THE CAROL CHANNING SHOW

As I mentioned yesterday, Disc 8 of THE MOTHERS-IN-LAW has a few added bonuses. One of these is the complete pilot for an unsold Desi Arnaz-produced sitcom from 1966 called THE CAROL CHANNING SHOW. The show is built around the Broadway legend and tries to play off of her zany personality.

The show begins with wacky Carol Honeycutt introducing herself to the audience while wearing an enormous hat on her enormous head.

 Followed by some of the grooviest opening titles ever created.

 See I told you.

The opening scene has hungry, homeless, but peppy Carol trying to get a kid to share his snack with her. The kid brushes her off and soon a amorous young couple with hotdogs are seated next to her.

While the couple makes out, Carol makes off with their wieners. So begins the first of Carol's Lucy-like antics that fill this 40-minute laughfest.

Of course Carol gets caught in the act. Then Carol's friend Florence shows up and invites her to stay with her and her husband Leon until she gets on her feet.

So of course Carol sneaks into Florence's house and helps herself to food and drink, but Leon (THE MOTHERS-IN-LAW's Richard Deacon) thinks she's a thief and tries to shoot her. Unfortunately he shoots himself in the foot instead.

Carol then volunteers to nurse Leon back to health. That doesn't work out to well, so then gets a job at a steak house where she has a run-in with a crazed electric knife.

Carol chops up flowers, breadsticks and then attacks some customers. Chaos ensues and Carol is fired. Luckily no one is killed.

Next, she gets a job at a dance hall. Only she can't compete with the sexiness of some of the other dancers. Like this one...

Carol then proceeds to pin up her skirt and unbutton her blouse to attract takers.

 Carol wins over most of the men and gets to demonstrate a bunch of ridiculous dances.

She ends up becoming the belle of the ball, so much in fact that men are soon fighting over her.

But of course the place gets wrecked in the process, so Carol is forced to take to the stage for an impromptu song.

It all ends with Carol Honeycutt giving us an epilogue which makes no sense whatsoever.

And then the groovy closing credits begin. Yay.

One wonders what would have happened if THE CAROL CHANNING SHOW was picked up and became a hit? Would it be TV Land classic today? Would people think of Carol the same way we think of Lucy? The world will never know. Also included on the disc are a bunch a great vintage commercials, the best being one for Bold detergent featuring the talents of LAUGH-IN star Jo Anne Worley. Tune in tomorrow...