CAROL BURNETT SHOW, THE {THE CARPENTERS, TIM CONWAY} (TV)
Summary
One in this series of comedy/variety programs starring Carol Burnett. This program features special guests Tim Conway and The Carpenters. The episode begins as Burnett takes the stage and introduces Conway, who does one of his famed deadpan animal impressions. The Carpenters then perform “Superstar.” The first sketch is about a married couple who are attempting to fix up a run-down mountain cabin for their leisurely use, but their construction skills are somewhat lacking and they repeated injure themselves and each other with various tools, including a sledgehammer and some very quick-drying cement. Eventually they share a drink and toast to their hard work, but even that proves to be destructive. Next, Burnett joins Karen and Richard Carpenter onstage and they sing the “Bacharach/David Medley” that includes such songs as “Knowing When To Leave,” “Make It Easy On Yourself,” “(“There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me,” “Walk On By” and “Do You Know the Way to San Jose.”
In the next sketch, a nervous doctor an airheaded nurse hurriedly prep a patient for emergency surgery, and the doctor is relieved to hear that they will soon be joined by the famous Dr. Frisbee, who is well-known for his prodigious operating skills. When the man arrives, however, he turns out to be quite elderly and slow-moving and has trouble reading the X-ray, although he has no problem feeling up the nurse. He struggles extensively with his rubber gloves and attempts to do the surgery, but it goes badly and the other doctor finally declares him a disgrace to the profession and attempts to take the patient elsewhere—but Dr. Frisbee is forced to come along, as he has accidentally stitched himself to the table. Next is an episode of “Tearjerker Theatre,” in which the overly emotional host presents an “alternate ending” to the classic “Lovely Story” (a parody of “Love Story”) in which Jennifer did not die and she and Oliver are still together ten years down the road. Oliver arrives home from work and is greeted with wild enthusiasm by his oddly-dressed and extremely affectionate wife, and he is annoyed by her hovering and melodramatic music playing from the next room. She refuses to leave him alone and illuminates all the things that love “means,” and he finally declares that he is leaving her. She immediately takes ill, and when the doctor is summoned, he diagnoses her with a broken heart. Despite his hearty attempts at mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, Jennifer dies, and the two men sadly “bury” her in the fold-out sofa as they mourn. In the final number, Burnett, her guests and a number of backup dancers reenact an old-timey radio show at the Tropicana in which different musical groups perform such numbers as “You’re Blasé” and “Body and Soul,” and Karen Carpenter briefly shows off her talents as a drummer. Burnett then closes the show by making an appeal for pollution prevention, singing her signature good-night song and adding Conway and the Carpenters’ autographs to her guest book. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: September 22, 1971 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:51:34
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:59458
- GENRE: Comedy/Variety
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy/Variety
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1967-1978
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Joe Hamilton … Executive Producer
- Arnie Rosen … Producer
- Robert Wright … Associate Producer
- Don Hinkley … Writer
- Stan Hart … Writer
- Larry Siegel … Writer
- Woody Kling … Writer
- Roger Beatty … Writer
- Art Baer … Writer
- Ben Joelson … Writer
- Stan Burns … Writer
- Mike Marmer … Writer
- Dave Powers … Director
- Ernest Flat … Choreographer
- Carol Burnett … Host, Cast
- Tim Conway … Guest
- The Carpenters … Cast
- Vicki Lawrence … Cast
- Harvey Korman … Cast