Carol Burnett on comedy, life and how she very nearly had a career in journalism

Carol Burnett on comedy, life and how she very nearly had a career in journalism
Had it not been for a simple twist of fate, Carol Burnett very likely would have spent much of her life toiling behind the scenes as a journalist, rather than commanding the spotlight as one of the 20th century’s most popular and celebrated TV comedy stars.

“You know, one door closes and another opens,” said Burnett, whose Dec. 11 Copley Symphony Hall performance will be preceded by Sunday night’s two-hour telecast of the all-star “The Carol Burnett 50th Anniversary Special” on CBS.

That twist of fate occurred in 1951 when Burnett, then 19, enrolled at UCLA. Having been bitten by the writing bug as the editor of the student newspaper at Hollywood High School, she was eager to pursue a career in journalism.

There was just one problem: UCLA didn’t have a journalism program.