PBS Announces Two Nights with Carol Burnett

Last year we featured a series on Nice Girls in History, and funny lady Carol Burnett was one of our ladies. It pleases me to be able to share with you the announcement from PBS that they will air a two-night program, coinciding with the release of her memoir, CARRIE AND ME: A Mother-Daughter Love Story, on April 9th. “The memoir is Burnett’s poignant tribute to her daughter Carrie Hamilton, a young woman whose zest for life was infectious. From her struggle with drug addiction as a teenager to her successful artistic career, the book reveals a woman who took advantage of every day until her death from cancer at 38. Sharing personal diary entries, photographs and correspondence, Burnett traces the mother and daughter’s journey through the ups and downs of life.”

Courtesy of Photography by Randee St. Nicholas

AMERICAN MASTERS “Carol Burnett: A Woman of Character” airs Tuesday, April 9, 2013, 8:00-9:30 p.m. ET. The show salutes this one-woman army of comedic characters who seduced countless Saturday night friends to fall in love with her and her wacky creations. The film is directed by Kyra Thompson, who frames the 90-minute film with one of Burnett’s signature devices: the audience Q&A that faithfully opened her weekly show (which won 25 Emmy Awards from 1967 to 1978). The questions — and Burnett’s hilarious improvised responses — provide the spine for a story of her life and career. Interviews with those who knew her best reveal the personal side of the public personae.

Pioneers of Television “Carol Burnett and the Funny Ladies” airs from 9:30-10:00 p.m. ET, and is built around Carol Burnett, Lucille Ball and Betty White — three leading ladies of television comedy. The episode includes reflections from Carol Burnett, Betty White, Tina Fey, Dick Van Dyke, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, Cloris Leachman, Joan Rivers, Margaret Cho and the late Phyllis Diller, recounting stories about the featured funny ladies and discussing their impact on American television and entertainment. The episode includes iconic clips and photos to offer an insider’s look at these beloved celebrities.

Feature image by Randee St. Nicholas.