Perhaps we throw the term "national treasure" around too often, but when it comes to Carol Burnett, she has certainly earned the title. A landmark comedian, Burnett has done just about everything in Hollywood — shes a six-time Emmy winner, a Grammy winner, a recipient of a Kennedy Center Honors and is the first recipient and namesake of the Golden Globes TV lifetime achievement award, the Carol Burnett Award.
On April 26, Burnett hits another milestone — her 90th birthday. NBC has filmed a TV special to honor her, Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love, airing at 8 pm ET/PT.
What to Watch is taking this chance to recognize the indelible work of Burnett and her career which has spanned nearly 70 years and is still going. So, in honor of her 90th, here are the nine quintessential Carol Burnett performances.
Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall
The classical musical talents of Julie Andrews and the comedic chops of Carol Burnett may seem like an odd pair, but watch the opening clip of Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall and you realize that the two are a fantastic comedic duo. This TV special was one of Burnett's first truly big breaks on screen. Watching her chemistry with Andrews, who continues to be one of her dearest friends, is spectacular and proves that even 60 years later funny is funny, and Carol Burnett is funny.
- Where to watch: available to watch on YouTube
The Lucy Show
Before Carol Burnett became one of the most popular women on TV in the late '60s and '70s, another redhead held that position, Lucile Ball. The two comediennes were friends in real life and Burnett ended up guest starring on her show, The Lucy Show (not to be confused with her original hit, I Love Lucy), for multiple episodes. She appeared in four episodes over the show's six-season run, which felt almost like an unofficial passing of the torch.
- Where to watch: multiple seasons are available on Pluto TV and Tubi
The Carol Burnett Show
The defining legacy of Carol Burnett is without a doubt her eponymously titled sketch series that she ran from 1967-1978. Burnett and her most frequent collaborators, Vicki Lawrence, Harvey Korman and Tim Conway, came up with some all-time great sketches, including "The Dentist," "Went with the Wind" (a Gone with the Wind parody) and her soap opera parody "As the Stomach Turns," and hilarious recurring characters like Tudball and Wiggins. The show won 25 Emmys over its run and propelled Burnett to the national stage. Though perhaps one of the most lasting images of the show was how Burnett would sign off, tugging her ear as a signal to her grandmother.
- Where to watch: all seasons streaming on The Roku Channel
Annie
For anyone born after 1982, the first Carol Burnett role they probably saw was her turn as Miss Hannigan in the movie musical version of Annie. She swapped out her usual comedic sensibilities to play the grouch in charge of the orphanage, though she of course gets a few zingers in there and her star power continues to shine in her musical numbers "Little Girls" and "Easy Street."
- Where to watch: available to rent via digital on demand
Noises Off
Carol Burnett and an ensemble featuring Michael Caine, Julie Hagerty, Christopher Reeve, John Ritter and Nicollette Sheridan star in this comedy about a troupe of actors with more drama than the play that they are performing in. It's an absolute delight to see Burnett, who's perfectly in her wheelhouse with this role, interact with the cast, with their squabbles playing behind the scenes while the performance is continuing on stage as they are in character.
- Where to watch: available to rent via digital on demand
Mad About You
Mad About You had a plethora of guest stars during its run, from Mel Brooks to Sid Caesar to Lisa Kudrow appearing as Ursula Buffay, the twin sister to her Friends character Phoebe. But even among all of those guests, Carol Burnett's recurring guest role as Jamie's (Helen Hunt) mother was a treat every time for viewers. Burnett received multiple Emmy nominations for the portrayal, including winning her sixth and most recent trophy in 1997; she also appeared in the Mad About You revival in 2019. As you’ll read with these later picks, Burnett was a great asset as a guest star.
- Where to watch: streaming on Prime Video
Law & Order: SVU
Bridgette "Birdie" Sulloway makes Miss Hannigan look like a kitty cat by comparison. Burnett's Emmy-nominated guest appearance on Law & Order: SVU saw the actress take on a very different kind of character — a woman who has had her hand in multiple murders over the years and is a sexual predator. SVU guest spots often help bring out the dark side of some of our favorite actors, getting the chance to play a monster led to a stunning performance from Burnett.
- Where to watch: streaming on Peacock
Glee
Carol Burnett's guest spot on Glee as Sue Sylvester's mother would have been memorable enough, but add in the fact that she plays a former Nazi hunter who sings Doris Day's "Ohio" and Judy Garland's "The Trolley Song" is icing on the cake. The fact that Burnett didn't add to her number of Emmy nominations with at least one of her two guest appearances on the show is a mystery, but hey, you can't win them all. Though fans of Glee and Burnett were certainly winners in this case.
- Where to watch: streaming on Disney Plus and Hulu
Better Call Saul
Burnett's role as Marion in Better Call Saul shows that she has not lost a step as a performer. Though she starts off as the ponzi in another Saul scheme, Marion is no dupe. She eventually figures out that Saul (who she knows as Gene) is up to something and when she figures it out, she is the one who turns the table on him and sets his eventual arrest in motion. It's a phenomenal turn that saw Burnett get to exercise her dramatic chops, which she will hopefully be rewarded with via another Emmy nomination in 2023.
- Where to watch: streaming on Netflix and AMC Plus
