Carol Burnett Is Coming To Netflix For An Unscripted Kids Series

By Nellie Andreeva, Deadline
Published Aug. 1, 2017, 10:24 a.m. ET

Comedy legend Carol Burnett, who came close to a primetime return with the ABC comedy pilot Household Name this past season, is headed to Netflix. The internet network has given a 12-episode series order to A Little Help with Carol Burnett, an original unscripted comedy starring Burnett and a panel of straight-talking 4-8-year-olds as they demonstrate how different generations solve life’s biggest dilemmas.

In each half-hour episode, the kids will face real-life issues brought before them by both celebrities and everyday people and will dish back guidance in front of a live studio audience. The series is slated for a 2018 premiere. (You can watch a teaser above.)

“Someone once asked me how old I am inside,” said Burnett. “I thought about it, and came up with, ‘I’m about eight.’ So it’s going to be a lot of fun playing with kids my age.”

A Little Help with Carol Burnett is part of a major push Netflix is making in unscripted series, which started with the Sylvester Stallone-produced Ultimate Beastmaster and includes the upcoming revival of Queer Eye For the Straight Guy.

“We’re thrilled Carol is bringing her unique sensibilities to Netflix,” said Bela Bajaria, VP, Content Acquisition for Netflix. “Carol is truly a legend in the entertainment industry with unprecedented success and fandom across TV, film and the stage, and we are both honored and excited to work with her.”

A Little Help with Carol Burnett is produced for Netflix by dick clark productions.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be working on our first series with Netflix, and to be working with a comedy legend like Carol Burnett is truly a dream come true,” said Mark Bracco, EVP, Programming & Development for dick clark productions.

A Little Help with Carol Burnett comes on the heels of the success of NBC’s talent show Little Big Shots, which features comedian Steve Harvey interacting with kids.

Burnett has earned 22 Emmy nominations, winning six over a span of five decades. Her Carol Burnett Show ran for 11 years, landing a best variety-comedy series Emmy nomination for each of those seasons and winning three times.

Burnett’s ABC multi-camera comedy pilot Household Name, written/executive produced by Michael Saltzman and executive produced by Amy Poehler via Uni TV, did not go to series in May, but was left alive for potential redevelopment.