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The F-word is very important to Carol Burnett.

That is, at 91 years old, with 25 Emmy nominations, two Peabodys and a Presidential Medal of Freedom, she’s only looking for one thing when it comes to work: fun.

“It’s my F-word. If it looks like it’s going to be fun, I want to do it,” she says.

Burnett has spent more than seven decades making people laugh. One of the best physical comedians of all time, she did it again as Norma Dellacorte in Apple TV+’s 2024 comedy “Palm Royale,” about a social climber (Kristen Wiig) desperate for her aunt-by-marriage’s inheritance. Burnett plays the conniving aunt.

In the first three episodes, Burnett didn’t even have lines, since her character was in a coma. However, being immobile couldn’t hold her back from stealing every scene.

It seems nothing could. In 1958, she landed her first gig, as a supporting comedian,...

Mimi Hines, the delightful Canadian-born actress, singer and comedian who stepped in for Barbra Streisand as Fanny Brice in the original Broadway production of Funny Girl, has died. She was 91.

Hines died Monday of natural causes at her home in Las Vegas, her friend and attorney Mark Sendroff told The Hollywood Reporter.

Hines was married to late actor-comic Phil Ford from 1954 until their 1972 divorce, and as “Ford and Hines,” they had a thriving nightclub act that was featured on variety/talk programs like Jack Paar’s The Tonight Show.

In her Broadway debut, Hines starred in Funny Girl from December 1965 through its final performance in July 1967. When she got the gig, she told The New York Times — who described her as a “mischievous sprite” — that she was not nervous.

“It’s always easier to follow a good actress than a bad one,” she said. “Miss Streisand is wonderful. [And] there is...

Mimi Hines, who along with her comedy and musical partner (and husband) Phil Ford was a staple of late-night talk shows and variety shows of the 1960s before making a name for herself on Broadway as the replacement for Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl, died peacefully of natural causes on Monday, October 21, at her home in Las Vegas. She was 91.

Her death was announced by her longtime attorney Mark Sendroff.

Born July 17, 1933, in Canada, the singer and comedian Hines met Ford in 1952 at the Last Chance Saloon in Anchorage, Ak, and began performing as a duo. They were invited to appear on The Tonight Show on August 28, 1958, where Hines’ performed of the Meredith Willson song “Till There Was You.” Legend has it that the performance brought host Jack Paar to tears, and soon the duo Ford and Hines were an in-demand booking, with appearances on The Garry Moore Show, The Hollywood Palace,...

With her 23rd Emmy nomination coming 62 years after she was first nominated for “The Garry Moore Show” in 1962, Carol Burnett has now been nominated for 14 different shows. The one she’s best known for is “The Carol Burnett Show,” her long-running and wildly popular variety show that ran from 1967 until 1978.

But there were also variety specials, dramas and comedies. And now, at the age of 91, one of the most beloved entertainers of the television age has been nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for the Apple TV+ comedy “Palm Royale,” in which she steals more than a few scenes as Norma Dellacorte, a rich society dame who spends a third of the season in a coma and then another big chunk of it conscious but unable to talk except in grunts and squawks.

The show’s 11 nominations include lead actress Kristen Wiig, who plays a desperate social...

Some actors are so good they can consistently draw attention without even trying. But Carol Burnett might be the only living legend who can literally steal scenes in her sleep. The 91-year-old actor just received her 23rd Primetime Emmy nomination for her supporting work in the satirical comedy “Palm Royale” — for playing a character who spends a good part of the season in a coma.

Created by Abe Sylvia and set in 1969, “Palm Royale” casts Burnett as Norma Dellacorte, a beloved and feared grand dame of Florida society who has been bedridden since a pulmonary episode. Her caretaker becomes Maxine Simmons-Dellacorte (played by fellow Emmy nominee Kristen Wiig), the wife of Norma’s nephew, but can only communicate her disdain through a series or groans and gibberish. Yet Burnett makes her limited capacities a master class in acting.

While that might sound difficult, Burnett dismisses such ideas. “It wasn’t a challenge at all,...

Gold Derby can exclusively reveal that Carol Burnett is entering the “Palm Royale” episode “Maxine Shakes the Tree” as her 2024 Emmy Award submission for Best Comedy Supporting Actress. “Maxine Shakes the Tree” aired on April 3 and is the fifth episode of the first season of the Apple TV+ series.

In this episode, Norma (Burnett) has awaken from her coma but is unable to pronounce words, engaging in conversations through lots of mumbling and groaning. Maxine interprets one of Norma’s murmurs to mean she should confront Douglas (Josh Lucas) about his past engagement to Linda (Laura Dern), so she brings Norma along in a wheelchair. A flashback reveals that Norma was the one who helped Douglas run away to Chattanooga for Maxine and ditch Linda at the altar. At the end, Linda tells Norma that it’s over and tosses her Rolodex’s contents into the fire while all Norma can do is groan.

Less than a year after winning her seventh career Emmy for producing her own birthday special, “90 Years of Laughter + Love,” Carol Burnett is on the verge of making even more TV academy history. Having just secured a Best Comedy Supporting Actress nomination for Apple TV+’s “Palm Royale,” she has a clear shot at not only conquering her fifth unique Emmy category but also becoming the organization’s very first nonagenarian acting champion.

Set in 1969, “Palm Royale” is the first non-sketch series on which Burnett has ever played a regular role. She appears throughout the inaugural season as Norma Dellacorte, an initially comatose Florida socialite who, like all of the women in her circle, harbors some rather heavy secrets. The show is up for a total of 11 Emmys, including Best Comedy Series and Actress (Kristen Wiig).

The current record for oldest acting Emmy winner belongs to Betty White, who was...

The nominations for the 76th annual Emmys have dropped. There were some records broken, a lot of surprises including 36 first-time nominees and some major snubs. And a lot of fun facts and trivia about this year’s nominees. FX’s period drama series “Shogun” earning 25 Emmy nominations this year, the most of any dramatic series this year. The original NBC miniseries adaptation of the James Clavell best-seller which starred Richard Chamberlain and the legendary Toshiro Mifune received 14 nominations and won for limited series, costume design, graphic design and title sequences. Hulu’s “The Bear” broke the record for most nominations for a comedy series earning 23 nominations. NBC’s “30 Rock” had held the record with 22 nominations since 2009. Native Americans finally have some representation in this year’s nomination with Lily Gladstone and Kali Reis earning outstanding supporting actress nominations for Hulu’s “Under the Bridge” and HBO’s “True Detective: Night Country.

Less than a year after winning her seventh career Emmy for co-producing her own birthday special, “90 Years of Laughter + Love,” Carol Burnett is preparing to make even more TV academy history. The small screen legend is on the verge of earning her first Best Comedy Supporting Actress nomination for Apple TV+’s “Palm Royale,” which would also be her first bid for a regular role on a non-sketch series. If she succeeds on this possible outing, she will set a new record as the first nonagenarian winner of any acting Emmy.

Set in 1969, “Palm Royale” features Burnett in the role of Norma Dellacorte, an initially comatose Florida socialite who, like all of the women in her circle, harbors some rather heavy secrets. Although she has so far been exclusively credited as a special guest star on the show, she does not presently qualify for guest category placement since she appears...

Carol Burnett is unstoppable. The coolest 91-year-old in show biz, Burnett is a contender for her 25th Emmy nomination for her role as Norma Dellacorte, the powerful maven of Palm Beach society who knows where all the bodies are buried and is not above a little blackmail in Apple TV +’s “Palm Royale.” She won her first Emmy in 1962 for her work on CBS’ “The Garry Moore Show” and her 25th last year for NBC’s “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love.” And her beloved CBS 1967-78 comedy variety series “The Carol Burnett Show’” won 25 Emmys.

But did you know Burnett was a Broadway baby? She made her debut as the “Shy” Princess Winnifred on the Great White Way in 1959 in the musical comedy “Once Upon a Mattress” for which she was nominated for a Tony and received a Theatre World honor. She also reprised her role in...

In the first few episodes of Apple TV+ series Palm Royale, Carol Burnett is entirely horizontal. And rightly so, since her character Norma Dellacorte in a coma. Fortunately though, Norma recovers in time to rip through some seriously juicy scenes with Kristin Wiig, who names Burnett, who turned 91 in April, as her career inspiration. “When they told me who was going to be in it,” says Burnett, “Kristen Wiig and Allison Janney and Laura Dern and Ricky Martin and Julia Duffy, I said, ‘I don’t care what it is. I want to be a part of it.’” From Burnett’s early days hosting long-running comedy-variety series The Carol Burnett Show, to films like A Wedding, Annie and Mad About You, to Better Call Saul, she has blazed a trail, garnering seven Emmys, a Tony and a Grammy along the way. Here, she recalls some favorite memories, picks her best...

Tom Smothers, one half of the Smothers Brothers musical comedy duo, died on Dec. 26 in Santa Rosa, Calif. due to cancer. He was 86.

Smothers’ younger brother and co-star of “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” Dick Smothers announced that Tom died at home with his family.

Dick Smothers said in a statement, “Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner. I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage — the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.”

Tom and Dick Smothers were known for their musical comedy act in which they performed folk songs on acoustic guitar and double bass, respectively, and bantered together. Elder brother Tom was known for his signature line,...

Since its debut on CBS on September 11, 1967, there was something distinctively special about "The Carol Burnett Show." This sketch comedy series spanned 279 episodes during its initial run, featuring acclaimed performances and comedic skits that were witty, sharp, and heavy on detail. Every actor who was a part of the show slipped into the shoes of a variety of characters that still remain memorable, including Carol Burnett's Charwoman (her signature role), and her parody of silent-film actress Nora Desmond. Some sketches were parodies of classic films such as "Gone With The Wind" or "Sunset Boulevard," while others mimicked soap opera structures or commercial spoofs.

By 1977, the popularity of the show had spiked, leading to some of the outstanding sketches being re-edited into standalone programs compiled in "Carol Burnett and Friends," which mashed the best skits into half-hour episodes. While the show relied on guest stars such as Jim Nabors and...

While I was growing up back in the days when dinosaurs still roamed the earth, there wasn’t a ton of debate over who the funniest women in show business were. It was Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett, usually (but not always) in that order. Lucy was the First Lady of Television, and Carol was the dame who seemingly could do anything on a stage. She could sing, she could dance, she could tell jokes, she could wear crazy outfits with uncommon flair. It didn’t even matter if she sang or danced well, because performing something poorly would simply make her the butt of the joke – and no one could do that better than her.

I attended Hollywood High School and was always proud that it was also Burnett’s alma mater. She took out a full-page ad annually in the yearbook congratulating that year’s senior class. It...

Six-time Emmy winner Carol Burnett hit the red carpet Friday, May 19 at the NBCU FYC House in Los Angeles. She was there to celebrate her 90th birthday special, “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love,” which premiered Wednesday, April 26 on NBC. Gold Derby senior editor Denton Davidson caught up with the legendary performer to discuss her career and which other Hollywood icon she would most like to work with next. Watch the exclusive red carpet interview above (or read the full transcript below).

See Carol Burnett (’90 Years of Laughter + Love’): ‘I was absolutely thrilled with the way it turned out’ [Exclusive Interview]

Denton Davidson:

“90 Years of Laughter and Love.” I’m just curious, what makes you laugh the hardest and what do you love the most?

Carol Burnett:

Oh my goodness. Well, what makes me laugh the hardest is when my cat wants to eat and she takes the phone off the hook.

Legendary performer Carol Burnett could add even more accomplishments to her stellar TV career this summer. She has two different programs that could extend her Emmy Awards nomination streak. A bid for either show would make her the first person to ever be nominated in seven consecutive decades. For this past television season, she produced “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love” and co-starred on the drama series “Better Call Saul.”

Her career has included 24 nominations with six wins along the way for “The Garry Moore Show” (1962), “Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall” (1963), “The Carol Burnett Show” and “Mad About You” (1997). She has also received major life achievement awards from the Kennedy Center Honors, Screen Actors Guild, Mark Twain Prize and TV Academy Hall of Fame.

For our recent interview, Burnett singles out the Kennedy Center as one of the highlights, adding, “At the Kennedy Center, you don’t...

Although her acting on her eponymous 11-season variety show was consistently overlooked by the TV academy, Carol Burnett has still racked up two dozen Emmy nominations and six wins over the course of six decades. Having just reached the age of 90, she is now on the verge of earning her first Best Drama Supporting Actress notice for AMC’s “Better Call Saul,” which would also be her first for a supporting or lead role on a non-sketch series. If she succeeds on this possible bid, she will set a new precedent as the first nonagenarian to ever win an acting Emmy.

Burnett joined the cast of “Better Call Saul” for the second part of its sixth and final season, which aired from July to August 2022. Her character, Marion, is the elderly mother of a cab driver who becomes an accomplice of seasoned criminal Jimmy “Saul Goodman” McGill (Bob Odenkirk). Although...

Wednesday marks a very special milestone for Carol Burnett, as she celebrates her 90th birthday in style with the help of NBC.

The network’s two-hour celebration, dubbed “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love,” will take viewers back to some of Burnett’s funniest and most memorable moments — from her Broadway debut in “Once Upon a Mattress,” her early appearances on “The Garry Moore Show,” her hit films “The Four Seasons,” “A Wedding,” “Pete ‘n’ Tillie,” and her iconic role as Miss Hannigan in “Annie”; to her acclaimed sketch comedy series “The Carol Burnett Show,” which ran for 11 seasons on CBS and played an instrumental role in the evolution of comedy.

The special, which was filmed at Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles, is produced by Burnett, Brian Miller, Steve Sauer, Paul Miller and Baz Halpin, Mark Bracco & Linda Gierahn of Silent House Productions.

“We went back all the...

Carol Burnett has always made the audience her priority. Over 11 seasons of her landmark variety show, she indulged fans in countless Tarzan yells, never reshot a sketch when one of her co-stars cracked up and prided herself on getting The Carol Burnett Show‘s weekly crowds (and its staff) out of the studio in time for dinner. Naturally, during the recent taping of the upcoming NBC special Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love, she avoided the trappings of a clip show. And she kept things moving. “It’s a two-hour show, and we were done in about two-and-a-half,” she says of her early birthday party — filmed in front of a live audience. “I want people to feel like they’re seeing a Broadway show, not sitting around waiting for scenery or costume changes.”

As she turns 90 on April 26, the day her special drops, Burnett’s love of comedy...

Perry Cross, who served as Johnny Carson’s first producer on The Tonight Show before he exited to run an ABC program hosted by Jerry Lewis that came and went after 13 episodes, has died. He was 95.

Cross died March 9 of kidney cancer at a hospital in Los Angeles, his son, Larry Cross, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Cross started out producing Ernie Kovacs’ CBS weekday morning show in 1952 and also worked on The Red Skelton Hour, Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, The Soupy Sales Show, Life With Linkletter, The Garry Moore Show and several Jonathan Winters live specials during his career.

Cross had been producing The Tonight Show in the immediate aftermath of host Jack Paar’s departure on March 30, 1962, guiding the NBC program in Hollywood and New York that featured guest hosts for six months until Carson took over.

NBC wanted Cross to be Carson’s producer,...

Funny is funny, and comedy icon Carol Burnett knows that like no other. She’s been making people laugh since she took the stage in 1959 on The Garry Moore Show, who she credits for being her best mentor. Now the cherished, ear-tugging phenomenon humbly takes a seat in the audience (and also takes the stage), this time at the Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles, where stars pay tribute to her work and celebrate her 90th birthday in NBC’s two-hour special Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love airing Wednesday, April 26. This once-in-a-lifetime party has a guest list like no other that includes Vicki Lawrence, Julie Andrews, Bob Mackie, Lily Tomlin, Susan Lucci, Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Cher, Ellen DeGeneres, Kristen Wiig, Sofia Vergara, Steve Carell and so many others. Some of the musical tributes include “Old Friends” dedicated to Burnett’s 60-year friendship with Julie Andrews, highlights from Annie and...

NBC is celebrating the life of the incredible artist who’s brought joy to millions with Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love. The two-hour special event featuring dozens of Burnett’s famous friends and fans will air on April 26, 2023 at 8pm Et/Pt.

“I’m so excited NBC decided to throw me a birthday party and invited all of my closest friends,” said Carol Burnett. “I can’t wait to look back at so many wonderful moments throughout my career, I feel so lucky to share this night with everyone.”

The career retrospective will include musical performances by Bernadette Peters, Billy Porter, Jane Lynch, Katy Perry, and Kristin Chenoweth.

“It’s hard to imagine anyone in television more beloved than Carol Burnett,” said Jen Neal, Executive Vice President, Live Events and Specials, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “To throw this wonderful birthday celebration is clearly our honor, and we can...

In celebration of her 90th birthday, NBC has announced they will celebrate Carol Burnett‘s legendary career with a star-studded special titled “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love.” Filmed at the Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles, the two-hour festivity will air Wednesday, April 26 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt and stream the next day on Peacock. Watch Burnett herself invite everyone to her 90th birthday party above.

According to a press release, “The star-studded event will feature an A-list lineup of musical performances and special guests who will come together to share their love for one of the most cherished comediennes in television history.”

See Golden Globes favorite Ryan Murphy honored with Carol Burnett Award

Performers include Bernadette Peters, Billy Porter, Jane Lynch, Katy Perry, Kristin Chenoweth and more. The musical tributes will pay homage to Burnett’s renowned career performances, including: “Old Friends,” dedicated to her 60-year friendship with Julie Andrews,...

Comedy icon Carol Burnett is getting a special 90th birthday televised celebration from NBC. Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love will be a career retrospective airing on Burnett’s 90th birthday, Wednesday, April 26, at 8/7c. The two-hour special will gather Burnett’s close friends, colleagues, and admirers for a night of unforgettable musical performances and personal tributes. Filmed at Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles, Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love will feature musical performances from Bernadette Peters, Billy Porter, Jane Lynch, Katy Perry, Kristin Chenoweth, and more, all focused on celebrating different aspects of Burnett’s long life and career, from her Broadway debut in Once Upon a Mattress through her early appearances on The Garry Moore Show, her hit films The Four Seasons, A Wedding, Pete ‘n’ Tillie, and her iconic role as Miss Hannigan in Annie, to her acclaimed sketch comedy series The Carol Burnett Show,...

NBC will pay tribute to Carol Burnett on her 90th birthday with Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love. The two-hour special will air on her birthday, Wednesday, April 26 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt and will also stream the next day on Peacock.

Filmed at Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles, the special will feature an A-list lineup of musical performances from Bernadette Peters, Billy Porter, Jane Lynch, Katy Perry, Kristin Chenoweth and more. Musical tributes will pay homage to Burnett’s renowned career performances, including: “Old Friends,” dedicated to her 60-year friendship with Julie Andrews; “Only an Octave Apart,” which Burnett sang alongside Beverly Sills in the 1976 television special Sills and Burnett at the Met; songs from the film Annie; and a tribute to her classic theme song, “I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together” from The Carol Burnett Show.

Special guests include Aileen Quinn, Amy Poehler, Bill Hader,...

Comedy legend Carol Burnett will celebrate her 90th birthday and illustrious career in style on NBC. The broadcast network will air a two-hour special entitled “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love” on Wednesday, April 26 at 8 p.m. Et.

The celebration, which will be filmed at Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles and stream on Peacock the following day, will share some of Burnett’s funniest and most memorable moments, from her Broadway debut in “Once Upon a Mattress,” her early appearances on “The Garry Moore Show,” her hit films “The Four Seasons,” “A Wedding,” “Pete ‘n’ Tillie,” and her iconic role as Miss Hannigan in “Annie,” to her acclaimed sketch comedy series “The Carol Burnett Show,” which ran for 11 seasons on CBS and played an instrumental role in the evolution of comedy.

“It’s hard to imagine anyone in television more beloved than Carol Burnett,” Jen Neal, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming...

Click here to read the full article.

Bill Robinson, the well-liked talent agent and manager who represented the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Carol Burnett, James Garner and Robert Duvall during his long career, has died. He was 92.

Robinson died Aug. 6 at his home in Malibu after a long illness, his family announced.

Robinson’s clients also included Judith Anderson, Tony Bill, Glenda Jackson, Waylon Jennings, Jayne Mansfield and Maggie Smith, and he gave Mike Medavoy (real first name: Morris) his first job as an agent.

“‘You’re gonna have a hard time in this business as a Morris,’ Bill Robinson told me when he hired me … at his agency,” Medavoy, the producer and studio executive, wrote in his 2002 book, You’re Only as Good as Your Next One: 100 Great Films, 100 Good Films, and 100 for Which I Should Be Shot.

“‘You got a middle name?’ ‘Mike,’ I told him.

When Carol Burnett was announced as being a guest star in the final season of “Better Call Saul,” awards pundits everywhere had the same thought: would she be the one to finally break the show’s Emmy curse? Indeed, the AMC drama is 0-39 at the Emmys so far and has seven more nominations this year. However, there’s a wacky Emmy rule you may not know about that prevents Burnett from earning a guest actress nomination at next year’s ceremony.

The Emmy rule in question states that “only performers appearing in less than 50 of the eligible episodes can submit in the Guest Performer categories.” What does that mean in layman’s terms? “Better Call Saul” split up its sixth and final season into two parts, with episodes 1-7 competing at the current 2022 Emmys and episodes 8-13 competing at the 2023 Emmys. Burnett has so far appeared in three episodes...

Carol Burnett – comedic trailblazer, actor, singer, dancer, producer and author – has been named the 52nd recipient of SAG-aftra’s highest tribute: the SAG Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment. Burnett will be presented the performers union’s top accolade at the 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016 at 8 p.m. (Et), 7 p.m. (Ct), 6 p.m. (Mt) and 5 p.m. (Pt). Given annually to an actor who fosters the “finest ideals of the acting profession,” the SAG Life Achievement Award will join Burnett’s exceptional catalog of preeminent industry and public honors, which includes multiple Emmys, a special Tony, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and both a Kennedy Center Honor and its Mark Twain Prize for Humor.

In making today’s announcement, SAG-aftra President Ken Howard said, “Carol Burnett is a creative dynamo and a comedic genius.

Everyone knows Woody Allen. At least, everyone thinks they know Woody Allen. His plumage is easily identifiable: horn-rimmed glasses, baggy suit, wispy hair, kvetching demeanor, ironic sense of humor, acute fear of death. As is his habitat: New York City, though recently he has flown as far afield as London, Barcelona, and Paris. His likes are well known: Bergman, Dostoevsky, New Orleans jazz. So too his dislikes: spiders, cars, nature, Wagner records, the entire city of Los Angeles. Whether or not these traits represent the true Allen, who’s to say? It is impossible to tell, with Allen, where cinema ends and life begins, an obfuscation he readily encourages. In the late nineteen-seventies, disillusioned with the comedic success he’d found making such films as Sleeper (1973), Love and Death (1975), and Annie Hall (1977), he turned for darker territory with Stardust Memories (1980), a film in which, none too surprisingly, he plays a...

When Carol Burnett launched her namesake variety show in the 1960s, one TV executive told her the genre was “a man’s game.” She proved him wrong with an 11-year run that averaged 30 million viewers each week.

On Sunday, the trailblazing comedienne received the nation’s top humor prize at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Top entertainers including Julie Andrews, Tony Bennett, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and others performed in Burnett’s honor as she received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

The show will be taped and broadcast Nov. 24 on PBS stations.

“This is very encouraging,...

When Carol Burnett launched her namesake variety show in the 1960s, one TV executive told her the genre was “a man’s game.” She proved him wrong with an 11-year run that averaged 30 million viewers each week.

On Sunday, the trailblazing comedienne received the nation’s top humor prize at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Top entertainers including Julie Andrews, Tony Bennett, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and others performed in Burnett’s honor as she received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

The show will be taped and broadcast Nov. 24 on PBS stations.

“This is very encouraging,...

Charles Lisanby, a three-time Emmy Award winner and the only art director enshrined in the Television Academy’s Hall of Fame, has died. He was 89. Lisanby, who helped pioneer color television scenic design, died Aug. 23 at his Los Angeles home of complications following a fall, publicist Leonard Morpurgo said. A great friend of famed pop artist Andy Warhol, Lisanby designed The Garry Moore Show, the legendary comedy show that introduced Carol Burnett to TV audiences, and designed numerous variety shows for stars such as Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Mitzi Gaynor, Diana Ross and Dolly Parton. Photos: Hollywood's Notable Deaths

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Chicago – Say or sing “I’m so glad we had this time together…” and persons of a certain generation will immediately respond, “…just to have a laugh or sing a song.” The theme to the “The Carol Burnett Show” is indelibly etched in show business memory, and Time Life Video is taking advantage of those days with the DVD release of “The Carol Burnett Show: Carol’s Favorites.”

Rating: 3.0/5.0

This is a supposed compilation of Carol Burnett’s favorites episodes, in their entirety, as if we were settling down to watch an episode so many Saturday nights ago. This is advantageous to get a feel for how the show was presented in that era of television, but it also demands patience through a lot of throwaway gags and songs – remember when Vicki Lawrence had a chart topping singing career? Remember driving a Ford Frick? This is a different kind of TV sketch comedy,...

I remember staying with my grandparents as a child either because my mother had to work or I just spent the night with them. One of the shows they watched on their big wooden TV / display table was The Carol Burnett Show. I loved seeing the bumbling cartoon lady come out and sweep the floor.

The curtain would go up and Carol would come out all smiles in a shiny dress and answer questions from the crowd. I never got the jokes but they were obviously funny from the audience's reaction. The show made a big impact on me as I would come home from school and watch it every day in reruns. 

Thanks to Time-Life we can all relive 50 of Carol Burnett's favorite episodes of the long-running television series. They're collected on 22 discs in five boxes in The Carol Burnett: The Ultimate Collection. Sketches spotlighted on the...

By Allen Gardner

Quadrophenia (Criterion) Franc Roddam’s 1979 film based on The Who’s classic rock opera tells the story of working class lad Jimmy (Phil Daniels) struggling to find his identity in a rapidly changing Britain, circa 1965. Jimmy is a “mod,” a youth movement dedicated to wearing snappy suits, driving Vespa motor scooters bedecked with side mirrors, popping amphetamines and obsessed with the new sound of bands like The Who and The Kinks. Their other pastime is engaging in bloody brawls with “rockers,” throwbacks to the 1950s, who listen to Elvis and Gene Vincent, wear leather biker gear, grease in their hair and drive massive motorcycles a la Marlon Brando in “The Wild One.” Often cited as a worthy successor to “Rebel Without a Cause” as the greatest angry youth picture ever made, it is that and more, including a first cousin to the “kitchen sink” dramas of scribes John Osborne,...

TV comedy writer Jack Elinson, whose career stretched over 50 years, died Thursday at his home in Santa Monica. He was 89. His numerous credits as writer during the 1950s included the series All-Star Revue, The Colgate Comedy Hour, The Duke, The Jimmy Durante Show, Hey, Jeannie!, The Johnny Carson Show, and The Real McCoys. During the 1960s, The Danny Thomas Show (aka Make Room for Daddy), The Andy Griffith Show, Hogan’s Heroes, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (producer), Run, Buddy, Run (producer), and That Girl (producer). He wrote and served as producer on many series in the ’70s, such as Good Times (producer), and One Day at Time (executive producer), as well as The Doris Day Show (producer), Arnie and the animated sitcom Wait Till Your Father Gets Home. During the ’80s, his work included The Facts of Life (executive producer) and 227, the Marla Gibbs-starring comedy series which...

Andy Rooney, longtime commentator on the CBS news show 60 Minutes, delivered his last on-air essay four weeks ago and passed away last night at the age of 92. According to CBS News, Rooney faced serious complications from a minor surgery and had been hospitalized since Oct. 25. Rooney joined 60 Minutes in 1970 after a career writing for The Garry Moore Show. Rooney won a Peabody Award for his on-air essays and Emmy Awards in 1979, 1981 and 1982 for his A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney essays that wrapped the 60 Minutes broadcasts.

Andy Rooney, longtime commentator on the CBS news show 60 Minutes, delivered his last on-air essay four weeks ago and passed away last night at the age of 92. According to CBS News, Rooney faced serious complications from a minor surgery and had been hospitalized since Oct. 25. Rooney joined 60 Minutes in 1970 after a career writing for The Garry Moore Show. Rooney won a Peabody Award for his on-air essays and Emmy Awards in 1979, 1981 and 1982 for his A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney essays that wrapped the 60 Minutes broadcasts.

Andy Rooney, longtime commentator on the CBS news show 60 Minutes, delivered his last on-air essay four weeks ago and passed away last night at the age of 92. According to CBS News, Rooney faced serious complications from a minor surgery and had been hospitalized since Oct. 25. Rooney joined 60 Minutes in 1970 after a career writing for The Garry Moore Show. Rooney won a Peabody Award for his on-air essays and Emmy Awards in 1979, 1981 and 1982 for his A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney essays that wrapped the 60 Minutes broadcasts.

American TV producer/director Bob Banner has died after losing his battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 89.

The Emmy Award-winning star passed away on Wednesday at the Motion Picture and Television Fund home in Woodland Hills, California, where he lived.

Banner began his career in children's TV before taking directorial duties on pioneering talk show Garroway at Large, which ran from 1949 to 1951.

The star won an Emmy Award in 1958 as director of The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, and went on to oversee The Garry Moore Show, before working on The Carol Burnett Show in the 1970s.

Banner also used his talent to work on several charity shows, including 1964's Freedom Spectacular, featuring Bill Cosby and Sammy Davis Jr. and a 1988 AIDS benefit concert hosted by Dionne Warwick. He worked on 1980s talent show Star Search and his last project was the 1990s series Real Kids, Real Adventures.

John Shaffner, chairman of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, has paid tribute to Banner in a statement: "Bob was a true television legend. Over a long and elegant career he produced much memorable programming. He mentored so many of us, educating and encouraging young people to enter the television profession, including myself so many years ago. The television community has lost one its founders, and it is a deep personal loss for many of us. We will remember him with fondness and gratitude."

Banner is survived by his wife, Alice, three sons and two grandchildren.

As we all eagerly anticipate the upcoming release of "The Twilight Zone: Season 2" onto Blu-ray high definition this November 16th, Image Entertainment, the rock stars that they are, have already released the goods on Season 3!

As per High-Def Digest:

"The release will be a 5-disc set and will contain all 37 episodes in the third season in 1080p video, an uncompressed monaural soundtrack, and supplements include: Audio commentaries by actors Bill Mumy, Lois Nettleton, William Windom, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Cornthwaite and Cliff Robertson; Audio commentary by Jonathan Winters for "A Game of Pool," plus Winters reads the alternate ending from the original script; Clip from the 1989 remake of "A Game of Pool," featuring George Clayton Johnson's original ending; Clip from the 1985 remake of "Dead Man's Shoes," featuring Helen Mirren in "Dead Woman's Shoes"; Vintage audio recollections with Buzz Kulik, Buck Houghton, Richard L. Bare, Lamont Johnson and Earl Hamner; and...

Comedy writer and producer Mickey Ross, an Emmy winner who worked on "All in the Family," "The Jeffersons" and "Three's Company," died Tuesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of complications from a stroke and heart attack. He was 89.

In the 1950s, Ross formed a comedy partnership with fellow City College of New York alumnus Bernie West (Class of '39). They worked on "The Martha Raye Show" and there developed a relationship with Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin, the creators of the landmark "All in the Family" sitcom for CBS.

Ross was a writer, story editor and executive producer for 81 episodes of the show. He shared with West and Lee Kalcheim the 1973 Emmy for outstanding writing achievement in comedy for the episode "The Bunkers and the Swingers," where Edith answers a magazine personal ad from a couple seeking new friends.

Ross and West also wrote for and executive produced "The Jeffersons,...