A Talk With Legendary Comedienne, Carol Burnett
By Kellie MacDonald

Legendary American comedienne, Carol Burnett spoke to the PTC about her new CBS entertainment special, The Carol Burnett Show: Let's Bump Up the Lights!   The PTC Seal of Approval-winning special airs on Wednesday, May 12 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT) and promises to be fun for the entire family. 

Carol is joined by former co-stars Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner and PTC Advisory Board member Tim Conway to introduce never-before-seen clips as well as personal favorites from The Carol Burnett Show's legendary studio audience Q&A sessions.  Immediately following the show, viewers can vote for their favorite clips by telephone or the Internet and Carol will announce the top 3 clips the next morning on CBS News' The Early Show (7:00-9:00 AM, ET/PT).

PTC: How did this special come to be?

Carol: Re-runs of The Carol Burnett Show currently air on TV Land, but for syndication purposes, a lot of the audience interaction that occurs at the beginning of each show has been edited out.  That was always one of my favorite parts of the show because it was unscripted and I never knew what the audience was going to say or ask.  We knew that there was a lot of good, funny stuff out there that hadn't been seen since it originally aired, so we pulled some of it together, got the gang and a live studio audience and relived some of those moments and made some new ones!

How did it feel to work again with Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence and Lyle Waggoner?

It is always great to see everyone.  I see Harvey and Tim on a regular basis.  When we go out to dinner, someone who knows the Heimlich needs to be nearby because we laugh so much!

Given the success of your reunions, most recently the 2001 special Carol Burnett: Show Stoppers, is there any chance you'll return to television full time?  

No, I don't think television is as much fun as it once was.  Back when I was doing the show, we had one CBS person come to the run through, and to the rehearsals and so forth and they never said anything, they just said, "Well, have fun!" It was a great time in television, very fulfilling creatively. 

The recent success of some TV variety shows, including the recent ABC special starring Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson, seems to indicate that American audiences want variety programs.  Why aren't there more of them?

I've been saying that for years, but for a long time, the "V" word was not to be mentioned.  I said that when the right person or people came along and do the variety genre in the right way, it'll take off again.  It'll be successful because the genre is introduced to a whole new generation.

Why do some comedians feel a need to work "blue" (i.e. use foul language and innuendo) when some of the funniest and most successful people in Hollywood, like you and Bill Cosby have been successful by working clean?

It's sad but true that almost anybody can get a laugh when they're being blue.  People who work that way are not really that clever.  The writing for dirty shows isn't that clever either because it's a cheap way to get laughs.

Is it important to you that your projects can be enjoyed by the whole family?

I'm so thrilled that we're on TV Land now, because there's a whole new generation of little kids that are seeing The Carol Burnett Show for the first time.  When I go to the market, it's very interesting to see little 6 and 7 year-old kids smile at me because they watch the show and they recognize me.  Before, it'd be a little girl who would know of me because she'd seen me as Miss Hannigan in Annie, but now I'm recognized again from the show!

What is your opinion of television today?

I hate to say this because I don't want to sound snooty, but my husband and I don't really watch that much television.  We'll watch old movies, we have a big movie collection, and that's just about it.  Sometimes I'll channel surf and I'll get caught up in Frasier, or even re-runs of The Golden Girls, which was an interesting show because they didn't do the traditional television formula, where the show had to have teenagers on it.  It was a show about women of a certain age and they were funny as hell!

What suggestion can you make to parents who don't want their children exposed to potentially harmful programming?

I'd recommend that parents not allow their children to have a television in their bedrooms.  I know a lot of kids have TVs in their rooms, and it's a matter of training the child and saying, "Let's all have dinner as a family and afterwards, we'll watch television together."

Who do you think are today's leading comediennes?

I don't watch a whole lot of television, but the women I have seen have a lot of talent.  I enjoy watching Debra Messing and all of the women on Friends have a lot of comedic timing.  Jenna Elfman is very good with timing and she's very physical and angular--she moves funny and is a pleasure to watch.

What is the secret to your career longevity?

A compliment that I get a lot is "you remind me of my aunt, or my mother or my sister or my daughter." One woman said to me, "I just love 'ya 'cause you're so common." I'm not sure if it's an insult, but I take it as a complement.

Where do you find inspiration for your humor and shows?

A lot of my humor comes from everyday life, from observing people and the things that happen to them.  When we did The Carol Burnett Show, we'd also hark back to old movies because I was raised going to old movies with my grandmother.  We'd do takeoffs on Gone with the Wind and Joan Crawford movies and it was just great fun for me to spoof those classics.  

What do you feel is your responsibility as a public figure?

The first responsibility I have is to myself.  I need to make sure that I do work that I am comfortable doing and if people like it too, I'm happy.  I don't try to do something to second guess the audience, ever.  If I like it and I'm having fun, then I hope most of the audience will agree.  But if I try to second guess an audience and I'm not happy doing it, then it's just not going to work.  

Who were/are your role models?

Growing up, I didn't even think of going into this industry.  When I was in college, I thought I'd be a pretty good writer, and when I went to New York hoping for my big break, the only shows I'd watch were Sid Caesar's shows.  I just loved watching him, and the sketches and the repertoire company, and I thought that it looked like a lot of fun.  One day, I met Sid's standby, who was a comedian, and he used to sneak me into dress rehearsal.  Afterwards, I'd go back to where I was living, which was a boarding house for young ladies interested in the theater, and I would tune into the live show to see what changes they might have made, or improvements or cuts.  So I guess I studied Sid and his methods.  

You mentioned your grandmother and many of our members are themselves, grandparents.  Is there any advice you can share on how they can become as positive an influence in their grandchildren's lives as your grandmother was in yours?

Listen to your grandchildren.  A lot of times, people don't listen to little kids.  Talk with them, not at them.  Find out what they think and value and get involved.

Over the course of your amazing career, you've earned a lot of honors, including 6 Emmys (19 nominations), 5 Golden Globes (14 nominations), and you were a 2003 Kennedy Center Honoree.  Is there one honor of which you're especially proud?

I am most proud of being recognized at the 2003 Kennedy Center Honors, because it is the highest award granted in American performing arts.  And it's given in recognition of an artist's lifetime body of work rather than for one performance or one category. 

You've been involved in so many legendary projects, do you have a favorite?

It's hard to have a favorite because I've had so many wonderful experiences.   I had a lot of fun doing TV variety specials with Julie Andrews and Beverly Sills and Placido Domingo, but that's one entire category that I had a lot of fun doing.  Of course, I'd have to lump our show into its own category, but I can't single out a particular show that was my favorite.  It was a great experience for 11 years.  We didn't always have a terrific show -- we had a few stinkers -- but the great thing was we could always come back the next week and make up for it.

What else are you working on?

We are in negotiations with ABC to adapt the stage play "Once Upon a Mattress" into a great family movie.  I was part of the original cast many years ago, and it was my first New York theatrical experience.  The play is a different spin on the fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea" and this time I'd be co-producing and playing the Evil Queen.  And we're in a search to find the young lady who can play Princess Fred.  We're looking for a gangly, tomboy who can handle a lot of good, belted songs and a very physical, comedic role.

What hobbies/activities do you enjoy in your "Free Time?"  

I don't know if you'd call it a hobby or an obsession, but I'm very into the New York Times Crossword puzzle.  I just love it.  And I love doing crosswords in red ink. 

Carol, thank you so much for speaking with me, I know our members will enjoy reading about you and watching your special.