Twelve minutes that shattered live television — Tim Conway slowly dismantles Harvey Korman while America loses it. It was a Saturday night. The popcorn was warm, the living room glowed blue from the TV, and then The Carol Burnett Show slipped into full-blown chaos. With surgical patience, Tim Conway took his time — stretching every pause, milking every look — until Harvey Korman had absolutely no defense left. From The Oldest Safecracker to The Oldest Surgeon, the laughter wasn’t written into the script. It was unavoidable. You could feel it building, second by second, and that anticipation made the payoff even sweeter. From an American living-room point of view, this wasn’t just comedy. It was a shared ritual — a moment when television pulled families together and laughter felt truly communal.

Remember those Saturday nights? We’d settle in front of the TV, the living room aglow with anticipation, for another episode of “The Carol Burnett Show.” Oh, those were the days, weren’t they? The air was filled with the aroma of freshly popped popcorn, and the family gathered together, a rarity now, it seems. At the heart of our laughter were Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, a duo unmatched in their comedic genius. This collection of skits below are going to crack you up!

Laughing Matters — The Carol Burnett Show, “The Oldest Man …
Who could forget “The Oldest Safecracker” skit? I recall how we’d lean in closer, chuckling even before the joke landed, knowing Tim, with that stocking clumsily pulled over his head, was about to send Harvey—and us—into uncontrollable fits of laughter. It was a simpler time, where the anticipation of laughter was as joyous as the laughter itself.

>

Then there was “The Oldest Sheriff,” with Tim’s agonizingly slow antics, a cigarette rolling saga that turned into an epic sneeze. Harvey’s attempt to maintain composure was futile, and our living room erupted in laughter, echoing the joy on the screen. It was as if Tim and Harvey were right there with us, sharing a joke among friends.

Tim Conway reveals why he wet his pants on ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ – Scoop Upworthy
“The Island Soldiers” skit brought the absurdity of the 71st battalion into our homes. Tim and Harvey, in their military mishaps, reminded us of the lighter side of life. Their laughter was contagious, spreading from our television speakers to our hearts, leaving us in stitches.

And who could overlook “The Oldest Surgeon”? Tim holding up that X-ray, delivering a line so perfectly timed it seemed to pause the world outside. Harvey’s inevitable breakdown was a moment we awaited eagerly, a shared delight that connected us to millions of others watching.

Then came the “New Angel” skit, a piece of comedic heaven. Harvey, trying to guide Tim’s clumsy newcomer angel, was a sight to behold. We watched, knowing the laughter was coming, feeling for a moment that all was right in the world.

These skits were more than mere comedy; they were Saturday night rituals, moments of shared joy that stitched the fabric of our memories. They reminded us of a time when laughter was a communal experience, when television had the power to bring families together in joy and anticipation.

So, to those who remember, let’s raise a glass to Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, to “The Carol Burnett Show,” and to those magical Saturday nights. Why not take a moment to relive those times, to feel once more the anticipation, the joy, and the laughter that filled our homes?

Relive the magic and see how Tim and Harvey turned every sketch into a moment of pure joy in the video below

Related Posts

I’m convinced Tim Conway had one secret mission: dismantle Harvey Korman — slowly, mercilessly, and with exquisite politeness. One shuffle at a time. You’ve never seen a silent comedy duel like this. Tim moves in near–slow motion: a blink, a tiny step, a careful reach for the ship’s wheel… and Harvey is already gone. Gasping. Wheezing. Folding in on himself like he just sprinted a marathon in clown shoes. It’s surgical. Every pause lands like a punchline. Every shuffle becomes a weapon. Every stretch of silence tightens the trap. The studio is finished. The cast is finished. The crew is finished. Everyone’s doubled over, fighting for air — except Harvey, who’s trapped in the most polite nightmare imaginable, plotting revenge while begging for mercy. Patience doesn’t just disappear — Tim turns it into a weapon of mass hilarity. Watching him work feels like a masterclass in comedy, disguised as the gentle destruction of one man’s dignity. And the best part? There’s a behind-the-scenes detail from this sketch that fans swear is even funnier than what actually made it to air.

And then there is Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, a pair so perfectly mismatched in discipline and chaos that every sketch they touched became instant television history….

“They tried to stay in character… but comedy had other plans.” America remembers Tim Conway and Harvey Korman for the moments when the script didn’t stand a chance and laughter took over live TV. They weren’t just actors in a sketch — they were two perfectly timed disasters colliding in the best possible way. No cheap jokes. No forced chaos. Just Conway’s quiet, deadly timing and Korman’s heroic attempt to survive it without breaking. And here’s what makes it unforgettable: you can actually see the moment Korman realizes he’s lost the battle. His face gives up. The room gives up. The audience explodes. What started as a normal scene turns into pure comedy history — the kind you don’t plan, can’t repeat, and never forget.

In the glittering history of Hollywood television, there have been many famous duos. But none were quite like Tim Conway and Harvey Korman. They were the industry’s…

“We didn’t realise he was famous… until we got older.” America remembers Tim Conway for the moments he “broke the script” and made his co-stars lose it on live TV. But his daughter has revealed something even wilder: at home, he was even more ‘dangerous’ than he was on stage. No showing off. No Hollywood attitude. Just a low-key dad who raised his kids like a normal family — until one day they looked up and realised their father was a legend. And here’s the part that makes people gasp: Tim could sit quietly in the corner, typing away, scanning the room like he was plotting something… then secretly pull the kids out of school and take them to the racetrack like it was a covert mission, while their mum still thought they were in class.

Kelly Conway used to tease her dad, comedian Tim Conway, by asking him which of his children was his favorite. “He’d go, ‘I can’t say that. I…

There was a reason the smartest comedians hesitated before sharing a stage with Tim Conway. He didn’t bend the rules. He stepped completely outside them. In a familiar sketch, everything moved exactly as rehearsed. The timing was locked. The logic held. Then Tim added one small detail that served no purpose at all. No setup. No explanation. No payoff. Harvey Korman heard it and froze. You can see the instant it happens — the pause, the flicker in his eyes, a mind searching for logic where none exists. The laughter that followed wasn’t planned. It was instinct. And what came next changed the entire sketch in a way no script ever could.

There was a quiet truth backstage on The Carol Burnett Show: if Tim Conway was in the sketch, no rehearsal truly mattered. The writers could polish every…

Tim Conway turns the slowest sheriff in history into pure comedy gold — every hesitant step, exaggerated squint, and perfectly timed pause landing harder than the last. 🤠 The outlaw is already cracking up, Harvey is fighting for dear life to stay serious, and Conway just keeps stretching the moment… and stretching it. The audience loses control. The laughter grows. And finally, Harvey does too. By the end, the entire saloon — and the studio — is doubled over laughing. A perfect reminder of when comedy was simple, brilliant, and unforgettable… and why classics like The Carol Burnett Show are still so deeply missed.

Last night, we took a stroll back to the golden age of television — a time when great comedy wasn’t about special effects or punchlines delivered by…

Tim Conway walked into what was meant to be a harmless, by-the-book sketch — just window washing on a wobbly scaffold. Simple. Safe. Predictable. That plan lasted about five seconds. One slip turned into a swing, the swing turned into chaos, and suddenly Tim had completely hijacked the scene. Harvey Korman was pleading with him to stop — actually pleading — but Conway had found the rhythm, and there was no slowing him down. For 22 straight minutes, the script ceased to exist. The cast lost all control, the crew could barely breathe, and the audience laughed so hard it felt physical. Tim wasn’t following cues. He wasn’t driving the scene. He broke the show — and no one could stop him.

Saturday Night, April 15th, 1978. The clock struck 10 PM, and right after The Love Boat, millions of Americans tuned in to CBS for their weekly tradition: The Carol Burnett…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *