“Over 30 million people watched… and still wonder how he survived that scene.” Tim Conway pretending he wasn’t drunk on The Carol Burnett Show will never stop being funny. He walks in like a man arguing with his own furniture, while Harvey Korman tries so hard not to break he might as well be holding his breath. Tim drops to his knees, insists he’s sober, and then tosses the cuckoo clock straight into the fish tank as if that’s normal household maintenance. The kettle goes in the fridge, mayo ends up on his hand, and he attacks an envelope like it’s a bomb. And just when you think it can’t get better, Carol yells once — and Tim rolls down the stairs like gravity finally got its revenge.  If you need a real laugh, this is peak Tim Conway chaos.

Tim Conway’s Hilarious Attempt at Sneaking Into the House on *The Carol Burnett Show*

Few comedy duos delivered chaos and laughter quite like Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, and this classic sketch from The Carol Burnett Show is a perfect example. The scene opens with Harvey quietly entering the house, glancing around to make sure the coast is clear. He whispers to Tim that it’s safe to come in because his wife is asleep.

Tim steps inside—only to announce, in a panic, that he has “lost his tongue.” Harvey ignores the ridiculous claim and warns him not to step on anything red, adding, “You can’t let your wife know you’ve been drinking.”
Tim, slurring and confused, asks, “How is she gonna know I’ve been drinking? What’s the indication that I’ve been drinking?” before collapsing dramatically at Harvey’s feet.

A Spiral of Drunken Mischief

Harvey kneels beside him, telling him he needs to get some sleep, but Tim gives him a painfully hard pat on the back and proudly says, “Gotcha,” before falling flat on the floor. Harvey catches him just in time.

Suddenly, the cuckoo clock rings. Tim panics, grabs the entire clock, and tosses it into the fish tank to keep it quiet, muttering, “My bird died.”
Harvey, exasperated, sets some water on the stove to heat and finally leaves Tim to fend for himself.

Moments later, the kettle begins to whistle. Tim “runs” to the stove—moving as only Tim Conway can—and desperately tries to silence it. He tucks the scorching-hot kettle under his jacket, instantly burning himself, and starts hopping around the kitchen in pain.

From Bad to Worse

Still determined to hide the noise, he waddles to the refrigerator and shoves the steaming kettle inside, whispering sharply for it to “shush.”
He then attempts to make himself a late-night snack, pulling out an enormous pile of bread. With no plate in sight, he slathers mayo directly onto his hand.

Tim rinses his hands in the fish tank—right next to the drowned cuckoo clock—and pulls out an envelope. He tries to open it by biting it, shaking it, throwing it, and wrestling with it, but gives up in utter confusion.
Instead, he stuffs his half-made sandwich into the envelope and proudly heads upstairs.

The Grand Finale

Just as he reaches the top, his wife—played by Carol Burnett—shouts his name.
Startled, Tim loses his balance, tumbles backwards, and takes a spectacular fall all the way down the stairs… landing in the basement in a heap of comedic glory.

It’s classic Tim Conway: physical comedy, perfect timing, and a performance so funny you can barely believe the cast kept straight faces.
This sketch remains one of the most beloved examples of his ability to turn simple scenarios into unforgettable comedic masterpieces.