The Carol Burnett Show THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW
CBS Television
September 11, 1967 to August 9, 1978

One of the longest-running prime-time variety series in television history, The Carol Burnett Show lasted eleven seasons and four time changes, never losing its loyal following of fans.  An energetic mix of songs and skits, it featured many of the top stars of the day.  Everyone from Lucille Ball to Steve Martin were guests on Carol's show, which often spoofed classic movies and television along with her recurring soap-opera send-up As the Stomach Turns and the Family sketch featuring dysfunctional Eunice Higgins and her crotchety mother, who later starred in her own series, Mama's Family.  Roddy McDowall appeared five times on The Carol Burnett Show.


Series Cast


March 16, 1974  cbshow02.jpg   cbshow01.jpg   cbshow03.jpg
Guest Stars: Roddy McDowall and The Jackson Five

This is the show where Roddy sings a duet with Carol Burnett while in his Planet of the Apes makeup (a snippet appears in the A&E Biography Roddy McDowall: Hollywood's Best Friend). The episode also features the first ever Family sketch in which Roddy, as Eunice's brother PhilSip, returns to visit her, brother-in-law Ed and their incorrigible Mama.  Other sketches are Brief Encounter, where Carol and Roddy are strangers at an English café who speak in one-word sentences, and The Bus Stop in which four people are drawn to a ringing bus stop telephone booth whose call gives them a chance to win a radio contest.


March 15, 1975
Guest Stars: Roddy McDowall and Bernadette Peters

This episode features Mama's family visiting brother Philip in California whose initial delight at hosting his family quickly sours when Eunice's jealousy over his success in Hollywood becomes apparent. It also has The Lady Heir, where Roddy plays Carol's gold-digging suitor, and a sketch where everyone has a laughing fit in a restaurant (Roddy has a cameo as the restaurant manager). Nominated for "Outstanding Achievement in Choreography" during the 1976 Emmy Awards, the episode finishes with a mini-musical featuring the songs of Fiddler on the Roof composers Harnick and Bock.


November 1, 1975
Guest Star: Roddy McDowall

This installment of the show has the hilarious spoof The Little Foxies with Carol giving a memorable spin on Bette Davis' classic performance, and Roddy as the cantankerous, rich, wheel-chair-bound old man they plot to kill. A second sketch features Roddy and Carol as a husband-and-wife team in an Assembly Line. Roddy also offers his host some advise on tongue twisters, leading to a rendition of the song "Moses Supposes".


October 30, 1976
Guest Star: Roddy McDowall

This episode gives a Salute to Silent Movie Comedians, with Carol as Buster Keaton to Roddy and Harvey's Laurel and Hardy.  It also features The Lift, another (arguably more famous) sketch where Carol and Roddy speak in one-word sentences, and The Documentary wherein Roddy films (and directs) a surgical procedure.


January 8, 1978
Guest Stars: Roddy McDowall and Ken Berry

This episode features a Salute to Musicals of the 30's, highlighted by Hi-Hat (a parody of the RKO Astaire-Rogers musicals, the skit received a special Emmy citation for it's wonderful music and lyrics), and another installment of The Family.



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