♪
>>> ALL RIGHT.
I THINK WERE ALL READY FOR A
LAUGH AND FOR OUR LATEST "TODAY
LIVING LEGENDS."
AL CAUGHT UP WITH THE ONE, THE
ONLY, CAROL BURNETT.
>> I ADORE HER.
I GOT TO SPEND TIME WITH THE 85-YEAR-OLD AT HER OLD STOMPING
GROUNDS, THE ED SULLIVAN
THEATER, CURRENTLY HOME TO "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT."
AND WITH A NEW PROJECT,
MS. BURNETT IS BUSIER THAN EVER.
>> THIS IS A GREAT THEATER.
I DID A FEW SPECIALS FROM THIS
THEATER.
THEATER.
I USED TO DO QUICK CHANGES IN
THE ELEVATOR.
>> Reporter: REALLY?
>> YEAH.
>> Reporter: SIMPLY PUT, CAROL
BURNETT DEFINES FUNNY.
IM GOING TO GO ON THE
ASSUMPTION, YOU WERE INNATELY
FUNNY.
CAN SOMEBODY LEARN TO BE FUNNY?
>> TIMING.
I DONT THINK THAT CAN BE TAUGHT.THINK THAT CAN BE
TAUGHT.
ITS HARD TO ANALYZE COMEDY.
>> Reporter: YOURE ON "THE GARY MOORE SHOW" DOING TERRIFICALLY.
AND CBS WANTS TO LOCK YOU UP.
THEY SIGN YOU FOR TEN YEARS.
AND THERES A CLAUSE IN YOUR
CONTRACT.
CONTRACT.
>> IT SAYS IN THE FIRST FIVE
YEARS, I WANTED TO DO AN HOUR-LONG MUSICAL COMEDY REVIEW
A WEEK, CBS WOULD HAVE TO PUT IT
ON, WHETHER THEY WANTED TO OR
NOT, FOR 30 SHOWS.
>> Reporter: "THE CAROL BURNETT
SHOW" WOULD GO ON TO MAKE
HISTORY IN THE 1960s AND 70s,
WINNING 24 EMMYS, OVER 300
EPISODES, BURNING BURNETT INTO
ONE OF THE MOST CELEBRATED NAMES
IN COMEDY.
IN COMEDY.
DO YOU MISS THE SHOW? >> WE WERE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT
THE RIGHT TIME.
28-PIECE ORCHESTRA.
28-PIECE ORCHESTRA. 12 DANCERS.
12 DANCERS. 62 COSTUMES A WEEK.
>> THAT GOWN IS GORGEOUS.
>> THANK YOU.
I SAW IT IN THE WINDOW AND I JUST COULDNT RESIST IT.AND I
JUST COULDNT RESIST IT. >> Reporter: AS YOU LOOK BACK
OVER YOUR CAREER, AT WHAT POINT
DID YOU SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT?
IVE MADE IT.
IM HERE.
IM HERE. >> I DONT KNOW THAT YOU EVER
SAY THAT TO YOURSELF.
I KNEW I WOULD CONTINUE TO GET
WORK.
WORK.
>> Reporter: WORK THAT WOULD INCLUDE ROLES ON BROADWAY AND
ROLES IN "ANNIE."
>> I LOVE YOU MISS HANNIGAN.
>> Reporter: AND GUEST
APPEARANCES ON A VARIETY OF TV SHOWS.ANCES ON A VARIETY OF TV
SHOWS.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS? I THINK IT WAS BECAUSE MY
GRANDMOTHER AND I WOULD SAVE OUR
PENNIES AND I WOULD SEE THE
MOVIES IN THE 40s AND 50s.
AND THERE WAS NO CYNICISM.
SO, I WAS SO NAIVE THAT I FELT
THAT WOULD BE FINE.
>> Reporter: IN FACT, YOU GOT TO
NEW YORK CITY, DUE TO THE
KINDNESS OF A STRANGER.
>> I WAS AT UCLA IN A MUSICAL
COMEDY CLASS.
COMEDY CLASS.
AND OUR PROFESSOR WAS GOING TO GRADE US ON SCREENENES FOR OUR F
AT A VERY POSH BLACK TIE PARTY.
IT WENT OVER WELL.
AND I WENT TO THE HORS DOEUVRE
TABLE.
TABLE.
IM STEALING HORS DOEUVRES. AND THERES A TAP ON MYRES.
AND THERES A TAP ON MY SHOULDER.
SHOULDER.
I THOUGHT, IM BUSTED. AND IT WAS THIS GENTLEMAN.
HE SAID, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO
WITH YOUR LIFE?
I SAID, SOMEDAY, I HOPE TO HAVE
ENOUGH WHERE I CAN GO TO
NEW YORK BECAUSE I WOULD LOVE TO
BE IN MUSICAL COMEDY ON
BROADWAY.
BROADWAY.
HE SAID, WELL, ILL LEND YOU THE MONEY TO GO TO NEW YORK.YOU THE
MONEY TO GO TO NEW YORK.
AND HE SAID, THERES STIPULATIONS.THERES
STIPULATIONS.
NEVER REVEAL MY NAME AND IF YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL, YOU MUST PROMISE
TO HELP OTHERS OUT THAT YOU
BELIEVE IN.
BELIEVE IN. SO, THAT WAS MY START.
WHY SHOULD PEOPLE GET MARRIED?
>> TO MAKE SURE THE HUMAN
POPULATION DOESNT GO TO ZERO.
>> Reporter: YOUVE GOT THIS NEW
SERIES.
SERIES.
TELL ME ABOUT THAT. >> ITS CALLED "A LITTLE HELP
WITH CAROL BURNETT."
AN "OUT OF
THE MOUTHS OF BABES"?
>> YOU NAILED IT.
>> GET A WOMAN THAT WANTS YOU
FOR YOU.
>> THATS GREAT ADVISEED AADVICE
>> Reporter: WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF WHEN YOU LOOK BACK?ST
PROUD OF WHEN YOU LOOK BACK? >> IM MOST PROUD OF OUR SHOW.
IM PROUD OF MY DAUGHTERS.
I LOST ONE. SHE HAD CANCER.
SHE SAID, EVERY DAY I WAKE UP
AND DECIDE.
TODAY, IM GOING TO LOVE MY
LIFE.
ITS THE ONLY DAY I WILL HAVE. >> SO THERE. DAY I WILL HAVE.
>> SO THERE. >> Reporter: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE
YOUR LEGACY TO BE?
>> OH, SHE MADE US LAUGH.
>> Reporter: THAT SIMPLE?
>> YEAH.
♪ JUST TO HAVE A LAUGH OR SING A
SONG
>> AMEN.
>> GOOD NIGHT, EVERYBODY.
>> AL, THAT WAS AWESOME. >> AND IVE NEVER HEARD THAT
STORY BEFORE ABOUT PAYING IT
FORWARD.
AND SHE HAS.
SHE HAS DONE A LOT OF GREAT
CHARITY WORK.
AND SHE JUST KEEPS MOVING.
>> DID YOU ASK WHAT HER FAVORITE
SKIT IS?
>> SHE COULDNT TELL. BUT THE CIVIL WAR.L.
BUT THE CIVIL WAR. "GONE WITH THE WIND" IS
REALLY --
REALLY --
>> I LOVED WHEN THEY USED TO
CRACK EACH OTHER UP?
>> I KNOW.
>> THEY CAN BARELY GET THROUGH
THE SKETCH.
>> IT WAS A MURDERERS ROW OF COMEDY GENIUSES, WITH TIM OF
COMEDY GENIUSES, WITH TIM CONWAY, VICKI LAWRENCE, KYLE
WAGONER.
WAGONER.
>> REMEMBER MRS. SWIGGENS.