List of The Carol Burnett Show characters and sketches

The following is a list of recurring characters and sketches as well as other featured sketches from the CBS comedy and variety show The Carol Burnett Show starring Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner and Tim Conway.

Characters and sketches
Burnett as the Charwoman
Burnett as Eunice with Madeline Kahn in "The Family" sketch

Alice Portnoy

Burnett as a little girl who is a member of the Fireside Girls of America, a Girl Scout-type of organization, always trying to blackmail adults into making a contribution to her troop. Lawrence has played her sister Cecily.

As the Stomach Turns
Main article: As the Stomach Turns

A soap opera parody taking place in the fictional town of Canoga Falls with Burnett as the main character Marian Clayton. Other recurring residents of Canoga Falls include Conway as different variations of the Oldest Man, Korman as Mother Marcus and Lawrence as Marion's daughter who always comes home with a baby.

Carol and Sis

Burnett as Carol and Lawrence as her sister Chris with Korman as Carol's husband Roger;[1] the sketch was based on Burnett's life in New York raising her kid sister in New York with her first husband, and Lawrence was originally hired just for this sketch.[2]

Charwoman

Burnett's signature character, an unnamed charwoman, most often in a musical number,[3] whose animated image has been used in the opening credits, and also in the opening and closing credits of Carol Burnett and Friends.

Chiquita

Burnett's parody of Charo. In one sketch, Charo herself played Chiquita and Burnett played her mother.

The Family
Main article: The Family (sketch)

Burnett and Korman as Eunice and Ed Higgins, a married couple, with Lawrence portraying Eunice's very difficult mother "Mama" Thelma Harper in the southern city of Raytown. The sketch's original premise featured Eunice's brother Phillip, played by Roddy McDowall, coming to visit the family. Later on, other children of Mama's were introduced, including Betty White as Ellen, Alan Alda as Larry and Tommy Smothers as Jack. In addition, Conway played Mickey Hart, Ed's buiness partner. In the eleventh season, after Korman's departure, Dick van Dyke was introduced as Dan Fogarty, an old friend of Ed's.

Fireside Chat

Korman and Burnett as the President of the United states and the First Lady, with Lawrence as their daughter. The premise was to parody a "perfect" First Family speaking to the American people, and also included their maid, usually Minerva played by Isabel Sanford.

George and Zelda

Burnett as Zelda, a whiny, nasal-voiced woman and Korman as her husband George.[3] The sketch was inspired by the roles of Montgomery Clift and Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun[4]

The Ham Actors

Also known as "Funt and Mundane", Korman as Alfred Funt and Burnett as Mundane, two over-the-top actors who run into mishaps on the stage. The sketch started off with Korman as Funt and Burnett as different types of partners.[5] The names Funt and Mundane are take-offs of legendary acting couple Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.

Kitchen Commercials

Burnett as a woman who is tortured by television commercial mascots come to life.

Mother Marcus

Korman as a full-figured, Yiddish grandmother who was based on his own real-life grandmother.[6] She was usually featured in "As the Stomach Turns", but has also been in other sketches such as the grandmother in "La Caperucita Roja", the Mexican version of Little Red Riding Hood, the fairy godmother in "Cinderella Gets It On!", the disco version of Cinderella, and the first Mrs. de Wintry in "Rebecky", the take-off of the 1940 film Rebecca.

Nora Desmond

Burnett as a has-been silent film actress and Korman as her bald, dutiful butler Max in the take-off of the 1950 film Sunset Boulevard. Gloria Swanson has praised Burnett for the character.[3]

The Old Folks

Burnett and Korman as Molly and Bert, an elderly couple who sit in rocking chairs on a porch talking about their lives.

The Oldest Man
Main article: The Oldest Man (character)

Conway as Duane Toddleberry,[7] an old, slow-moving man, usually in various situations involving Korman being annoyed with his lack of speed.

The Queen

Burnett's parody of Queen Elizabeth II, who made her debut on the interview sketch "V.I.P." Later on she appeared with Korman as her consort and mostly with Conway as Private Arthur Newberry, a soldier who is completely hollow due to having swallowed a live grenade. The premise with Private Newberry was his ridiculous requests, such as asking for animal-flavored ice cream or calling a ship being commemorated to him as "M/S Stinky". Lawrence once played the princess and was engaged to the hollowed-out private.

Rhoda Dimple

Burnett's parody of Shirley Temple.

Stella Toddler

Burnett as an elderly woman who always ends up in unfortunate accidents.

10th Avenue Family

Burnett and Korman as Stella and Harry, an unemployed married couple, and Waggoner as their 15-year-old son Brewster and Lawrence as their 12-year-old daughter Dulcie.

Unforgettable Commercials

Parodies of well-known commercials of the time featuring the entire cast. This was an annual sketch.[1]

V.I.P.

Korman as F. Lee Carman, who interviews famous "celebrities", parodied by Burnett, such as Julia Wild (Julia Child), Rhonda Dimple (Shirley Temple) and Mae East (Mae West), as well as other guests such as a nudist.

Mrs. Wiggins
Main article: Mrs. Wiggins

Also known as "Mr. Tudball and Mrs. Wiggins", Conway as Mr. Tudball, a businessman who speaks in a mock Romanian accent,[8] putting up with his empty-headed secretary Mrs. Wiggins played by Burnett; Lawrence occasionally played Mrs. Tudball.

Movie parodies

A regular feature of The Carol Burnett Show was its many movie parody sketches, many of which were written or co-written by Stan Hart, Arnie Kogen and Larry Siegel, all prolific contributors for Mad magazine, with each authoring dozens of the magazine's own movie satires. In the early seasons, the movie take-off would begin as a "Metro Golden Mouth" production with Burnett doing her Tarzan yell as a parody of the MGM Lion. In addition, the show featured shorter movie parody sketches as part of a tribute to a specific studio or director.

The curtain dress worn by Burnett in the Went with the Wind! sketch

Went with the Wind!
Main article: Went with the Wind!

Perhaps the show's best known movie parody is the 1976 Gone with the Wind sketch entitled "Went with the Wind!" It features the famous scene in which Starlett O'Hara must fashion a gown from window curtains, and Burnett, as Starlett, descends a long staircase wearing the green curtains complete with hanging rod. When Korman as Ratt Butler compliments her "gown", she replies, "Thank you. I saw it in the window and I just couldn't resist it." The outfit, designed by Bob Mackie, is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution.[9]

Other movie parodies

A list of other movie parody sketches on The Carol Burnett Show include:

References
  1. Hyatt, Wesley (2006). Emmy Award Winning Nighttime Television Shows, 1948-2004. McFarland & Company. p. 239. ISBN 978-0786423293.
  2. "Vicki Lawrence". Archive of American Television. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  3. Hyatt, Wesley (2006). Emmy Award Winning Nighttime Television Shows, 1948-2004. McFarland & Company. p. 240. ISBN 978-0786423293.
  4. Burnett, Carol. "Featurette: Fabulous Firsts". Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes Limited Edition (7 DVD Collection) (Interview). Interviewed by Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes Limited Edition (7 DVD Collection).
  5. Burnett, Carol. "Featurette: Fabulous Firsts". Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes Limited Edition (7 DVD Collection) (Interview). Interviewed by Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes Limited Edition (7 DVD Collection).
  6. Lambert, Bruce (May 30, 2008). "Harvey Korman of 'Burnett Show' Dies at 81". New York Times. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  7. Jarvis, Zeke (2006). Make 'em Laugh!: American Humorists of the 20th and 21st Centuries. Greenwood. p. 112. ISBN 978-1440829949.
  8. King, Susan. "Tim Conway's life off script", Los Angeles Times, November 11, 2013. Accessed September 6, 2016.
  9. Rhodes, Jesse (May 14, 2009). "Carol Burnett—We Just Can't Resist Her!". Smithsonian. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
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