Just in case you wondered how Steve Martin got from the first clip to super stardom, here’s two more tv clips from the 1970s. The first clip, from the Carol Burnett Show, aired Monday, March 05, 1978 on CBS, two years after he hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time.
The Jerk, his first feature film as a writer and star, came a year after the Carol Burnett Show appearance. For another take, check out this (embedding disabled) clip from The Midnight Special: Steve Martin on The Midnight Special.
Published in two parts, this is one of the most screamingly funny, iconic routines Carol did in the show. I don’t think this bit needs more introduction, but if you haven’t seen it before or it’s been a while, swallow the drink and enjoy!
This *might* be from 1976, but the Internet is not yielding up results for me. The Tudball/Wiggins combination became a recurring theme in the show and it was one of my favorite bits, whenever they would appear.
First airing November 23, 1974, in the eighth season, this spoof of the movie Born Free is representative of the lengths Tim Conway had to go (not far, really) to crack up his co-stars.
From 1967 to 1978, Carol Burnettand her gifted co-conspirators wove together some of the funniest, most iconic moments in the golden age of television.
Originally aired Monday, March 16, 1974 on CBS, in Season 7, this is a perfect segue between last week’s sort of random surprise comedy and music, with Carol and her amazing show.
The clip below is from the beginning of the show. Stick all the way through (not just because it’s funny but because you will see what Roddy had to go through to do this performance). Hilarious AND educational!
In March, I got the chance to watch PBS’ American Masters highlighting Carol’s career. The show, CAROL BURNETT – A Woman of Character ~ PBS – American Masters, aired after their feature about Mel Brooks, which I missed by that much. I’d seen it once, but couldn’t turn it off.
Carol was in my house every week, first during the original run and later in reruns. I adored watching the show. Today’s television is such a wasteland, it’s a shame there isn’t more of this. I wonder how much better our world would be with a lot more humor and a lot less “reality.”
The Carol Burnett was a favorite way to spend an evening when I was growing up, and this is a clip from their reunion in 1992. The whole reunion is simply hilarious, and this is just a taste of what the whole show was like to watch. Wish I could have seen one live, just once. Comedy Week continues…
It is not physically possible to watch this clip from the Carol Burnett show and not laugh. Not only that, but if you’re wise, you’ll swallow the drink, stop chewing the food, wait till after work (because work-time hysteria often goes badly) and possibly visit the Necessary.
Life in a Minor Key 