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I like "Lucy, The Superwoman" too.

Is the LDCH going to be re-released on DVD with the updated footage? Or is that going straight to Blu-ray?

I don't think I LOVE LUCY ever jumped the shark. There were some minor duds sprinkled throughout, as we have discussed, and I think there might have been a slight decline in overall script quality in a few of the early Season Six episodes, but I think the series remained consistently funny. I LOVED the last half of Season Six.

Yes, in the Hollywood episodes of I LOVE LUCY there were a few guest stars, but in all of Season Five, the only two major guest stars that come to mind are John Wayne (in Hollywood) and Charles Boyer. Season Six only really only had Bob Hope, Orson Welles, and George Reeves, and I guess, Claude Akins, and Johnny Longden.

The first three years of THE LUCY SHOW had what?? Ethel Merman, Jack Benny, Danny Kaye, and Arthur Godfrey.

The guest star syndrome definitely didn't become a real issue until '65/'66 with the move to L.A, which magnified in Season FIve--the most guest star heavy of THE LUCY SHOW.

And another thin... I really don't like Here's Lucy.. I don't know why.. but somehthing is "off" with that show.. I tried to watch season 3 the other night and wanted to scream.. except for the Burton's episode.. I couldn't find one that I would enjoy watching again.. I wish to heaven they could have written better material for her... I like most of the Wally Cox episodes.. (Might I have a Mai Tai?) .. and I liked the location colorado episodes.. but season 3 is hard to take.. if I am missing something.. please let me know.. and I totally fouled up my season 2 disk set.. and now have to buy another (damaged the whole set.. you don't even want to know).. but I am in no hurry to replace it!! I want to get season 6 just to finish the collection and maybe some will appeal to me.. but some I don't ever have to watch again!.. Why is that show sooo hard to take?? I would think a Lucy Nut like myself wouldn't care.... but at times I have to get up and turn Here's Lucy off.. just because it drives me crazy!

Well, I found Season Three to be perhaps the weakest season of the series. I agree, HERE'S LUCY episodes aren't as re-watchable as those from her earlier series. But, surely there are a few gems from Season One and Seasons Four and Five that are worthy of multiple viewings.

As i watched the Crawford one, i could hear the nervousness in her voice, you can even tell at the end how relieved she is that the whole thing is over. Did you notice her doing her lines so loud in the speakeasy sketch? Guess boss lady told her.

Yeah. It's hard for me to say this, but Crawford really brought down the episode for me.

Not sure if this is unpopular...

But I think "Lucy, The Fixer" is the best of Lucy's work in all of HERE'S LUCY and the best thing she did on television after Vivian left.

I love her dedication to her craft. She loved performing and working hard. It is very admirable.

People like "Lucy and the Lost Star," huh? That one really disappointed me.

Season 1: No More Double Dates

Season 2: Lucy Decides To Redecorate

Season 3: Lucy's Contact Lenses

Season 4: Lucy & The Sleeping Beauty

Season 5: Lucy & The Ring A Ding Ring

Season 6: Lucy & Phil Harris

Those are all good episodes.

I love "Lucy Makes A Pinch" and "Lucy, The Disc Jockey." Those are two of my favorite episodes from the Third Season of THE LUCY SHOW, and the series as a whole.

Watched the whole thing. Wonderful interview. Really enjoyed it.

I may be veering a little "off topic," but all of this discussion has reminded me of the one big difference of opinion I had with both Jess and Gregg Oppenheimer about I LOVE LUCY. Given that all three of us loved the entire series (or, for the Oppenheimers, at least the first five years)...

 

I have always really enjoyed Season Three, whereas Jess (and Gregg) consider it the weakest...

 

True, it had no "story arc." But what I love about it is -- it gets us out of that apartment (at least a little bit) and introduces us a little bit to the surrounding neighborhood and the New York environs... I love going down the street to Mrs. Hanson's dress shop, seeing Carolyn's apartment, visiting Speedy Laundry and the newspaper office, eating at the Ricardo/Mertz diner, etc. Even spending an afternoon on top of the Empire State Building (in what Jess considered I LOVE LUCY's worst episode.) Oddly enough, taking us to these other locales only made the Ricardos and Mertzes seem more like real people, living in a real community with real friends and neighbors.

 

Totally agree. Love Season Three. Such a consistently strong season.

As you've probably figured out, I love the Countess episodes (with the exception of Lose Weight). It's too bad Ann Sothern only made 7 appearances, she'd have been a great recurring character in the later years.

 

How does everyone else feel about them?

I like the majority of the Countess shows. I think she was the best female support Lucy got post-Vivian. And I say that because she had a defined character--a history, a continuity. And she got laughs. The interesting thing is, I couldn't see her as a regular though. She seems like an odd fit to have every week. She would have been a great Carolyn Appleby type character. I would have liked a few more shows with her.

Season 1--Lucy Becomes a Reporter

(the only one I really wasn't crazy about)

 

Season 2--Lucy Takes Up Golf

Runners up: Lucy & Viv open a restaurant/Lucy and the bank scandal

 

Season 3--Lucy and the Countess lose weight

Runner Up: Lucy makes a pinch

 

Season 4--Lucy The Superwoman

Runners Up: Lucy Helps Milton Berle/Lucy the undercover agent

 

Season 5--Mooney the Monkey

Runners Up: Tennessee Ernie/Lucy & Carol in Palm Springs

 

Season 6--Lucy the Philanthropist

Runners Up: Lucy Meets the Berles/Lucy Sues Mooney

 

Lol I have nothing against Milton Berle I think he's really funny but they just aren't the funniest Lucy shows--the only really funny Lucy Show would be "Lucy and the Used Car Dealer."

Chedder, I agree with most of your picks as well. Except, again I love "Lucy, The Superwoman." And I don't mind "Lucy Meets The Berles," "Lucy, The Undercover Agent," or "Lucy, The Philanthropist."

However, I like both of those Season Three episodes. And I especially love "Lucy Makes A Pinch." That's one of my favorites from the season. What do you not like about it?

I don't get the hate. Music world is easily in my top 20. LOL Whoever doesn't like it probably still have their trousseaux lying on their shelves.

I will have to re-watch it. I don't hate it, I just don't remember laughing. One thing I do remember though--I thought Lucy looked stunning in those early Season Four episodes. Particularly this one.

Season 1: Lucy Becomes A Reporter

 

runner-up: Lucy Digs Up a Date

 

Season 2: Lucy Takes Up Golf

 

runner-up: None

 

Season 3: Lucy and Arthur Godfrey

 

runner-up: Lucy Meets Danny Kaye

 

Season 4: Lucy in the Music World

 

runner-up: Lucy Saves Milton Berle / Lucy Helps Danny Thomas / Lucy Discovers Wayne Newton

 

Season 5: Lucy Puts Main Street on the Map

 

runner-up: None

 

Season 6: Lucy and Carol Burnett (Part 2)

 

runner-up: Lucy and Phil Harris / Lucy Helps Ken Berry / Lucy and Robert Goulet / Lucy, the Starmaker

 

WORST EPISODE OF THE ENTIRE SERIES: Lucy in the Music World

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I love "Lucy, The Superwoman." Yes, it is silly... but at least it makes me laugh. (Some episodes don't.)

Harrison, I agree with most of your choices, except that I don't mind "Lucy And Arthur Godfrey," (Certainly not a hilarious show though), and I think that Season Three and Season Five both have other contenders for weakest and runners up.

I don't much care for "Lucy And The Music World" either, but I'm not sure if I would say it is the weakest. What do you detest about it?

Season One: "Lucy And Viv Take Up Chemistry"

Season Two: "Lucy Takes Up Golf"

Season Three: "Lucy Meets Danny Kaye"

Season Four: "Lucy, The Rain Goddess"

Season Five: "Mooney, The Monkey"

Season Six: "Lucy And Robert Goulet"

"Lucy Meets Danny Kaye" is the worst of the Viv years. (And Viv isn't even in it!)

"Mooney, the Monkey" is probably the worst overall, with "Lucy, The Rain Goddess" right behind it.

I wasn't trying to compare Vivian to Mary Jane. No one could be Vivian and she shouldn't have to be. But the character of Mary Jane, plot device or confidant or what have you, never gave me many laughs or felt very interesting. I am not knocking the actress, I'm knocking the character. Even if Vivian never existed, I would not like the character. (Though I am looking forward to her work in Season Six of HERE'S LUCY, which I have yet to see.) It comes down to a sense of character continuity more than anything else.

And, I agree LotusBud. I liked the travel episodes, in general, but I too felt that the European Tour and Florida Vacation were (well-done) attempts to find new stories because the writers were struggling in the apartment. Similarly, though the script construction remained sharp, I think the stories in the apartment episodes of Season Six are considerably weaker than anything written since Season One. But, as I said, I loved pretty much everything about the Country episodes. My only complaint would be that the plot of Lucy wanting to be in show business was dropped, and that we never got see characters like Carolyn or Mrs. Trumbull again. But I thought the stories were fresher and reinvigorating.

And, another (I think) unpopular opinion: I like "Ricky Sells The Car." Not a classic, but funny nonetheless.

I do not like "Lucy Goes To The Hospital."

I do not think "Lucy and Harpo Marx" is one of the series' classic episodes.

I love the country episodes of I LOVE LUCY.

I prefer Season Three of THE LUCY SHOW to Season Two.

I liked "Lucy, The Superwoman."

While I liked Lucy having a friend post-Vivian and felt that it was necessary, I don't think the Mary Jane character was as funny or developed as she needed to be... in both series.

I think HERE'S LUCY Season One is fantastic, but I do not care for Seasons Two and Three much at all.

I think it took Lucie Arnaz more than a few seasons to become a strong player. And the episodes that give her a lot to do are only successful if Lucy has as much or more to do.

I think the increasing reliance on cue cards really hampered a lot of Lucy's performances. And I think it is noticeable.

I can't believe all this love for "Lucy Buys A Boat" - that would have to be one of my least favourite, if not my least favourite of Season 1.

What do you not like about it, mikidiki?

Season One Winner: "Lucy Puts Up A TV Antenna"

Runner Up: "Lucy Buys A Boat"

Season Two Winner: "Lucy, The Safe Cracker"

Runner Up: "The Loophole In The Lease"

Season Three Winner: [TIE] "Lucy Makes A Pinch" & "Lucy, The Stockholder"

Season Four Winner: "Lucy And The Golden Greek" (Difficult choice to make)

Season Five Winner: "Lucy Gets A Roommate"

Season Six Winner: "Lucy And Carol Burnett (1)" (As of now... I'm going to re-watch most of them again and re-formulate my thoughts)

First Three Seasons have the most to choose from...

Would I be correct in stating that after reading these posts people really ONLY like Here's Lucy simply because Lucy is in it? Otherwise you all think it's pretty ordinary overall?

Yes, in my opinion.

Even more so than in THE LUCY SHOW, the writers did Lucy wrong. She deserved better. If anything, that's why she never won. But, it is what it is. And people watched, like we do, because any Lucy is good Lucy.

However, the Lucy/Harry relationship is a definite improvement over the Lucy/Mooney relationship. And since the series is generally substandard, it has the opportunity to surprise you with little moments of hilarity. (I feel similarly about RHODA.)

A couple of brilliant episodes including, off the top of my head: "Lucy, The Fixer" and "A Date For Lucy."

The writing was generally substandard.

Watched 22 of the 24 so far. Most of them have something to offer.

These are the episodes that I'd never seen before that really surprised me:

~ "Lucy And Carol Burnett (1)" [Hilarious.]

~ "Lucy Gets Involved" [Great physical stuff.]

~ "Lucy And The Stolen Stole" [This one just really amused me. LOL when Lucy and Mooney kept throwing the coat at each other.]

Definitely my favorite of the Hollywood seasons!

Got the set today and have been exploring ever since. I'm a hard sell, especially on post ILL stuff, but these episodes are hilarious! Easily some of the best I've seen from this series since the Danfield years!