I still break into hysterics when I come across the instant-classic clip of Lindsay Lohan and company bursting into laughter at Rachel Dratch’s portrayal of Debbie Downer on Saturday Night Live. But, really, that brilliant piece of comedy pales in comparison to this clip of Tim Conway blowing away his fellow actors during a "Mama’s Family" sketch on The Carol Burnett Show, in which cast members regularly broke character to the audience’s delight. Too bad so many of us — me included — weren’t old enough to appreciate this show while it was on. Bless the bundle of tubes for allowing us to see it now.
Apr 15
2009
12:00 PM ET
Clip du Jour: 'Carol Burnett Show' crackups
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Thank you for that… You have completely made my morning. I’m not old enough to have watched the show when it was on, but I frequently watched it in reruns when I was in college. One of the most consistently funny shows that I have ever seen. Hilarious!
Ditto – thanks for making my day – I needed a good laugh or ten!
Thank you for that! I was almost old enough for Carol Burnett when it was on — I did forget how funny Tim Conway was.
I watched the Carol Burnett show every week. NOTHING, I repeat NOTHING, was or has ever been as good as that show. It was the perfect cast at the perfect time. Today’s shows should take lessons on how to do comedy from all of them. And with no profanity, no gratuitous sex, no violence. Quality show all the way around. I miss it.
This clip reminds me of my dad. We would watch this show religiously (in reruns, I think) when I was a kid and he rarely laughed harder. This was one of his favourite bits…
Thanks for the cathartic laugh/cry.
Great stuff. There will never be another show like it. The chemistry between Korman, Conway, Burnett, and Lawrence will never be matched. (Miss you, Harvey.)
Michelle, you said it perfectly. The Carol Burnett Show was a family favorite and nothing has ever come close. Real comedy masters who didn’t need to dumb down their show. I miss shows like this.
If there is a God, he would let the Carol Burnett Show come out on DVD already!
…I was lucky, and old enough to have watched it while it was on; the “Gone with the wind” sketch is one of my all-time Carol Burnett favorites…
Thank you for posting this – I haven’t laughed so hard in ages. My day is now complete.
I’m probably in the minority here but I preferred they didn’t break up.I believe you can make people laugh within the confines of the sketch.Its funny once in while but T.Conway did it more then he should.If the writing isn’t strong then the mugging and upstaging starts.I frankly prefer my father in Torchy Song and Went with the Wind.I loved my father most of all when he was with Carol or Vickie.I’m biased but my father best work was with Carol or Vicki and most of the time with a guest-star especially ken Berry or Betty White.As inventive as conway is known to be.I would take my fathers 4 yrs of classically trained experience at Goodman Theatre over tims upstaging.My father learned
dialects and he was able to be more versatile then Tim and I think at Times Tim might have been jealous of that fact.This is my opinion of course.