Carol Burnett is making the rounds promoting her new Netflix series, “A Little Help,” which I haven’t seen, but from the preview looks like it includes her interacting with some kids who help solve adults’ problems. It’ll probably be cute. But as she goes from venue to venue (including Jimmy Kimmel’s show Monday night), I wish any interviewer would talk with Burnett about some of the dozens of other projects she’s done besides her legendary CBS sketch comedy show.
Just a few examples, in chronological order:
- In 1967, as “Ozark Annie,” she absolutely stole an episode of “Get Smart” away from Don Adams and Barbara Feldon.
- In 1975, she had a small role in Billy Wilder’s remake of “The Front Page” with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau;
- In 1979, she co-starred with Ned Beatty in the TV movie drama “Friendly Fire” as the parents of a son killed by his fellow soldiers in Vietnam;
- In 1981, she co-starred in Alan Alda’s “The Four Seasons” in a cast that included Rita Moreno, Jack Weston, Len Cariou, Sandy Dennis, and Bess Armstrong;
- In 1992, she appeared on the legendary “Spider Episode” of Garry Shandling’s “The Larry Sanders Show.”
I guarantee you Burnett has great stories about any of those five, and many others. So why do we always have to hear about the “Gone With The Wind” sketch, her Tarzan yell, her Q&A with the audience, and watching Tim Conway crack up Harvey Korman?
It’s been done to death, people. The woman’s had a long and varied career. Stop confining her to the dozen years she did a single show.
After all, you could probably come up with something to ask Ted Danson about besides “Cheers,” right?