Comic actor Harvey Korman dies at 81

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Comic actor Harvey Korman has died at 81.

He made dozens of appearances in other television shows and movies during his lengthy show-business career, including providing voices for several animated productions. Among those was The Great Gazoo, a helmeted space man who even appeared in some episodes of "The Flintstones."

Korman landed some sketch work on "The Red Skelton Show" in 1961, followed by a four-year stint on "The Danny Kaye Show," which led to his joining Carol Burnett in 1967.

Korman was a regular on "The Carol Burnett Show" from 1967 through 1978, for which he won Emmy awards in 1969, 1971, 1972 and 1974. He also won a Golden Globe for his work on the series.

The lanky Korman also appeared in Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles" (as the sneering Hedley Lamarr), "High Anxiety" and "History of the World, Part 1."

You could get rock-solid comedy out of him. He could lift the material. He always made it real, always made it work, always believed in characters he was doing.

In my opinion, Harvey WAS Comedy.

timmah!