Carol Burnett Returning to TV

Carol Burnett is making her return to television. The living legend will star in the upcoming Apple TV+ comedy series Mrs. American Pie, which already stars Saturday Night Live alum, Kristen Wiig. Laura Dern developed the series and serves as executive producer with her producing partner Jayme Lemons.

Mrs. American Pie was written by Abe Sylvia (The Eyes of Tammy Faye, George and Tammy), and is based on the novel by Juliet McDaniel. The story centers on “gorgeously impossible” people in the early 1970s, with Wiig starring as Maxine Simmons, who wants a spot in Palm Beach high society. While Maxine tries to climb the social ladder, she faces many of the same issues Americans see today, including the difficult-to-cross line between the haves and have-nots. Burnett was cast as Norma, the “grande dame” of Palm Beach high society who has plenty of skeletons in the closet.

“I couldn’t be prouder than to be producing a show where I get to celebrate and work alongside the legend that made me love life, characters, and storytelling – and honored the love of our grandmas for us all,” Dern wrote on Instagram, alongside the Deadline headline. “Welcome, hero Carol, to our party!”

Mrs. American Pie‘s ensemble cast also includes Allison Janney, Josh Lucas, Ricky Martin, and Leslie Bibb. Dern is in talks to have an on-screen role, reports TVLine. Tate Taylor (The Help) is directing and serves as an executive producer with his producing partner John Norris of Wyolah Entertainment. Syliva is the showrunner and an executive producer. Boat Rocker’s Katie O’Connell Marsh is also an executive producer and Apple Studios is producing.

Burnett, 89, remains best-known for her groundbreaking series The Carol Burnett Show. She has been a Hollywood institution for over seven decades and has won six Primetime Emmys. In 2019, she reprised her Emmy-winning role as Theresa Stemple on the Mad About You revival and starred in Netflix’s movie All Together Now. She also voiced the hilariously named Chairol Burnett in Toy Story 4 and Forky Asks a Question. Mrs. American Pie will mark Burnett’s first regular series role on television since The Carol Burnett Show ended. In 2017, she was set to star in an ABC comedy called Household Name, but the pilot was not picked up, notes The Hollywood Reporter.

Burnett recently resumed her live shows, which had to be put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. “Someone once asked me what I wanted my legacy to be and I said maybe it’s just that I made people laugh when they needed it,” Burnett told the Chicago Sun-Times in April before a show at the Chicago Theatre. “It also gives me joy. It’s reciprocal. It makes me happy that people are laughing. It gives me a new lease on life.”