NBC Is Throwing Carol Burnett a Giant 90th Birthday Bash

She should host SNL, like Betty White did.

Well-deserved, of course, only you think it would’ve been on CBS, not NBC.

I just saw her episode of Finding Your Roots last week, and it is really the first time I've noticed her slowing down and doing sort of "old lady" things - some arm twitching, some of that Pelosi licking-the-inside-of-her-mouth sort of thing.

Not saying any of that in a mean way, I mean...she's 90. Bless her for everything she's done. But time is catching up with her (and her plastic surgeon) a bit.

We've all heard her stories a hundred times but I for one will be watching.....happy to revisit them again, as I am happy to think about the Saturday nights with Mom in the gameroom, watching this show and laughing our asses off.

She does deserve it…I still watch the old rerun and she is brilliant

No one under 60 will watch it but at least they considered their demos.

Aileen Quinn...woo-hoo.

Sounds like a must miss.

Crossing my fingers for a new Eunice and Mama sketch.

Gee, do you think they'll show a clip of her coming down the staircase in that wacky green velvet curtain dress?

Well then R5, those not watching will be missing out.

Sounds like a must see for me. I need the best-of packaging as I'm too hyper to sit through all the shows. I'm really looking forward to this!

All the invitees will pull down their curtains to make their gowns for this special event.

Willing to bet that age 90 Carol would really prefer to just sit it out at home.

[quote]I just saw her episode of Finding Your Roots last week, and it is really the first time I've noticed her slowing down and doing sort of "old lady" things - some arm twitching, some of that Pelosi licking-the-inside-of-her-mout - h sort of thing.

I saw the same thing when I tuned into the show. It really hit me how old she is today. Just a few years ago (before the pandemic) my friends went to see her when she toured with her Q&A one woman show (she told stories and took questions from the audience). They said she was entertaining, and very lively for her age (mid 80s).

Anyhow, this looks interesting - so glad Cher will be on, as the two of them have been friends since the 60s (they met at a lunchoen Lucille Ball had for women in Hollywood at the time; Ball told both of them to make sure they knew how to run their own careers in case they divorced their husbands). One of the funniest memories of 70s television is when Carol guested on the 'Cher' show, and did an imitation of Cher. Even Cher couldn't stop laughing.

AS for the other guests (except Vicki Lawrence) - ehh. But I guess none of Burnett's peers from the 60s and 70s are all dead ?

Anyone thinking of starting an online campaign to get Carol to host Saturday Night Live should give up now. When Lorne Michaels and the cast were doing press before the show premiered in 1975, while Carol's show was still airing, they talked about Carol like she was a washed-up hack. Their show would be nothing like Carol's corny routines, they said. They made a big point of saying they would do "sketches" where Carol did "skits." And they would never, ever, break character and giggle while performing, because it was horribly unprofessional.

Any time Carol is asked about hosting SNL, she's very gracious and glosses over the question. But I'm sure the truth is she wouldn't piss on any of them if they were on fire. Note that no one from the original SNL cast is included in this special, and as far as Google and I can remember have ever appeared with Carol.

she was popular with youngins during shutdown

Burnett's life has been rather sad the past 20 years.

First, her daughter Carrie Hamilton died from cancer in January, 2002 at the age of 38. Hamilton had a challenging life, being a drug addict during her teen years (Burnett said she put her in three rehabs during that time, and she was sober when she hit 17). Burnett recently said in an interview she still hasn't gotten over her daughter's death.

Then, just two years ago, she had petitioned for guardianship of her 14 year old grandson, as youngest daughter Erin had 'substance addiction' before he was born, and unable to care for him (according to the petition). She has been raising him ever since - not too easy in your late 80s.

Bernadette Peters guest starred on her show several times.

#carolburnett has 89..4 million views on TikTok so she is definitely known to young’uns 60 and under.

🙄

Interesting NBC and not CBS.

With the Maude lookalike Terry McCann

R19 I didn't know that part about Erin. Very sad.

Alcoholism and addiction is in Carol's family, so I think in the case of her daughters it can't just be said that "poor little rich kids" got spoiled and addicted.

Carol was raised by her loving grandmother because her alcoholic mother was incapable, so it's fitting that grandma Carol would raise her grandchild.

I guess she and Vicki have made up. I knew they weren't speaking for years over the syndicated Mama's Family but hadn't heard they repaired their relationship. Unless, Vicki is only agreeing to appear because it would have been awkward for her not to.

[quote]The special, to be taped in March in front of a star-packed audience, will air on Burnett’s actual birthday, April 26,

Uh oh!!

Don’t do it, Carol. You know what happened.

R28 I think they made up to some degree - they were friendly again back when Carol and Vicki did a few specials for CBS in the late 90s or early 2000s but I think they fell out again at some point, because when Vicki appeared on the 50th anniversary special in 2017, their banter on stage was FROSTY at best.

That water is far under the bridge, r28.

Carol has outlived almost everyone who guested on her show, except for Bernadette Peters, Alan Alda, Cher, Petula Clark, Steve Lawrence, Steve Martin, Joanne Woodward, and a few others

I’m still alive. I’m probably persona non grata to Carol now though.

No Billy porter please!

I’m alive too,,,ditzy and hot as ever.

Does she still have custody of her grandchildren who the courts took away from her druggie daughter?

Is her longtime LESBIAN companion Julie Andrews invited too?

No Bob Mackie?

The OP says Bob Mackie will be there. He just won't be singing with the likes of Amy Poehler.

What did Dick do to Carol, r33.

What Chita and Rita? Will either be there?

From what I’ve read, he was a raging alcoholic the season he was a co-star and was difficult to work with.

BILLY PORTER? No thank you. Sorry Carol. I pass.

Billy Porter is only on the show to promote Billy Porter. He has no connection to Carol at all. Do better NBC.

I adore Carol, OP. Well deserved.

Really, I admire her whole generation—the Silent Generation—which included my beloved parents.

I loved seeing the Terry McCann clip again, R25. Thank you!

The website linked has a 2nd video with Carol and Terry in the 1990s as well as an update about her.

DVD? He's too old!

Billy Porter???? 🙄

What the hell does he have to do with Carol Burnett?

Will Mrs. O’Wiggins make an appearance?

You'd really have to be "of a certain age" to know who Carol Burnett is.

[quote]Anyone thinking of starting an online campaign to get Carol to host Saturday Night Live should give up now.

Nobody in the SNL demographic has any idea who the fuck Carol Burnett is.

Hope she’ll still be alive on April 26.

You really have this ageist thing, don't you, r49?

I will watch this. Probably cry some as I do.

I know….

Most vain gays are terrified and obsessed with age

r54 it's just funny that DL is so out of touch they'd think Carol Burnett is known to anyone in the SNL demographic. Hell, I'm well into my forties and her fame was even before my time. The Carol Burnett Show is 50 years old and nobody of later generations really watched it.

Are you a twelve-year-old R37?

r55 in the *Colleen Dewhurst* thread:

[quote]Wow, some of you are really fucking old to have seen her on stage.

Wow great detective work r57!

Sow what is it about you and age, r58? You seem to have an issue with it.

It's just amusing that's all r59. Our stuck in the past eldergays thinking things from decades ago are still current and everybody knows them. That an SNL demographic would have any idea who she it. Also, thinking Italians aren't white etc.

It does make sense that NBC is doing a Carol Burnett tribute since only olds watch network tv anymore.

DL really is a strange time warp sometimes. I guess that's part of the charm.

Fuck off out of the thread if it is so dated, you patronizing juvenile delinquents.

Lord, the bitch is turning 90. Of course her audience is older. R55 et al is just trolling. Fuck her and FF that cunt.

Why are you posting on a thread with “stuck in the past eldergays” R60? Don’t you have anything else going on in your hip, in-the-know life?

Only on DL can a fortysomething be a "juvenile delinquent!"

r62 is Timothee white?

Vicki told the story about her and carol being estranged. Joe and Carols marriage was falling apart during the first season of mamas family and the tension was spilling out onto the set. Carol only appeared in one episode of season 2 of the original network show (she also did a phone call during season 2 but wasn’t seen).

Carol called up Vicki to see if she wanted to do a series that focused on Eunice and mama, a light sketch comedy show. Vicki told Carol she had already signed with joe Hamilton to do the syndicated version of mamas family. Carol was furious and didn’t speak to her for several years.

R55, Carol Burnett is one of the great comedians in American entertainment. Period. That she is alive at 90 creates a great opportunity for the show, for her and for a motherlode of publicity. It's a shame your imagination is so limited, only because of course we have to endure it here.

[quote] When Lorne Michaels and the cast were doing press before the show premiered in 1975, while Carol's show was still airing, they talked about Carol like she was a washed-up hack. Their show would be nothing like Carol's corny routines, they said. They made a big point of saying they would do "sketches" where Carol did "skits."

Lorne Michaels was right. Both Carol Burnett and the original SNL were before my time, but from the clips I've seen of Carol Burnett's show, the humor is very dated and that Mama's Family shit was awful. I guess you had to be Southern white trash to find it funny. Burnett's show was very of its time, which is why it didn't have much of a life after the 70s and later generations are totally unfamiliar with it.

The original SNL holds up well, much of it is still hilarious, esp. Gilda Radner's stuff.

[quote] creates a great opportunity for the show,

The show is far too dated and cornball for a modern audience to rediscover it.

Though she's not been announced as being part of the show, it would be absolutely amazing if they could convince Julie Andrews to appear. And even more amazing if they could coax Julie and Carol to reprise their original duet "You're So London" that they performed in their 1960 TV special Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall.

Sad to think but Julie is really the only still-living performer of Carol's magnitude who she actually appeared with in the past. Bernadette is close, but no cigar.

One word, r55/ r68/ r69...karma.

r71 entertainment is ephemeral, I accept that. I wouldn't expect Gen Z to know about certain things from the 90s. But for some reason the eldergays go batshit when people say some of their beloved icons from their 70s youth are not really known anymore.

So much for thanks from her original variety show’s network CBS. :(

It’s obvious that the only reason Billy Porter was booked is to wear the green Scarlett dress out, get a big laugh, do an unfunny couple of jokes and introduce a video package.

The half-hour repackaged Carol shows actually went into syndication the fall right after her variety show originally went off the air in the spring of 1978, and have not stopped being shown on TV on one station or another ever since.

That can't be true, r75, because according to r68...

[quote]Burnett's show was very of its time, which is why it didn't have much of a life after the 70s and later generations are totally unfamiliar with it.

The show doesn't have any new fans, it's the olds who watch the reruns. I know you elders have no contact with the modern world, but nobody under 40 really has any idea who she is.

I'm of the 90s generation (younger Gen X). Recently I mentioned Eddie Vedder to a Gen Z co-worker and she had no idea who he was. I laughed it off and though "time moves on." A friend of mine is a college professor and described a character in a novel as being "an Archie Bunker type." Blank stares from the entire lecture hall. None of his students had any idea what he was talking about. He also laughed it off.

There's a peculiar thing with eldergays, and many Boomers/older Xers that they get all snippy and pissy when younger people are unfamiliar with the stars of their 60s/70s youth. It really is a generational thing.

Will it be like a Dean Martin Roast with shots of the stars fake laughing?

Why does that minstrel show Billy Porter have to show up for every goddamn fucking thing now? I don't know a single gay man who can stand him.

We get it, r77, it shouldn't be aired because only old people will watch it. We're aware most young people won't watch it, cunt. Why does that bother you so much?

Maybe she requested him, r79.

r77 don't bring your generation into it.. it's you and the ignorance you surround yourself with.

Again, r82 is one of those who gets all pissy over the forgotten icons of his youth. I really can't be fucked that people don't really know Eddie Vedder or Courtney Love anymore. Time marches on......

The grunt at 28 seconds in is gold!

[quote]it's you and the ignorance you surround yourself with.'

OMG touchy much? Stating facts gets you all riled up that it's not 1981 anymore. Sorry.

r83 You're part of the problem then... of why so many of these foolios get caught out on the street, asked basic questions and make the entire nation look stupid.

Educate them and yourself.

You millennials you were screaming last year that your losing bob saget was like or even worse than losing your father can fake that bs for the public sphere but can't find out who these people are? Get over yourself. There are plenty that do. Start hanging with people your own age, most of them have awareness... leave the children alone.

r85 you're in your 40s and you're hanging out with twelve year olds, what's up with that?

[quote] What the hell does he have to do with Carol Burnett?

Fabulous sequined gowns.

[quote]entertainment is ephemeral, I accept that

Live theater is ephemeral, film and video aren't.

[quote]You're part of the problem then... of why so many of these foolios get caught out on the street, asked basic questions and make the entire nation look stupid.

JFC not knowing or being interested in a kitsch piece of pop culture from four generations ago that has never really translated past its era isn't like being unfamiliar with Shakespeare. Unclench, put on one of Mother's old caftans, pour yourself another gin and tonic and STFU.

[quote]You millennials you were screaming last year that your losing bob saget was like or even worse than losing your father

I'm actually later Gen X, not that you would know the difference. I'm exactly the same age as that blonde Christian cunt from Full House and even back then I never watched the show because it was a piece of shit. The only kids in my middle school who watched Full House were the dorky girls who are now fraus. Believe me, that show was not a touchstone for my generation. It's was the proto Karens who were the only ones who watched that shit.

Next thing we know the eldergays will be screaming that we're all cultural illiterates because we don't know the Captain and Tennille.

Again, r90, we know the young aren't the target for this show. We *don't* expect it to be. Your sneering at how old we must be if we've seen Colleen Dewhurst on stage. It's obnoxious. Again...karma.

r93 my generation is already experiencing karma the younger generation - and by that I mean people who are in their early 30s - don't know Eddie Vedder or Courtney Love and unlike your hysterical generation, we find it amusing and laugh at the passage of time.

r90 You're in this thread, so you've proven your curiosity. You probably even like it but you're afraid it will make you old. You're old. You can review the stats through the social media and video sites. A significant amount of younger generations are aware of it and have fond memories of it., They attach it to their older relatives. A few learn about it from older celebs.

r92 You are. It's been referenced in adult animation such as family guy, major dad, south park, simpsons, rick and morty. etc. There are countless memes, clips, etc.

You're spreading a falsehood.

It is a part of the cultural zeitgeist. . . and I wouldn't even isolated it to American. the current high shares are among south korea and vietnam. Also, a disturbing amount of people into Anne Murray but I suspect because one of the reality shows used her songs is the reason why.

r94 You don't even know what your generation is. If you did. then you would have memories of it. You don't. So you're not. aka never gonna get it, never gonna get it, never gonna get it, never gonna get it, never gonna get. And if you can't catch that reference you're Jeopardy game is going to be weak,boy.

[quote] You probably even like it but you're afraid it will make you old. You're old.

I'm middle aged, in my forties. Even people my age are rather ancient to Gen Z. My generation just laughs it off, we're aware of it. I've provided examples in this thread. You seem to have a giant chip on your shoulder.

[quote]ou are. It's been referenced in adult animation such as family guy, major dad, south park, simpsons, rick and morty. etc. There are countless memes, clips, etc.

These are people who work in the entertainment field. Of course they're familiar with it. A character on American Dad is based on Paul Lynde. Do you think most of the audience of that show has any idea who Lynde was?

[quote]A significant amount of younger generations are aware of it and have fond memories of it.,

You clearly know nobody from "the younger generation." They barely even know who Madonna is.

Madonna, THE gay icon of my generation. Gay guys my age just laugh at the twentysomethings who don't really know her. We're not accosting them for being stupid and making the entire nation look stupid, as you seem to do with people who aren't familiar with a kitsch sketch show from half a century ago.

Goodnight. Pour yourself another gin and tonic and yell at Mother's portrait about time slipping by and your lost youth.

r97 They're capable of learning. And a portion of them have. Others could follow or perhaps just huff gasoline.

You're loading the questions. I assume your crowd is parting like it's 1983 and hoping the second nose job doesn't blow out before their fifth rehab visit. As to the greater public.. the greater public is huge, so outliers increase vs your specific ill-defined social circle.

gin and tonic are so 90s and bands.

Still trying to justify your arrested development?

My great great great great grandmother went to high school with her.

r100 Carol and Vicki used to sing cum all ye faithful outside of the playboy mansion at christmas, I suppose they now do it outside of catherine zeta-jones and michael douglas' bedroom...

I turned 8 in 1978, and watched the syndicated Carol Burnett & Friends every night of my life for 6 years at least. I never saw it in primetime. But Eunice, Mama, Nora Desmond, Mrs. Wiggins, and all the rest were a huge part of my childhood.

I know Lorne Michaels denigrated The Carol Burnett Show in the '70s when he was in his 20s. One hopes that now that he's been around forever, and suffered the slings and arrows of show biz, he regrets how casually cruel he was in those days when he spoke of her show. Many of the sketches from the 70s incarnation of SNL actually feel more dated than some of the more timeless Carol Burnett sketches

Carol is one of the few television giants left. Norman Lear also comes to mind. He show regularly attracted 20 million plus viewers. NO ONE can say that now, and likley never will again.

r97 your response time is like really slow. Fat fingers or just self id as? do you wrap cushions around your fingers to simulate thick sausages.. is that why it takes so long for you to respond? So old. New York State of Mind? Come on. Wake up in New York? Fairytale of New York? Associated protests? Yesterday's protest song and it's connection to zootsuit riots?

*HER show

r97 Al time is connected. Well, depending on the philosophy. Dreamtime should really be appropriated more. Digital space. Hilbert space. Or just inane references through the ages. Parodies and the emperor's new clothes. Are you saying that's why young people today lack critical thinking skills? That would be an interesting theory, they do seem socialized to be autistic. . . There's only short amount of degrees of separation from modern pop culture to the various specials and series of Carol Burnette. How many songs on the top 40 are sampled from older songs in this age of excessive autotune? Likewise, how many are just straight up covers? We could even break down to just the top twenty this week, if you'd like. I doubt you would. This has less degrees than Kevin Bacon. Which incidetnally that game along with the bechdel test bagan in newsgroups prior to the explosion of the internet. But the archives simply don't go far back enough. I should post one of the purity tests here just for kicks, though, What do you think? Do you think? do sleep? do you dream? of electric sheep? that movie really ruined all relevance of 42. Think the younger generations have no idea about anything older? For the love of maud, don't show them the life of brian or krush groove, Ir better yet don't do a triple feature of bulworth, crazy people and putney swope.

Carol is the last of her kind.

Carol and Mary Tyler Moore were the queens of CBS back in the day. Offscreen, the two were a lot alike…very tragic lives. Carol put out a sweet statement when Mary died but they were never close. Mary was a hard nut to crack.

I think Vicki finally came to the realization Carol won’t be around forever and they are friendly again. Vicki is so excited when they go out for dinner.

There were Lucy and Carol and Mary.

R107, I thought of Lucy too, but by the 70s, she was a relic.

I think Carol had a love/hate relationship with Carrie. She was a problem child (though the most like Carol). I also think the stress of her addiction busted-up Carol's marriage.

Here's Lucy ended in '74, r108. Carol's show started in 1967. Mary shot to Emmy-winning fame in the early '60s. For a period of time they were TV contemporaries and all three had legendary careers. I'd say they were the top three.

*

It is so embarrassing when FOX News sends a bobblehead 'out on the street' to interview a Millennial or Zoomer and asks a simple question like, 'What's America's capital city?' and they answer 'Miami ?' Yep, the smartest generations.

R111 what a great pic.

Carol and Mary could have been half sisters in the later years.

70s-era Saturday Night Live and the 70s-era Carol Burnett show were both massively better than anything similar on television today (both better written and better performed), so I don't know why the millennial/GenZ crowd would be making snide comments about the "olds."

You'd have to be going on about Imogene Coca to really qualify as old.

For those of you who don't watch BETTER CALL SAUL, Carol has a several episode arc in the closing episodes. The entire series basically leads up to Saul's decision to murder her in return for his freedom. It tests the limits of the character because he's been around many murders and the cartel but how ruthless was he willing to be when it came down to his own situation?

[quote]70s-era Saturday Night Live and the 70s-era Carol Burnett show were both massively better than anything similar on television today (both better written and better performed)

That's not true, or rather that's subjective. We don't have variety or sketch comedy shows anymore. Saturday Night Live has always had its highs and lows. I'm sure 40 years from now people will look back and have fond memories of some of what's on now.

Carol's show was very, very good, but it was not perfect and like any variety show had its filler moments.

And some sketches have REALLY not aged well.

Still, I have fond memories of watching.

Is it a musical, r115?

[quote]And some sketches have REALLY not aged well.

Carol herself acknowledges that, r117, but that show was an enormous accomplishment for Carol. Then add she was a Broadway star and also has a respectable filmography on top of it.

The show worked because of the brilliance of Harvey Korman who I always found far funnier than Carol. I can't believe she wanted to fire him at one point. That would have ended the show.

[quote]That would have ended the show.

Sure, Jan.

[quote]You'd have to be going on about Imogene Coca to really qualify as old.

The 70s were half a century ago. Only on DL are they "recent."

We are now as far away in time from the 1970s as the 1970s were from the 1920s. What a mind fuck!

[quote]. As to the greater public.. the greater public is huge, so outliers increase vs your specific ill-defined social circle.

Jesus, give it a rest. The Carol Burnett show is a relic. It has not translated to people who were not around during its' original run. Sometimes the things from our youth are not of interest to the generations after us. Your insistence that this show is still relevant or even known to a huge swath of the American public in the year 2023 just shows how out of touch you are. Time moves on, it happens. There's stuff from my Gen X generation that younger people don't know or care about and we're fine with it.

Yes, R117. I'm a massive fan of The Carol Burnett Show, but there's no question that some aspects of it and sketches have aged better than others. That said, it was much better than middling fare like Sonny & Cher and Donny & Marie, and head and shoulders above dreck like Tony Orlando and Dawn, or The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.

R124 So. Fucking. What. Obviously she is still known and popular or they would not be doing this special. You seem like an asshole, who is also stupid.

Carol was always my favorite, more than Betty White or MTM or Lucy. I don’t care if she is known by Millennials or Gen Z. She’s from a different time. She brings back good memories. In 20 years she’ll be dead, most of us here will be dead, it doesn’t matter if some middle school kid watching TikTok tonight cares about her. My grandparents didn’t take offense that I wasn’t interested in their icons. Boomers need to accept that we, and our icons, don’t matter to the younger folks.

For Vicki Lawrence’s birthday, I’m going to take a giant shit.

Nothing from the age of mass media (basically the 1930s to the present) is ever totally forgotten. There are always a few people of younger generations who seek out and enjoy the pop culture of the past. That was true in my generation and it's still true today because it's human nature. Not everyone only pays attention to current pop culture and is completely ignorant of the past.

R8 Mama would be like 130 years old.

[quote]Our stuck in the past eldergays thinking things from decades ago are still current and everybody knows them. That an SNL demographic would have any idea who she it.

If no one knew who Carol Burnett was, there would be no special for her 90th birthday. Yes, I'm certain the demographic for the special is going to be older people, but with her recent turn on "Better Call Saul" there are a lot of people who know her today who wouldn't have otherwise.

I don't get all your comments about "the SNL demographic," because you make it sound like kids watch SNL and wouldn't know who she is. First of all, SNL was only brought up because they slammed Carol Burnett FIFTY YEARS AGO. Further, the demographic that watches SNL these days are 30-44 year olds, not kids, and some of those SNL viewers are very much going to know who Carol Burnett is.

Remember Vicki’s talk show? Gag. She’d bring out her son and the audience would squeal. Now he looks like a long distance trucker.

Isn't this what they used to call a memorial tribute?

I’m 66 and Burnett is 90 so she was only 24 when I was born. I feel fucking old now!

If it goes down like Betty, she’s gonna die two weeks early. It’s a trap!

As a baby boomer teenaged gayling in the 1960s I was very aware of stars from earlier generations. I knew all about Norma Shearer, Ann Harding and Ruth Chatterton, even though all 3 were long gone from the scene.

Carol's Kennedy Center tribute.

As a gayling, I watched her show just to see Lyle Waggoner with his shirt off, which was often.

[quote]As a baby boomer teenaged gayling in the 1960s I was very aware of stars from earlier generations. I knew all about Norma Shearer, Ann Harding and Ruth Chatterton, even though all 3 were long gone from the scene.

Because there were only 3 tv channels, no internet and no video games. Entertainment options back then were much more limited than now.

[quote]these days are 30-44 year olds, not kids, and some of those SNL viewers are very much going to know who Carol Burnett is.

You mustn't know any 30-44 year olds. They don't know her, she was before their time.

They would know her because of Better Call Saul, and the older ones from Carol Burnett Show reruns on local channels, r140. Just go to fucking Twitter and read the tweets about her on BCS, for crying out loud.

She's the new Betty White/Dolly Parton. The media will continue to foist her upon everyone and force the social media love and mostly baseless adoration from millions of brainless simps until she is dead.

Strange that it's NBC and not her longtime network CBS.

Younger people get very threatened when older people reminisce about pop culture they were not a part of. I was like that when i was younger.

Feel better now, r142? Like...more superior?

Gee, r143, that’s a helluva point.

And nobody has brought it up yet. Nope. Not in at least 5 posts. Strange.

[quote]Younger people get very threatened when older people reminisce about pop culture they were not a part of.

Boomers go batshit when the icons of their youth aren't all that important to later generations. Such is life and time moving on.

Yet you’re quite invested in this thread.

Funny that.

It's amazing isn't it r148?

r148 are you on DL 24 hours a day? JFC.

[quote]Boomers go batshit when the icons of their youth aren't all that important to later generations. Such is life and time moving on.

No, we don't. We don't care. We understand it's the circle of life. We don't expect this show's audience to skew young. This thread went offtrack when the ageist troll misread the Carol hosting SNL post and decided to deride it. Again, we know who the audience is for this show is.

Are you, r150?

Where is it that Carol is recently showing signs of her aging ? I’d like to watch that…

R153 It was her appearance on this show. PBS has it for free on their website but I think only for a few days after it plays, and this was almost 2 weeks ago. You may be able to catch it again somewhere.

It was one of the better epsiodes of the season, with Burnett and Nash.

Thx!

[quote]will also stream on Peacock

So those seven people will see it.

Didn't they already do a salute to Carol - with her best bud Julie Andrews on the dais next to her? About six months ago?

Oh sorry. I just remembered it was a salute to Julie Andrews. With Carol at her side.

It will be interesting to hear other comedians talk about how they were influenced by Carol Burnett. Yes, they'd have to be a certain age.

Tim Conway: I never thought he was funny and I couldn't understand why Carol would break character to laugh at his comedic genius.

R120, I agree that Harvey Korman was hilarious. Phil Hartman was similar, I guess. Caddish, insensitive, selfish.

I am so glad Billy Porter will be there, as Carol Burnett was so influential to him, by having black drag queens on her show every week. She made him the drag queen he is today. I just wish they can coax RuPaul into participating, too. And maybe Laverne Cox ?

I hope this isn't a dumb question, but why is it that some celebrities, like Carol and Julie Andrews and Jane Fonda, get excellent plastic surgery, when so many others look ghastly afterward? That is to say, if you're a star whose age is starting to show, would you make an appointment with the guy who did Carol's face or the guy who did Meg Ryan? Is it a matter of access, or economics, or just bad judgement? For something that has such a major impact on one's life and career, you'd think a person would make sure they got the very best instead of just going with whomever they can get.

I would think it has to do with who does the work and what your original bone structure is.

R162, I'm guessing that celebrities have different goals for plastic surgery.

Carol, Julie, and Jane have short hair (IMO, indicates acceptance of advancing age). They're not trying to look 20s or 30s. Their procedures are more conservative.

OTOH, Madonna IS trying to look like she's still in her 20s. Procedures are *not* conservative. I'm guessing she's been told "no" by an ethical plastic surgeon.

It won't be the same without Durward Kirby.

Nothing is, r165...

No one gives a flying fuck if Gen-Zers know who Carol Burnett is or if they will watch the show. The NBC show is not for them, so they really don't matter, just as Boomers wouldn't matter should NBC broadcast a salute to Doja Cat for Gen-Zers and millennials.

Whose cat?

Exactly. R167.

I would never watch a show where anyone is singing/rapping WAP but someone will.

R168 Doja Cat, she is cool and very pretty.

[quote]I couldn't understand why Carol would break character to laugh at his comedic genius.

For the ratings, genius.

Actually, I really hope they do include some clips of Carol with Durward Kirby, Marion Lorne and Garry Moore on the TV variety hour The Garry Moore Show that made Carol a star. I grew up on that show, fell in love with Carol there, and was introduced to so much Broadway talent (as the show was shot in NY) that appeared weekly as guest stars.

Many years ago, I spent a month in jail for a crime I never committed, and our "Pod" (block) would watch The Carol Burnett Show on the VCR almost every night. It helped make the whole experience livable, and I will always be grateful for her companionship (and the laughs) during that time.

R173, were you the designated cell block bottom?

R174, No, that wasn't me. I'm not a bottom, and I already had a BF.

"It has not translated to people who were not around..."

So... just destroy the films of Chaplin, W.C. Fields, Mae West, etc.?

[quote]"It has not translated to people who were not around..."

Blanket statement from an idiot.

r173 = Anthony Bouvier, discussing his unfortunate incarceration

[quote]No, that wasn't me. I'm not a bottom, and I already had a BF.

Like that matters in jail, you cheeky thing!

Expanding on what r164 said the goal of plastic surgery was to make an apple a shinier apple, not turn an apple into an orange. The idea was to look great for your age, not being 50 and wanting to look 25.

R180 yes. There's a difference between subtle fine tuning and turning into a person with a new host body.

I think there are also some women's faces that simply don't take well to plastic surgery because their faces aren't fleshy enough. Two examples would be Hedy Lamarr and Meg Ryan, both total disasters.

^^Bitch.

I wouldn't describe the plastic surgery of Carol or Jane Fonda as excellent.

For their ages and amount of work done, r184, Carol still looks like Carol and Jane looks like Jane.

I’d say Jane had excellent work up to around the pandemic - so a very long run. Carol was obviously never beautiful, but I’ve always felt her face looked “off” since her jaw advancement. But I watched her show growing up and was used to her goofy but endearing face - she hated her “Andy Gump” chin, as she called it, and was so happy with the result she talked about it on numerous talk shows at the time.

Jane did one too many tweaks.

At her age, r187, who cares?

R172 must be ancient.

And, r189?

And R190 types cunty.

You forgot ancient, r191. Cunty *and* ancient.

Jane definitely looks different in the trailer for 80 for Brady

I am ancient, I'm a very healthy and sharp 73, and proud of it, r189! And if you check my other posts on this thread you'll see that they're some of the brightest and most W/Wed.

No one who's had the amount of plastic surgery Jane and even Carol have had is going to look exactly "normal" as they approach 90. Just compare to women of their age who have had no surgeries (if you can find any these days).

I noticed when I first moved to California that there are no grandmotherly looking women there. Except maybe abuelitas.

r194...

R194, Well, bless your decrepit soul.

Eunice Higgins is iconic.

The movie spoofs are hilarious.

Her openings where she did a QA with the audience are endearing.

The commercial and TV show spoofs are funny.

She does a great Queen Elizabeth.

America's sweetheart.

One of the substations (Decades?) has been showing full-length episodes, including musical numbers, and a lot of it holds up pretty well.

[quote]She does a great Queen Elizabeth.

Well, r199, she played the Queen in that sketch with Maggie Smith and Maggie didn't.

Thank you, Carol.

How many more times is she gonna tell that " I tug on my ear on TeeVee every night for my Granny" story before she keels over?

Did her and Lyle W. Have a falling out?

She hit Lyle over the head with a fondue pot, r203.

Yes R203. Lyle stole Carol’s idea for Star Waggons.

🤨

Lyle was a low hangin' man.

[quote]One of the substations (Decades?) has been showing full-length episodes, including musical numbers, and a lot of it holds up pretty well.

Some of the sketches are almost unwatchable now, but I remind myself that this is a series that premiered more than 55 years ago.

Even during its initial run, it was a show for the middle aged and over.

It was my 80 year old grandmother’s favorite show.

Some lowbrow slapstick that also appealed to kids.

Was it Lyle's decision to leave the show or was he pushed out? How many seasons was he on?

[quote] Even during its initial run, it was a show for the middle aged and over.

An erroneous statement.

It was a family friendly show. EVERYONE could watch it. It was a late evening show so there could be innuendos that might fly over a very young child's head. But when I watched in the 70s, I was 8 or 9 and watching and understanding Mrs. Wiggins, Eunice and Mama, etc.

Begging mom to “please let us stay up late and watch Carol Burnett” is a fond childhood memory, as is her show.

On night about 15 years ago I was walking home down 7th Ave and passed the bright lit museum display window of the Fashion Institute of Technology. I was suddenly face to face with her Scarlett O’Hara Curtain Dress; part of a Bob Mackie exhibit. Just inches away from that hysterical moment from decades ago.

It was better than a chance spotting of Garbo.

I saw it as a kid and laughed my head off when Carol did Marlene from Destry Rides Again, placing a foot on a chair and breaking through it.

[R210] IIRC, I remember reading CBS didn't renew his contract for the show when the seventh season ended (1973-74) because he posed semi-nude for PLAYGIRL during that time for their first issue. (Back then this was a very controversial move, as male frontal nudity was a big taboo in our culture).

Waggoner, however, said he decided not to renew his contract for the show because he wanted to be taken seriously as a 'leading man' in Hollywood (he was approaching 40) and didn't want to continue as a cast member on a variety show. (He insisted it had nothing to do with his decision to pose for 'Playgirl'). A year after he left the show, he was cast in ABC's new hit drama 'The New Adventures of Wonder Woman' starring Lynda Carter - so I don't think he had any regrets. That show lasted four seasons.

R214, He also launched a very successful business renting trailers to movies filming on location after leaving the show.

Lyle also fathered two sons, not as hot as Dad.

"15 years", r212?

r214 Lyle never did frontal nudity.

[quote]Did her and Lyle W. Have a falling out?

Oh, dear.

Lyle was at the SAG awards tribute to Carol and she thanked him during her speech.

I'm shocked to hear that Lyle was on for 7 seasons. I really would have guessed just one or 2.

I hope she ducks.

“About,” Doris, about.

R219, And then he died.

[quote] I'm shocked to hear that Lyle was on for 7 seasons. I really would have guessed just one or 2.

People always think of Tim Conway as a big part of the show but he was not a regular until sometime in the later years and only for a few years.

No "about" about it, r222.

R217 - I didn't say he did : I said he posed semi-nude for the new Playgirl magazine.

I also said this was a big deal, because male frontal nudity (which Playgirl was about) was a big taboo.

Before becoming a regular near the end of its run, Conway was a frequent guest star.

This hasn't been asked in about fifty posts, so I will ask again:

NBC ? Why NBC ? Her show was on CBS.

[quote]People always think of Tim Conway as a big part of the show but he was not a regular until sometime in the later years and only for a few years.

A few years too many.

[quote]This hasn't been asked in about fifty posts, so I will ask again: NBC ? Why NBC ? Her show was on CBS. was

Her show ended its run on CBS almost 45 years ago. It's not as though the same people are now running CBS. The most likely answer is that NBC was interested in airing this tribute and CBS apparently was not. NBC also aired a 90th-birthday prime-time tribute to Betty White, so it has a history with this kind of show.

General Sarnoff approves.

To the why NBC questioners…I would be willing to bet that much of this is Amy Poehler’s doing. She is a huge Carol fan and had been trying to get a show together starring both Carol and her. That ultimately didn’t pan out, but she would probably still have NBC execs’ ears. However it happened, CBS should bd ashamed they didn’t think of it first, Carol being the legend she is.

[quote]However it happened, CBS should bd ashamed they didn’t think of it first, Carol being the legend she is.

Indeed, r232...

The show's 50th was on CBS, not sure if there was a falling out of some sort.

CBS doesn't care about its solid gold history or anything other than getting more sad, fat deplorables to flick their beans while someone gets raped or killed on one of their forensic shows.

The Mama sketches hit a little too close to home for the southern side of my family.

But my parents always appreciated the Queen Elizabeth sketches, especially when we’d get ice cream….”Do they have buffalo flavor?”

*

When Lucie Arnaz produced that documentary on her parents in 1993, it aired on NBC rather than CBS because Lucie was angry with CBS for a shoddy movie they produced and aired without her input.

I wish she'd finally admit Eunice, Mama and Ed were based on her Mother, Grandmother and father.

How do you know they were, r239?

Carol dodn't create the characters, but she suggested they be Southern. And it just evolved that Eunice drank too much; Mama was an old crank; and Ed was an ineffectual doofus. It's what she knew.

The characters were created by Dick Clair (gay) and Jenna McMahon, a comedy duo.

They also created Facts of Life, r242.

r243 Not to mention the Tap-Dancing Nun.

We don't need her kind on CBS anyway......

R239 I could see those characters being somewhat inspired by.....but I don't quite think they were precisely based on those people.

Her father was incredibly sweet, to hear her tell it, but a drunk. Her mother and her grandmother did fight all the time, though, and THAT I can see influencing those portrayals.

Amy often comes off really, really angry. That's true of many comedians. I don't think she's particularly funny. She came onto SNL at a time when it didn't have a lot of women and I think timing benefitted her.

Back when Hillary looked like she was going to win, she did an editorial on SNL news -- actually, it was probably Tina -- and she said bitch is the new black.

When Obama won, Tracy Morgan came on and said, "Bitch may be the new black but black is the new president, bitch."

Amy was seething, I recall.

R243, I always get a chuckle when I read or see that sitcoms were created by people.

of course, they were but how many times did we see a star playing a divorced dad or separated mom with two precocious kids and a zany work environment.

R186 I recall that. Every time you saw her interviewed around that time, she'd say something like "Well, things are much easier for me since I got m' new chin!" I could never really see that much of a difference.

R247 I know a girl who was Tina Fey's personal assistant. She said Tina was pretty awful. But she said Amy was off the charts a horrible, horrible human being.

Every so often, there would be skits parodying popular television commercials, which would be mostly forgotten by younger viewers today. Two I remember well:

After a dinner, sultry Cher comes on to Harvey Korman: "Jim? Would you like another cup of coffee? I have one in the bedroom." Harvey: "Oh, YEAH!" He and Cher walk off. Carol turns to the camera and says "Gee, thats funny...Jim NEVER wants a second cup of coffee!" (Parody of "Tasters Choice" coffee) commercial)

Wonder Bread used to have a commercial featuring two talking loaves of bread who would giggle everyone a housewife gave them a gentle squeeze. Carol in the kitchen accidentally squeezes a loaf of Wonder bread who giggles and says "don't squeeze me!" Carol picks up the loaf and slowly twists it and rips it to pieces while it screams.

I remember watching this and laughing very very hard.

r250=Will Arnett

Do Carol and her gay husband even live together?

Two of Carol’s three daughters became drug addicts.

Yes, we know.

Amy got acting nominations for Parks & Rec but never won. She's not endearing as a performer.

Did she have memorable SNL characters? That manic girl who ran around Rick! Rick!

I never got that.

True, r256, she doesn't do endearing.

thanks to whoever said that old Carol Burnett episodes are on Amazon Prime.

I watched the Family scene where Ellen tried to make off with the China and the Tiffany lamp shade.

Eunice had had enough.

I always feel a little crappy when someone corrects me on the internet. So I hope R251 has thicker skin than I when I point out the coffee commercial was actually for Yuban.

The same actress from the Yuban commercial revisited the role in the movie Airplane!

Carol has expressed her adoration for Randy Rainbow repeatedly. Why is that noxious cunt Billy Porter on the tribute and not Randy? Too gay for network tv?

[quote]Too gay for network tv?

Since RuPaul is hosting a game show in prime time on CBS, I think that concept no longer exists.

This hasn't been asked yet today, so I will ask:

Why NBC and not CBS ?

I answered that already R263.

[quote] I always feel a little crappy when someone corrects me on the internet.

Steel yourself.

[quote] So I hope [R251] has thicker skin than I

Oh, dear!

But is RuPaul on Grindr like Randy is?

[quote] So I hope [[R251]] has thicker skin than I

What's "Oh, dear!" about this. Could have used a comma after the "So," but the rest was OK.

[quote] So[,] I hope [[R251]] has thicker skin than I [do].

You can’t alter your quote and add a word to it and then say “what’s the matter with it?!”

You either type the “…than I [bold]do[/bold]” or you type “…than me.” A word cannot be implied.

Hmmmmm.....

Jesus, R269. From your OWN link:

[quote] The safest option is to expand the sentence after the "than." For example: John is taller than I am. (This construction will satisfy all your readers and remove any ambiguity[.)]

[quote] The Final Advice: Expand Your Sentence The best option is to use the "than I" version and [bold]expand the sentence after "than I." This usually means adding at least the verb (e.g., "than I am," "than I was," "than they have").[/bold] This structure removes all ambiguity and stops your wording sounding pretentious.

Yes, R270, I saw that. It also states that the form you stated "cannot" be done is actually entirely acceptable.

But it’s not the proper Queen’s English, lad!

(Tongue planted in cheek. And that was my cockney accent.)

Work on it, Mr. Van Dyke @ r272.

[quote]Why is that noxious cunt Billy Porter on the tribute and not Randy? Too gay for network tv?

What color is Randy? There's your answer.

[quote]Katy Perry, Amy Poehler, Billy Porter, Bernadette Peters, Cher, Steve Carell, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Vicki Lawrence, and Jane Lynch.

Of those eleven people, two are black. Sorry that that's a problem for you, r274.

How many on the list have actually met Carol?

I have a signed photo, r276, does that count?

How many have NBC contracts?

[quote]Mrs. O’Wiggins

Oh, dear.

You make-a fun of my speech impediment-a?

That’s-a not nice.

It's h'Wiggins.

I always thought if given a better time or place in Hollywood that Mo Collins could have easily been Carol’s successor.

I still enjoy watching episodes of Carol's show on Decades, but nothing gets me to change the channel faster than a Mrs, Wiggins/Boss Tudball sketch, which to me were like fucking torture. The fact that I thought that Tim Conway was the unfunniest man on the planet may have had something to do with it, but I despise the utter predictability and total lack of anything approaching genuine wit.

I turn the channel R283 when I see a Carol & Sis sketch. I loved when they had Vicki play Mrs, Tudball.

A little goes a long way with most of Conway's stuff, I agree.

Harvey Korman as Mother Marcus was hilarious.

Conway’s old man but did get old quickly, but I do love the As The Stomach Turns bit where he climbs inside the barn painting. And Mother Marcus was there too. I laugh every time.

R286 . . .

For those asking why NBC, Carol did a show called "Carol and Company" that ran for 2 seasons on NBC. She probably has a good relationship with someone there. In fact she has worked with all 3 networks. Of course it makes more sense to do it with CBS, but with streaming, viral content and on-line advertising the whole Hollywood game has changed.

r259: I'm delighted to be corrected! Thank you for that.

Wow - Yuban Coffee! I haven't heard that brand name in many decades! Still in business, too.

Carol's mugging could be awful and sometimes she just thought wearing a wig was funny. Mary Tyler Moore she was not.

Totally different animals, r291. Sketch comedy and musical numbers vs sitcom. Mary didn't do well in the variety format.

[quote]First, her daughter Carrie Hamilton died from cancer in January, 2002 at the age of 38. Hamilton had a challenging life, being a drug addict during her teen years (Burnett said she put her in three rehabs during that time, and she was sober when she hit 17). Burnett recently said in an interview she still hasn't gotten over her daughter's death.

Carol guest-starred in a really sweet episode in the last season of "Fame" called "Reggie & Rose" and got to perform this number with Carrie (who was a series regular):

What is that terrible backing track?!

Are those dentures?

Sketch comedy bombs hard sometimes.

And yes, sometimes she mugged to fill in the blanks. But more often than not, the skits were good to great on average.

I know many love Carol in the 'Went With The Wind' skit (I do, too), but my favorites are still the skits when she played the Queen. She had the accent down perfectly.

TGMS

You gotta love the Millennial screeching in several posts above about how much he doesn't care about younger people not liking or getting his generation's pop culture icons.

"MILLENNIALS DON'T CARE!! WE JUST FIND IT FUNNY, WE DON'T GET ANGRY ABOUT IT THE WAY YOU BOOMERS DO!!!*

Sure thing, Toots.

No one asked today, so I will...

WHy NBC and not CBS ?

I'm not sure R300; but I gotta say, I'm quite surprised this isn't on CBS and more surprised nobody has really brought it up.

R301 I know, right ? Everyone is acting today like it's normal for NBC to be hosting this when she was at CBS for 11 seasons. WTH ?

What network is it going to be on?

Carol and Charo (who I still love).

Why NBC? Why not CBS, home of Carol's show for 11 years? 1967–1978.

[quote]Why NBC? Why not CBS, home of Carol's show for 11 years? 1967–1978.

Perhaps someone should start a separate thread about this baffling mystery.

^^It is baffling.

I can't believe NBC is airing this special and not CBS, or ABC or PBS.

Carol was all set to do the special on Skinamax but Lucy had Gary talk her out of it.

Stews...

R310, I just watched that. The uptight prick boss was actually quite hot.

Kennedy Center...

R311 - He was, but I really preferred the accordion player.

I was most surprised at how short and petite Carol looked next to Lucy.

Lucy was entering her Ethel Merman era

I’m happy for Carol…but it’s also gotta be a real drag to go to these things when almost everyone you used to work with is dead and gone, and you are almost all that is left.

Betty White had the same problem.

It’s nice to be honored…but it’s better to have your friends around

R314, I am always surprised at how awful Carol looks in those early-season episodes. That short haircut and the harsh '60s makeup were not kind.

Just a few years later, with a more feminine hairstyle and softer makeup, she doesn't look bad at all - not a great beauty, but quite pleasant looking, matching her nice personality. Back in '67 ... oof.

R316, good point.

Vicki is still around.

Can't think of many/any others.

R318, Dick Van Dyke was a series regular for one season.

Van Dyke lasted less than half a season -- it wasn't really a good fit and they mutually agreed to part ways. It seems the writers were still writing for Harvey Korman but Dick van Dyke was a different persona and it resulted in a very dull presentation.

R320, I can’t see Dick Van Dyke as Mother Marcus.

DVD is a treasure, but his Yiddish accent is on par with his Cockney.

[quote] Van Dyke lasted less than half a season -- it wasn't really a good fit and they mutually agreed to part ways.

Burnett show doesn't go for booze and ham.

DVD is better in long form comedy - sketches and skits are not his strength.

R317 Carol gained traction early in her career as the ugly but funny girl “type.” The Garry Moore Show, Once Upon A Mattress, Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall, etc.

She started on her own show in 1967 that way, too, but it was striking by the early 1970s how her looks had changed. Makeup (especially using less mascara and false black eyelashes on her upper eyelids), hair color, clothes, weight loss, and I think some cosmetic surgery all changed Carol’s look. Some elements of her comedic persona remained the same; they were just no longer constant during every show as it was at the beginning of the run.

Say what you will about Burnett and her TV show, but some of the hardest and longest laughs I’ve had in my life came from watching her show when it originally aired.

It was weird when Ed left Eunice. Those episodes were never part of the syndication package, so I only saw them recently.

It's genuinely upsetting. As annoying as Eunice was, it was painful seeing her dumped like that. Then Dick Van Dyke was brought in to be Eunice's suitor. But it was never exactly clear what was going on there. They hinted he was trying to take advantage of her financially but Eunice never had money. They should've had DVD play Ed.

Then, in the final episode, they put Eunice and Mama on a shrinks couch. It closed on a note of hope.

For Mama's Family, they retconned Ed back into the picture. He was with Euince again, and no mention was made of him having left her.

Yes, but then there's the harrowing TV movie "Eunice" (1982) where things take a very dark turn by the end.

R325, me, too;

humor was different back then.

Eunice Higgins remains a classic character; those Family sketches were the best.

The movie spoofs were great; even when I hadn't seen the movie (often, I hadn't) they were funy.

R328 for years and years I would start to watch a classic movie, only to realize I was already familiar with the basics of the plot via a Carol Burnett spoof.

R329, me too! I'm not sure I've ever seen A Stolen Life because I can't remember if I'm thinking of the real movie or the brilliant parody.

R325, I love the show, too, and still laugh out loud at some of the movie parodies available on YT. All I meant is that the particular look Carol had in the first season was especially unbecoming. She looked better on the Garry Moore show, even though she was typed as the "ugly but funny girl" - the fluffy late-50's hairstyle worked much better for her. The irony is that, in true Hollywood fashion, the "ugly girl" wasn't really ugly at all. Not a beauty, but not ugly - just rather ordinary looking.

R330 Yes, the miniskirts and short hair weren't a good look for her. About 8 years into the run of her show, she did a montage of clips of her looks going back season-by-season. When the clip from season 1 appeared, Carol literally screamed in horror!

Carol gave birth to her second daughter Jody in January 1967 and was pregnant with Erin by around November 1967. Her show debuted in September of 1967, so it's a testament to Carol's strength and determination that she made it through the first season. That reminds me of a tabloid magazine I saw in a drugstore around that time. I didn't know that tabloids existed. The cover showed Carol, her then-husband and show producer Joe Hamilton, and her three infant children. The quote splashed across the cover was, "I have to have all the children he wants!" I was horrified so much I still remember it 55 years later!

When Carol fired Harvey:

Bump.

Vicki shared some pics on Instagram from the special’s taping. No word whether they made her dress as Mama the whole time.

Carol is going to be in a new AppleTV show called Mrs. American Pie debuting sometime this spring starring Kristen Wiig, Allison janey, Julia Duffy, Laura Dern and Ricky Martin. I hope it’s fun.

R335, Will Carol collapse and die on set like John Ritter?

Why not, R336? That would be an iconic way to go.

They Carol Burnett a bash for being with that other lesbian Julie Andrews for over 45 years.

What if Carol should die between now and the April 26th air date?

It would be as awkward as our "Betty White at 100" cover, R339.

[quote]What if Carol should die between now and the April 26th air date?

Then they'll retitle it "The Carol Burnett Memorial Special."

Did they tell her there was going to be an audience there?

Carol Burnett, Like Her Comedy, Is Still Timeless:

Carol Burnett was by far the nicest celeb I ever dealt with.

The other was Martina N. believe it or not.

I wish them both well.

Carol appeared rather frail on Kimmel the other night, even for 90.

Mobility issues, Jimmy had to get up and lead her to the chair.

She knows this NBC shindig is her last hurrah.

[quote]Carol Burnett, Like Her Comedy, Is Still Timeless:

Whoever wrote this hasn't seen a sketch I saw this morning on whatever Decades is called now, in which Carol did a knock-off of Lily Tomlin's Edith Ann character, complete with giant furniture, and sang a song about her dolly. It was excruciating.

I met her once when I was 12 and she was so nice to me. Love Carol.

When does this special air ?

I grew up watching Carol's reruns on TV Land when I was in elementary school in the early 2000s and I loved the pop culture references and seeing adults being silly. One day when I was in 4th grade my entire school was called to the auditorium to prepare for a holiday concert. Our music teacher asked the assembled students if anyone knew who Carol Burnett was and I was the only one who raised my hand. My childhood experience in a nutshell.

We also can't complain that the kids today don't know anything about pop culture while also bitching about how Carol is too irrelevant to deserve a televised birthday tribute. People need to be given opportunities to learn. We have to honor those who came before us.

[quote]We also can't complain that the kids today don't know anything about pop culture while also bitching about how Carol is too irrelevant to deserve a televised birthday tribute. People need to be given opportunities to learn. We have to honor those who came before us.

Excellent point.

Love you, R349.

R332-Because he was a bitter, nasty drunk?

To R74, You are correct, that is why Miss Porter is on the show!! I would have loved to see Miss Porter in the dress doing his thing, then Julie Andrews and Harvey Korman come out wearing the "green dress" from opposite ends of the stage.

Is Charles Busch going to be on the show? His on-stage movie parodies were very much in the style and quality of Burnett's.

How did Lena Waithe get involved in this?

[quote] it’s also gotta be a real drag to go to these things when almost everyone you used to work with is dead and gone, and you are almost all that is left.

R316, maybe you can ask Carol to sign a copy?

[quote]We also can't complain that the kids today don't know anything about pop culture while also bitching about how Carol is too irrelevant to deserve a televised birthday tribute. People need to be given opportunities to learn. We have to honor those who came before us.

This is such a great point. It's not the fault of "the kids" if they know nothing about earlier popular culture. It's the fault of their parents for not exposing them to and teaching them about the popular culture of their own childhood and youth This is especially unforgiveable given the tremendous resources available today.

My parents listened to contemporary pop music for adults (this was in the 1960s), but they also listened to the music of their own younger days - big band music and jazz - and they watched, talked about and taught me about the cultural icons of their generation. I learned to appreciate mid-century culture from them, for which I will always be grateful. I feel sorry for people who know nothing about and have no interest in popular culture "before their time". What a waste.

I feel rich, in a way. I was born in 1970. But I love and have a comprehensive knowledge of the American songbook, Cole Porter, Gershwin, Ella Fitzgerald but also The Beatles, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, ect.

I love the comedy of George Carlin, Jack Benny and Eddie Murphy. I love movies of the '30s and '40s, and know the '70s was the single greatest time for American movies.

If it's the case that young people have zero interest in what came before their time, that is very sad for them indeed. Some of these things are the things that make life worth living, our rich American culture.

Tonight!

Carol's reruns have been on TV and on Amazon Prime.

The problem today is kids have zillions of choices. I was a kid when I grew up watching Carol on Saturday night with my family and we only had the one TV.

Now, kids watch tik tok on their phone.

I hope the special does well. Not sure how streaming viewers are added to ratings. She's a national treasure. I met her once when I was working as a Page at CBS TV City. She saw that I was a fan and was the epitome of graciousness.

The younger generations know her now from Better Call Saul. That part was a real coup for her.

Love her.

What I find frustrating about tributes like this is that they always pick the weakest clips to show and when they do pick a good one, they only show like 5 seconds of it.

R15 As I was watching Carol’s old skits, I would “This is the kind of stuff SNL should do to be funny again…”

This special came across as a 'memorial tribute' as though she died. Why have Katy Perry close out the show ? They should have had her longtime friend Cher close the show and sing her signature song.

What's her name from Annie is annoying.

Marisa Tomei as Mrs. Wiggins flipping her wig! Wave that wig around, Marisa!

That whole 'Annie' skit went on far too long and was horrible. Why in the world did they choose that ? The film was one of the biggest bombs in 1982. And many critics panned Burnett's performance, as well.

Why NBC and not CBS? Probably because the night is about honoring and celebrating Carol and not just her variety show.

Most likely because NBC was interested in the idea and CBS wasn't, R369. NBC has produced these kinds of shows before and had one for Betty White when she turned 90. And it's not as though the CBS executives who were around when Carol was doing her show there are still at the network.

I'll tell you, Steve Lawrence is 88 years old, but doesn't look or act much older than 60. I remember him constantly being in sketches on her show, but really nothing else, unless it was singing with Edie. He was funny on those old shows.

I always thought Steve Lawrence was absolutely hilarious in those sketches and, looking back, it's kind of surprising he was never asked to join the show as a regular. He was such a natural at doing comedy.

What a fun show!

[quote]I'll tell you, Steve Lawrence is 88 years old, but doesn't look or act much older than 60.

Steve Lawrence has Alzheimer's.

R373 Right? When Harvey Korman left, Steve would've been a much better fit than Dick Van Dyke. You can't take a lead guy like DVD and suddenly ask him to be a supporting player. But Lawrence fit into that role so well. Again, I don't know why I never saw him in other roles except for the Burnett show.

Does he really, R374? I figured all those interviews we saw were recent. That's really sad.

I have always found it both puzzling and amusing that some like to speak, even boast, of neither knowing or caring about entertainment legends, even questioning their talents and the merit of their accolades, from the Beatles to Burnett, from Elvis to Elton.

Such a type seems not to realize that their indifference to the past foretells the future's indifference to them and their icons.

[quote] "Will it be like a Dean Martin Roast with shots of the stars fake laughing?"

I'd have loved this, R78. Plus a few spit takes thrown in for good measure.

R374/R375

I already RSVP'd that I'd be attending.

Here's Marisa Tomei dressed as Mrs. Wiggins, and flipping her wig on the Carol Burnett 90th Birthday Special.

Carol and her gay husband were the Executive Producers, according to the closing credits.

Seriously?

The audio kept cutting out throughout the program here in Boston.

R382 By any chance, do you have COX for your provider ? I'm in RI, and since I've switched to COX I have audio problems on some of my networks. Others in RI have also complained about it. (ABC is the worst).

R383, No, COMCAST. Actually, I DVR'd it and watched it this morning, so either the audio was cutting out on the original broadcast or on my DVR recording..

Sorry I missed it but curious - did they show many (any?) clips of young Carol on The Garry Moore Show where she came to national prominence? Did they show any clips from her 1962 fabulous TV special Julie (Andrews) and Carol at Carnegie Hall?

Yes to both, R385. Brief ones, of course.

Was Bernadette given a nice amount of screen time? She was practically a regular on Carols show.

Bernadette got more time than just about anyone.

Why the fuck was that dreadful Aileen Quinn there? She's like what, 60 now? Give it up, you're not Annie anymore ffs.

Glad to hear that, r388. Thanks!

Since Carol was listed as Executive Producer in the credits, she had control over the content and who would appear on the show.

Where were her husband, daughters, grandchildren and her beloved sister?

Why was Carol seated with Julie Andrews and not her family?

Carol Burnett’s 90th birthday special scored a primetime win for NBC with 7.6 million total viewers, making the variety show the most-watched broadcast program of the night.

As viewers tuned in “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love,” which aired from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., the special ranked as NBC’s most-watched primetime entertainment special since the 2020 Golden Globes. The tribute program also received the fourth most viewers among all primetime entertainment specials this season, behind the Oscars, Grammys and ABC’s “Rocking New Year’s Eve.”

R392, NBC aired it at 8:00 PM before the majority of fans from her 1960s variety show went to bed.

I thought the two hours went by swiftly, and that not enough was shown! Could have done without so much BP (sorry, r387!) and all of Katy Perry!

[quote]Why was Carol seated with Julie Andrews and not her family?

For reasons that are well known to them.

I get the feeling that Carol is somewhat cold and remote, like Mary Tyler Moore. There's that story of her not speaking ti Vicki Lawrence for many, many years after she agreed to do Mama's Family without her participation in syndication. At things like her 90th birthday, she seems very guarded.

This is not to say she isn't lovely when you meet her. She was very nice when I met her circa 1999.

It may be forgotten but Carol was actually televisions first female costumed super-heroine.

there's an extended version of the special on peacock, I believe.

R397, That was on the Special. 🙂

They couldn't find anyone more appropriate to sing I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together?

Literally anyone could have done better than Katy Perry.

Audra? Meryl? Christine Baranski?

No, of course it would have to be Gaga or Katy Perry or some other shrieking hag.

I was howling with laughter at some points. I plan to watch it again this weekend. I remember some bits of the show when I was a kid but I think I had to go to bed before it came on most of the time.

The theme song should have been shown as sung by Carol in one of her episodes. KP was dreadful.

Remember when TV was filled with these one time gala spectacular salutes about something or another? Just an excuse to put on a big show? What a wholesome idea.

When is it on?

Based on the pic in R392... Carol had a stroke during the show? That might be why the ratings were high; everyone tunes in for live death.

She's 90 fucking years old, R405.

Why was it on NBC. Did Carol have a falling out with CBS?

R406 - And?

[quote]I get the feeling that Carol is somewhat cold and remote, like Mary Tyler Moore.

And they both had children who ended up committing suicide.

Sorry, I was wrong about Carol's daughter, who died of cancer.

R410, Yes, her daughter died of cancer, but she once had a serious drug problem. Now, a second daughter has a serious drug problem, forcing Carol to seek legal custody of her grandson.

Why are her grandchildren so young?

Mary Tyler Moore says that her son did not commit suicide. She said that the gun had a hair trigger and that there was a recall on the gun some time after her son died.

[quote]Sorry, I was wrong about Carol's daughter, who died of cancer.

I thought Carrie was such a talent. I loved her as Reggie on "Fame."

It was hard to accept the stories of MTM being cold and distant in some biography of her I read a few years back. But so many fell that about her, I don't doubt it. I kinda envy it, to be honest. Caring about people so much is hard.

R415 Rose Marie either said or wrote in her autobiography "Hold the Roses" that during the run of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" Mary was very focused on building her career. Rose Marie's take on that was it left little room for interactions with people that Mary didn't feel would contribute to her goal. It's a pretty harsh comment, but Rose Marie also admitted that she was not happy about the fact that Carl Reiner focused more on Rob Petrie's home life than his work life in the show, which gave Mary Tyler Moore a lot more screen time than Rose Marie. The latter claimed she was led to believe she would have a bigger part in the show than what she got.

Look, I can buy that Mary was driven. And that audience reaction dictated the home stories take precedence over the work, but Rose Marie had nothing to complain about. I believe she's in nearly every episode with several revolving around her. Women her age weren't focused too much on on TV in those days, so really she had quite a nice 5 year run.

[quote] Mary Tyler Moore says that her son did not commit suicide. She said that the gun had a hair trigger and that there was a recall on the gun some time after her son died.

Yes, that was the official story provided to her by his then-roommate, Alec Baldwin.

I thought the whole thing was embarrassing. Cher was a horror in that dress.

R419, Then I guess you won't be watching it again when NBC repeats it tonight at 7:00 PM.

I'm watching it now; how can people always make it about themselves?

I guess that's only human nature.

I've met Carol a few times; once as a kid (well, 27 but I looked 19); and again in 2019.

Both times incredibly gracious.

Classy broad.

I agree - a clip of Carol singing I"m So Glad We Had This Time...should have been played; unnecessary to this program were Katy Perry, Ellen (I can't look at her without thinking of her yelling at people), Amy P. -- I know she produced this but her bit just sucked up time.

They didn't dig deep enough on Eunice, the dramatic movie Carol did playing her was brilliant. Was there a Friendly Fire clip? I may have to watch again.

Marisa was solid. Vicki Lawrence can never show enough gratitude in my book.

R422, Carol and her husband are listed as Executive Producers. Isn't that like throwing yourself a birthday party? Seems tacky.

[quote]Isn't that like throwing yourself a birthday party?

And why not? Nothing tacky about it at all.

R424, It reeks of tackiness and phoniness. As EPs, they lined their pockets with a share of the profits.

Everything in life isn't a scandal, R425.

[quote]As EPs, they lined their pockets with a share of the profits.

So? It's *Carol's* 90th birthday. There wouldn't be a show without her. Who the hell is more deserving of a share of the profits? You seem to get bent out of shape by very mundane things, r425.

R427 you must know a lot of cunts frequent the DL because they have nothing (I sincerely mean that) else to do but bitch.

You ought to know, R428. One look at your numerous posts shows what a bitter, loathsome, piece of shit you are.

I liked it a lot. Carol is a national treasure.

Are she and Mary Poppins, you know, an item?

There was a brief clip from Friendly Fire, but nothing I could see from A Wedding, Four Seasons, Pete n Tillie.

There were definitely clips from "A Wedding" and "The Four Seasons."

R431, they showed brief clips from A Wedding and Four Seasons but nothing as I recall from Pete and Tillie.

[quote]Are she and Mary Poppins, you know, an item?

They've been friends for almost 70 years, r430, if you want to call that an "item".

By the way, I was just scanning my onscreen TV guide and saw where NBC is repeating it tonight at 7pm ET for anyone who’s interested.

R429 I think I love you!❤️

What would we do without you, R435?

When Variety International used to host those "All Star Party . . ." specials, the honoree would be seated at a table with their family, and each member would be introduced.

It would have been a nice touch if Carol was sitting with her family on the show, but since she was tbe Executive Producer, she must have decided against that.

SHe was raw in Pete and Tillie; her rage over the death of her son?

It matched the pain I saw in my own Mom after her husband/my dad died at a really young age. I remember him but not much.

Decades later, I still long for a dad in my life; it really fucked me up.

Overly produced. These stars were all like zombies. This era is great but so so out of place in todays era. All of Hollywood and big media is feels like this now. Everyone in that room would turn on anyone in an instant.

they could have gone heavier on clips and lighter on wedging folks in there we don't care about.

"Carol, you made MEEEE feel so wonderful. You inspired MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE to become a star!"

R441 this is the American form of communication now. It is no longer safe to say anything about others for it may not align with their truth so you can only talk about yourself even if there is no real story there. Classic individualism.

I was watching the old show on MeTV tonight and it occurred to me how nice it would’ve been had they reunited Carol with the surviving members of the Ernie Flatt Dancers. I checked and Don and Stan are both still living.

Anyone else had enough of Sheryl Lee Ralph?

When did she become so annoyingly pompous?

Did you notice someone in the audience say to the person next to them, "who is she?" in one of the last audience cutaways during her presentation, r444?

So, if Carol has replaced Betty White as America's Oldest Living Sweetheart, who is next in line?

Anyone who believes Vicki Lawrence is not talented, go to 3:20.