The Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes features 16 uncut episodes from the first five seasons. This beloved television show ran for 11 years, and included superstar Carol Burnett with regular supporting cast: Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, and Lyle Waggoner. Carol's sister, Chrissy, appeared in many of the dance routines and comedy sketches, and played Carol's sister in some of the "Carol and Sis" skits.
The debut episode of The Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes spotlights Carol's good friend and Godfather to one of her children, Mr. Jim Nabors, with other guest stars Lucille Ball, Nancy Wilson and Eddie Albert.
Each hour-long show begins with an audience Question & Answer segment, and closes with Carol singing her popular theme song, "I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together." Then, Carol presents her memory book for co-stars' signatures, and bids farewell with a tender tug on her left ear as a sign-off to her grandmother. The show features star-studded musical guests, dancers, comedic skits, and personal character sketches such as Carol's "Charwoman," Harvey's "Mother Marcus," Tim's "The Oldest Man," and Lyle's good looks always took command of any part he played. There were parodies of Broadway, television and movie favorites, and especially the soap-opera "As the Stomach Turns" plus the favorite, "Went with the Wind."
In this series, you'll enjoy performances and/or interviews with greats such as Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters, Cass Elliot, Lesley Ann Warren, Don Adams, Bing Crosby, Paul Lynde, Steve Lawrence, Mel Torme', Nanette Fabray, Jim Nabors, Chita Rivera, Don Rickles, Bob Newhart, Phyllis Diller, Eydie Gorme, Flip Wilson, Vikki Carr, Ruth Buzzi, William Schallert, Bobbie Gentry, Gwen Verdon, Alan Alda, Burt Reynolds, Bill Hader, Queen Latifah, Carol Channing, Jack Jones, Andy Griffith, the "Mission Impossible" team, and many more.
The Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes bonus features include interviews with co-stars and friends, A Backstage Tour at Studio 33, a number from the TV special "Julie and Carol at Lincoln Center," plus there are Bonus Sketches, Fabulous Firsts (such as singer Gloria Loring) and Outtakes. Do be aware that the source material hasn't been "remastered," so there are visual and audio artifacts in this release. There are no subtitles, but this collection is sensational with fashion designer Bob Mackie creating a magnificent wardrobe for the stars, plus great outfits for the dance numbers as well. The collection also includes a 16-page booklet outlining the episodes in this series and providing information on the show and cast.
The Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes variety show debuted in 1967 on CBS. It received 25 Emmy Awards and eight Golden Globes. It had a massive fan base and was considered one of the most honored shows in television history. One thing that was so remarkable about its host, Carol Burnett, is how she respected her guest stars and their acclaim. Her humble appreciation of their performances and friendship as she requested their signatures in her memory book at the end of each show was obvious. Yet, all the while, her comedy and exuberance was unsurpassed in her skill as an actress and comedian. Her supporting cast were so funny, they sometimes couldn't control their own laughter, and by doing so inadvertently became a part of the audience. This is a great fun experience for the family, and I highly recommend this series for anyone who likes to laugh!
