This amusing snippet from a long-lost Carol Burnett Show episode that hasn’t been seen in almost 40 years features Tim Conway and Harvey Korman. Despite its briefness, it’s long enough to make anyone laugh.
The Carol Burnett Show was one of the most watched television programs in America when it premiered in 1967 and ran until 1978. It has been on numerous lists of the “Best/Greatest TV Shows of All Time” and was frequently among the top 30 most-watched shows each season.
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, two of the finest comedians in history, were regular guests on the show. Despite not being a comic duo like Abbott and Costello, they were frequently included in skits because of how well-liked they were by the audience. Tim poses as a woman and goes undercover with Harvey in this episode, which is only available on DVD. Despite Tim’s cautions about holding “her” too tightly, Harvey maintains that they need to appear to be a real pair in order to complete the task.
Tim concurs, stating that it’s great as long as they behave professionally. At this point, it becomes funny since Harvey can’t figure out why Tim would believe this was for anything other than work. Tim then, like the comic genius he is, flicks his hair, which, despite their best efforts to control it, makes both performers giggle and deviates from character. The audience isn’t really helping either, as everyone in the studio was laughing by this point.
Harvey combs his bangs, then pulls out his compact powder and applies it to his mustache and chin to make everyone laugh even harder.
“I don’t know which is funnier: Tim flicking his hair back or Harvey making a fist to stop himself from laughing,” writes one commenter. Words cannot express how hilarious this is. You must witness it for yourself.
The Carol Burnett Show won eight Golden Globes and 25 Emmys in just eleven years. It also contributed to the rise in popularity of other comedians. Even now, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious television shows ever to telecast. This degree of flare and humorous assurance is the product of geniuses who know how to turn a simple skit into an amazing comedy act.
