NBC to Honor Carol Burnett on 90th Birthday With Two-Hour Special
The Carol Burnett Show aired on CBS, but it is NBC that is honoring comedy legend Carol Burnett with a 90th birthday celebration. Burnett will celebrate her milestone birthday on April 26, and NBC will air Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love that same day at 8 p.m. ET. Burnett is one of the funniest people to ever grace television screens and is still busy acting. She just had a recurring role on Better Call Saul.
The two-hour 90 Years of Laughter + Love special will be filmed at Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles. Bernadette Peters, Billy Porter, Jane Lynch, Katy Perry, and Kristin Chenoweth are among the first performers announced. "Old Friends" will be dedicated to Burnett's 60-year friendship with another living legend, Julie Andrews. "Only an Octave Apart" will be performed to honor the famous Sills and Burnett at the Met (1976) special with Beverly Sills. There will also be performances of Burnett's songs from Annie and "I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together," the theme song of The Carol Burnett Show.
"I'm so excited NBC decided to throw me a birthday party and invited all of my closest friends," Burnett said in a statement Thursday. "I can't wait to look back at so many wonderful moments throughout my career, I feel so lucky to share this night with everyone." The party guest list features Aileen Quinn, Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Bob Mackie, Cher, Ellen DeGeneres, Julie Andrews, Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern, Lily Tomlin, Marisa Tomei, Sofia Vergara, Steve Carell, Susan Lucci, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Vicki Lawrence.
"It's hard to imagine anyone in television more beloved than Carol Burnett," Jen Neal, Executive Vice President of Live Events and Specials at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said. "To throw this wonderful birthday celebration is clearly our honor, and we can't wait to share the love that we all have for her with all her adoring fans."
"This special is going to be the best party ever," Silent House Productions president Mark Bracco said. "It will be an evening of music, comedy, and dozens of big stars paying tribute to the one and only Carol Burnett. We look forward to everyone at home celebrating right along with us."
Burnett was born in San Antonio and began her career in television during the 1950s. After earning an Emmy for The Garry Moore Show and several successful specials, Burnett became the first woman to host a variety show when The Carol Burnett Show launched in 1967. Decades after it ended in 1978, the show is still considered one of the best television shows of all time. The first three seasons are available to stream on NBCUniversal's Peacock.
Burnett has earned 23 Emmy nominations and six wins. Her most recent win came in 1997 for her guest role on Mad About You. She also has one Tony Award and one Grammy. She received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2003. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association named its television lifetime Golden Globe award after Burnett and presented her with the first award in 2019.