LITTLE ROCK — What is it? The Carol Burnett Show, multiple set options from Time Life
How much? $12.95-$199.95
When? Now
Isn’t she the one who used to tug on her ear? Yes indeed. But more than that, Carol Burnett was a pioneer for women and comedians in general, and her popular series ran for 11 seasons (1967-1978).
It was more than just a sketch comedy series. It was a full-on variety show - complete with song and dance numbers. Sometimes episodes even featured elaborately produced mini-musicals.
The focus, though, and the show’s real selling point, was the comedy.
Along with co-stars Tim Conway, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence and Lyle Waggoner, Burnett introduced classic recurring sketches such as The Oldest Man, The Family and Tudball and Wiggins.
The series was smart, silly, ridiculous and loving - particularly when it came to its parodies, like a musical version of Hamlet, an extended homage to Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland movies and a sketch that lampoons soap operas and The Exorcist at the same time. Then, of course,there is what may be the series’ most famous sketch: a Gone With the Wind parody “Went With the Wind.”
The more you know about classic movies and ’70s television, the funnier all this will be.
As with any sketch comedy show, some bits are duds and some are bona fide gems. Because these episodes were cherry-picked, you get more gems than duds.
There are different choices for different levels of fans, from the single-disc set to the 22-disc Ultimate Collection.
The Ultimate Collection includes 50 episodes and a whole raft of extras, some of which are also available on the smaller Carol’s Favorites set, which boasts 16 episodes hand-picked by Burnett.
But it’s only with the Ultimate Collection that you get the collectible box and the 20-page memory book.
So what are the extras? Too many to list here in detail, so here’s a quick and incomplete rundown:
A 35-minute reunion with cast members Conway, Burnett, Lawrence and Waggoner (Korman died in 2008).
A long list of special featurettes on recurring sketches, movie parodies, the writers, Burnett’s influence on entertainment and so on.
Full episodes of The Garry Moore Show, in which Burnett appeared and first did her famed Tarzan yell on TV.
Interviews with cast members, writers, famous fans and frequent guest stars, including Betty White and Bernadette Peters.
Harvey Korman & Tim Conway - Together Again: A 45-minute interview with the two from 2004.
It’s an extensive collection of, all told, roughly 20 hours of bonus features. In other words? It could keep you busy for a while.
Each individual set has a handy booklet, listing the production numbers and sketches as well as some trivia and background for each episode.
New this week: Cagney & Lacey, Season 2 and Complete Series; The Dick Van Dyke Show, Complete Series (Blu-ray); The Flintstones, Complete Series; Friends, Complete Series (Blu-ray); Lost Girl, Season 2; Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, Complete Series; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Complete Classic Series Collection.
Next week: Diff ’rent Strokes, Season 4; Game of Thrones, Season 1 Collector’s Edition; McMillan and Wife, Complete Series; Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Complete Series.
Style, Pages 52 on 11/11/2012