The Carol Burnett Show

Elevated sketch variety with character work that outlived the variety-show era.

Why it matters

Episode guide

279 episodes across 11 seasons — titles, air dates, and synopses.

At a glance

Carol Burnett opened with a Q&A, then detonated sketches with Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, and Lyle Waggoner in the CBS variety temple (1967–1978). Movie parodies, the charwoman, and Conway's corpse-making ad-libs made eleven seasons feel like a master class with a curtain. Guest stars treated the stage like a playground; audiences treated Burnett like family. It was the last great network variety fortress before the format thinned out. Went with the wind, stayed in the culture.

Network & studio

• CBS — broadcast network

Why watch now

Sketch variety at its warmest and sharpest — Burnett's generosity plus Conway/Korman chaos. The movie spoofs alone justify the tuition.

Cultural impact

The Carol Burnett Show set the modern bar for ensemble sketch variety and made Burnett a multi-generational comedy icon. Its reruns taught later comics how parody and character work share a stage. It remains the nostalgic gold standard of network variety craft.

Creators

Joe Hamilton · Carol Burnett

Key cast

• Carol Burnett as Host
• Harvey Korman as Regular
• Tim Conway as Regular
• Vicki Lawrence as Regular
• Lyle Waggoner as Regular

Flash facts

• CBS variety/sketch series aired 1967–1978 (11 seasons).
• Starred Carol Burnett with Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, and Lyle Waggoner among key players.
• Known for film/TV parodies, recurring characters, and audience question segments.
• Produced with Joe Hamilton among key production figures.
• Among the most Emmy-decorated and beloved American variety series.

FAQ

Back to the decade

More from the 1960s — Color, Spies & Space. All shows.