pablo Posted May 10, 2014 Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 These would be amazing additions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo Posted May 10, 2014 Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 I've also seen a number of Westinghouse commercials on YouTube with all 4 cast members. Maybe one of the experts here can tell us how many of those were made. Any links? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted May 10, 2014 Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 A thought just struck me while watching Lucy Fakes Illness. How many episodes in this set actually have more footage in the "original rerun" and "heart on satin" versions than in the original broadcasts? I thought it was very interesting that the little bit near the end where the Mertzes and the band tiptoe out of the bedroom while Lucy and Ricky embrace seems to have been trimmed from the original broadcast to make way for a very brief Philip Morris plug, but wonderfully found its way back into the subsequent two formats of this episode. Is there a back story here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desiluforever Posted May 10, 2014 Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 Today I had the chance to watch the disc on an 80 inch TV and WOW!! You should have seen it- watching it on a screen that large did not hurt the image at all, but made it look a million times better. It feels like they're sitting right in front of me. Sorry to veer of the course of the conversation, but just wanted to tell you if you ever get the opportunity- watch it on a large TV. It really is spectacular! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreddieMertz Posted May 10, 2014 Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 Today I had the chance to watch the disc on an 80 inch TV and WOW!! You should have seen it- watching it on a screen that large did not hurt the image at all, but made it look a million times better. It feels like they're sitting right in front of me. Sorry to veer of the course of the conversation, but just wanted to tell you if you ever get the opportunity- watch it on a large TV. It really is spectacular!Cool! It probably looked 3D! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjw Posted May 10, 2014 Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 A thought just struck me while watching Lucy Fakes Illness. How many episodes in this set actually have more footage in the "original rerun" and "heart on satin" versions than in the original broadcasts? I thought it was very interesting that the little bit near the end where the Mertzes and the band tiptoe out of the bedroom while Lucy and Ricky embrace seems to have been trimmed from the original broadcast to make way for a very brief Philip Morris plug, but wonderfully found its way back into the subsequent two formats of this episode. Is there a back story here? Nope... just what you said. They needed room for that final commercial, and turned the very end of the scene into the closing "button" scene that they liked to do early on. (All of the early episodes have a final short scene between the last commercial and the closing credits.) There was also material missing from the original broadcast of "The Girls Want to Go to a Nightclub" -- in the conversation between Lucy and Ethel about finding dates -- and also the telephone scene from "New Neighbors." This material was restored for the repeats, and all subsequent broadcasts. We DID NOT take this material back out for the "original broadcasts" on these Blu-rays, but explained the information screen leading into the show... But you are correct: it is fascinating to find things like this! ------------- For the past 20-30 years or so, most all syndicated programs, including I LOVE LUCY, are distributed on video tape. These have been pre-edited by the distributor to meet a fairly standardized run time... But "back in the day," in the 1960s and '70s, when LUCY was first put into syndication, the shows were distributed to stations on 16mm films. Every station received a full show, and it was up to the local station to edit it down to meet the needs of that station. Consequently, not every station aired the exact same show. I remember being delightfully surprised traveling to a different city and seeing scenes that the station in my area had always deleted... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted May 10, 2014 Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 What I'm trying to figure out is on the DVD there were some missing scenes added back into the shows. Take Lucy is Jealous... The extended kiss at the end is on the full episode on the DVD. On the blu ray it is only shown in the original broadcast version. Which version if I have the 2 choices is going to give me all the filmed parts of the show. I just want to make sure I'm not missing something watching one over another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjw Posted May 10, 2014 Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 What I'm trying to figure out is on the DVD there were some missing scenes added back into the shows. Take Lucy is Jealous... The extended kiss at the end is on the full episode on the DVD. On the blu ray it is only shown in the original broadcast version. Which version if I have the 2 choices is going to give me all the filmed parts of the show. I just want to make sure I'm not missing something watching one over another. Normally, the most complete version will be the "original broadcasts." There might be one or two minor exceptions, such as the one Brock mentioned above from "Lucy Fakes Illness," but as a general rule, stick with the "original broadcasts." But the repeats add in the season 2 flashback scenes, and those are interesting, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowpeck Posted May 10, 2014 Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 Here's a techinical question that I hope you'll be able to answer, TJW. Am I right that having different versions of the same episode on the same disc is accomplished by seamless branching? (In other words, the same episode isn't actually on the disc three times, but the player knows to jump around to get the right elements for the version you selected.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjw Posted May 10, 2014 Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 Here's a techinical question that I hope you'll be able to answer, TJW. Am I right that having different versions of the same episode on the same disc is accomplished by seamless branching? (In other words, the same episode isn't actually on the disc three times, but the player knows to jump around to get the right elements for the version you selected.) Yes. The "common ground elements" are literally the same video files. Each version has its own unique openings, middle breaks, closings, etc. And as you say, it is accomplished by "seamless branching." This is the same process that is often used when a movie package has multiple versions -- the director's cut, the extended or alternate endings, etc. Otherwise, in our case, we would have had to have had 18 discs in this set! When Jonathan and I first proposed this, the technical wizards at CBS were not sure it could be accomplished. But they worked their magic, and we were able to do it. It is the most complex, complicated set any of us have ever been involved with -- and may set a new "industry standard." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowpeck Posted May 10, 2014 Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 Yes. The "common ground elements" are literally the same video files. Each version has its own unique openings, middle breaks, closings, etc. And as you say, it is accomplished by "seamless branching." This is the same process that is often used when a movie package has multiple versions -- the director's cut, the extended or alternate endings, etc. Otherwise, in our case, we would have had to have had 18 discs in this set! When Jonathan and I first proposed this, the technical wizards at CBS were not sure it could be accomplished. But they worked their magic, and we were able to do it. It is the most complex, complicated set any of us have ever been involved with -- and may set a new "industry standard." That's what I thought, and a great job to all involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blitnowink Posted May 10, 2014 Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 Many thanks to everyone involved in compiling this set! Technical questions for Tom:Can you please explain why the costume and makeup tests appear so much more clear than the actual episodes? Was that footage scanned at a higher resolution, or is that element just less compressed as a digital video file? Also, if you don't mind my asking, what resolution were the episodes' negatives scanned in?Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjw Posted May 10, 2014 Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 Many thanks to everyone involved in compiling this set! Technical questions for Tom: Can you please explain why the costume and makeup tests appear so much more clear than the actual episodes? Was that footage scanned at a higher resolution, or is that element just less compressed as a digital video file? Also, if you don't mind my asking, what resolution were the episodes' negatives scanned in? Thank you. No, sorry... when it comes to details like this, all I know is that "Columbus discovered Ohio in 1776." But I will try to find out... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeySanJoaquin Posted May 10, 2014 Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 And the great reviews continue!! Here's the latest from Blu-Ray.com: Here's the "overall summary" of the disc-- which is given a 4.0 out of 5.0 rating -- at the end of the review: I Love Lucy: Ultimate Season 1 Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation: "I Love Lucy is one of the unquestioned highlights of television's storied history. Ask most anyone whose scope of knowledge extends beyond the here-and-now and most will inevitably call out the show's name when asked to list the top two or three most popular, and best, television shows over the years. It's a bonafide cultural phenomenon still many decades after its original airing, and it's been painstakingly restored and lovingly brought to Blu-ray in this impressive six-disc set. Featuring excellent video, serviceable audio, and a seemingly endless assortment of extra content -- a mixture of video, audio, and text supplements -- this is a set to treasure for fans and a detailed introduction for newcomers. It ranks as one of the year's must-own Blu-ray releases. I Love Lucy: Ultimate Season 1 earns my highest recommendation." Find the review in its entirety, along with about 40 cool screenshots, here: http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/I-Love-Lucy-Ultimate-Season-1-Blu-ray/92092/#Review Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo Posted May 10, 2014 Report Share Posted May 10, 2014 I think that Blu-ray.com review only looked at the night of broadcast versions, not the better looking heart on satin syndicated versions. Here's another review: http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/10457/love_lucy_s1.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowpeck Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 I think that Blu-ray.com review only looked at the night of broadcast versions, not the better looking heart on satin syndicated versions. Here's another review: http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/10457/love_lucy_s1.html As pointed out earlier in the thread (after the question I asked) the body of the show is the same no matter which version you select. It's only the openings, closings, and act segues that are different (and of marginally lower quality in the cases of the original broadcast and original rerun versions.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill1 Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 Any links?Here are a couple: And here is a color promotional film the cast did in 1958 (2 parts): Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucille Ball fan Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 I got my copy at Target on sale for $59.99. The regular price is $79.99. I have two Target stores in my town and both had the blu ray set. My local Wal-Mart did not have it but it can be ordered from Walmart.com. Looks like Target has the best in store and online price of $59.99. Thanks to all involved for an amazing blu ray set. A suggestion for future set special features- Babalu Music I Love Lucy 50th Anniversary Special 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 Thanks, Bill. That promo film was released as Lucy's Really Lost Moments on DVD. That definitely should be part of a corresponding season set! Very fun stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjw Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 Thanks, Bill. That promo film was released as Lucy's Really Lost Moments on DVD. That definitely should be part of a corresponding season set! Very fun stuff. We used that Westinghouse film on the DVD set for Seasons 7-8-9! (At least the original black-and-white version.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablo Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 That's right. Wonder if it could be restored in HD, too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjw Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 That's right. Wonder if it could be restored in HD, too? Probably... I believe they have the film. (Transferring to High-Def from a video tape master is do-able, but the results are not nearly as pleasing as with film.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nertz2mertz Posted May 11, 2014 Report Share Posted May 11, 2014 This may be slightly off the blu-ray topic but around 1990 or 91' my local station was airing the ILL reruns as always and one day they began airing selective ILL episodes that seemed to be restored or digital not sure. One of them was "New Neighbors". I was surprised to see how sharp and clean they were. The same thing with Bewitched. All of a sudden they began airing restored versions of Bewitched with the original opening theme which hadn't been heard in years. Whatever happened to those? Those would have been nice for TV Land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucille Ball fan Posted May 12, 2014 Report Share Posted May 12, 2014 Were the commercials filmed by and at Desilu Studios or done by another production company? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chedderchester Posted May 12, 2014 Report Share Posted May 12, 2014 can someone post screencaps of how clear the episodes are? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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