The Carol Burnett Show always opened with Carol waltzing out on stage in a beautiful creation by fashion designer Bob Mackie and then the audience participation began -- including a question and answer segment where Carol signed autographs, received gifts, heard poems from fans, and acknowledged notable audience members -- one being a governor who was asked if he would move to Washington D.C.
The Carol Burnett Show has a variety of entertainment to please and entertain every member of the family. Most notable besides her honored guests were her parodies of television shows and Hollywood movies. In this issue, you'll enjoy the hilarious viewing of "Valley of the Dollars," "Bony and Clod," "Guess What's Coming to Dinner?" "Mildred Fierce," and a "Salute to Warner Bros. Studios" with a sketch featuring Carol as Bugs Bunny.
The show abounds with song and dance numbers by her talented guests and dance team. There were always comedic sketches where Carol would showcase her many characters such as Molly in "The Old Folks" played alongside Harvey as her husband Bert; with Carol playing the older sister to Chrissy, who was played by Vicki in "Carol and Sis." And, let's not forget that annoying and incorrigible Alice Portnoy, the Fireside Girl, who was always finding someone to blackmail. There's always Harvey as "Mother Marcus" and Tim as "The Oldest Man" to keep you laughing, and then who could ever forget the fictional town of Canoga Falls, where Carol is the ever-burdened mother in the soap opera parody of "As the Stomach Turns." Carol's iconic "Charwoman" appears in the opening animation of her show, and is portrayed throughout the series in both comedic and serious roles -- especially with her season closures where she reminisces over her guest autograph book, bids a secret farewell to her grandmother by pulling on her left ear lobe, and closes with singing "I'm so glad we had this time together...."
The star-studded guests of The Carol Burnett Show: Treasures from the Vault Collector's Edition - The Lost Episodes include Jonathan Winters, Dionne Warwick, Barbara Feldon, Joan Rivers, Sonny & Cher, Nanette Fabray, Eileen Farrell, Marilyn Horne, Shirley Jones, George Chakiris, Ken Berry, Dyan Cannon, Paul Lynde, Soupy Sales, Mel Torme', Art Carney, Gwen Verdon, Pat Boone, Mickey Rooney, John Davidson, Peter Lawford, Minnie Pearl, Martha Raye, Betty Grable and a host of others.
But the funniest episodes are where Carol and the cast have a difficult time keeping it all together. They try to hide their laughter, but somehow it's contagious and tickles the cast, crew, and audience. This is genuine comedy full of surprises, reality, fantasy and camaraderie. Everyone has a great time and the audience shares the benefits.
The Carol Burnett Show has been a landmark in comedy and an example for much of the comedic entertainment that followed. The comments and interviews applaud Burnett and praise her remarkable talent and skill. She is admired and beloved by the entertainment field and one quality she possesses is humility, always displayed by her constant respect and awe of her guests' abilities and her overwhelming gratefulness for the talent that graced her stage.
The Carol Burnett Show: Treasures from the Vault Collector's Edition - The Lost Episodes Bonus Material includes interviews with Tony Bennett, Kristin Chenoweth, Steve Carell, George Chakiris, Shirley Jones, Vikki Carr, Burt Reynolds, Pat Boone and Tina Fey among others. You'll laugh at hilarious sketches, outtakes and featurettes. One particular sketch was imitated from The Garry Moore Show's "House Beautiful" in which Carol was an actress. There's also a peek into the creative genius of the show's fashion guru, Bob Mackie. Also included in the package is a 16-page booklet outlining disc contents and comments for your convenience.
The Carol Burnett Show: Treasures from the Vault Collector's Edition - The Lost Episodes features 15 uncut episodes on six single-sided DVDs. The DVD warns that there may be imperfections in the audio and viewing of these discs, due to the age of the original material, but this was not a deterrent in my viewing since the hostess and the material were paramount. This is timeless entertainment that will enrich everyone who watches it for many years to come. Highly recommended.
