A customer (Tim Conway) has trouble on the “self-service” line at the gas station, he gets no help at all from the service attendant.
Everybody remembers and loves The Carol Burnett Show. You’re probably smiling right now just thinking about those classic, side-splitting sketches on this 11-season variety show, and funny-man Tim Conway always comes to mind.
Particularly memorable was Tim Conway, who brought an extra burst of unforgettable slapstick humor to the series during his stint which ran from 1975 to 1978.
In this over-the-top skit, Tim delivers the laughs as a self-service customer stuck with absurdly no-frills amenities while looking on longingly at the first-class treatment of a customer in the full-service line next to him. The zaniness escalates as the rude gas jockey adds insult to literal injury for poor, no-frills Tim.
In one bit, the water hose won’t reach so the annoyed attendant shows Tim an insane alternative. “I can do this, but I’m gonna help you just this once,” cautions the attendant. What happens next is one of the best sight gags you’ll ever see, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Wait until you see what happens when Tim can’t get the gas pump to work. You won’t believe your eyes. The fact that this technical feat of slapstick humor was achieved flawlessly on live television will leave you stunned.
And just wait until you see what happens when Conway dares to ask for a free map and directions to Fresno. In the end though, Tim turns the situation around in yet another impossible-seeming sight gag.
“There just are no funny shows anymore on TV like these masterpieces,” wrote one nostalgic fan. “Love you, Carol. My childhood memories of your show return to me with these videos. God bless.”
“Gas station attendants, wow, I remember going with my mom and dad and yes they always had some sort of promotion going on. Fill up, get a gift. The good old days are gone forever,” wrote another appreciative viewer.
The “no-frills” concept was also used in another Tim Conway sketch about a minimum service airline on another episode of the long-running series. It’s classic performances like these that helped ensure Tim Conway’s legendary status in the comedy universe.
If you haven’t filled up on “No-frills Gas” lately, take a walk down memory lane and howl with laughter.
