I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together With Carol Burnett

The next genius to attain PBS' American Masters status is comedienne Carol Burnett. PBS will air “American Masters — Carol Burnett: a Woman of Character" on November 5; check your local PBS station listings for the exact time. Burnett's variety program aired for 11 years, and I still have fond memories of watching it as a kid with my parents. I plucked a few interesting excerpts from a recent interview with Burnett that I found on the PopMatters site:

She doesn’t watch television much these days, Burnett admits. “Now, it’s all pretty much reality shows, and they can only go so far. And I miss the good dramas and I miss good comedies. And I do miss variety. I mean singing, dancing, sketches, costumes, guest stars. I mean, maybe somebody can come back and a network would have the faith in someone who would do that. I can think of a few people who would be wonderful, but it’s really the suits, they run it.”

Here, here, sister!

“The synergy was just right and wonderful ... I feel sorry for anybody kind of starting out today that might want to do what we did, because I don’t think it can be done anymore,” says Burnett.

“I don’t think a network would have the faith in it, nor would they want to put the money into it. It would cost a lot more now to do what we did then.”

It's so sadly true. I love the old variety programs, but I also don't think they would work today simply because we don't have the talent. I don't want any part of a variety show where Britney Tears, Messica Simpson, or any hip hop "singer" is brought on as the "special musical guest."

I recently found this Glenn Miller tribute that Burnett's show did in the 70s, and I'm not ashamed to admit it made me tear up...especially when Harvey Korman starts singing "The Gal From Kalamazoo." My Glenny would be happy; it makes him so proud.