For fans that don’t want to pay incredible amounts of money for the complete editions of “The Carol Burnett Show,” but still want to savor in a complete episode of the hit comedy series, DVD’s like “Together Again” exist for you and you alone. Though it’s a little tough to tell what kind of episodes are on these DVD releases and what they feature, these editions are fine snippets of what you’d get if you forked over money for complete season sets. For a primer course, “Together Again” isn’t too shabby for your collection.
“Together Again” features a trio of full uncut episodes of “The Carol Burnett Show” free of cuts for syndication on American channels. The trio of episodes is from the hit series, warts and all with the comedy and musical numbers relatively in tact. These days with shows edited down for content on cable television, this is a fun little treat. Episode #705 is from 1973 and guest stars Gloria Swanson. Burnett who is well known for her keen impersonations meets the woman she impersonated in episodes past, and has a good time talking with the film star. There’s even a nice musical number with the actress. Episode #712 is a pre-Christmas episode from 1973 with guest star Ruth Buzzi. She gets to have a ball offering up characters from “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh In,” and there’s also Richard Crenna!
Finally, there’s the episode from 1978 when the cast was whittled down to Burnett, Conway, and Vicki Lawrence along with Ken Berry and Roddy McDowall. There’s a “Mama’s Family” sketch, and a neat song and dance number called “High Hat.” There’s no extras, but you get to watch the trio all at once or individually. And yes, they’re uncut! Beginning February 9th, fans of “The Carol Burnett Show” can purchase “Treasures from the Vault” which features lost episodes from the series. This comes in one disc, three disc, or six disc editions. The Six Disc Edition of “The Lost Episodes” is over a thousand minutes of comedy and uncut episodes featuring stars like Dionne Warwick, Joan Rivers, and Soupy Sales, all of whom contribute to the raucous comedy of the skit and musical series.
Among some of the special features, there are interviews with performer Kristin Chenowith and comedian Bill Hader, and “As the Stomach Turns,” the final appearance from Tim Conway’s famous “World’s Oldest Man” character from the series. There’s also a funny spoof of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” entitled “Guess What’s Coming to Dinner?”, and a skit that ends with a wonderful cameo from the one and only Bob Hope. Some of the highlights of the music portions including a sign language version of “Over the Rainbow.” This six disc edition of “The Lost Episodes” is a part of another larger box set from “The Carol Burnett Show,” so while this is a wonderful edition, it’s also one large chunk of a larger set that is probably quite steep for most collectors. So as always, for folks that want a big sample of the show in all of its uncut glory, this is a wonderful sampler and a perfect addition to the massive collection from Burnett’s hit show. It’s a must have for any fan.