Parents' Guide to The Carol Burnett Show

TV Peacock Comedy 1967
The Carol Burnett Show poster: Comedienne Carol Burnett is pictured smiling on a pale coral backdrop.

Common Sense Media Review

Jenny Nixon By Jenny Nixon , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 13+

Nostalgic sketch show has goofy laughs, gross stereotypes.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 13+?

Any Positive Content?

  • The Carol Burnett Show Trailer
  • The Carol Burnett Show screenshot 1: Two actors from the Carol Burnett show appear in a skit. One is a man in a grey suit and white hat, the other is a redheaded woman in a colorful red, white, and blue dress.
  • The Carol Burnett Show screenshot 2: Two actors from the Carol Burnett show appear in a skit. A redheaded woman appears at left in a pale green and purple dress with ruffles, while a man in a white suit stands on the right with a perplexed expression.
  • The Carol Burnett Show screenshot 3: Two actors from the Carol Burnett show appear in a skit. A redheaded woman at left holds a bag and is wearing a hot pink scarf. At right, actress Carol Burnett is dressed as a man with a black wig, mustache, and khaki suit.
  • The Carol Burnett Show screenshot 4: Three actors from the Carol Burnett show appear in a skit. Two men stand on the left, engaged in conversation, while Carol Burnett stands at right with a big grin on her face.

Parent and Kid Reviews

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What's the Story?

THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW is an old-school sketch variety show led by the legendary eponymous comedian. It ran for 12 seasons from the late 1960s to the late '70s. The series racked up 70 Emmy nominations and 25 wins, making household names of comedians like Harvey Korman and Vicki Lawrence. Guest stars included showbiz legends like Ella Fitzgerald, George Carlin, Peggy Lee, The Carpenters, Steve Martin, and Vincent Price. The show was renowned for its pop-culture parodies, slapstick physical humor, and outrageous sketches, which were often punctuated with wild song-and-dance numbers.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

The series is full of free-wheeling buffoonery, colorful costuming, and energetic performances; it also veers into blatant racism that casts a shadow over the entire production. The Carol Burnett Show did an admirable job of centering female performers at a time when many had to fight to be in charge. Some sketches are enjoyable, innocent bits of pure absurdity and silliness. Others are truly distasteful scenarios that just don't hold up under modern scrutiny.

In one sketch, Burnett plays a Charo-like character who giggles her way through a scene while wiggling her hips and speaking in an over-the-top exaggerated Latino accent. In another, Tim Conway and Harvey Korman play two men of Asian descent -- it is unclear exactly where they're supposed to be from -- who speak nonstop gibberish to one another while using offensive and demeaning stereotypical accents the entire time. Bits like this bring the laughs to a grinding halt. Also, many of the films and shows they lampoon such as Love Story and National Velvet are widely unknown by kids today. Tuning in may be enjoyably nostalgic for certain older viewers who are able to put these issues into some kind of historical perspective, but kids would really need an adult to help provide context and critique -- or to just fast-forward through the regrettable stuff altogether.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about their favorite women in comedy, from old-school performers like Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball to more recent stars like Ali Wong and Nicole Byer. How has show business changed for women in this field?

  • How have the casts of modern-day variety and sketch comedy shows changed in terms of diversity and representation? Why is this important?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

The Carol Burnett Show poster: Comedienne Carol Burnett is pictured smiling on a pale coral backdrop.

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