The Carol Burnett Show: A Reunion

I had the pleasure of taping this show from TV years ago. I pop it in my VCR about once a year to get a really good laugh.

It's wonderful to see some of the big names from back in those days. But what I really enjoy the most is the laughs. You don't get shows like that anymore. And I mean that seriously. (They) = Producers/Writers would do well to go after the older generation who stay at home and watch TV rather than go after fluff/sex/violence/drugs to try to entertain the 12 - 24 age group. Producers out there - are you listening? No I'm not 80 years old. I'm 44 and I sure do miss variety shows like this. Examples: Carol Burnett, Red Skeleton, Laugh In, Hee Haw, Sonny & Cher, Ed Sullivan.

And it says something when a 44 year old remembers the shows named above. Would mean that I was in the 12 - 24 age group when I was watching those shows.

Times sure have changed.

One thing I could always rely on as a child was my family laughing til we had tears in our eyes while watching the Carol Burnett Show. She and her troupe of comics comprised one of the best skit actors to ever grace the small screen. I happened across this reunion show in our local public library and checked it out immediately. What I got was a great treat. Carol, Tim Conway, Harvey Korman, Vicky Lawrence and Lyle Wagonner come together on stage to celebrate 11 seasons of marvelous work, 25 years after the show first aired.

The beauty of the show was that they were not afraid of flub ups. In fact the times when they would crack each other up, was a legendary part of the program. Anyone who watched the show will never forget Mr. Tudball and Mrs. (uh)Wiggins, Nora Desmond, Eunice, Mama, or any of the other characters introduced by that gang.

If you get a chance to see this reunion, treat yourself and sit back for a hilarious good time.

I LOVED watching Carol Burnett as a kid! The format was wonderful. MANY classic clips were shown, and the cast members took questions from the audience. Costume designer Bob Mackie, show writers, dancers, and the cast members' kids were in the audience and were acknowledged. Carol Burnett ended the special with her classic "I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together" song, and everyone again came out and took a bow. It was done with class and style.

The "50th Anniversary Special", while nice to see some of the cast and the hilarious clips, to me didn't capture the magic of the 25th Anniversary Special. The thing that ruined the 50th Anniversary Special for me was the modern-day "special guests" that appeared on the show, which included Jim Carrey, Kristin Chenoweth, Kaley Cuoco, Beth Behrs (Two Broke Girls), Stephen Colbert, Harry Connick Jr., Bill Hader, Jay Leno, Jane Lynch, Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler, Tracy Ellis Ross, and Martin Short. These "special guests" came across as shallow, sycophantic, fawning, and awkward (a "Tarzan Yell" contest that went awry)--too much time was dedicated to these guests "sucking up" or singing (poorly) to Carol Burnett...their portion seemed to lack sincerity and class. In fact, I was wondering what they were doing there at all.

If you want to capture the true magic and remembrance of the show, the 25th Anniversary Special is the one to watch!

I had the very good fortune to be part of this special!

As a child, my mom and dad would allow me to sneak into the living room after my younger sister would be put to bed so that I could stay up later and watch my favorite show; THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW! I had always dreamed of going to California to see a taping of the show but by the time I was old enough, after college, the show had been off the air. While stopping by at CBS to look for other show taping tickets I came across tickets to A REUNION! My dream come true, I thought! My partner and I dressed up and waited on line with others to get into the taping, knowing that seating would not be guaranteed. We got in but our seats were to the side and rear. Somehow a single seat became available in the center and the usher was looking for "a single" to fill the seat. I jumped at the opportunity to move in closer. I could not wait for my opportunity to raise my hand and ask a question. My question would be about the infamous "dentist office" scene with Tim and Harvey, asking what was going on in the scene that made them break-up so much? I swear I can remember watching that scene when it aired originally, laughing until it hurt! I don't think Carol, Harvey, Tim, Lyle or Vicki know how much their show contributed to my childhood memories and how they inspired me to go into show business. Although I am not now nor may I ever be famous, as an actor, I have been given the gift of being able to make people laugh while I am on stage.

This is a terrific trip down memory lane for anyone who stayed up late on Monday nights to watch Carol Burnett. I just hope it will get released on DVD soon!