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Discovering Lucy for the First Time


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I'm sure some of you have shared these stories elsewhere, but do you recall how you first discovered Lucy's various programs?

 

For "I Love Lucy", I don't have a specific first memory. Basically I don't remember a time in my life where I wasn't aware of the program. The earliest memory I have of watching the show (not the first time, but my first memory of it) is me sitting in my mother's room, watching "The Black Wig" on her little 10" screen. I'll never forget my delight at seeing Ethel come out wearing the wig.

 

For "The Lucy Show", I remember exactly how I discovered it, as it was entirely by accident. For Christmas, either 1998 or 1999, I received the Goodtimes "Funny World of Lucy" video box set. In addition to their usual array of Lucy documentaries, the last tape was labeled "Double Feature: The Barbershop & The Plumber". Having no concept of rights issues or the public domain at that age, not to mention the photo of Lucy and Desi on the cover, I naturally assumed it contained two "I Love Lucy" episodes. You can imagine my confusion when little cartoon Lucy and Viv started running around with those letters! However, I sat through until the end, and I was utterly delighted. Always having been partial to the Lucy and Ethel centric stories myself, I was thrilled to find a program where those husbands weren't getting in the way, but I was also quite confused, as up to that point I had no idea Lucy had done other television programs. Afterwards, I watched one of the documentaries and learned all about it, plus Here's Lucy.

 

For a long time afterwards, "Here's Lucy" was the holy grail. Imagine, 144 episodes that I've never, ever seen! So, obviously, I bought the Shout! Factory set the day it came out, even though it was a bitch to find (only Borders carried it where I was, and it had been my last stop.)

 

Interestingly enough, I'd actually seen a few episodes of "Life With Lucy" prior to "Here's Lucy". My dad found a tape on eBay that contained 4 of the unaired shows. That was about a year earlier. And, for the most part, DVD was how I discovered all of the remaining TLS episodes as well, sans for the ones on the Columbia House tapes.

 

What about everyone else? When and how did you find Lucy?

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ILL has always been with me. It was the only show my grandma allowed on her TV besides Lawrence Welk and Jeopardy. I'm not kidding. I also discovered TLS from the GoodTimes Funny World box set. Later I got a tape of the color PD episodes and didn't make a connection between those and the two Danfield ones. HL I can't pinpoint, but that was probably only ten years ago. I think I watched some online or something. LWL I first learned about through IMDb. I was surprised to have never heard about it. To this date I've seen the first two and last two episodes and clips of all the others. I first saw the comedy hours through the DVD releases.

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From what I can remember my first exposure to Lucy was The Lucy Show. Back around 1990 the precursor to Comedy Central, HA! ran the show in the afternoon. I watched the whole run countless times. Re-watching them again when I got the DVDs made me remember those afternoons.

 

Eventually I discovered ILL aired 9am on our Fox affiliate. I would stay with my grandparents in the summer and would get mad if we had to go run errands when Lucy was on. LDCH I first saw when Nick at Night started running it on Saturday nights in the 90s’.

 

Here’s Lucy was much harder to get. The first episodes I saw were a few I got through tape trading. Then in 98’ PAX-TV ran the series through once. I did not get PAX but my friend did at college. I made her tape everyone she could get. By this point I had about ¼ to ½ of the series seen. I did not get to see the whole series until the DVD sets. I did get that Shout Factory release which uped my hit count a bit.

 

Life With Lucy I was getting in tape trading in the 90s but the first clear episode I saw was the first one when Nick at Night ran it once.

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I'm sure some of you have shared these stories elsewhere, but do you recall how you first discovered Lucy's various programs?

 

For "I Love Lucy", I don't have a specific first memory. Basically I don't remember a time in my life where I wasn't aware of the program. The earliest memory I have of watching the show (not the first time, but my first memory of it) is me sitting in my mother's room, watching "The Black Wig" on her little 10" screen. I'll never forget my delight at seeing Ethel come out wearing the wig.

 

For "The Lucy Show", I remember exactly how I discovered it, as it was entirely by accident. For Christmas, either 1998 or 1999, I received the Goodtimes "Funny World of Lucy" video box set. In addition to their usual array of Lucy documentaries, the last tape was labeled "Double Feature: The Barbershop & The Plumber". Having no concept of rights issues or the public domain at that age, not to mention the photo of Lucy and Desi on the cover, I naturally assumed it contained two "I Love Lucy" episodes. You can imagine my confusion when little cartoon Lucy and Viv started running around with those letters! However, I sat through until the end, and I was utterly delighted. Always having been partial to the Lucy and Ethel centric stories myself, I was thrilled to find a program where those husbands weren't getting in the way, but I was also quite confused, as up to that point I had no idea Lucy had done other television programs. Afterwards, I watched one of the documentaries and learned all about it, plus Here's Lucy.

 

For a long time afterwards, "Here's Lucy" was the holy grail. Imagine, 144 episodes that I've never, ever seen! So, obviously, I bought the Shout! Factory set the day it came out, even though it was a bitch to find (only Borders carried it where I was, and it had been my last stop.)

 

Interestingly enough, I'd actually seen a few episodes of "Life With Lucy" prior to "Here's Lucy". My dad found a tape on eBay that contained 4 of the unaired shows. That was about a year earlier. And, for the most part, DVD was how I discovered all of the remaining TLS episodes as well, sans for the ones on the Columbia House tapes.

 

What about everyone else? When and how did you find Lucy?

 

 

Prior to her coming to Jamestown, had watched original ILLucy shows for the early years; but, Easy for me: I found Lucy in 1956!!!!!  BEATCHA ALL... That's ONLY, of course, BECAUSE most of you weren't born!!!!  [WHAT's the prize?] 

 

I knew my father was personally, handwritten, invited to attend the reception; his best friend and he (NO WIVES!!!! - now, THAT caused some conversations in my home, I can tell  you!!!!); him taking my autograph book and getting each of their autographs; and the day they arrived MANY of us skipped school (and got my only in-school-years' detention study hall!!!! it was worth it!!!!)  We walked in the cold rain the two miles from the school, over Hunt Road!!!) to Second Street in Jamestown to see arrival of the helicopter behind our rival  school district, Jamestown H.S.!!!!  It's a DIM memory! 

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Prior to her coming to Jamestown, had watched original ILLucy shows for the early years; but, Easy for me: I found Lucy in 1956!!!!!  BEATCHA ALL... That's ONLY, of course, BECAUSE most of you weren't born!!!!  [WHAT's the prize?] 

 

I knew my father was personally, handwritten, invited to attend the reception; his best friend and he (NO WIVES!!!! - now, THAT caused some conversations in my home, I can tell  you!!!!); him taking my autograph book and getting each of their autographs; and the day they arrived MANY of us skipped school (and got my only in-school-years' detention study hall!!!! it was worth it!!!!)  We walked in the cold rain the two miles from the school, over Hunt Road!!!) to Second Street in Jamestown to see arrival of the helicopter behind our rival  school district, Jamestown H.S.!!!!  It's a DIM memory!

 

What a wonderful story! When you walked on the old Hunt a road, did you see Marion van Vlack?

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I don't remember a ever not watching Lucy. In fact, I have been told numerous times that I Love Lucy was the first show I actually watched after being born, that is the first show that actually caught my attention, and once I could sit up and feed myself, had lunch every day in my seat with wheels (whatever that is called. A tenda?) watching ILL. That being said, I think my first actual Lucy memory is actually of The Lucy Show. I grew up in an area without cable and when I was three or so, my dad tried to rectify that situation by installing one of those ENORMOUS satellite dishes. The satellite outlet was installed in our basement and I remember playing in the front hall one night when my brother (10 years older) started shouting for me to come down into the basement because Lucy was on TV IN COLOUR! We were both amazed. When TLS began airing in Canada once again circa 1999 (after I spearheaded a lengthy campaign to the local Christian station), it was only then I figured out the episode we watched that night in the basement was Lucy, The Camp Cook.

As for I Love Lucy, I have two memories, but I'm not sure which one comes first. One memory is staying home sick from junior kindergarten one day, lying on the couch watching The Indian Show. The other is a memory from a day camp. I was never an athletic kid, so my parents sent me to a sports camp to try to change that. One day, we had to troop through this country club (not as glamourous as it sounds) to get to their gymnasium via their cardio studio. After we got to our destination, I snuck out and camped out on an unused treadmill in front of a TV because as we were walking through I noticed Ricky's Life Story on the air.

 

I always knew Here's Lucy existed in the back of my mind from hearing my parents talk about it. I am told it was on the air when I was very young but have no recollection of it. Like others have mentioned, it was something of a holy grail and beginning when I was 11 or so, I made it my mission to track down episodes through the odd tape purchase (I had nothing to trade at that point). Lucy Meets The Burtons and Lucy is N.G. as an R.N. are the first episodes I really remember seeing though as part of the once regular Here's Lucy Film Festivals in Jamestown.

 

Jamestown was also where I saw my first episode of Life With Lucy -- Mother of the Bride and I was totally transfixed watching it on the screen at the very back of the first museum.

 

I didn't really know The Lucy Desi Comedy Hour was a separate thing from I Love Lucy until I found the Michael McClay book in a shop when it first came out. Until that point, I couldn't quite figure out what Carole was talking about in L&D: A Home Movie when she was discussing the tear-stained Geisha makeup. But looking at that episode guide all became clear. A year or two later, I basically freaked out looking through the new videos at the flagship Eatons store in Toronto and found the first four episodes had been released by CBS.

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I don't remember a ever not watching Lucy. In fact, I have been told numerous times that I Love Lucy was the first show I actually watched after being born, that is the first show that actually caught my attention, and once I could sit up and feed myself, had lunch every day in my seat with wheels (whatever that is called. A tenda?) watching ILL. That being said, I think my first actual Lucy memory is actually of The Lucy Show. I grew up in an area without cable and when I was three or so, my dad tried to rectify that situation by installing one of those ENORMOUS satellite dishes. The satellite outlet was installed in our basement and I remember playing in the front hall one night when my brother (10 years older) started shouting for me to come down into the basement because Lucy was on TV IN COLOUR! We were both amazed. When TLS began airing in Canada once again circa 1999 (after I spearheaded a lengthy campaign to the local Christian station), it was only then I figured out the episode we watched that night in the basement was Lucy, The Camp Cook.

As for I Love Lucy, I have two memories, but I'm not sure which one comes first. One memory is staying home sick from junior kindergarten one day, lying on the couch watching The Indian Show. The other is a memory from a day camp. I was never an athletic kid, so my parents sent me to a sports camp to try to change that. One day, we had to troop through this country club (not as glamourous as it sounds) to get to their gymnasium via their cardio studio. After we got to our destination, I snuck out and camped out on an unused treadmill in front of a TV because as we were walking through I noticed Ricky's Life Story on the air.

 

I always knew Here's Lucy existed in the back of my mind from hearing my parents talk about it. I am told it was on the air when I was very young but have no recollection of it. Like others have mentioned, it was something of a holy grail and beginning when I was 11 or so, I made it my mission to track down episodes through the odd tape purchase (I had nothing to trade at that point). Lucy Meets The Burtons and Lucy is N.G. as an R.N. are the first episodes I really remember seeing though as part of the once regular Here's Lucy Film Festivals in Jamestown.

 

Jamestown was also where I saw my first episode of Life With Lucy -- Mother of the Bride and I was totally transfixed watching it on the screen at the very back of the first museum.

 

I didn't really know The Lucy Desi Comedy Hour was a separate thing from I Love Lucy until I found the Michael McClay book in a shop when it first came out. Until that point, I couldn't quite figure out what Carole was talking about in L&D: A Home Movie when she was discussing the tear-stained Geisha makeup. But looking at that episode guide all became clear. A year or two later, I basically freaked out looking through the new videos at the flagship Eatons store in Toronto and found the first four episodes had been released by CBS.

Reading your post brought up some memories for me. I too was apparently entranced by Lucy at a very young age, not to mention Red Skelton. I think it was the physical comedy. When you're barely a year old and you don't know how to communicate with words, some quality pantomime can be very entertaining. I'm always running into family friends who would tell me that at the age of two I would do complete comedy sketches for them at parties. The only one I remember doing is a solo version of "Poor Us" and "Slowly I Turn". A story my parents like to tell is how they took me into the local FYE at the mall and I immediately scoped out a couple of Lucy tapes. I looked at the pictures on the back and was able to describe the plots to every episode, much to the amazement of the workers and shoppers. Those were my first ever official Lucy tapes, and I still have them.

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Great stories, Brock and Freddie!

 

I remember being very reticent to watch the later episodes of The Lucy Show. When I found out Vance left the show while watching the Goodtimes documentary, I swore to myself I wouldn't like those episodes. Then, a few years later when I was in Texas, I found some of the Laserlight PD releases and picked them up. I found myself quite fond of those episodes after all, especially since Viv Visits Lucy was one of them.

 

Granted, this was still before I knew what the public domain was all about. I finally found out that those were the only 30 episodes available at the time, until I got the Columbia House tapes a few months later. I cherished those tapes, as I never thought TLS would officially come to DVD. I think I wet myself in 2009 when I finally saw the cover art for season 1!

 

I also remember inhaling the best of Here's Lucy set. To be honest, I was more taken in with how good the picture was, given I'd grown accustomed to seeing color Lucy via scratchy backup prints. This has since changed, but my favorite episode at the time was "Lucy and the Generation Gap".

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I Love Lucy - discovered it on Nick-at-Nite in 1994. At that point, they were airing it at 9pm on weeknights. I believe the first episodes I watched were "The Freezer" and "Lucy Does a TV Commercial". Liked it from the start.

 

The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour - discovered this too when it first came to Nick-at-Nite. Didn't care for it at first but warmed up to it later on.

 

The Lucy Show - again, ran across this on Nick-at-Nite in 1994. Didn't get to see much because it came on in the wee hours of the morning except on the weekends when it was paired with ILL. I believe the first episode I seen of this was a black & white one and I too thought it was I Love Lucy at first until I realized that Fred and Ricky weren't showing up and that Lucy was calling "Ethel" Vivian. I was lost. Anyways, I had no interest in this show after seeing some of the later years. At that point, both ILL and TLS were new to me and in the back of my mind TLS just didn't compare to ILL. Rediscovered this program in the late 90s via those public domain tapes. The episodes that I enjoyed the most out of that bunch were "Lucy Gets a Roommate" and "Lucy Gets Caught in the Draft". The latter one had me in stitches. From there I wanted to see more of TLS and eventually did.

 

Here's Lucy - discovered it on PAX-TV in Fall 1998. It was hard to watch at first but eventually warmed up to it. I made it a point to record this every time it came on. The show came on at noon for a hour and then it was reduced to half hour at 12:30pm in November and eventually removed from the line-up entirely at the end of January 1999. I was bummed. But most of the episodes got aired. The episodes that became an instant favorites after seeing them were "Lucy and the Great Airport Chase" and "Lucy, the Shopping Expert". They were just hysterical. And, of course, "Lucy the Matchmaker"  with Vivian Vance.

 

Life with Lucy - seen this thanks to tape trading. I liked it given what it was.

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1--I my parents sent me to a sports camp to try to change that. 

2--Lucy Meets The Burtons and Lucy is N.G. as an R.N. are the first episodes I really remember seeing

 

1. That sounds like the premise of good 60s sitcom, "Brock Weir, RCMP"   starring Brock Weir and Harry Hickox. (co-starring Joi Lansing as "Mother"?)

2- Well, you were certainly exposed to the best first.

 

I saw The Lucy Show first.  I'm sure I must have seen an  I Love Lucy  by then because it had been running in the morning.  For a (very brief) time, I did not know they were the same person.  Even though some ILL episodes were less than 10 years old, styles had changed so much, the films seemed much older.   And Lucy looked so different.  For those of us who experienced Lucy's transformation into an older woman, the change was gradual.  I've often wondered what it would be like to be exposed to HL and ILL at the same time.  Separated by only 10 years (middle of LDCH to beginning of HL), Lucy's look and the style (and quality) of comedy had changed so drastically.  

As a kid, summer meant "the Lucy Desi Comedy Hour", a yearly treat.   I didn't discern between the great (Danny, Talu), the good (Sun Valley, Havana) and the bad (Milton Berle, Kovacs), which says something about the general state of TV comedy that even a bad LDCH was better than 90% of the comedies at the time. .  They didn't run all 13 every summer usually eliminating Kovacs and Douglas, since they had died.

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What a wonderful story! When you walked on the old Hunt a road, did you see Marion van Vlack?

 

 

Didn't know ANY vanVlacks back then; when you are in middle school, your life revolves ONLY around home, your own neighborhood friends; babysitting; school, sorority; studies; and budding 'awakenings' , shall we say?  Whose boyfriend was the most handsome; who loved someone from Jamestown H.S. (our rival school district); what movies were showing downtown (Jamestown).anything to get downtown on a weekend; ride the last bus home in the evening.   Memories - ah, the memories - NO WORRIES in those days; no drugs; no sex maniacs; no problem walking two blocks home late at night from the bus; such tranquility; we had NO idea it was boring or slow or backward......IT WAS EXCITING!!!!!

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Didn't know ANY vanVlacks back then; when you are in middle school, your life revolves ONLY around home, your own neighborhood friends; babysitting; school, sorority; studies; and budding 'awakenings' , shall we say?  Whose boyfriend was the most handsome; who loved someone from Jamestown H.S. (our rival school district); what movies were showing downtown (Jamestown).anything to get downtown on a weekend; ride the last bus home in the evening.   Memories - ah, the memories - NO WORRIES in those days; no drugs; no sex maniacs; no problem walking two blocks home late at night from the bus; such tranquility; we had NO idea it was boring or slow or backward......IT WAS EXCITING!!!!!

My home town is largely still that way, fortunately. A very safe area, apart from all the meth labs.

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Idiots usually do hon, idiots usually do! :lucythrill:

 

Speaking as a former law enforcement wife, yes, the 'idiots always get caught'; unfortunately, before they DO, they have taught 'someone else' the ropes to carry on while they are serving their time!    Just sayin'!!!!!

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This is the wrong thread to do it; but, I'm GONNA STEP IN SOMETHING ELSE HERE; probably shouldn't do it - but, in this 'backwoods' area, there are many heroin addicts (SAD!); and 'they' [scientists/laboratories] have discovered a drug, which emergency personnel around here are all 'stocked' with (the drug brings them back from an overdose!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)  Stepping in it, here, with both feet:

 

WHY?

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