Tim Conway wasn't interested in becoming a performer — until Rose Marie stepped in

As a young man, Conway wasn't interested in the Hollywood lifestyle.

Everett Collection

Anyone who knows anything understands that it's important to take the good with the bad. You're not bound to win all the time, but keeping a pessimistic attitude won't help you. It's important to remember that those bad experiences help you grow as a human being, and they help you prepare for all the good coming your way.

As one of the stars of The Carol Burnett Show, it can be hard to picture Tim Conway having an unsuccessful moment. However, years before he joined the cast of the hit series, Conway was a part of one of the biggest television failures of the decade. Conway appeared as a guest on the very short-lived series, Turn-On. The sketch comedy series lasted roughly one episode before being canceled by the network. Still, Conway, who had served as the guest host for the singular episode, wasn't discouraged by the failure.

"I've always treated this business very lightly and I never considered myself permanent here," said Conway during an interview with the Associated Press. "Still don't."

In fact, Conway didn't even have any aspirations to work as an actor when he was a young man living in Ohio.

"I didn't want to be a performer in the first place," said Conway. "I was working at a TV station in Cleveland when they needed an afternoon show. Ernie Anderson, who does voice-overs for a lot of shows here now, and I put together a show that was so bad we couldn't get guest stars...finally, we were reduced to interviewing each other, and I posed as the man in the street."

Luckily, a fellow Hollywood star gave Conway the advice he needed that would jump-start his career.

"Rose Marie, who was on The Dick Van Dyke Show visited Cleveland and said I should come to Hollywood to appear with Steve Allen," said Conway. Thus began his illustrious career in comedy, both good and bad.

Watch Carol Burnett and Friends on MeTV!

Weeknights at 11 PM
Sundays at 10:30 PM

*available in most MeTV markets
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
Close

3 Comments

WordsmithWorks 12 hours ago
It would be cool to see that one episode.
I've mentioned it in a recent thread under the "Quizzes" tab, where I passed along the info that a second episode was planned (and likely some segments already taped) for the following week with co-hosts Robert Culp and France Nguyen. The plan before it was canceled was to have a different host every week.
The first and second (unaired) episode of "Turn On" are available in their entirety on YouTube.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?