With an entertainment career spanning nearly seven decades, Carol Burnett has seen it all and is ready to share what she misses the most about classic comedy.
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While speaking to Fox News Digital, Burnett stated something is missing from modern sketch shows. She noted that she really wants variety to come back.
“But [the networks] could never do what we did because I think the cost would be extravagant now,” Carol Burnett explained. “We had a 28-piece orchestra, 12 dancers. We had 60 to 75 costumes a week. Bob Mackie designed for our guest stars. All of that you couldn’t do today. It would be too much.”
Burnett also recalled doing a Broadway mini-musical comedy review every week. However, she doesn’t believe such thing could happen today. “But there could be a hybrid of some way to do a variety show because there are people who could certainly do variety. But I don’t think a network would take a chance. I just wish they would.”
Although many of her fans stated that The Carol Burnett Show helped with the establishment of Saturday Night Live, Burnett stated she was just not interested in hosting the long-running sketch show. “I would not be interested,” she declared. “That’s all I can say.”
Carol Burnett Shares Details About Her Upcoming Two-Hour 90th Birthday Celebration Special
Along with chatting about the entertainment industry, Carol Burnett opened up about her two-hour 90th birthday special. The big event features performances by Katy Perry, Kristin Chenoweth, and Bernadette Peters.
“What I love about it was the fact that it wasn’t a roast, and it wasn’t a birthday party with a cake and balloons and stuff,” she explained. “It was a two-hour variety show. We had a 19-piece orchestra and I had so many friends who were there. And the live entertainment, my gosh… It was really exciting.”
Carol Burnett also stated that it was just a big party. “Everybody had a good time,” she continued. The special was taped in March and will premiere on April 26th.
Burnett recently spoke to PEOPLE about celebrating her 90th birthday. “I can’t wrap my head around it,” she explained. “I still feel like I’m about 11, but I’m amazed. It sure went fast. But I’m glad because I’ve got all my parts – got my hips, I got my knees, and I’ve got my brain, so I’m happy about that.”
Carol Burnett then reflected on her childhood and growing up in Los Angeles. She recalled times when she was pretending to be on a radio show. “I would yell out the window, ‘Now ladies and gentlemen, we have a young girl who is going to sing here without any musical accompaniment.’”
