Do you remember the funniest moments on The Carol Burnett Show?

By: Deane Kimerer
Estimated Completion Time
6 min
Do you remember the funniest moments on The Carol Burnett Show?
Image: TMDB

About This Quiz

Did you watch "The Carol Burnett Show" back in the 1970s? This 35-question quiz will help you go back to the wacky times of the ad-libbed lines of Tim Conway, along with Carol and the rest of the gang. Relive the belly-aching and eye-tearing laughter as you take this entertaining quiz! There are some helpful hints included. I'm so glad we had this time together... (ear tug).
Who was the actress on "The Carol Burnett Show" who often played a southern woman whose name started with an E?
Harvey Korman
Carol Burnett
Carol Burnett's famous character was Eunice. Carol started off wanting to be a writer. She attended UCLA and majored in Theater Arts English. In acting class, everyone laughed, so she switched majors. She met a wealthy businessman while performing "Annie Get Your Gun" at a party who paid her way to NY. She paid $18/week to live at a NY rehearsal club with 25 young theater women. She put on a musical comedy show with her roommates at a hall paid by the rehearsal hall's society women. They sent invitations to many agents and she got an agent from this show.
Vicki Lawrence
Tim Conway
At the close of each show, why did Carol tug on her ear?
She had an earache
It was a hint to the producers that she wanted the next que card
It was a que for the producers to go to commercial
It was a silent message to her grandmother
She tugged on her ear to say hi to her grandmother. What a thoughtful granddaughter! She lived with her grandmother (Nanny) growing up and they were very poor. Her Nanny would tell them to take toilet paper home from the bathrooms. May had a heart attack and said she auditioned a long line of performers from her hospital bed, saying she'd tell Carol about them.
How many years did "The Carol Burnett Show" run on CBS?
10 years
11 years
The Carol Burnett Show ran for 11 years, under three different production companies (Burngood, Inc. from 1967-72, Punkin' Productions, Inc. from 1972-76 and Whacko, Inc. from 1976-78). There were 279 episodes and 11 seasons in Hollywood, CA. She had been on "The Garry Moore Show" before her show.
seven years
12 years

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Who were the show's producers?
Lyle Waggoner and Harvey Korman
Bob Banner and Joe Hamilton
Bob Banner and Joe Hamilton were the producers of "The Carol Burnett Show." Joe was married to Carol Burnett from 1963-1984. Joe died 6/9/91 & Bob died 6/15/11. Joe was a singer and composer in The Skylarks. He met Carol on "The Garry Moore Show." Bob was a producer, writer and director, plus a Navy vet who dropped out of college just short of his doctorate degree by 11 hours.
Joe Morgan and David Smith
Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence
Did Carol "bump up" the lights at the end of each show?
Yes
Yes, she would take question-and-answer sessions proceeding her shows where the audience would ask her questions. On George Stroumboulopoulos' show, she said the most memorable question asked was, "If you could be a member of the opposite sex for 24 hours, who would you want to be and what would you do?" Carol responded, "Osama Bin Laden and I'd kill myself."
No
She dimmed the lights to set the evening mood of the show
Only some of the lights
How many tapings of the shows were conducted and on which day of the week?
Two and Friday
The show was rehearsed each day and taped twice on Friday. Tim Conway made the second taping comical, with ad-lib portions that were unrehearsed which earned the nickname "Conway's Capers." Some of these extra lines were added to the final broadcasts. The main co-star who was in many of these ad-lib scenes was Harvey Korman, who could be seen trying not to laugh.
Three and Friday
Two and Saturday
Three and Saturday

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Was there a closing theme song? Who wrote it?
Yes, Carol's husband Joe Hamilton
The lyrics were: "I'm so glad we had this time together. Just to have a laugh or sing a song. Seems we just get started and before you know it...comes the time we have to say, 'So long.'"
No
Yes, Bob Banner
Yes, Carol Burnett
What year did "The Carol Burnett Show" end and what was the final episode called?
1975; Carol and Her Curtains
1974; The Train is Coming!
1973; Mr. Smith Goes to the Grocery for Milk
1976; "Went with the Wind"
It aired on 11/13/1976; season 10. It featured a parody of the 1939 movie, "Gone with the Wind." It was one of the most well-known and well-liked episodes. Dinah Shore and Vicki Lawrence were in it, along with Carol. It was written by Rick Hawkins and Liz Sage. TV Guide in 2009 ranked this episode #53 of Top 100 Episodes of All Time. Bob Mackie, the costume designer, made Carol's infamous curtain dress.
What was the longest laughter episode?
The Hitler sketch with Harvey Korman and Tim Conway
"Went with the Wind"
The episode's audience laughter was at such length that it had to be edited as Carol Burnett came down the staircase in her curtain dress. It was the longest laughter in all 10 years of the show. The dress hangs in the Smithsonian Institution, plus Mattel released a Starlet Barbie doll with the dress in 2009.
Mama's Family
The Oldest Man

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Which actor did the Tarzan yell?
Tim Conway
Vicki Lawrence
Harvey Korman
Carol Burnett
Carol yelled the Tarzan yell in one of her skits on "The Carol Burnett Show" and it remained as one of her signatures.
Who were Carol's primary co-stars?
James Garner, Telly Savalas
Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, Tim Conway
Vicki Lawrence starred in "Mama's Family" (1983-85;86-90). Vicki played Carol's sister on "The Carol Burnett Show" and was the longest-running actor on the show besides Carol Burnett. Tim Conway earned five Emmy Awards on the Burnett show, and he also had his own shows in 1970, 1980 & 1990. Waggoner was on the show for seven years as an announcer and performer.
Dinah Shore, Judy Garner
Joan Collins, Betty White, Merv Griffin
Did the characters or the actors lose composure during live episodes?
The actors
The actors would improvise/ad-lib and make one another lose composure. It became a more frequent occurrence, primarily by Tim Conway.
The characters
Others on set
Neither

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What nationality was Tim Conway's accent as Mr. Tudball?
Swedish
Norwegian
Romanian
He used this Romanian accent for other characters on the show, such as the inept dentist. Many thought his accent was Swedish, but his Romanian mother was his inspiration for this accent.
German
What were Carol Burnett's and Vicki Lawrence's character's names?
Carol: Eunice Higgins and The Charwoman (and other characters, too). Vicki: Mama/Thelma Harper as well as Carol's sister
Carol played Eunice Higgins on both "The Carol Burnett Show" and on "Mama's Family" (for five episodes until 11/3/83). Carol played many characters, with Charwoman being a key one, and the animated image was in the opening credits. Vicki Lawrence played Carol's kid sister and then, later, Mama/Thelma Harper on "The Carol Burnett Show." The comedy sketch was called "The Family." Eunice was also in a made-for-TV movie in 1982. Harvey Korman played Eunice's husband, Ed, and Betty White played Eunice's sister.
Carol: Martha and Vicki: Mama/Bernice Thomas
Carol: Bernice and Vicki: Mama/Eunice Brown
Carol: Bertha and Vicki: Mama/Theresa Scott
On Carol's first episode of "The Carol Burnett Show," during the question-and-answer session with the audience, what color was her dress and did she have long or short hair?
She wore a blue dress. She had short hair.
She wore a red shirt and white pants. She had long hair, but it was a wig.
She wore a yellow dress. Her red hair was very short, showing her ears.
During her first episode's question-and-answer stage session, Carol wore a yellow dress. Her hair was red and very short, showing her ears. During skits, she often wore wigs.
She wore a pink dress. She had short hair to her shoulders.

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Describe Carol Burnett's "Charwoman" cartoon image on the opening credits and her costume in the episodes?
No hat, boots, pants, shirt
Boots, dress, vest, blue hat and held a bucket
As a cartoon character and when the credits ran, Carol mopped with a bucket nearby. Her outfit was not a fancy one...
Heels, hat, umbrella, dress
No hat, red dress, sneakers, yellow shirt.
Which actor lost a child in real life?
Tim Conway
Harvey Korman
Vicki Lawrence
Carol Burnett
Carol's daughter, Carrie Hamilton, died on 1/20/02 from cancer. Carol wrote a book about Carrie, called, "Carrie and Me." Carrie had a successful career in acting on stage and screen in her short 38 years.
How long was Carol's TV contract that gave her a choice between two genres, and what were the two options?
Seven years. Drama or comedy
Six years. Drama or comedy
Five years. Variety comedy show or sitcom
She had a contract that gave her the choice of a variety comedy or a sitcom for five years. She chose the variety comedy and "The Carol Burnett Show" began. She was not encouraged to do the variety comedy show, though, because most other successful shows had been led by men.
Four years. News or comedy

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Who is one of her closest friends on and off stage?
Sophia Loren
Betty White
Bette Midler
Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett felt an immediate closeness like two sisters the minute when they were introduced on "The Garry Moore Show." "Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall" was written for them and was a huge success. Julie Andrews said about Carol, "We are pretty idiotic together, I must say..."
Did Carol's parents suffer from the same fate and die at young ages?
Yes, her parents were alcoholics and died in their 40s, before she had her first of three daughters
Carol's parents moved to Hollywood, due to their love of film and pursuit of money, leaving Carol with her grandmother "May" in San Antonio, Texas. Some time later, when Carol was 7 years old, Nanny May and Carol went to Hollywood, too.
Yes her parents died in their 50s of diabetes
No, her parents lived until 91 and 95.
They died young but in a car accident
According to one of Carol's closest friends, Carol enjoys her quiet time at home. Is this true of false?
False. Carol is as social off stage as on stage
True. Carol enjoys her time at home
Not everyone feels lonely being alone. Carol's friend, Julie Andrews, said in an interview that Carol enjoys being at home in her solitude.
False and true. She enjoys being at home with family, but she throws large parties and is rarely alone
False. She travels the world and is never at home

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Did Carol Burnett sue the National Inquirer?
Yes and she won the lawsuit, but only for $200,000
She never sued the National Inquirer; she sued People
Yes and she won the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount
Yes, she won the lawsuit, but the final damages were reduced to an undisclosed amount. The Enquirer had claimed that she was intoxicated and spilled a beverage on Henry Kissinger. She was one of the first celebrities to sue a tabloid.
She sued but lost the suit
How many children did Carol have with Joe Hamilton?
Three girls.
"The Garry Moore Show" was very big in Carol Burnett's success. Through the show she met her husband, with whom she had three daughters. It is said that Joe Hamilton was the first man to tell Carol that she was beautiful. They were a very tight team, due to their shared interest in entertainment. Sadly, he died of cancer.
A son and a daughter.
No kids.
Five girls and one boy.
Carol's Nanny was a Christian Scientist, she liked younger men, and she thought nothing of taking things from diners and movie theaters to make ends meet....
False, true, false
True, true, true
Nanny encouraged Carol to take toilet paper from movie theaters and flatware from diners, because they were very poor, living in a one-bedroom apartment in L.A. Nanny would lay on her Murphy bed, saying she wasn't feeling well. She dated a 40-something when she was an 80-something.
False, true, true
False, false, false

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Could Tim Conway get Harvey Korman to laugh just by moving his eyebrows in a funny expression?
No, Harvey had a great ability to ignore Conway's shenanigans.
Tim and Harvey often made one another laugh. but it was usually later in the show.
Yes, according to Carol; all it took was a look sometimes.
Tim Conway would often not ad-lib in the first rehearsal, but by the taping he would often ad-lib, which made the cast laugh hysterically as they knew he'd pull his antics with Harvey Korman being the main victim.
It wasn't an expression; it was a certain line that Conway would say to Korman.
Is Carol Burnett a Taurus?
No, she is an Aquarius
No, she is a Gemini
No, she is a Capricorn
Yes, she is a Taurus, born on 4/26/33
She was born in San Antonio, Texas, on April 26, 1933. Her grandmother, May, raised her in Texas until they moved to California in 1940, when she was seven.
Who said this line: "This is like teaching the mermaid to do the splits..."
Harvey Korman as Carol's husband
Guest star Julie Andrews
Mr. Tudball, Tim Conway
He wore a vest and suit, hairpiece and treated Mrs. Higgins like she was less than smart. She tried to do a good job for her boss, but she was very slow.
Mamma, Vicki Lawrence

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What were Carol's favorite characters to play?
Eunice on "Mamma's Family" and Mrs. Higgins
Eunice often wore the same dress with a green waist sash. Vicki Lawrence played "Mamma," who was Eunice's mom. Mrs. Higgins wore big costume jewelry and a blond wig. She chewed gum, filed her nails constantly and wasn't the brightest intellectual shining star with her boss, Mr. Tudball.
Scarlet in "Went with the Wind"
The princess in "Once Upon a Mattress"
None; she liked being a hat check gal for her first job in New York
Who were the writers on "The Carol Burnett Show"?
a man and wife team named Ken and Mitzi Welch
Ken and Mitzi Welch were a married couple. In an interview years later, they mentioned Carol's willingness to let them explore skit topics, similar to how Tim Conway was allowed to ad-lib.
sister and brother named Fred and Mitzel
Lucy Ball and Desi Arnaz
Dinah Shore and Fred Astaire
What was the episode and who said, "We are not monsters, we are pussycats...."
Vicki Lawrence to Carol in "The Stone Picture Show"
The Interrogators. Tim Conway said this
Tim Conway said this to Lyle Waggoner, the prisoner, when Harvey Korman and Tim Conway played Nazi interrogators. Korman made up his German with gibberish. Conway had a puppet as his sidekick.
Lyle Waggoner in "The Lions Come Home"
Tim Conway in "Meow Meow"

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Who was "Ms. Fireball" and where did this term come from?
Carol when she was 16 and in the principal's office
Carol as Eunice
Vicki Lawrence, from a firemen's ball contest
Vicki Lawrence was often told that she looked like Carol's sister, so she sent a picture of herself to Carol that showed her as a firemen's ball contestant. Carol looked up Vicki's number, attended the ball and invited her to audition. Vicki never left her "sister's side" for the next 11 years on the snow and went on to see her again on her own show, "Mama's Family," too,
Vicki, from her husband
Did Bob Mackie's skirt design affect Burnett's walk as Mrs. Higgins?
Yes, Bob told Carol to adapt to it instead of him changing it, which created the Higgins walk
Yes, Mrs. Higgins walked with her behind sticking out a bit, due to the design of the skirt, according to Carol. The character was changed from the outfit. She was going to be an old lady, but she became a ditsy younger lady. She asked Bob Mackie to fix it at first and he replied, "No, stick your behind into it." He designed 17,000 outfits for the show. Under some of the costumes, he had extra padded underclothes for the actors. Mackie also created Cher's costumes.
Not at all
A little bit but only once a week
It was changed. Carol couldn't get up from a chair or walk while wearing the original design
In "Cinderella Gets It On," what color was the fairy godmother's dress and who wore it?
Pink and Harvey Korman
Orange and Vicki Lawrence
Baby blue and Harvey Korman
Harvey Korman wore a baby blue dress with wings. His hair was blue, too. Carol wore a wig of long orange hair and a white disco outfit.
Yellow and Tim Conway

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Did Vicki Lawrence go onto have her own show after "The Carol Burnett Show"?
No, she left acting
Yes. "Mama's Family"
"Mama's Family" was about a dysfunctional family where Carol played Eunice, Mama's daughter.
No, she started a family
Yes, she had her own cooking show, "Where's Your Knife?"
How did Conway make Korman wet himself?
He waited until after he had a pitcher of water, then, used his Romanian accent
A dentist skit
Conway used a real-life dentist story from his time in the Army, when a dentist poked himself in the thumb with novacain. Conway's skit made Korman laugh so hard that he wet himself, according to Conway.
He gave him too much water
He made him laugh by ad-libs in the old man skit
You Got:
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