The Carol Burnett Show: Let's Bump Up the Lights!

One of the regular features on The Carol Burnett Show--one of the mainstays of the CBS Saturday night lineup from 1967 to 1978--was a segment in which the star would order the house lights brought up in order to take questions from the studio audience, sometimes along with other members of the regular cast. That practice is the subject of this 2004 reunion show in which Burnett, Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, and Lyle Waggoner reminisce about taking questions and fulfilling fans' requests, inviting queries from a newly-assembled live audience. The emphasis, of course, is on moments that were odd or embarrassing (inquiries about age and hair color are frequent), and special attention is given to the many instances of seat-holders asking for a kiss from Carol or Lyle. In addition, there are also a couple of songs--one an impromptu duet featuring Burnett and a lady from the audience who just wanted to get onstage and perform, and the other a specially-written tune about Burnett's Tarzan yell. It's all very cozy and sweet, and the cast--especially Conway and Lawrence--seem to enjoy breaking one another up; but the sad fact is that they make each other laugh more than they do the viewer. Except for the most devoted fans, this novelty piece is not recommended. (F. Swietek)