Comedy Sabotage — Tim Conway Turns Disaster Into Gold as “The World’s Worst Scene Partner”
When it comes to breaking his castmates, no one did it better — or more diabolically — than Tim Conway. In The Carol Burnett Show’s infamous “World’s Worst Scene Partner” sketch, Conway transforms a simple rehearsal into an unforgettable meltdown of laughter and chaos.
The setup is classic: Carol Burnett is trying to deliver a heartfelt dramatic scene. Tim, her “partner,” is supposed to respond seriously — but instead, he’s living in a completely different sketch. He forgets lines, interrupts with bizarre ad-libs, and drags out awkward pauses so long that even the silence becomes a punchline.
Harvey Korman’s shoulders are the first to shake. Carol bites her lip, trying desperately not to break as Tim coughs mid-line, misreads his cue, or stares blankly into space like he’s forgotten where he is entirely. Every tactic is intentional — and every one is hilarious.
By the end, the scene is no longer a scene at all. It’s a free-fall into uncontrollable laughter, the audience roaring as Carol completely gives up trying to act through Tim’s comedic sabotage.
It’s a perfect showcase of Conway’s quiet genius — the way he could turn one missed cue into a masterpiece of live comedy. No one in television history derailed a sketch more beautifully, or made failure feel so gloriously funny.
Tim Conway wasn’t just the world’s worst scene partner — he was everyone’s favorite one to lose control around.