The second Tim Conway drifted into a sketch, professionalism quietly packed its bags. He didn’t shout. He didn’t rush. He simply stood there, delivering lines so gently they felt harmless — right up until the entire room imploded. From the dentist routine to that infamous elephant story that nearly brought live television to its knees, his calm, unbothered delivery worked like a slow fuse. Discipline vanished. Faces flushed. Breathing became optional. Harvey Korman fought harder than anyone to survive it. Shoulders shaking. Eyes watering. Air gone. He tried to regain control and failed in the most spectacular way possible, dissolving into gasping laughter that turned him into the punchline alongside the audience and half the cast. Tim, of course, never broke. He just kept going — softly, patiently — like none of this was his fault. People still say those moments weren’t just comedy, they were accidents of joy — lightning caught on camera. The kind of laughter that shuts the world down, makes time irrelevant, and reminds you what it feels like to lose control in the best way. Decades later, it still hits just as hard, proving real comedy doesn’t age… it just keeps finding new people to break.

Tim Conway, who passed away yesterday at the age of 85, once felt everywhere. Between his long-running role on The Carol Burnett Show, his string of beloved films alongside Don Knotts, and countless guest appearances across television, Conway became one of the most familiar comedic faces of the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s. More than that, he was remarkably consistent—a true professional who could coax laughter from any room with his gentle deadpan delivery and total devotion to absurdity. He was the rare comedian who appealed equally to kids and adults, and his loss is deeply felt.

While his career spanned decades, Conway’s most cherished work came from his 11-year run on The Carol Burnett Show, which continued to reach new audiences through syndication well into the 1990s. Long before Saturday Night Live reshaped sketch comedy with a countercultural edge, Carol Burnett hosted the most popular sketch show on television—and Conway was a vital part of its heart, alongside Harvey Korman and Vicki Lawrence.

Thankfully, many of the show’s greatest moments are still available today via the official Carol Burnett Show YouTube channel. What follows is a look back at some of Conway’s most memorable sketches—starting with one of his most famous collaborations with Korman.