'The Dentist' Skit From 'The Carol Burnett Show' Is Still Funny Nearly 50 Years Later
With so many laughable moments over the course of 11 years, it’s tough to single out the best scenes from “The Carol Burnett Show.”
But one sketch, in particular, comes to mind over and over again for American audiences — a skit famously known as “The Dentist.”
You’ll recall the one — a fearful, recently-graduated dentist meets his first patient and ends up accidentally injecting himself with novocaine.
It may be hard to believe, but “The Dentist” is about to turn 50 years old.
And the best part is the skit is every bit as hilarious now as it was five decades ago, thanks to the brilliance of the cast that could make seemingly anything into comedic gold.
Harvey Korman and Tim Conway paired up for the hilarious scene, which Conway has said was loosely based on a dentist he knew while in the military.
That particular dentist accidentally numbed his own thumb by accident — which became the perfect springboard for Carol Burnett and cast to act out their own version of the story.
Fans may recall the end of the skit, where the comedic duo couldn’t help but collapse in laughter.
Conway later revealed the scene left them so tickled that Korman “wet himself during the sketch.”
It’s hilarious in and of itself, but Conway was able to capitalize on his co-star’s misfortune in yet another funny way: Conway owned a laundromat at the time and was able to earn a few extra bucks washing Korman’s soiled clothing.
“One of the best ever,” one social media user commented.
“I’ve seen it enough times that I know what’s coming, but still find myself laughing every time.”
The Carol Burnett Show ran from 1967 to 1978 and accomplished something few comedy shows could ever do: be consistently funny, without politics or filthy jokes, for over a decade.
Many fans are yearning for the days when comedy was straight up fun to watch, with scripts that were well-written and just plain funny.
“What a joy growing up with such comedians that could find humor from everyday life without having to resort to vulgarity or humility!” wrote one viewer on social media.
“These are the comedians that provided the base for true comedy for me!”
Submit your story here, and subscribe to our best uplifting stories here.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
