In less than two years, an immigrant Norwegian family has climbed from TV obscurity to the top ten in national ratings. In its successful rise, Mama (Fri. 8 p.m., CBS) has never once raised its voice, stood on its head, or mugged to a studio audience, as do most of its competitors.
If there is nothing earth-shaking about the Hanson family, there is nothing inconsequential either. The scripts, by Writer Frank Gabrielson, are often toughly realistic. Son Nels (Dick Van Patten), pushed too hard by family pride, is shown cheating in an exam for...
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