Review: In Such Good Company by Carol Burnett

In Such Good CompanyA few classic television series stand out to me as being as much a part of growing up as Hostess Cupcakes and Saturday morning cartoons. Gunsmoke, The Carol Burnett Show, Sanford and Son, Andy Griffith, I Love Lucy, Good Times, The Jeffersons, The Beverly Hillbillies are a few.  They were (and are!) extra special to me because I spent so many years sharing the experiences with my mom and dad.

One of our absolute favorites was The Carol Burnett Show. Carol Burnett was my first girl crush – I loved her style, her beautiful smile, and… most importantly.. she had what I’ve always considered to be the BEST trait for anyone to have. She made you laugh.

And laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh!

I can still watch skits with Carol Burnett, Vicki Lawrence, Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, and Lyle Waggoner and roll with laughter as though it was the first time I’d ever seen them. A lot of people talk about “it” and about “TV magic,” these 5 were bathed in “it” and frolicked in the magic they created.

When I saw that Carol Burnett had written a new book, In Such Good Company, and that it was devoted to the 11 years of creating The Carol Burnett Show, it was all I could think about.  I knew it’d be a very special book, but it actually surpassed my expectations.

About In Such Good Company (from Amazon)

The New York Times Bestseller

Comedy legend Carol Burnett tells the hilarious behind-the-scenes story of her iconic weekly variety series, The Carol Burnett Show.

In In Such Good Company, Carol Burnett pulls back the curtain on the twenty-five-time Emmy-Award winning show that made television history, and she reminisces about the outrageously funny and tender moments that made working on the series as much fun as watching it.

Carol delves into little-known stories of the guests, sketches and improvisations that made The Carol Burnett Show legendary, as well as some favorite tales too good not to relive again. While writing this book, Carol rewatched all 276 episodes and screen-grabbed her favorite video stills from the archives to illustrate the chemistry of the actors and the improvisational magic that made the show so successful.

Putting the spotlight on everyone from her costars to the impressive list of guest stars, Carol crafts a lively portrait of the talent and creativity that went into every episode. With characteristic wit and incomparable comic timing, she details hiring Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, and Tim Conway; shares anecdotes about guest stars and close friends, including Lucille Ball, Roddy Mcdowell, Jim Nabors, Bernadette Peters, Betty Grable, Steve Lawrence, Eydie Gorme, Gloria Swanson, Rita Hayworth, and Betty White; and gives her take on her favorite sketches and the unpredictable moments that took both the cast and viewers by surprise.

This book is Carol’s love letter to a golden era in television history through the lens of her brilliant show. Get the best seat in the house for “eleven years of laughter, mayhem, and fun in the sandbox.”

In Such Good CompanyI haven’t had the book in my possession very long but I devoured it like I would a piece of peanut butter fudge – and, at the risk of sounding corny, the stories and reflections in this book are even sweeter and more enjoyable than any peanut butter fudge I’ve ever had.

And I make some darn good peanut butter fudge, just so you know.

The book includes adorable behind the scenes photographs as well as photographs from skits (naturally, I remembered each and every one). The stories and reflections are broken into bite size readings – sort of like blog posts. I can’t tell you how much I love this. Books that break everything down in such a way spoil me to the point that I get annoyed with books with long chapters.  I know, I know – that doesn’t say anything good about my attention span, but there you have it.

I just can’t say enough good things about this book. I feel like I know so much more now about Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, and Tim Conway as well as guest stars that are also household names: Sammy Davis, Jr, Rita Hayworth, Betty White, Betty Grable, Jim Nabors, and my much beloved Lucille Ball.  This gal was never happier than the times my favorite red heads shared TV time together.

I hope you will click through In Such Good Company and order a copy for yourself. This book would also make a perfect gift idea – there’s a whole generation of us who connect with this show and these stars in a very profound way. Trust me, this is a book any Carol Burnett fan would love immensely.

Note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. The opinions and photographs are my own. When they send books for review, it’s entirely up to the reviewer whether it’s a positive or negative review…. it all depends on the book and In Such Good Company is exceptional. Ironically, it was at the top of my “Buy SOON” list when they sent it. Sometimes fate smiles on a blogger.