NATPE 2018: CTD Acquires Digital Multicast Rights to 'Carol Burnett Show'

CBS Television Distribution has acquired digital multicast rights to all 11 seasons of Carol Burnett Show from Burnett, CTD said Tuesday.

The deal includes nearly 280 hours of the classic comedy series, with many episodes never having been seen beyond their original broadcast. The Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning show starred Burnett as well as Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, Tim Conway and the late Harvey Korman. It’s celebrating its 50th anniversary this TV season, having premiered on Sept. 11, 1967.

In 1972, CBS moved it to Saturday nights, where it aired alongside such legendary programs as All in the Family, M*A*S*H, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and The Bob Newhart Show.

“I’m thrilled to be back home at CBS, and I’m so happy that future generations will be able to see and enjoy the fun we had in those 11 wonderful years,” Burnett said in a statement.

“Carol Burnett is one of the very finest comedic performers in the history of television,” said Paul Franklin, president of CTD, also in a statement. “Acquiring digital rights to her library allows us to not only ensure that the show’s legacy is protected, but that her genius is also shared with audiences for years to come.” 

Paige Albiniak

Contributing editor Paige Albiniak has been covering the business of television for more than 25 years. She is a longtime contributor to Next TV, Broadcasting + Cable and Multichannel News. She concurrently serves as editorial director for The Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (G.E.M.A.). She has written for such publications as TVNewsCheck, The New York Post, Variety, CBS Watch and more. Albiniak was B+C’s Los Angeles bureau chief from September 2002 to 2004, and an associate editor covering Congress and lobbying for the magazine in Washington, D.C., from January 1997 - September 2002.