History Trivia / TheCarolBurnettShow

** Tim Conway was notorious for breaking up the others on the show. In many of the sketches featuring Conway and Harvey Korman, it was all Korman could do to get through it without collapsing. Keep in mind, it wasn't like this was live: the show was taped; Conway was just that funny. Causing Carol Burnett herself to lose it was a major feat, but Conway accomplished it several times. It got to the point that the cast would have a weekly pool to see how long it would take Conway to make someone (mainly Korman) break character.

* OldShame: Creator/DickVanDyke isn't happy with his time as a cast member, as the writers continued writing material suited for Harvey Korman out of inertia and didn't try to write to his comedic style. He and Burnett mutually agreed that it wasn't working out and he departed on good terms, remaining friends with everyone.

* UnPerson: Sort of. The fact that Dick Van Dyke was an actual cast member during the last years (replacing Harvey Korman) is rarely brought up in documentaries or behind the scenes specials, and said episodes rarely air in syndication. Mainly because many people felt those episodes [[SeasonalRot weren't very good]], and that Van Dyke had no real chemistry with Carol, Tim, or Vicky. Even Van Dyke himself [[OldShame looks back at his time on the show with regret and embarrassment.]] On the other hand, Van Dyke does remain good friends with Burnett, and was part of the show's most famous blooper which he did display on his own show several times.

** In 2019, edited 30-minute versions of the early episodes started running on Creator/MeTV.

* WriteWhatYouKnow: "The Dentist Sketch" was inspired by Tim Conway's experience with an army dentist who, while trying to inject Novocaine into Conway's jaw, stabbed a hypodermic needle straight through Conway's cheek and didn't notice that the medication was being sprayed onto the floor. When the dentist was finally told what happened, he tried to go ahead with the procedure anyway! Unlike poor Harvey Korman, however, Conway managed to escape.

* OldShame: Creator/DickVanDyke isn't happy with his time as a cast member as the writers continued writing material suited for Harvey Korman out of inertia and didn't try to write to his comedic style. He and Burnett mutually agreed that it wasn't working out and he departed on good terms, remaining friends with everyone.

* ApprovalOfGod: Initially, viewers did not find the "Norma Desmond" sketches [[DudeNotFunny very funny]], and felt they were an insult to actress Creator/GloriaSwanson (whom the sketches were a parody of). Gloria Swanson though appeared in one episode explaining that she thought they were hilarious.

* ReferencedBy: In ''Film/HereToday'', Creator/BarryLevinson says he met Charlie Burns whilst working on ''The Carol Burnett Show''.

* ReferrencedBy: In ''Film/HereToday'', Creator/BarryLevinson says he met Charlie Burns whilst working on ''The Carol Burnett Show''.

* RetroactiveRecognition:
** To put it simply, anybody ''with a pulse'' from 1967 to 1978 will have guest-starred on the show.
** Hell, even some of ''the audience members'' were (and are) recognizable. Modern viewers will likely find ''[[Film/TheSilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal Lecter]]'' being in the audience rather hilarious.
** "A Special Evening with Carol Burnett": Eunice's psychiatrist will be familiar to ''[[Series/TheGoldenGirls Golden Girls]]'' fans as the pyromaniac in the episode "'Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas".
*** The actor, Craig Richard Nelson, also starred with Burnett in ''A Wedding'', ''The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank'' (both 1978), and the 1979 summer series ''Carol Burnett and Company''.
** Gail Parent was a writer for 133 episodes. Parent is best known for co-creating ''Series/MaryHartmanMaryHartman''.
** Dick Clair and Jenna [=McMahon=] were writers for 120 episodes. Both are best known for creating ''Series/MamasFamily'' and ''Series/TheFactsOfLife''.
** Woody Kling was a writer for 73 episodes. Kling is best known for creating ''WesternAnimation/RainbowBrite''.
** Tom Patchett was a writer for 25 episodes. Patchett is best known as co-creator and executive producer of ''Series/{{Alf}}''.
** James R. Stein was a writer for 24 episodes. Stein is best known as co-creator and co-executive producer of ''Series/SonOfTheBeach''.
** Bob Schiller was a writer for ten episodes. Schiller is best known for co-developing ''Series/TheLucyShow''.
** Bob Weiskopf also was a writer for ten episodes. Weiskopf also co-developed ''The Lucy Show''.

** In 2019, edited 30-minute versions of the early episodes started running on MeTV.

* UnPerson: Sort of. The fact that Dick Van Dyke was an actual cast member during the last years (replacing Harvey Korman) is rarely brought up in documentaries or behind the scenes specials, and said episodes rarely air in syndication. Mainly because many people felt those episodes [[SeasonalRot weren't very good]], and that Van Dyke had no real chemistry with Carol, Tim, or Vicky. Even Van Dyke himself [[OldShame looks back at his time on the show with regret and embarrassment.]] On the other hand, Van Dyke does remain good friends with Burnett.

* UnPerson: Sort of. The fact that Dick Van Dyke was an actual cast member during the last years (replacing Harvey Korman) is rarely brought up in documentaries or behind the scenes specials, and said episodes rarely air in syndication. Mainly because many people felt those episodes [[SeasonalRot weren't very good]], and that Dyke had no real chemistry with Carol, Tim, or Vicky. Even Dyke himself [[OldShame looks back at his time on the show with regret and embarrassment.]] On the other hand, Dyke does remain good friends with Burnett.

** Hell, even some of ''the audience members'' were (and are) recognizable. Modern viewers will likely find ''[[TheSilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal Lecter]]'' being in the audience rather hilarious.

* ApprovalOfGod: Initially, viewers did not find the "Norma Desmond" sketches [[DudeNotFunny very funny]], and felt they were an insult to actress Gloria Swanson (whom the sketches were a parody of). Gloria Swanson though appeared in one episode explaining that she thought they were hilarious.

* WriteWhatYouKnow: "The Dentist Sketch" was inspired by Tim Conway's experience with an army dentist who, while trying to inject Novocaine into Conway's jaw, stabbed a hypodermic needle straight through Conway's cheek and didn't notice. When the dentist was finally told what happened, he tried to go ahead with the procedure anyway! Unlike poor Harvey Korman, however, Conway managed to escape.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: In interviews, Tim Conway said that in the 80s he was offered a chance to star in a ''Mr. Tudball'' spin-off. He declined because he didn't see much potential for storylines, plus the fact that Carol would not be playing Miss Wiggins.

** Though many ended up in the final broadcasts.

* ActingForTwo: Many sketches would have Carol playing twins, usually to spoof films in which actresses like BetteDavis did the same. Examples include [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpPSayL19Ag "A Swiped Life"]] and [[Series/{{Columbo}} "Cobumble"]].

** Dick Clair and Jenna McMahon were writers for 120 episodes. Both are best known for creating ''Series/MamasFamily'' and ''Series/TheFactsOfLife''.

** "A Special Evening with Carol Burnett": Eunice's psychiatrist will be familiar to ''[[TheGoldenGirls Golden Girls]]'' fans as the pyromaniac in the episode "'Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas".