The Best Of The Carol Burnett Show

With the multi-talented Imogene Coca and Mel Tormé (making his Carol Burnett Show Debut) there's never a dull moment. It's Coach Mel vs. Coach Harvey as the U.S.A battles the Soviet Union for Olympic medal supremacy.

Bobbie Gentry offers "Sweet Peony" from her new album, and she gets the full song-and-dance treatment. She's Southern, sultry and mysterious--the opposite of beloved comedian George Gobel, a midwestern crew-cut square in a long-hair world.

No, it's not the sound of one hand clapping--it's the sound of a musicians' strike, which meant no live music in this episode. That doesn't stop Carol's crew. The absence of a live orchestra becomes a running joke and a chance for some nutty improv.

Harvey interviews the world's oldest sex symbol, Mae East (Carol), who resides in her grand, condemned mansion. Nancy Wilson and Bernadette Peters join the regulars for a nostalgic look at the good old movies.

Ten singin', swingin', bell-ringin' and dancin' Santas get Carol Burnett's 1907 holiday extravaganza off to a roaring start. One of Carol's favorite guests, Steve Lawrence, sings the pro-peace song "One Day," and later returns to star in Goldman's Boy.

Cass Elliot performs "The Look of Love" in a "more pop, less rock" style. Bernadette Peters follows up with a medley of her own. Then Cass plays the heavy-fashion model Suzie Shrimpton-in As the Stomach Turns.

Beloved crooner Bing Crosby and beloved character actor Paul Lynde join the regulars for an unusual evening of song and drama. Paul dominates the As the Stomach Turns installment, portraying town masochist Mel Torment.

Helen Reddy teaches Carol how to speak Australian. Later, Andy Griffith is responsible for Carol's visit to prison. Andy's clearly picked up a few tricks from his former TV deputy, Barney Fife. Everyone joins in for the rousing finale with a message.

Carol's version of I got You under My Skin breezes along until the wind machine kicks in. Birthday boy Harvey turns 40, confident that he's still a happening guy. And Vicki introduces "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" to a national audience.

Steve Lawrence was always a welcome addition to the show, both as a singer and an actor. He and Carol trade jobs trotting out the ways men and women aggravate each other. Tim as the world's "Oldest Man" tries to sell a pair of slippers.

Rock Hudson walks into a bar. Sounds like the start of a joke, right? Anyway, he cozies up to a mysterious woman (Carol), who sends him fleeing for his life. Mama considers moving into an apartment facility for seniors, but has a change of heart.

Steve Martin attempts communication with an alien visitor (Conway) in As The Stomach Turns. Carol and crew send-up the Avallon-Funicello beach party flicks, complete with hilariously lame surf tunes and the funniest surfing effects imaginable.

The Final Show, billed as A Special Evening with Carol Burnett, takes a two-hour stroll through the show's glory days. Carol, Vicki, and Tim present a video scrapbook of unforgettable moments from their routines and movie spoofs.