Bubba Higgins
Encyclopedia
Bubba Higgins is a fictional character in the television situation comedy, Mama's Family
. He was played by Allan Kayser
.
and Eunice
Higgins. Some time prior to his first appearance, he had stolen a car, and was sent to juvenile hall. Which was no surprise, given that his mother was often contentious and very selfish.
He was released early from juvie on good behavior, only to return home and find that it was locked up tight. Then he was told that his parents had basically left him in Raytown while they went off to Florida
. This characteristically selfish act of Eunice's was enough to incur the wrath of her mother, Thelma Harper
, who swore that she would kill Eunice for leaving Bubba in Raytown, and also for missing her own son's graduation.
Bubba was quite a switch from Vinton "Buzz" Harper, Jr., his cousin. Whereas Buzz was patient, and easy to get along with, Bubba was a lot like his mother. He wasn't as selfish as she was, but he was temperamental and stubborn. He was also very girl-crazy, something that his grandmother couldn't understand. One time, she found a porno magazine in his bedroom, and she formed MOP (Mothers Opposing Pornography) to quash that.
Bubba's two best friends were a duo named Dwayne and T-Boy, obviously guys he knew from his days in Juvenile Hall. Thelma thoroughly disliked the two from the outset, and often forbade Bubba from hanging out with them, but he usually wound up doing so and angering her in the process.
When he first arrived, he didn't win any favor with his uncle Vinton and aunt Naomi Harper
, when he got the prized bedroom that was left open when Thelma's sister, Fran Crowley
died. Thelma had indeed promised him his own room. They had wanted that room, and were angered that Bubba got it, promise or no promise. They remained, under protest, in the basement.
Bubba nearly caused a serious breach in his relationship with his grandmother, when he came home drunk on a few beers. It hurt Thelma to see Bubba drunk and it reminded her all too clearly of the first time Eunice drank. During a mother-daughter banquet, where Eunice and Thelma were supposed to sing "MOTHER," they instead got into a violent argument about all the things that her mother had thought she had done, and wrecked. That was why Thelma was so strident against drinking. Iola had told Bubba, Vint, and Naomi the story the day after Bubba's drinking incident and he tearfully apologized to Thelma, telling her she was the last person in the world he ever wanted to hurt. Thelma happily accepted and Bubba swore off drinking from that point on. During a sarcastic remark, Thelma tells Bubba that the only beer he'll be drinking is rootbeer.
Although he regularly drives his family crazy, they truly do love Bubba. He got through his probation, and started to attend junior college. By this time, he did break away from Dwayne and T-Boy. He was also instrumental in saving his grandmother's home, when he discovered that the house was a former brothel that the founder of Raytown had died in it. This made the house a Raytown Historical landmark.
Mama's Family
Mama's Family is an American television sitcom that premiered on NBC on January 22, 1983. It was cancelled in May 1984, but NBC would continue to air reruns until September 1985. In September 1986, Mama's Family returned in first-run syndication, where it aired for an additional four seasons,...
. He was played by Allan Kayser
Allan Kayser
Allan J. Kayser II is an American film and TV actor.-Biography:Kayser was born and raised in Littleton, Colorado, attending Columbine High School from 1978-1982. In high school, he participated in baseball and wrestling, and was a drummer in several rock bands.Kayser entered acting and moved to...
.
Character overview
Bubba was the son of EdEd Higgins
Ed Higgins is a character in "The Family" sketches on The Carol Burnett Show and, to a lesser extent, on the sitcom spinoff Mama's Family. In both cases, he was played by Harvey Korman....
and Eunice
Eunice Harper Higgins
Eunice Higgins is a fictional character from the comedy sketch, The Family . Eunice was also featured in a film named after her in 1982, on CBS...
Higgins. Some time prior to his first appearance, he had stolen a car, and was sent to juvenile hall. Which was no surprise, given that his mother was often contentious and very selfish.
He was released early from juvie on good behavior, only to return home and find that it was locked up tight. Then he was told that his parents had basically left him in Raytown while they went off to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. This characteristically selfish act of Eunice's was enough to incur the wrath of her mother, Thelma Harper
Thelma Harper
Thelma Harper is a fictional character, who originally appeared on the ongoing Mama's Family on The Carol Burnett Show. She was portrayed by Vicki Lawrence...
, who swore that she would kill Eunice for leaving Bubba in Raytown, and also for missing her own son's graduation.
Bubba was quite a switch from Vinton "Buzz" Harper, Jr., his cousin. Whereas Buzz was patient, and easy to get along with, Bubba was a lot like his mother. He wasn't as selfish as she was, but he was temperamental and stubborn. He was also very girl-crazy, something that his grandmother couldn't understand. One time, she found a porno magazine in his bedroom, and she formed MOP (Mothers Opposing Pornography) to quash that.
Bubba's two best friends were a duo named Dwayne and T-Boy, obviously guys he knew from his days in Juvenile Hall. Thelma thoroughly disliked the two from the outset, and often forbade Bubba from hanging out with them, but he usually wound up doing so and angering her in the process.
When he first arrived, he didn't win any favor with his uncle Vinton and aunt Naomi Harper
Naomi Harper
Naomi Harper is a fictional character from the sitcom Mama's Family. She was played by actress-director Dorothy Lyman.-Character overview:...
, when he got the prized bedroom that was left open when Thelma's sister, Fran Crowley
Fran Crowley
Frances Marie Crowley, commonly known as "Fran Crowley", is a fictional character on the television series, Mama's Family. She was portrayed by Rue McClanahan during the show's first two seasons.-Character history:...
died. Thelma had indeed promised him his own room. They had wanted that room, and were angered that Bubba got it, promise or no promise. They remained, under protest, in the basement.
Bubba nearly caused a serious breach in his relationship with his grandmother, when he came home drunk on a few beers. It hurt Thelma to see Bubba drunk and it reminded her all too clearly of the first time Eunice drank. During a mother-daughter banquet, where Eunice and Thelma were supposed to sing "MOTHER," they instead got into a violent argument about all the things that her mother had thought she had done, and wrecked. That was why Thelma was so strident against drinking. Iola had told Bubba, Vint, and Naomi the story the day after Bubba's drinking incident and he tearfully apologized to Thelma, telling her she was the last person in the world he ever wanted to hurt. Thelma happily accepted and Bubba swore off drinking from that point on. During a sarcastic remark, Thelma tells Bubba that the only beer he'll be drinking is rootbeer.
Although he regularly drives his family crazy, they truly do love Bubba. He got through his probation, and started to attend junior college. By this time, he did break away from Dwayne and T-Boy. He was also instrumental in saving his grandmother's home, when he discovered that the house was a former brothel that the founder of Raytown had died in it. This made the house a Raytown Historical landmark.