Carol Burnett Changed TV, And Maybe The Future, Fifty Years Ago With Her Show

Here’s how it went down in the beginning, according to Carol Burnett herself: “I had this terrific and unheard-of contract that read if I wanted to push that button, the network would have to give me 30 one-hour comedy-variety shows. … I said, ‘That’s what I want to do.’ And they said, ‘Oh, no, no, no. Carol … all comedy-variety shows are hosted by men — Sid Caesar, Jackie Gleason, Milton Berle, Dean Martin … It’s not really for you gals.’” Yeah, wrong.