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Imagine Giving Script Rewrite Notes to Comedy Legend Carol Burnett

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Imagine being the person who gave Carol Burnett rewrite notes. 

You're talking about one of the funniest women in the business, and, for whatever reason, you have to give her rewrite notes for her new sitcom your network has picked up.

Imagine Giving Script Rewrite Notes to Comedy Legend Carol Burnett
LOS ANGELES – OCT 4: Carol Burnett at the Carol Burnett 50th Anniversary Special Arrivals at the CBS Television City on October 4, 2017 in Los Angeles, CA
Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

It was an ABC series tentatively called Household Name, one that was ordered without any hesitation, executive produced by Amy Poehler, and written by Michael Saltzman (Mad Men, The Middle, Murphy Brown), only to 'fizzle' and drop off the slate.

Burnett says it was due in large part of network meddling, which included rewrites (claiming the existing work wasn't funny), recasting key roles, and in general pulling a part the script.

She spoke to the New York Post about it:

"The pilot was very funny and the audience and everyone seemed to think "whee!"," Burnett told the New York Post. "Then the network wanted to recast a couple of main parts … and wanted Michael Saltzman to add extra stuff they thought was funny — more of the family stuff and less of the oddball situation we were in.

"Michael, it's not your fault. The original pilot was better, more fun … I don't want to do it."  Burnett lamented that back in the heyday of The Carol Burnett Show, interference was nil. "They never even asked to see a script. [CBS founder] Mr. Paley always said, 'Here's the show, go do it. You're the artist, go have fun and if it works and gets ratings we'll renew you.' So with [the pilot] I thought, I had it so good that, at this time of my life, do I want to face a bunch of network or advertising people who want to make their opinions known? I just don't want to be around that," Burnett wrote to Saltzman.

The good news here is we WILL be getting a new show from the legendary comedianne. She's working with Netflix, on a show called A Little Help with Carol Burnett that has Burnett interacting with children ages 4-8 who give advice on everyday adult problems.  It's expected to hit the streaming service on May 4th 2018.

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Mary Anne ButlerAbout Mary Anne Butler

Bleeding Cool News Editor Mary Anne Butler (Mab, for short) has been part of the fast-paced world of journalism since she was 15, getting her start in album reviews and live concert coverage for a nationally published (print) music magazine. She eventually transitioned to online media, writing for such sites as UGO/IGN, ComicsOnline, Geek Magazine, Ace of Geeks, Aggressive Comix (where she is still Editor-in-Chief), and most recently Bleeding Cool. 

Over the past 10 years, she’s built a presence at conventions across the globe as a cosplayer (occasionally), photographer (constantly), panelist and moderator (mostly), and reporter (always). 

 Interviews, reviews, observations, breaking news, and objective reporting are the name of the game for the founder of Harkonnen Knife Fight, a Dune-themed band with an international presence. 

 Though she be but little, she is fierce. #MabTheProfessional
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