Carol Burnett's 90th Birthday Special Will Feature Loads of Famous Friends

How to watch the all-star NBC tribute.

Carol Burnett is a beloved comedian and actress who is preparing to celebrate her 90th birthday with the help of her famous friends. In NBC's Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love, stars and colleagues will perform, share memories and toast to one of the funniest women of all time.

Here is everything we know about Carol Burnett's birthday special.

What is Carol Burnett's 90th birthday special?

NBC will air the two-hour special Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love in honor of Burnett's milestone birthday. The pre-taped special will feature shoutouts, stories, performances and more from many of Burnett's notable friends, including Cher, Steve Carell and Katy Perry.

Actress Julie Andrews will also be on hand to celebrate Burnett. The pair are exceptionally close, and Burnett is the godmother to Andrews's daughter Emma. Andrews told People, "From day one, we both seem to know and understand where each one of us is coming from. She's wonderful to work with, and she's loyal and kind, and it's never changed. It isn't that we speak every day to be truthful. But it's the kind of friendship that the minute you meet up again, it's exactly as it was."

Related: Carol Burnett Reveals What She's Grateful for Ahead of Her 90th Birthday

When does Carol Burnett's 90th birthday special air?

The special airs on NBC on April 26, 2023, and will stream on Peacock the following day.

How to watch Carol Burnett's 90th birthday special

Fans can watch Burnett's special as it airs on NBC at 8 p.m. ET, or stream it via the media giant's streaming platform, Peacock, where it debuts on April 27, 2023.

What celebrities will appear on Carol Burnett's birthday special?

A slew of celebrities will be showing up and showing out in honor of Burnett. Special guests include:

Allison Janney
Amy Poehler
Bob Mackie
Bob Odenkirk
Charlize Theron
Cher
Ellen DeGeneres
Julie Andrews
Kristen Wiig
Laura Dern
Lily Tomlin
Lisa Kudrow
Marisa Tomei
Maya Rudolph
Sofia Vergara
Steve Carell
Susan Lucci
Sheryl Lee Ralph
Vicki Lawrence

Carol Burnett helped Vicki Lawrence get her start in show business on The Carol Burnett Show, when Lawrence was in her late teens. She told People, "She acts like a clown and she does silly stuff, but there's very smart lady under there that really knows the business of show business. She was my teacher. I learned from the very, very best in the business."

The special, which was filmed at Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles, will feature musical performances from Bernadette Peters, Billy Porter, Jane Lynch, Katy Perry, Kristin Chenoweth, Darren Criss, Sutton Foster, with tributes to Carol’s own iconic musical performances (expect to hear a rendition of “I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together,” from The Carol Burnett Show).

What is going to happen on Carol Burnett's birthday special?

Executive producer Mark Bracco told NBC that a little bit of everything will happen on the special. As he put it, "This special is going to be the best party ever. It will be an evening of music, comedy and dozens of big stars paying tribute to the one, the only, Carol Burnett. We cannot wait for everyone at home to celebrate right along with us."

Where was Carol Burnett born?

Burnett was born in San Antonio, Texas, and moved to Los Angeles, California, with her grandmother when she was around 7 years old (her parents, whom she's described over the years as big drinkers, left her for L.A., then divorced).

In 2018 Burnett spoke to the Houston Chronicle about her memories of her original Texas town. "I remember we lived in an old house that had seen better days," she shared. "I used to roller skate in front of the house, and the sidewalk was all cracked and buckled. I would fall down and skin my knee, and my grandmother would chase after me with the iodine. I'd run screaming."

Related: Carol Burnett Reflects on What She Thinks of Comedy Today

How old was Carol Burnett when she started her show?

Burnett's sketch comedy series, The Carol Burnett Show, premiered in 1967, when Burnett was 34 years old. She later admitted that it wasn't easy to launch a career in comedy as a woman. As she told Conan O'Brien in 2018, "When I said ‘I want to do that show,’ they said, ‘Well Carol, you know comedy/variety is a man’s game. It’s Jackie Gleason, it’s Sid Caesar, now there’s Dean Martin. The vice president that I was talking to said, ‘You know, Carol, it’s not for you gals."

The series ran for 11 seasons on CBS and helped shape comedy as we know it.

Why did Carol Burnett tug her ear?

As fans of Burnett's show know, she always ended each episode by pulling on her ear. It turns out that Burnett had a sweet reason for doing so: It was her way of saying hello to her grandmother when she was on TV.

"My grandmother (Nanny) raised me out here in Hollywood," she once said while accepting The Colleagues Champion of Children Award. "When I got my first job back in New York, I called her and I said 'Nanny, I'm going to be on television Saturday morning.' She said, 'Well, you gotta say hello to me.' We figured this out—to pull my ear—and that was my signal to her."

She kept up her trademark signal over the years. "It always meant 'Hi Nanny. I'm fine. I love you,'" she joked. "Later it meant, 'Hi Nanny. I'm fine. I love you. Your check's on the way.'"

Next, 'Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie - All About the Actor's Rousing Documentary