Carol Burnett Show Discs (1 Viewer)

[AndyMcKinney]

Originally Posted by Executive

Two other sketch comedy shows in more recent decades included MAD TV (which lasted 14 seasons but rarely had musical guests admidst a variety of cast changes) and for a period of 5 years before it ; In Living Color

There's a big difference, though, between sketch comedy shows like those above, and an old-fashioned musical/variety show like The Carol Burnett Show, however. I would never class them in the same category. Those shows were primarily comedy sketches, with only rare musical numbers. Carol's original hour-long shows had at least as much (if not more) "musical" content as it did sketches.


It is the musical/variety format that I was saying is essentially dated and "dead" to today's audience. Sketch comedy shows still seem to be a viable format.

 

[Executive]

There's a big difference, though, between sketch comedy shows like those above, and an old-fashioned musical/variety show like The Carol Burnett Show, however. I would never class them in the same category. Those shows were primarily comedy sketches, with only rare musical numbers. Carol's original hour-long shows had at least as much (if not more) "musical" content as it did sketches.

It is the musical/variety format that I was saying is essentially dated and "dead" to today's audience. Sketch comedy shows still seem to be a viable format.

And yet today's audiences who go to live theatre love that kind of dated music. Not me though, because I prefer both classic & modern rock over Broadway tunes.

Nonetheless the kind of musical numbers presented on those old shows (particularly The Carol Burnett Show) is a genre very much alive in the 21st century. Burnett herself continues to do the occasional stage musical.


Don't think it works on TV anymore? Take a look at the Academy Awards or the Golden Globes. They may only be once a year, but as unwatchable as those production numbers are amongst most of my generation (40s) and younger, it's a style that just won't go away....

 

[David Rain]

Is there a list somewhere of all of the eps that were released by Columbia House ?

 

[AndyMcKinney]

I made one (and thought I posted it somewhere--wouldn't be surprised if it's here or at DVDTalk in an old forgotten-about thread. You might try searching). I even corrected the mistakes on Columbia House's sleeves (they mis-identify a few shows here and there). If I can find it, I'll put it up as a reply.

 

[William B.]

From what I gathered, they were as follows:

Disc 1: (1) 11/13/76, (2) 3/16/74

Disc 2: (1) 10/20/73, (2) 1/29/77

Disc 3: (1) 1/19/74, (2) 1/10/76 (misidentified as 1/10/70)

Disc 4: (1) 2/15/75, (2) 11/1/75

Disc 5: (1) 9/25/76, (2) 12/14/74

Disc 6: (1) 3/26/77, (2) 2/16/74
Disc 7: (1) 3/17/76, (2) 12/11/76 (misidentified as 11/22/75)

Disc 8: (1) 9/20/75, (2) 10/4/75

Disc 9: (1) 1/5/74 (misidentified as 2/5/74), (2) 2/2/74

Disc 10: (1) 11/8/72, (2) 12/21/74

Disc 11: (1) 9/29/73, (2) 11/3/73

Disc 12: (1) 2/21/76, (2) 10/30/76

Disc 13: (1) 1/8/78, (2) 1/22/77

Disc 14: (1) 3/5/77, (2) 2/12/77 (misidentified as 2/4/77)

Disc 15: (1) 3/5/78, (2) 3/12/78

Disc 16: (1) 10/25/72, (2) 10/13/73

Disc 17: (1) 2/9/74, (2) 1/24/76

Disc 18: (1) 2/23/74, (2) 2/14/76

Disc 19: (1) 10/16/76, (2) 2/26/77

Disc 20: (1) 1/4/75, (2) 11/6/76

Disc 21: (1) 9/14/74, (2) 10/12/74

Disc 22: (1) 2/22/75, (2) 3/13/76

Disc 23: (1) 11/15/75, (2) 11/22/75 (that was correctly mentioned)

Disc 24: (1) 9/27/75, (2) 10/29/77

Disc 25: (1) 3/6/76, (2) 11/29/75

Disc 26: (1) 12/4/76, (2) 11/12/77 (misidentified as 11/11/77)

Disc 27: (1) 11/23/74 (misidentified as 11/24/74), (2) 1/3/76

Disc 28: (1) 11/10/73, (2) 10/1/77

Disc 29: (1) 12/15/73, (2) 10/25/75

Disc 30: (1) 3/29/75, (2) 12/18/76

Disc 31: (1) 3/23/74, (2) 1/25/75


That was 62 out of 144 shows owned in their entirety by Ms. Burnett. The first 132 shows (1967-72), copyrighted by Burngood, Inc., are co-owned by Bob Banner (as noted above and elsewhere).


Incidentally, besides some online guides not accounting for the Nov. 8, 1975 show with Helen Reddy (featuring a bit with Harvey as "Jacques Touteau" and Tim as his hapless assistant "Pierre," on the hunt for the Great White Killer Squid - and misdating the Nov. 1, 1975 show with Roddy McDowall as Nov. 8), they mentioned a Nov. 17, 1973 show with Tim Conway and Steve Lawrence that does not even exist (this, per UCLA Film & TV Archives database). Sure, advance TV listings mentioned this proposed show, and even mentioned what was in it (including one bit with Carol as over-the-hill moppet "Rhoda Dimple" that wound up on the Feb. 9, 1974 show with Joel Grey and Vincent Price as on Disc 17), but on the day this proposed show was to air a repeat of the March 17, 1973 show with Peggy Lee and William Conrad was shown instead. Plus counting two different repeat shows (one from the second season and the other a composite of two third-season editions) among the count of total episodes.

 

[Executive]

A list of only the original airdates of the DVD releases of this or any show isn't helpful.

We need guest stars and maybe a sketch or two to identify these shows. Thank you.


Does Columbia House still sell these volumes or are they out of stock?

 

[William B.]

Originally Posted by Executive


Does Columbia House still sell these volumes or are they out of stock?

They're now put out by Guthy-Renker, so in that sense they're not out of stock; however, in the Columbia House configurations they are.


As for the guest lists and key sketches per show, they are:

- 11/13/76 (guest: Dinah Shore; "Went with the Wind!" sketch, Tim as "Old Man" running butcher shop)

- 3/16/74 (guests: Roddy McDowall, The Jackson 5; first "Family" sketch)

- 10/20/73 (guests: Ken Berry, Jack Weston, with uncredited cameo by Tim Conway; "Dr. Jekyll & Ms. Hyde")

- 1/29/77 (guests: Rock Hudson, Steve Lawrence; Steve sings "You Take My Heart Away," Rock & Carol as a bickering married news-anchor duo who quarrel on the air)

- 1/19/74 (guest: Carl Reiner; Carol as "accident prone" wife, and "La Caperucita Roja" closing number)

- 1/10/76 (guest: Steve Lawrence; first "Mrs. Wiggins and Mr. Tudball" sketch)

- 2/15/75 (guests: Rock Hudson, Nancy Walker; movie parody, "When My Baby Laughs at Me")

- 11/1/75 (guest: Roddy McDowall; movie parody, "The Little Foxies")

- 9/25/76 (guest: Jim Nabors; "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" parody)

- 12/14/74 (guests: Carl Reiner, Ken Berry; "Disaster '75" [parody of "Airport 1975"])

- 3/26/77 (guest: Ken Berry; movie parody, "Babes in Barns")

- 2/16/74 (guests: Bernadette Peters, Tim Conway; "As the Stomach Turns" with Ms. Peters as possessed niece and Mr. Conway as exorcist)

- 3/15/75 (guests: Roddy McDowall, Bernadette Peters; "The Family" visits brother Phillip at his home, Carol & Bernadette as synchronized typists, "The Lady Heir")

- 12/11/76 (guest: Betty White; "The Family" cleans up in the attic, Ms. White as Ellen tells Eunice about Fluffy)

- 9/20/75 (guest: Sammy Davis, Jr.; "Backstage" sketch with Carol as bigoted "old friend" of Sammy's; Sammy as deputy with chip on his shoulder after marshal [Harvey] dumps him)

- 10/4/75 (guest: Shirley MacLaine; "The Family" flashback on how Eunice and Ed met; Hollow Hero refuses to allow the royal family in the palace without the password)

- 1/5/74 (guests: Steve Lawrence, Tim Conway; Stella Toddler immortalized in cement, Tim as man developing simian symptoms after being bitten by chimp)

- 2/2/74 (guests: Steve Lawrence, Tim Conway; Ad Men sketch, "Bachelor Party" sketch, Tim as world's oldest costumer)

- 11/8/72 (guests: Steve Lawrence, Lily Tomlin; movie parody, "Caged Dames")

- 12/21/74 (guest: Alan Alda; Alan as Eunice's brother coming for Christmas in "The Family"; "Morton of the Movies")

- 9/29/73 (guest: Gloria Swanson, who appears as Charlie Chaplin in segment w/Carol as Charwoman)

- 11/3/73 (guests: Steve Lawrence, Paul Sand; movie parody, "Double Calamity")

- 2/21/76 (guests: Dick Van Dyke, Tony Randall; Dick as encyclopedia salesman visiting home of quarreling couple [Carol, Harvey])

- 10/30/76 (guest: Roddy McDowall; Tudball & Mrs. Wiggins w/door buzzer; McDowall as film director filming an operation)

- 1/8/78 (guests: Roddy McDowall, Ken Berry; Philip visits The Family, Ken and Tim in silent sketch about competing pool players)

- 1/22/77 ("family show"; movie parody, "Torchy Song")

- 3/5/77 (guest: Hal Linden; spoof of "Show Boat," Funt & Mundane booked into the "Astro-Bowl" to perform their latest play)

- 2/12/77 (guest: Eydie Gorme; Eunice appears on "The Gong Show," with cameos by Chuck Barris, Allen Ludden, Jaye P. Morgan and Jamie Farr; Mr. Tudball teaches Mrs. Wiggins about Las Vegas gambling; a kidnap victim's wife is interviewed on TV)

- 3/5/78 (guests: Steve Martin, Betty White; movie parody, "Beach Blanket Boo-Boo," "As the Stomach Turns" with plot tied to "Close Encounters of the Third Kind")

- 3/12/78 (guests: James Garner, George Carlin, Ken Berry; Ken as psychiatrist treating four patients in remote cabin, Carol as dentist treating ex-husband [George] [not as funny as Tim Conway/Harvey Korman dentist sketch of 3/3/69, I.M.H.O.])

- 10/25/72 (guests: Tim Conway, Pearl Bailey; Tim as rabbit lawyer "F. Lee Bunny," Nora Desmond offered to do bug-spray commercial)

- 10/13/73 (guests: Eydie Gorme, Paul Sand; parody of "The Wolf Man" with Vicki in Maria Ouspenskaya role)

- 2/9/74 (guests: Vincent Price, Joel Grey; Vincent tells of Abe Lincoln's humorous side, Joel as "swinging" boyfriend of Chrissy in "Carol & Sis," four-way phone conversations listened in by operator Carol)

- 1/24/76 (guests: Emmett Kelly, The Jackson 5; movie parody, "A Swiped Life")

- 2/23/74 (guests: Eydie Gorme, Tim Conway; Tim as "brutal" Nazi interrogator of American POW [Lyle Waggoner, nearing the end of his run as series regular])

- 2/14/76 (guest: Joanne Woodward; she plays old school chum of Eunice's in "The Family," Mr. Tudball again tries to teach Mrs. Wiggins the intricacies of the intercom)

- 10/16/76 (guest: Madeline Kahn; movie parody, "That's Showbiz," Mr. Tudball does battle with recalcitrant coffee vending machine)

- 2/26/77 (guest: Ben Vereen; "As the Stomach Turns" sketch w/tie-in to "The Bionic Woman")

- 1/4/75 (guests: Vincent Price, Joan Rivers; Funt & Mundane's understudies [Vincent, Vicki] sabotage the final performance of their latest play)

- 11/6/76 (guest: Kay Cole; "Family" sketch where Mickey Hart [Tim] invites them for Chinese dinner)

- 9/14/74 (guest: Jim Nabors, who plays "The Ringo Kid" in a sketch)

- 10/12/74 (guests: Telly Savalas, Smothers Brothers; movie parody, "Poopi Le Moko," Tom as Eunice's brother who's being operated on in "The Family" - look for announcer Ernie Anderson in rare off-camera role as treating doctor)

- 2/22/75 (guest: Tim Conway; Mama in wheelchair after suffering broken leg in "The Family")

- 3/13/76 ("family show"; Ed catches holy **** from Eunice and Mama after he tries to sneak off with Mickey on business trip to Chicago in "The Family," Mrs. "a-Wiggins' " birthday)

- 11/15/75 (guest: Maggie Smith; she plays teacher holding conference with Eunice, Ed and Mama over son Bubba in "The Family")

- 11/22/75 (guest: Betty White; Betty as Ellen visits Mama for her birthday in "The Family")

- 9/27/75 (guest: Cher, who plays town half-breed [and Tim as town hairdresser] in "As the Stomach Turns")

- 10/29/77 (guest: Ken Berry; one of three shows from Dick Van Dyke's short-lived run as regular, this features "Stolen Serenade," and Mrs. Wiggins "helps" Mr. Tudball in painting the office)

- 3/6/76 (guest: Jack Klugman; Carol, Tim and Harvey as three accountants in very cramped office, Jack as a skeptic in a sketch about a clairvoyant)

- 11/29/75 (guests: The Pointer Sisters; "Cinderella Gets It On")

- 12/4/76 (guest: Alan King, who plays psychiatrist who keeps getting interrupted during session with Carol; also, Salute to Warner Bros.)

- 11/12/77 ("family show," again from Dick Van Dyke's short run; movie parody, "The Enchanted Hovel")

- 11/23/74 (guests: Maggie Smith, Tim Conway; "Born Free" parody with Tim as Simba the lion)

- 1/3/76 (guest: Rita Moreno, who plays nurse who causes "accidents" occurring to "accident-prone" patient [Carol])

- 11/10/73 (guests: Petula Clark, Tim Conway; "As the Stomach Turns" with Pet as Marian's long-lost sister and Tim as the Old Man, Mundane can barely get through a performance without her glasses, to Funt's dismay)

- 10/1/77 (guest: Steve Lawrence; another show from Dick Van Dyke era; movie parody, "Fran Sancisco," Tim as beer-swilling private eye "Danny Draft")

- 12/15/73 (guests: Richard Crenna, Ruth Buzzi; movie parody, "Raised to Be Rotten," and TV parody, "Adam and Eve 12")

- 10/25/75 (guests: The Pointer Sisters; "The Family" plays charades, Harvey as rock DJ in sketch with Tim as Elton John-type performer, and featuring Pointers)

- 3/29/75 (guests: Jean Stapleton, Phil Silvers; TV commercial parodies, with Phil in cough medicine ad spoof; Jean as militant women's libber who tangles with Harvey)

- 12/18/76 (guest: Dick Van Dyke; movie parody, "Little Miss Show Biz")

- 3/23/74 (guests: John Byner, Francine Beers; final "Carol & Sis" sketch, next-to-last show w/Lyle Waggoner as regular; John and Harvey develop a woman robot)

- 1/25/75 (guests: William Conrad, The Jackson 5; Mr. Conrad as Mama's new beau in "The Family," and appears as Oliver Hardy [w/ co-writer Bill Richmond as Stan Laurel])


IMDb's listing of each show of the 1972-78 period is more comprehensive than, say, Ed Slonina's error-filled and more-holey-than-Swiss-cheese guide.