From 1967 to 1978, audiences could count on tuning in their TV sets for a hilarious hour of entertainment on The Carol Burnett Show. Long before Saturday Night Live and similar shows hit the air, Burnett solidified her status as the original queen of sketch comedy with her knack for creating silly characters and parodying other shows, movies, and pop culture.
Born on April 26, 1933, the funny lady got her first taste of success on Broadway in 1959 while playing the lead in Once Upon a Mattress, a role which earned her a Tony nomination for Best Leading Actress. Burnett left the stage to pursue television, regularly appearing on The Garry Moore Show for the next three years before launching her own successful variety show.
Though producers were reluctant to believe a woman could attract a big enough audience as a comedian, Burnett proved them wrong year after year. She not only got the chance to show off her impressive level of humor and professionalism, she also took the opportunity to embrace her more emotional range now and again.
Surrounded by a cast of equally talented performers, including the then-teenage Vicki Lawrence, who would go on to find her own fame in the spin-off series Mama's Family, Burnett ended each episode by tugging on her ear as a special message to her grandmother. Other famous celebrities frequently flocked to make a guest appearance in episodes, but as the clip below proves, this clever woman didn't need anyone's help to make us laugh.
Take a look below and be sure to SHARE the nostalgic clip with your friends!
