Eunice

This was an excellent teleplay based on the long-running sketch from the Carol Burnett Show. It comprises of four acts representing the various trials and tribulations of Eunice and her family over a 25-year period. The first act (1953) presents Eunice and Ed during their somewhat stormy courtship. Act 2 takes place 10 years later, with Eunice and Ed married and arriving at Mama's house for a rather interesting and somewhat heated Sunday dinner. Act 3 finds Eunice divorced ten years later, living with Mama once again, and finally Act 4 finds Eunice coping with Mama's death five years later. Viewers have come to love these characters over the years, and the actors do not disappoint at all. Some of the one-liners actually appeared in the sketches during the Carol Burnett Show at one time or other (including the hilarious bit where Mama reveals that her late husband actually "died in the bathroom"), but instead of coming off as recycled bits, they fit together nicely and really blast off as Eunice's story unfolds. Definitely a classy production by one of the best comedy ensembles in television history. I don't think this ever aired after its appearance as a 1981 or 1982 CBS special, but here's hoping Eunice will be enjoyed again soon, perhaps as a special-issue DVD.