Carol Burnett Turns 88 — 7 Movies and Shows to Celebrate Her Birthday
Carol Burnett is a comedy legend with a career that spans nearly six decades. As a multitalented female entertainer rising to fame in the 1960s, she changed the face of television with her hit variety series, The Carol Burnett Show.
Burnett turns 88 on April 26, 2021. So here are seven films and TV shows to celebrate her birthday.
1. ‘The Carol Burnett Show’
Burnett’s sketch comedy/musical/variety show, The Carol Burnett Show, premiered on NBC in 1967 and ran for 11 seasons until 1978. She was joined by several iconic performers, including Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, Tim Conway, and Dick Van Dyke.
On the show, Burnett hosted dozens of notable celebrities like Lucille Ball, Ella Fitzgerald, and Janet Jackson. In its 11-year run, The Carol Burnett Show picked up 25 Primetime Emmy Awards and earned Burnett five Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.
Episodes of The Carol Burnett Show are available to stream on Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, Pluto TV, and Crackle.
2. ‘Mama’s Family’
On The Carol Burnett Show, Burnett and co-star Vicki Lawrence created a recurring skit called “The Family Sketch.” Its popularity spawned the NBC spinoff series Mama’s Family, which premiered in 1983 and ran for six seasons until 1990.
The sitcom features Lawrence as Mama Thelma Harper and Burnett as her daughter, Eunice. Beverly Archer and Allan Kayser also join the cast, along with The Golden Girls stars Rue McClanahan and Betty White.
Episodes of Mama’s Family are available to rent on Google Play Movies, Youtube, Apple TV, Vudu, and Amazon Prime Video.
3. ‘Annie’
In the 1982 classic Annie, Burnett plays Miss Agatha Hannigan, the mean woman who runs the orphanage where Annie (Aileen Quinn) and her friends live. The comedy, which is based on the 1977 Broadway musical, earned two Academy Award nominations. And for her performance, Burnett received a Golden Globe nod for Best Actress.
Annie is available as a digital rental on multiple streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, iTunes, Google Play Movies, and Vudu.
4. ‘Once Upon a Mattress’
Based on the classic tale of The Princess and the Pea, Once Upon a Mattress tells the story of Prince Dauntless (Dennis O’Hare), a young prince who falls in love with a young princess named Winnifred (Tracy Ullman). But his mother, Queen Aggravain (Carol Burnett) loathes the princess and tries her best to sabotage their romance.
The 2005 musical comedy, which also stars Zoey Deschanel and Shailene Woodley, earned two Primetime Emmy nominations. It is available to stream on Disney+ with a subscription and as a digital rental on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Youtube, Google Play Movies, and Apple TV.
5. ‘Horton Hears a Who!’
Horton Hears a Who! Is based on Dr. Seuss’s classic 1954 storybook and follows an elephant named Horton (Jim Carrey) who discovers the tiny city of Who-Ville. The 2008 animated film features Burnett as the Sour Kangaroo. Seth Rogan, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Isla Fisher, Steve Carell, and Selena Gomez also star.
Horton Hears a Who! is streaming on Disney+. It is also available as a digital rental on iTunes, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Youtube, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video.
6. ‘Post Grad’
Post Grad is a 2009 comedy that follows a recent college graduate that is forced to move back in with her family after losing her dream job. The film stars Burnett, Alexis Bledel, Michael Keaton, Zach Gilford, J.K. Simmons, and Fred Armisen.
Post Grad is available as a digital rental on most streaming platforms.
7. ‘Toy Story 4’
Toy Story 4 follows heroes Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) on a fun-filled adventure with their new friend Forky (Tony Hale). Burnett plays a toy chair called Chairol Burnett.
Toy Story 4 is available to stream on Disney+ with a subscription. Viewers can also find it as a rental on platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Google Play Movies.
