were originally used not to preserve series but to provide tv stations (out of broadcast range) with a copy of the show to run at a later date.

[@PuffKitty]

@@nathanwatson6826 that's quite interesting; thank you 🙂

[@FutureReferenc]

one should always say how good the meatloaf is.

[@JacobBembry]

Thanks for the tip, Donna. I will review it and edit it for obscenities. I see that the first part of the closed captioning is totally off.

[@scrippswbparamounttelevisa]

28:51 This is CBS, The Columbia Broadcasting-

[@carolynargabright8132]

In the movie there was a sister Christina. But, here there is no mention of such a person.So no sister really existed?

[@mannoman]

Carolyn Argabright The sister's name (on the TV show) was Katrin. Does that help or not relevant?

[@carolynargabright8132]

Well, I know there is no sister Christina in the TV series, but, if you noticed the eldest sister's name in the film was 'Katrin'.

[@user-ps8wp6vu3c]

Always reminded me of my wonderful Norwegian Grandmother. Good old fashion T.V. show.Probably boring for todays audience .

[@blsamt]

Where can I find more?

[@StevenTorrey]

Is that Dick van Patten of Dick van Patten fame?

[@luvbach1]

+Steven Torrey One and the same.

[@thegalaxybeing]

I'd like to find out this episode's broadcast date.

[@vlobascio]

January 6, 1950 www.imdb.com/title/tt1426087/?ref_=ttep_ep4

[@usermikes]

The show was originally broadcast live from a television studio located above the waiting room in Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal.[1]

[@ConcreteBlonde111]

O mama gonna take me to Doc Con

[@terryburns184]

lol Product placement!!!

[@FutureReferenc]

240p wow. way to splurge there, big guy.

[@klakatroll]

Why is her accent a million percent Swedish when she's supposed to be Norwegian though...

[@rogertemple7193]

"filmed in a studio with little to do but talk and modest props nowadays on TV too many props and still nothing but talking and about talking about nothing .".

[@donnanorris2939]

somebody has TOTALLY SCREWED UP the closed captions, putting OBSCENITIES in it! DISGRACEFUL!!! WHY DOESN'T KZbin CHECK these things out??? The words aren't even CLOSE to what they say the MAJORITY of the time!!! DISGRACEFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@KayseSalmon]

Must have been desperate! After Irene Dunn how could anyone watch this?!

[@ronaldcantoni443]

+Kayse Salmon - I was going to reply to your remarks but it's not worth my time.

[@bardo0007]

I'm Norwegian but I don't understand this, looks fake to me.

[@Brenda-lt7dm]

I vaguely remember this show