AMERICAN MASTERS

CAROL BURNETT: A Woman of Character

Aired Wednesday, March 18, at 9:00 p.m. on CPTV

Just about any American watching TV past 10 p.m. between 1967 and 1978 has a favorite moment from The Carol Burnett Show: Starlet descending the Tara staircase, Mrs. Wiggins fiddling with the intercom, Eunice bickering, Mama nagging and any number of Tarzan yells.

By brilliantly playing with stereotypes of glamorous women, dumb broads and goofy girls, Carol Burnett smashed some of the most limiting female images and created an empowering new one: the woman who is as feminine and likable as she is talented and powerful, and whose message isn't any more radical than a simple invitation to laugh. Her on-stage joyfulness and fearlessness remain an inspiration to performers such as Tracey Ullman, Ellen DeGeneres, Kristin Chenoweth and Jenna Elfman. Learn more...