Carol Burnett will host CBS… 50 YEARS FROM TELEVISION CITY

[Pavan]

Carol Burnett will host CBS… 50 YEARS FROM TELEVISION CITY, a new entertainment special celebrating the golden anniversary of CBS Television City, the entertainment industry's oldest studio built specifically for television, Saturday, April 27 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

John Ritter ("Three's Company"), Bob Barker ("The Price Is Right"), Craig Kilborn ("The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn"), Tommy Smothers ("The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" ), John McCook ("The Bold and the Beautiful") and Melody Thomas Scott ("The Young and the Restless") are among the stars set to present special segments.

The special will delve into seven genres of programs, hosted by special celebrity guests, with clips of shows that originated at CBS Television City in Hollywood. These include situation comedies ("All in the Family," "The Jeffersons"), presented by Ritter; dramas ("Playhouse 90," six episodes of "The Twilight Zone"); variety shows ("The Judy Garland Show," "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour," "The Carol Burnett Show"), presented by Smothers; talk shows ("The Mike Douglas Show," "The Merv Griffin Show," "The Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn" ), presented by Kilborn; game shows ("The Price is Right," "Hollywood Squares," "The $25,000 Pyramid" ), presented by Barker; soap operas ("The Bold and the Beautiful," "The Young and the Restless"), presented by McCook and Scott, and specials/miscellaneous events ("George Burns' 95th Birthday Celebration," "Survivor" finales).

The "CBS Scrapbook" segment of the show will reveal photos and footage of the creation of CBS Television City. Before becoming the world's most famous television studio, the intersection of Beverly Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue was a 25-acre area of land that stood adjacent to Los Angeles' famous Farmer's Market (which still exists) and to Gilmore Field, home of the Hollywood Stars baseball team.

Viewers will get a glimpse back in time to Nov. 15, 1952, when the opening of the studio was celebrated with a televised gala featuring Jack Benny, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, George Burns, Gracie Allen and Art Linkletter, among others.

Viewers will also get to snoop through the CBS prop and scenery department, where such famous pieces as the original lamppost from "The Judy Garland Show" and the walls from "All in the Family" are stored. They'll roam through the building and learn about the history of CBS Television City through the stars and the programs shot there and hear from some current CBS employees for whom Television City has been a second home since its inception.

Carol Burnett shot her own show at Television City -- "The Carol Burnett Show," for which she won five Emmy Awards. Burnett's television credits also include "The Jack Paar Show, " The Garry Moore Show," the movie " The Marriage Fool" and the specials " CBS: The First 50 Years," " Men, Movies and Carol," " The Carol Burnett Show: Show Stoppers," which was the top-rated entertainment special this season, and landmark musical hours with Julie Andrews, all on the Network. Her feature film credits include " Once Upon a Mattress," " Annie," " The Four Seasons" and " Pete 'n Tillie."

CBS Television City was introduced to the nation in 1952. In 1948, CBS executives Dr. Frank Stanton and Howard Meegan commissioned an architectural firm to build a " Television City," as feature film studios were no longer meeting the technical and production requirements of the television industry. The facility, to be built specifically for television, was to be large and centralized, but flexible enough to accommodate the medium's ever-evolving production needs, and eventually, to serve as a broadcast facility. It also needed to have room for large television audiences. In the end, the resulting complex became one of television's finest production facilities and is still considered a model of efficiency.

CBS… 50 YEARS FROM TELEVISION CITY is being produced by Jeff Margolis Productions, in association with CBS Productions. Jeff Margolis (" The Academy Awards," " The SAG Awards") is the executive producer; Mick McCullough (" The SAG Awards," " The First Family's Holiday Gift to America: A Tour of the White House"), Gloria Fujita-O'Brien (" The SAG Awards," " Miss America Pageant") and Dave Levisohn are the producers. Alan Carter (" The First Family's Holiday Gift to America: A Tour of the White House," " Quincy Jones…The First 50 Years") is directing the special from a script from Stephen Pouliot (" Concert for New York City," " The Primetime Emmy Awards") and Gail Honigberg (" Alice," " Eight is Enough")."