The Carol Burnett Show Collector's Edition - Vol. 15 (Episodes 1121 & 1122)

Both shows were aired in March of 1978, the show's final season (sans Harvey Korman). But what a guest line-up!!Show #1 has the irrepressible Steve Martin (at the height of his stand-up comedy popularity) & the very talented Betty White. The show starts off with another chapter of the ridiculous soap "As The Stomach Turns". This time, it has an extraterrestrial twist as they spoof "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"...complete with a doorbell chiming the familiar alien greeting & Steve Martin playing "Richard Dryface". Carol's daughter Vicki Lawrence returns with an alien baby (with antennae, no less!). And guess who's the father? Tim Conway, hilarious as a bulbous-headed, silver-skinned alien! Hysterical! Speaking of hysterical, Martin does a comedy routine...for dogs only, dredging up every old dog joke imaginable. The "Family" sketch returns as Eunice begs well-to-do & selfish sister Ellen (White) to take Mama (Lawrence) off her hands for good. There's a park bench sketch with Carol & Tim. Then, the shows wraps up with "Beach Blanket Boo-Boo", a funny-cheesy musical-comedy tribute to all those funny-cheesy 60's beach party movies.Show #2 has not two but three great guests. James Garner, George Carlin & returning guest Ken Berry make for a diversely entertaining show. Included: A sketch about group therapy which comes completely unraveled; Carlin pitching an irreverent off-the-wall offer ("Every Song Made Collection"); Berry & Lawrence in a song & dance bit; Carol & Garner as lovers saying an absurdly "long goodbye"; Carlin as a dental patient at the mercy of the assistant (his bitter ex-wife); and a musical finale with "street musicians" Carol & Berry. A recurring sketch throughout the show has a long-suffering construction worker (Conway) finding different ways to murder his annoying pinhead of a wife (Carol)...and each one backfires hilariously.With the passing of comedy legend Carlin, plus the wonderful range of guest talent, this volume is a definite keeper!

From 1973: The late great Richard Crenna & comically talented Ruth Buzzi are the guests. Included: Cornering a criminal in a warehouse, a husband-and-wife cop team (Carol, Richard) spend most of the time bickering over their marriage; a musical-comedy about an adorable wind-up doll (Ruth); "Celebrities and Peasants", a game show hosted by Lyle, pairs a feather-headed star (Ruth) with an "average nobody" (Carol); a montage salute to "bad girl" movie roles; and a musical-comedy finale about the invention of the mimeo to turn-of-the-century women.From 1975: The four Pointer Sisters (who would go on to chart-topping success in the 80's) are the guests. Included: A memorably dysfunctional "family" sketch has Eunice, Ed, Mama & Mickey (Carol, Harvey, Vicki & Tim) playing charades which spirals hilariously out of control; the Pointers bring some stylish funk with the song "How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side)"; a woman (Carol) seeking a sympathetic ear gets anything but from a weary bartender (Harvey); a running gag bit with Tim trying to sing a straight rendition of a song; a silent comedy sketch has two hungry bums (Carol, Tim) earning cash for food as they go up against Killer Bronco (Harvey) in the ring; a "square" singing group (the Pointers) clash with the sensibilities of a hip, groovy radio DJ (Harvey, cleverly funny here); and Carol & Vicki join the Pointers in a lively comedy-gospel rendition of "Get Me to the Church on Time" in the finale.Once again, this volume demonstrates what a landmark comedy-variety program "The Carol Burnett Show" proved to be!

Carol Burnett can sing, dance, do drama or do comedy. She and her regular co stars are "the bomb", especially in the "Family" sketch featuring Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, Harvey Korman and Carol as a working class southern family trying to play Charades. The fabulous Pointer Sisters (Ruth, Anita, Bonnie & June) sing their #1 R&B hit How Long (Betcha Got A Chick On The Side), play a straight-laced vocal group facing off a super hip radio DJ and join Carol and her female chorus in a rousing gospel version of "Get Me To The Church On Time" from the musical "My Fair Lady". With Carol and the Pointers, you can't go wrong!!!!