TV Carol Burnett didn't realize she did the Tarzan yell on Palm Royale "It just came out that way," Burnett tells 'Entertainment Weekly.' By Maureen Lee Lenker Maureen Lee Lenker Maureen Lee Lenker is a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly with over seven years of experience in the entertainment industry. An award-winning journalist, she's written for Turner Classic Movies, Ms. Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, and more. She's worked at EW for six years covering film, TV, theater, music, and books. The author of EW's quarterly romance review column, "Hot Stuff," Maureen holds Master's degrees from both the University of Southern California and the University of Oxford. Her debut novel, It Happened One Fight, is now available. Follow her for all things related to classic Hollywood, musicals, the romance genre, and Bruce Springsteen. EW's editorial guidelines Published on March 27, 2024 10:00AM EDT There are few sounds in American television as iconic as Carol Burnett's Tarzan yell. The beloved comedian brings her signature sound to episode 4 of Palm Royale, "Maxine Rolls the Dice." But she didn't necessarily intend to. Burnett portrays Norma Dellacorte, the reigning queen of Palm Beach society thanks to all the secrets she hoards and uses for blackmail. The show begins with Norma in a comatose state, but in episode 4, she finally wakes up — and can only communicate through grunts and yells. The first startling indication of her consciousness is Burnett's beloved yell. But Burnett didn't even know what she'd done at first. "I didn't realize I was doing it," she tells Entertainment Weekly. "She was supposed to go [makes gentle moaning sound]. But I guess from all the years of doing the Tarzan yell, it just came out that way." Carol Burnett on 'Palm Royale'. Apple TV+ That was much to the delight of the cast and crew, including Burnett's most frequent costar on the series, Kristen Wiig. "I've been watching her as long as I've been alive," Wiig says. "It was a career highlight for me." Burnett says she was willing to do it again the way it was written, but the team wanted to keep things as is. "Honest to God, it wasn't on purpose," she says. "But it happened, so they kept it in." New episodes of Palm Royale drop every Wednesday on Apple TV+. Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more. Related content: How Palm Royale is Big Little Lies in the 1960s Bob Odenkirk refused to kill Carol Burnett's character on Better Call Saul Carol Burnett reflects on her most iconic roles, from Annie to The Carol Burnett Show