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  1. Yesterday
  2. Luvsbway
    Oh I tore the bed apart, under it, around it. I never even left the room from waking up to losing it.
  3. Freddie2
    From what I've seen, in spite of its numbers always being near the top, TLS never spent a full season as CBS's most-watched show. It looks like one year Gomer Pyle just barely beat it. That contrasts with the third season HL, which as we all know was not only the #1 show on the network, but also the only sitcom in the Top Ten (and the only funny one in the Top Twenty!). So at least in that sense, HL actually has a couple more "Ratings Merit Badges" than its predecessor. It should be noted that of the handful of shows over the years that bested Lucy in the ratings (like Bonanza, Laugh-In, Petticoat Junction, Julia, Family Affair), quite a few of them dropped drastically in viewership, were cancelled, or fell out of fashion while the country and the network's loyalty to Lucy never truly waned, proving that you can't beat quality!
  4. Mot Morenzi
    Oh, I'm always losing mine in the sheets. Or sometimes the dog is lying on it.
  5. Luvsbway
    I feel that as I age there are going to be more Fred moments. Still can't find the bedroom tv remote and it's been a month.
  6. Mot Morenzi
    Here's a "Real Life Fred" moment. Last week, Max was frantically looking for his glasses. I'll give you a hint: if they were a snake, they'd have bitten him.
  7. Neil
    Laugh-In's Jan 1968 debut. I'll NEVER forgive this show for knocking "The Lucy Show" out of its rightful #1 position in the 67-68 season rankings. For the first half of the season, TLS was the #1 show on the air. "LI" nibbled away just enough viewers the latter part of the season to put TLS 6/10ths of a ratings point behind #1 Andy Griffith Show. "Laugh-In" took a while to catch on but ended the season at #21. The next two seasons it would be #1, but Here's Lucy amazingly held its own. It just would have been wonderful if TWO of Lucy's series had ended their runs at #1. Always stuck in my CRAW.
  8. Neil
    Laugh-In's Jan 1968 debut. I'll NEVER forgive this show for knocking "The Lucy Show" out of its rightful #1 position in the 67-68 season rankings. For the first half of the season, TLS was the #1 show on the air. "LI" nibbled away just enough viewers the latter part of the season to put TLS 6/10ths of a ratings point behind #1 Andy Griffith Show. "Laugh-In" took a while to catch on but ended the season at #21. The next two seasons it would be #1, but Here's Lucy amazingly held its own. It just would have been wonderful if TWO of Lucy's series had ended their runs at #1. Always stuck in my CRAW.
  9. Last week
  10. Luvsbway
    Amazon has all 6 seasons available now to watch with Prime. Desi Sr. and Lucie both guest star. Desi's is in the 4th season and Lucie's is in the 6th season. I watched both last night and found both rather enjoyable. Lucie gets to do a song with Dick and Dan. Desi has 2 running gags. One with Artie Johnson and another with a group of rumba dancers who keep interrupting his love ballad. Desi's also had some fun references to Lucy, especially a good one to start off the show.
  11. cubrawrkevink cubrawrkevink changed their profile photo
  12. Mot Morenzi
    Angelina Devina is vindicated at last!
  13. HarryCarter
    Thrilled to see they have rectified last year’s appalling oversight and included Kaye tonight! Perfect image of her!
  14. Luvsbway
    I never noticed that. I'll take that for a spin to look.
  15. rickylu
    Took advantage of some down time brought on by a snow/ice storm: "Lucy Buys a Sheep"- Love Lucy and Viv's little harmony while looking for Clementine. "Lucy is a Kangaroo for a Day"- This episode shows that Lucy really was a master of her props (water cooler, typewriter, etc...). Notice that partway through the scene of her dress unraveling, her wig has been removed. "Lucy Puts Up a TV Antenna"- a true classic "Lucy's Electric Mattress"- My favorite episode of season one. Lucy and Viv were never better together and the kids got a decent amount of screentime. "Lucy and Viv are Volunteer Firemen"- My favorite of the Danfield Ladies Volunteer Dept. episodes. "Lucy and Viv Put in a Shower "- Never gets old. "Lucy Helps Ken Berry"- Picked an episode from season six that I hadn't watched in ages.
  16. Neil
    Whenever the subject was brought up, Lucy admitted that she didn't like being the studio head. She was lucky to have honest people to guide her. So many (Debbie Reynolds, Judy Garland, Doris Day) were ripped off. It was incredibly easy to do and get away with. But in the 5 years she ran Desilu, it's doubtful that she devoted much time to it, what with doing her own show and all the other performing she did from 62 to 67. When she sold the studio in 1967, Star Trek had just LIMPED through its first season. Opposite still-top-10 Bewitched, it didn't have much of chance, but through letters from devoted fans it made it to 3 seasons (not sure the last was a full season of episodes). WHO could have predicted that the series itself, and I'm not counting the movie versions and TV sequels, would have such a lasting appeal? (not me..was never a big fan). I don't understand the TV business today. There's such a glut of product that I wonder if spending more per episode than the network pays in the hopes of recouping later is still a valid business model. But in 1969, when Star Trek when off the air, there wasn't much for local stations to pick from, especially in color. There was a time when a one or two season show could get a syndication sell. Desi's Mothers In Law with its 56 episodes was still being run in LA 5 times a week in the early 70s. (which means the entire series would repeat after 2 1/2 months). "Guestward Ho", "Desilu Playhouse" and "Greatest Show on Earth" were on the market well into the 60s. (Forward thinking Desilu shot "Show" in color). But local stations wanted half-hour shows. Few hour-long shows did well in syndication. So Desilu initially lost money on Star Trek as a network series? Did the amount the network pay a studio for a series hinge on its ratings? After two season of having no shows on the air except "The Lucy Show", Desilu hit the jackpot in 66 and 67---with Star Trek, Mission Impossible and Untouchables franchises churning out product well into the future. As much as she griped about the responsibility, it must have been a heady experience to own all those studios she once toiled at as a rather under-appreciate stock player. Lucy single-handedly turning Desilu around makes for good copy, but she was the first to admit that wasn't the case. Lucy being responsible for Star Trek makes for GREAT copy and there's a little truth to that. I wish Lucy Carmichael had done cross-overs to all the Desilu shows in 66-67. Imagine her on Star Trek doing her "it's a moo-moo" alien!
  17. Luvsbway
    I have to pull out the movie and watch. It's not ringing any bells. He played poker in PS but gambling would be Vegas. And I'm sure he could have been roaring drunk either place. One of the books talks about a Desilu guy pulling him away from the Vegas tables before he beat the studio. And there was other stuff in PS that was not good. Desi would fall asleep during table reads sometimes but I think that story mostly is told about Lucy Show. My hunch then is they took a bunch of stories and stitched them together for maximum drama.
  18. Mot Morenzi
    Luvs, you might be able to answer this: There's a scene which takes place towards the end of I Love Lucy, where Desi's passed out on the set and Lucille worries about him losing the respect of the crew. Vivian then tells Lucy about her and "Paul" (did the Phil Ober estate threaten to sue or something?) spotting Desi, roaring drunk, gambling in Palm Springs. Was this scene written exclusively for the film, or was it sourced from a book? I'm curious if it's based on an actual discussion Lucille and Vivian had.
  19. HarryCarter
    Happy birthday, Betty!
  20. Luvsbway
    Here's what I posted. “It started when I fell heir to Desilu Studios…all people could think to ask me was, ‘What’s it like to actually own the studios where you used to work as a starlet?’ And I’d say, ‘Do you really think that when I was a stock player at RKO, I walked around saying ‘someday I’ll own all this?’ Who the hell would want to own a place like that anyway? It was the worst drag of my life. It terrified me. I was into something way over my head and I couldn’t wait to get out, but I had to hold on until the studio got back on it’s feet again; a lot of people were depending on me. Well that’s where I showed my ambition. With the help of some trustworthy people, I got Desilu going again and when I could do it properly, I got out. -article by Robert Osborne From what I understand Lucy's lawyer said that she should sell when she did because the shows, at least Mannix and Mission Impossible were doing well but they cost a lot of money to produce. Star Trek also cost a lot but wasn't getting the ratings the others were. So she had desirable shows to entice Paramount and I think always wanted to be able to expand into that lot.
  21. rickylu
    I heard that Star Trek was a big expense for Desilu and that they warned Paramount about it. That might have been in the Desilu book. But I also read recently an interview Robert Osborne did with Lucy in the '70s and she said she wanted to hang onto Desilu until it became profitable again after which she would leave. She made it sound like the success of Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, etc...made that possible. I think Luvsbway posted this on Instagram.
  22. Brock
    Her Majesty -- out and about yesterday. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7899273/Looking-great-98-Beloved-Golden-Girl-Betty-White-smiles-shes-spotted-birthday.html
  23. Mot Morenzi
    Happy Birthday, Betty! I hope at some stage she's up to recording a second archive interview - her first one was back in the 90s, and as we all know, she's done a LOT more television since then.
  24. Freddie2
    Also, for Twitter users, get ready for the annual deluge of schmucks who see Betty trending and respond with “OMG! I thought the worst!” coupled with that tired Denzel Washington gif.
  25. Freddie2
    It’s past midnight here in Michigan, and a friend texted me to remind me of the good news! I’m so grateful for all of the laughs Betty’s given us over the years. According to the tabloids (yes, Closer magazine) she’s having a get-together with friends and family, including Allen Ludden’s children. It also mentioned that she continues to get offered jobs, but her mobility is a bit of an issue- apparently she’s using a walker around the house. Hopefully we haven’t seen the last of our girl on TV, but if so, she certainly deserves her retirement!
  26. Brock
    A very happy and healthy 98th birthday to the goddess!
  27. tropicjeff
    This movie seems to be taking so long to get going, it wouldn't be surprising to me to hear they are "shoveling the picture" a la Don Juan.....
  28. tropicjeff
    I'm reading a book I found at a thrift shop called The Fifty Year Mission. It's all about Star Trek. It mentioned that Lucy had to sell Desilu because Star Trek basically bankrupted the studio. I had never heard of that before. It also said if she could have held on through the next season all would have been well. Any basis to that? I always thought she wanted out as she didn't want to own a studio anyway.
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