Carol Burnett Discusses Making It in a "Man's Game" | Playbill

News Carol Burnett Discusses Making It in a "Man's Game" Stage and screen legend Carol Burnett appeared on the Today Show to talk about the release of "The Carol Burnett Show: The Lost Episodes," a new DVD that features never-before-syndicated footage of her Emmy-winning variety show. The comedienne also opened about her early years in the business and having to face the challenges of a male-dominated television industry.

//assets.playbill.com/editorial/3f0bd4a0a0df47b9183a78b5cd15104a-carolb200.jpg
Carol Burnett

Burnett said that CBS had not originally wanted her to do a variety show, instead pitching a sitcom called "Here's Agnes."

"They didn't think that a woman could headline such a big show — was that the issue they had, Carol?" asked host Hoda Kotb.

"Yes," agreed Burnett.

"And nothing's changed!" quipped the host.

"'It's a man's game, comedy variety,'" Burnett said producers had told her. "Dean Martin, Milton Berle and Jackie Gleason."

"But you showed them," said co-host Kathie Lee Gifford. "And plowed that field for everybody else coming afterwards...such a role model for me growing up."

Watch the full interview below: 

 
Today’s Most Popular News:
 X

Blocking belongs
on the stage,
not on websites.

Our website is made possible by
displaying online advertisements to our visitors.

Please consider supporting us by
whitelisting playbill.com with your ad blocker.
Thank you!