Some moments in the history of television, like excellent wine, only get better with time. The comedic skit “The Dentist” from The Carol Burnett Show exemplifies this. It continues to make audiences laugh aloud generation after generation, solidifying its status as one of the funniest television moments ever.
The Carol Burnett Show won 25 Emmy Awards, eight Golden Globes, and made a number of comedians well-known in just eleven years. It remains one of the most prestigious programs in television history today.
Its most well-known and humorous skit, “The Dentist,” starring comedians Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, is still in circulation. One of those scenes that you just can’t get out of your head. Conway and Korman are struggling to keep from laughing too much while they watch the act because it is so funny.
The patient Korman in “The Dentist” has a horrible toothache. On a Sunday, when he goes to the dentist, he discovers that Conway, the nephew of his regular dentist, is filling in for him.
Korman will be the dentist’s first patient since he just finished dentistry school. The nervous dentist does all in his power to get his first client to leave or just get a cleaning, even lying to him and telling him that during dental school, he only pulled teeth on animals and received Cs. However, poor Korman is in too much misery to give a damn about any of the justifications.
Conway is forced to consult a manual in order to try to figure out how to extract his patient’s tooth. He mistakenly injects Novocain into his hand during the procedure. A series of funny mishaps are caused by the numb hand. The humor is so outrageous that Korman frequently covers his face to prevent breaking character.
Conway would subsequently admit that Korman was laughing so hard to himself during the scenario that he actually wet his pants. Oh, that’s funny. In addition, he would later admit that the skit was partially inspired by a military dentist he had actually met.
Nearly everything was numb by the time the comedy was over, save for the audience’s laughter and the patient’s mouth. Obviously, the comedy is intended to make people laugh, but you’ll have to watch to find out if the patient’s tooth is ever actually pulled out.
The ridicule of a horrible dental experience can be related to by the majority of people, right? From 1967 to 1978, The Carrol Burnett Show entertained audiences with realistic, family-friendly, and non-partisan comedy. It’s simple to understand why this priceless piece of television history continues to amuse viewers of all ages.
Watch the hilarious video below:
