Jump to content

THE LUCY SHOW season 2 discussion


Recommended Posts

Last night, I was in a bit of a Xmas mood.  So I put in Lucy Conducts the Symphony.  I like the last half of this episode.  I only wish a few moments were caught on camera a bit better.  For instance, when she strikes the drum and the drum stick flies into the air.. I think we should have held on the close up a bit longer.. to see the stick fly out of her hand and her reaction.. then the wide shot to see it fall to the ground... I think a brilliantly funny moment was diminished for the tv audience because of what I consider poor editing.  

 

I also watched a bit of the episode where she plasters the ceiling.  I like seeing her in that beautiful vibrant color.  She is lovely

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well.... the Nutcracker is a Christmas song and since I didn't want to get out of the bed I watched the other one too!!!   ANY way, I was watching the episode where she was tracking down Mr. Mooney and asking ARE YOU THEODORE J MOONEY?  In the train station Mr. Mooney tells the short order cook.. "I don't usually eat hamburgers.." right before Lucy scares him and he squirts mustard all over himself. Ever notice he is talking about hamburgers and holding a HOT DOG??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

RE: "Conducts a Symphony"  I don't know where Wally Cox was in the strata of celebrities in 1963.  His main claim to fame was the live "Mr. Peepers" show which only ran from 1952 to 1955 and was never syndicated.  I know that Portland Oregon did not get an NBC affiliate until 1953 so a lot of the country did not even see "Peepers", which never made the Nielsen top 30 and was opposite 2 alternating shows on CBS that did: Jack Benny and Private Secretary.  I have the two seasons of Peepers released on DVD and it is indeed charming and funny.    I never think of "Symphony"  as a guest star show because it was not written around the guest.  Wally doesn't even appear in the last half of the show.  We don't know if Wally ever emerged from his hypnosis-induced coma!  His role could have played by anyone even.....groan...Peter Marshall.   By the time of his 3 full-fledged guest starring stints on Here's Lucy, he was recognizable for his steady work on "Hollywood Squares".  When Lucie was asked on Merv Griffin if a lot of celebrities were at the Roxbury house, she said "Yes, Mary Wickes and Wally Cox", so Lucy and Wally were friends it seems.

RE:  Lucy's  tour de farce pantomime of "Symphony", I toss all superlative adjectives in the air as unworthy.  WHO ELSE could have pulled this off?  In essentially 2 days of having the show on its feet.  I don't know why they chose to run this stellar episode during the week between Christmas and New Years.  Later they would show an annual rerun during this week. 

And as to the comment "Season 2 of The Lucy Show is...probably the most unexciting and boring of all the seasons", my RESTRAINED but UNoffended reaction is this:

 

For what its worth, I think with a few exceptions Season 2 of The Lucy Show is definitely very nice to look at thanks to C O L O R but probably the most unexciting and boring of all the seasons.   I don't want to offend anyone but just my opinion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like Season Two because it's nice to see the original format of the show in color. Some episodes - i.e. "Lucy Goes Duck Hunting," "Kiddie Parties, Inc.," "Lucy Goes To Art Class," and "Lucy Decides to Redecorate," are about on par with certain episodes of "I Love Lucy" in terms of entertainment value, at least in my opinion.

In one of the biographies, they mention that CBS was concerned about the drop in quality between Season One and Season Two, since Desi Arnaz played a role in shaping a good portion of the first season before he left. I don't know if that's true, but you can definitely tell that the writers were running out of ideas. I watched the DVD's in chronological order - and at a certain point, it does get very tedious having every episode focus on Lucy trying to get money from Mr. Mooney. I think the show "jumped the shark" once Milt Josefsberg took over in Season Three and all sense of logic and continuity went out the window,  but I give him credit for at least trying to add some fresh plot lines.

Also, while I love Gale Gordon (and I'm not sure if it was a contractual thing where they had to include him in a certain number of episodes,) I think the show was at its best when it focused on the Lucy/Viv friendship - I wouldn't have minded if they had used Gale a bit more sparingly this season.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like Season Two because it's nice to see the original format of the show in color. Some episodes - i.e. "Lucy Goes Duck Hunting," "Kiddie Parties, Inc.," "Lucy Goes To Art Class," and "Lucy Decides to Redecorate," are about on par with certain episodes of "I Love Lucy" in terms of entertainment value, at least in my opinion.

In one of the biographies, they mention that CBS was concerned about the drop in quality between Season One and Season Two, since Desi Arnaz played a role in shaping a good portion of the first season before he left. I don't know if that's true, but you can definitely tell that the writers were running out of ideas. I watched the DVD's in chronological order - and at a certain point, it does get very tedious having every episode focus on Lucy trying to get money from Mr. Mooney. I think the show "jumped the shark" once Milt Josefsberg took over in Season Three and all sense of logic and continuity went out the window,  but I give him credit for at least trying to add some fresh plot lines.

Also, while I love Gale Gordon (and I'm not sure if it was a contractual thing where they had to include him in a certain number of episodes,) I think the show was at its best when it focused on the Lucy/Viv friendship - I wouldn't have minded if they had used Gale a bit more sparingly this season.

 

I completely agree regarding Gale. I think they would've been wiser to introduce his character more slowly and not feature him in as many episodes. As it stands, after his two part introduction, Lucy and Mooney acted as though they'd always been thorns in each other's sides.

 

The redecorating episode was both wise and necessary, as something had to be done to that set to make it friendlier for the color cameras. Watching the early episodes that season is something of a rare glimpse into what B&W shows looked like in color....BORING! As the colors didn't matter, things were chosen for how they looked in B&W, hence the blandness. I loved the green motif they chose.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

RE: "Conducts a Symphony"  I don't know where Wally Cox was in the strata of celebrities in 1963.  His main claim to fame was the live "Mr. Peepers" show which only ran from 1952 to 1955 and was never syndicated.  I know that Portland Oregon did not get an NBC affiliate until 1953 so a lot of the country did not even see "Peepers", which never made the Nielsen top 30 and was opposite 2 alternating shows on CBS that did: Jack Benny and Private Secretary.  I have the two seasons of Peepers released on DVD and it is indeed charming and funny.    I never think of "Symphony"  as a guest star show because it was not written around the guest.  Wally doesn't even appear in the last half of the show.  We don't know if Wally ever emerged from his hypnosis-induced coma!  His role could have played by anyone even.....groan...Peter Marshall.   By the time of his 3 full-fledged guest starring stints on Here's Lucy, he was recognizable for his steady work on "Hollywood Squares".  When Lucie was asked on Merv Griffin if a lot of celebrities were at the Roxbury house, she said "Yes, Mary Wickes and Wally Cox", so Lucy and Wally were friends it seems.

RE:  Lucy's  tour de farce pantomime of "Symphony", I toss all superlative adjectives in the air as unworthy.  WHO ELSE could have pulled this off?  In essentially 2 days of having the show on its feet.  I don't know why they chose to run this stellar episode during the week between Christmas and New Years.  Later they would show an annual rerun during this week. 

And as to the comment "Season 2 of The Lucy Show is...probably the most unexciting and boring of all the seasons", my RESTRAINED but UNoffended reaction is this:

 

 

Always LOVED WALLY COX!!!!  Glad Lucille did, as well....JK

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Continuing my marathon, I'm now into season 2, currently at "Bank Scandal". So far, I'm enjoying it more than I remember. Cleopatra was lightweight fun, but I agree with others who feel it wasn't the best choice for season opener. Probably "Locked in the Vault" would've been a stronger choice, given the cliffhanger would've really kicked off the season with a bang.

 

"Duck Hunting" is probably my least favorite of the earliest episodes. Far from terrible, but the hunting scene feels padded and the premise flimsy. Keith Andes was an excellent casting choice; it's unfortunate Bill King couldn't have replaced Dick Martin as her semi-regular love interest.

 

Is it just me, or were the walls of the Carmichael living room grey right up until Bank Scandal? In that episode, they suddenly appear beige. Did they begin changing the set prior to the redecorating episode to save time and just assumed no one would notice because it was being aired in black and white? Or was the lighting simply different?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love "Duck Hunting".   For one thing, the outdoor set is one of the most realistic.  And there's one moment:  Lucy's fall into the water.  It's perfectly timed and not anticipated by Lucy, who is in the middle of a line reading.   Nor was it ruined by the director by being telegraphed with a wide shot. 

There isn't a real duffer/bomb in the entire season...unlike season 1 with its "Runaway Butterfly".  

Even lesser episodes have something going for them.   IMO, those are limited to  "Open a Restaurant" "Mooney in Politics" and "Cub Scout Retreat"

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Continuing my marathon, I'm now into season 2, currently at "Bank Scandal". So far, I'm enjoying it more than I remember. Cleopatra was lightweight fun, but I agree with others who feel it wasn't the best choice for season opener. Probably "Locked in the Vault" would've been a stronger choice, given the cliffhanger would've really kicked off the season with a bang.

 

"Duck Hunting" is probably my least favorite of the earliest episodes. Far from terrible, but the hunting scene feels padded and the premise flimsy. Keith Andes was an excellent casting choice; it's unfortunate Bill King couldn't have replaced Dick Martin as her semi-regular love interest.

 

Is it just me, or were the walls of the Carmichael living room grey right up until Bank Scandal? In that episode, they suddenly appear beige. Did they begin changing the set prior to the redecorating episode to save time and just assumed no one would notice because it was being aired in black and white? Or was the lighting simply different?

 

Brian for a youngun your insightful and original observations never cease to amaze.  Haven't watched any S2 eps lately but nice catch about the gray-to-beige wall colors and why that probably happened!  As a long-time watcher with an eye always on "how did they do that", I certainly think that's a viable possibility. 

 

I agree too that Andes should have/could have been used more as a recurring romantic interest for the widowed Carmichael character -- the eps with her dating etc. always seemed to soften some of the hard edges of the character IMHO and thus were always welcomed (well...until Mr. Goldapper appeared in thankfully only that one golfing episode -- can you imagine if HE'D become recurring?? Ugh!).

 

I'd also thought in the later Hollywood episodes it would have been nice if the hunky and charming Clint Walker (and his "Cleo"-like dog!) had appeared more than twice too!  (Yes... it doesn't help that for ever-more increasing reasons I'm still for some reason a hopeless romantic. :blink: )

 

You rock, Lotus "blossom"! :lucyhmm:

I love "Duck Hunting".   For one thing, the outdoor set is one of the most realistic.  And there's one moment:  Lucy's fall into the water.  It's perfectly timed and not anticipated by Lucy, who is in the middle of a line reading.   Nor was it ruined by the director by being telegraphed with a wide shot. 

There isn't a real duffer/bomb in the entire season...unlike season 1 with its "Runaway Butterfly".  

Even lesser episodes have something going for them.   IMO, those are limited to  "Open a Restaurant" "Mooney in Politics" and "Cub Scout Retreat"

 

I agree "Duck Hunting" and the participation of Andes elevates this episode to be one of the better offerings of the season IMHO. :peachonthebeach:

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love "Duck Hunting".   For one thing, the outdoor set is one of the most realistic.  And there's one moment:  Lucy's fall into the water.  It's perfectly timed and not anticipated by Lucy, who is in the middle of a line reading.   Nor was it ruined by the director by being telegraphed with a wide shot. 

There isn't a real duffer/bomb in the entire season...unlike season 1 with its "Runaway Butterfly".  

Even lesser episodes have something going for them.   IMO, those are limited to  "Open a Restaurant" "Mooney in Politics" and "Cub Scout Retreat"

I certainly enjoy the episode for the points you mentioned. I just felt the "quack-quacks" dragged a bit.

 

But I love the opening segments and the "home cooked meal" routine.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I certainly enjoy the episode for the points you mentioned. I just felt the "quack-quacks" dragged a bit.

 

But I love the opening segments and the "home cooked meal" routine.

Maybe they should have combined this episode with the season opener for "Lucy Goes Duck Hunting as Cleopatra"  and padded the last scene with "The END is NEAR!!  Quack-quack, quack-quack"

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe they should have combined this episode with the season opener for "Lucy Goes Duck Hunting as Cleopatra"  and padded the last scene with "The END is NEAR!!  Quack-quack, quack-quack"

Lucy wading around a swamp dressed as Cleopatra, quacking and holding a shotgun? That would've been a classic!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:blink:

Come on, it is quite a visual!

 

I'm now up through "Lucy Takes Up Golf." A beautiful episode to look at and with some very funny moments, but a bit slow at times.

 

"The Loophole in the Lease" still remains a personal favorite. If only more shows could've integrated the three leads into one comedy bit.

 

Pollard's performance in "Chris Goes Steady" will remain a constant head scratcher. He seems completely out of his element and unsure of what to do with himself in front of an audience. The only thing I can say I liked about him is that he lacked the overly goodie-two-shoes quality of Eddie Applegate. And I don't care what anyone says otherwise, Bob and Ted will always be two separate characters. Why Chris chose the weirder one we'll never know.

 

It's probably been ten years since I last watched "Lucy Puts Out a Fire at the Bank" and I'd forgotten what a gem it is. One of the highlights of the season and a close match to season 1's "Lucy & Viv Are Volunteer Firemen".

 

"College Reunion" had some great physical comedy in it, but that's a tough one for me to sit through due to personal reasons regarding my own college experience. Still, I'm glad I saw it again, I'd only seen it once before.

 

Next up, Ethel Merman!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The two Ethel Merman episodes are easily highlights of the entire SERIES let alone season. The energy is palpable; you can tell what a blast everyone is having. There's a real feeling of old home week here, given the cast's shared histories and friendships. Merman was also the first "Lucy Show" guest to receive "special guest star" billing and boy does she deserve it.

 

The only fly in the ointment is now that I've seen the discrepancies in the reshot ending to part one, I can't unsee them. The different hairstyles, the different necklace, even the lighting seems different. Such a pity that original ending wasn't put in the vault for historical purposes. But that's neither here nor there, and it certainly doesn't mar my enjoyment of them.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The two Ethel Merman episodes are easily highlights of the entire SERIES let alone season. The energy is palpable; you can tell what a blast everyone is having. There's a real feeling of old home week here, given the cast's shared histories and friendships. Merman was also the first "Lucy Show" guest to receive "special guest star" billing and boy does she deserve it.

 

The only fly in the ointment is now that I've seen the discrepancies in the reshot ending to part one, I can't unsee them. The different hairstyles, the different necklace, even the lighting seems different. Such a pity that original ending wasn't put in the vault for historical purposes. But that's neither here nor there, and it certainly doesn't mar my enjoyment of them.

The different hairstyles in the tacked-on ending to part one don't bother me.  In fact, I never even noticed them until they were pointed out in The Lucy Book (again, thank you Geoffrey!).  I've watched the episodes since then and it still doesn't bother me.  

What's great about the "show" is that they kept SOME aspects of what a community presentation would be like.  My question: what happened to all those robin costumes??

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The two Ethel Merman episodes are easily highlights of the entire SERIES let alone season. The energy is palpable; you can tell what a blast everyone is having. There's a real feeling of old home week here, given the cast's shared histories and friendships. Merman was also the first "Lucy Show" guest to receive "special guest star" billing and boy does she deserve it.

 

The only fly in the ointment is now that I've seen the discrepancies in the reshot ending to part one, I can't unsee them. The different hairstyles, the different necklace, even the lighting seems different. Such a pity that original ending wasn't put in the vault for historical purposes. But that's neither here nor there, and it certainly doesn't mar my enjoyment of them.

 

Original ending reshot? Refresh my memory please offhand I don't remember what went down! :blink:

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The different hairstyles in the tacked-on ending to part one don't bother me.  In fact, I never even noticed them until they were pointed out in The Lucy Book (again, thank you Geoffrey!).  I've watched the episodes since then and it still doesn't bother me.  

What's great about the "show" is that they kept SOME aspects of what a community presentation would be like.  My question: what happened to all those robin costumes??

I probably wouldn't have noticed either if I hadn't read "The Lucy Book" beforehand, though the different necklace was pointed out in the flubs section on the disc.

 

I'm guessing "Red Red Robin" occurred earlier in the Boy Scouts show, the part we didn't get to see.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just finished season two.

 

"Millionaire" is a very funny episode in spots but it feels rather disjointed. It keeps jumping from one gag to another; a random series of events. Viv's attempts to distract Umberto so Lucy can change is a highlight for Vance. There's also a plot inconsistency: why are they going to the St. Patrick's Day Dance when it was established earlier they had tickets to the opera? Watch Cesare Danova when he grabs the vat of green dye - the whole vat shifts, revealing it to be empty (and very lightweight). This "flub" wasn't mentioned in the production notes. The sight-gag of Lucy dyed green certainly wouldn't have played as well in black and white; this episode benefits greatly from color.

 

"Politics" has a very funny first act, the billboard scene being one of the few joint physical gags Lucy and Viv had this season. The bagpipe playing at the end is very well done but rather abrupt - I wish we'd learned whether or not Mooney was elected Comptroller or not. This wasn't brought up again to my knowledge - I may stand corrected as I proceed.

 

"Scout Trip" I'd only seen once before, when I first got the set in 2010. The outdoor set looks terrific and the costumes are fun and colorful. Unfortunately, in this day and age, it's probably only a matter of time before some tumblr blogger gets ahold of it and blasts Lucy for "cultural appropriation" and brings up the whole "we're a culture, not a costume, and this is NOT OKAY" campaign, even though they were doing it for educational purposes for the sake of the scouts. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I've seen people offended over less in this day and age.

 

"Process Server" is funny but felt padded. I know the whole premise was to set up Lucy getting stuck on the cruise, but her cowardice came across more grating than funny some of the time. This is one show where I felt bad for Mr. Mooney and could really sympathize with him. Was this episode originally intended to be the season finale? It certainly feels that way, what with all the talk of summer vacations. It would've been a scream to think of Lucy and Mr. Mooney stuck on a boat together all summer until the show came back in the fall.

 

I won't say much about "Baking Contest" here as we've got a thread for that, but I agree with the others who say it feels slightly off. Viv is especially bitchy here, though she redeems herself in the final scene. I like this episode the most for being the last showcase for all the recurring women we've grown to love over the first two seasons: Thelma, Audrey, Kathleen, etc. Freeman especially was a hoot in this outing. Such a shame that Miss Putnam the following year was her final appearance. Perhaps, under different circumstances, she could've made a good replacement for Vivian.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...