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I Love Lucy in syndication


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This question is for the one or two of you who may have been in Los Angeles during 1967.

 

I Love Lucy ended its 7 1/2 year daytime run on CBS in the fall of 1966, replaced for two years by Candid Camera before The Lucy Show took over the spot in 1968.

When did CBS actually turn it over to syndication?

I know it was a staple on LA's Channel 11 right from the beginning. The last time I knew it still was (Is it?)

 

I have an LA TV Guide from April 1967 that lists I Love Lucy on channel 2, the CBS affiliate at 5pm on Sunday April 2nd with that little "Return" box next to it saying "this series returns to the NETWORK beginning with this episode" ("Bob Hope").

 

The one reference bible I trust thoroughly is that "Encyclopedia of Prime Time Network TV Shows" which details network runs of a series after its initial run. It states that the show ran for another two years after it finished its run of original episodes, and showed up briefly in 1961 ending in September on Sunday at 6:30. (They list the 1960 summer "Lucy in Connecticut" as a separate series) The dates for first and last network prime time telecasts were Oct. 15,1951 to September 24, 1961. Did they miss this network run in 1967? Or was this run just something the LA CBS affiliate did?

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This question is for the one or two of you who may have been in Los Angeles during 1967.

 

I Love Lucy ended its 7 1/2 year daytime run on CBS in the fall of 1966, replaced for two years by Candid Camera before The Lucy Show took over the spot in 1968.

When did CBS actually turn it over to syndication?

I know it was a staple on LA's Channel 11 right from the beginning. The last time I knew it still was (Is it?)

 

I have an LA TV Guide from April 1967 that lists I Love Lucy on channel 2, the CBS affiliate at 5pm on Sunday April 2nd with that little "Return" box next to it saying "this series returns to the NETWORK beginning with this episode" ("Bob Hope").

 

The one reference bible I trust thoroughly is that "Encyclopedia of Prime Time Network TV Shows" which details network runs of a series after its initial run. It states that the show ran for another two years after it finished its run of original episodes, and showed up briefly in 1961 ending in September on Sunday at 6:30. (They list the 1960 summer "Lucy in Connecticut" as a separate series) The dates for first and last network prime time telecasts were Oct. 15,1951 to September 24, 1961. Did they miss this network run in 1967? Or was this run just something the LA CBS affiliate did?

 

The 1951-1961 dates refer to prime time television, which some historians define as 6PM-11PM... The regular daytime run did span January, 1959 to September, 1966...

 

In the spring of 1967, a few episodes were run on daytime to replace one of the soap operas that were stopped by an AFTRA strike, and the Sunday run (April 2 - August 27, 1967) was aired at 5pm, so it was not included in the primetime dates...

 

The series was sold in syndication that same spring, with telecasts starting on local stations that fall... Channel 11 in LA was one of the first stations to buy the show...

 

T.

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In the spring of 1967, a few episodes were run on daytime to replace one of the soap operas that were stopped by an AFTRA strike, and the Sunday run (April 2 - August 27, 1967) was aired at 5pm, so it was not included in the primetime dates...

 

I remember when I Love Lucy showed up as a surprise during the AFTRA strike! The only episode I remember them running was "Scotland". I got my first tape recorder for Christmas in 1966 so Scotland was the only I Love Lucy I had on tape for a long time. This episode one of two that I know CBS did their morning-version edits. In Scotland, the entire sword dance is cut. Also Ricky's explanation of his Enchilada ancestry. The other one is "Don Loper". The episode ended with "I did it Ethel. The dress is mine!" I don't remember ever seeing the (completely unnecessary) QTip/Cut Tip opening scene from "Sells the Car" until the complete episodes were available, so I assume that was cut.

 

Although only the prime time broadcast dates are listed in "Encyclopedia of Prime Time Shows", they usually included in the text a reference to other network runs. For instance, they mention Mr. Ed's last season which was scheduled for the same 5pm Sunday time slot as I Love Lucy was---perhaps replacing it? I checked our Portland TV listing archives and they did not carry the April-August 1967 run. (and they're lucky I didn't know of their dastardly deed at the time...). Since they started this run with "Bob Hope", can I assume this run consisted of the entire 6th season?

 

The August end date would have coincided with the last network broadcast of "the Lucy Desi Comedy Hour", the 5th time this was run as a summer replacement series, this time Thursdays at 7:30. I've always wondered if the decision to run this b/w series in 1967 after skipping 1966 was the result of howls of protest in '66 from those of us who didn't feel summer was summer without getting to see LDCH.

 

"Encyclopedia" is my most often consultant reference book.

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The August end date would have coincided with the last network broadcast of "the Lucy Desi Comedy Hour", the 5th time this was run as a summer replacement series, this time Thursdays at 7:30. I've always wondered if the decision to run this b/w series in 1967 after skipping 1966 was the result of howls of protest in '66 from those of us who didn't feel summer was summer without getting to see LDCH.

 

 

Perhaps... but also because LDCH was also being cycled into syndication, and it was the network's "last chance" to wring one last airing out of these shows...

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The 1951-1961 dates refer to prime time television, which some historians define as 6PM-11PM... The regular daytime run did span January, 1959 to September, 1966...

 

In the spring of 1967, a few episodes were run on daytime to replace one of the soap operas that were stopped by an AFTRA strike, and the Sunday run (April 2 - August 27, 1967) was aired at 5pm, so it was not included in the primetime dates...

 

The series was sold in syndication that same spring, with telecasts starting on local stations that fall... Channel 11 in LA was one of the first stations to buy the show...

 

T.

While no longer airing on Fox affiliate Channel 11, ILL is now airing weekdays on Fox-owned independent station Channel 13, or "My13" of the MyTV "network." Sorry, I still think of networks as CBS, ABC, NBC and grudgingly, FOX. The rest are glorified cable channels or "netlets", IMHO.

lucythrill.JPG

 

 

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