lbliss314 - I just read a short interview with Carol Burnett in which she discussed the unbelievable amount of work that went into this legendary show, and the utter impossibility of doing something like this on a weekly basis today. The cast of 6-ish, the full orchestra (Nelson Riddle, if I'm not mistaken), the 50 fabulous costumes per week (by, of course, Bob Mackie), the 6 - 8 sketches/numbers per week that had to be written, rehearsed, set to music, and performed live - WITH guest stars . . . it just went on and on and on. The bottom line: No, this could NOT be pulled off today - it would be prohibitively expensive, and require a small army of people. But boy, I'm so glad we had this time together. This came along during my childhood, so I had to beg to stay up late, too. When I was a child, I spent most Saturday nights with my grandparents, and I was trying to remember that fantastic Saturday night lineup. I remember Mary Tyler Moore throwing that beret in the air (of course, back then I had no idea the HUGE cultural shift that represented); I remember Bob Newhart walking past the "Picasso horse" in Chicago to work; and I remember Carol, but I couldn't put it all together. I knew this would be the place to come. You're right . . . CBS on Saturday Night was "Must See TV" WAY before NBC thought of it. I always wondered why Carol was never able to reignite that spark . . . it seemed like her "light" was dimmed before its time. I think the loss of Harvey Korman, together with Carol's personal "issues" (I seem to remember big trouble with her daughter, husband, AND parents . . . remember the "National Enquirer" debacle?) sent her into retirement way before her time. Like several others here said, I really wish they would collect the FULL show on DVD, not just edited-for-syndication snippets. But what a ride it was for 11 years . . . of course, everyone remembers "Went With the Wind" and "Mildred Fierce" (I can't even watch the original movies, because I think of Carol Burnett the entire time), "Missus Awhiggins" . . . and my personal favorite, "Mama and Eunice," which was just brilliant at times (esp. with guest stars like Ken Berry, Betty White, and Jim Neighbors). I remember an episode of Mama and Eunice where Eunice tried out for (and was cut from) a "reality TV" show, and it was as moving as anything "serious" on TV. This show worked on so many levels, it truly deserves the moniker "LEGENDARY."
Review of The Carol Burnett Show
The Carol Burnett Show
(1967–1978)
lbliss314 is right . . . "Must See TV" WAY before NBC thought of it . . .
15 March 2015