What episodes are you watching on "The Lucy Show"?

[Harrison 136]

Saturday, December 26th, 2020

"Lucy Is a Kangaroo for a Day" (#7) - Had great comedy bits with Lucy dealing with the water dispenser, Lucy's dress getting caught in the elevator and, of course, Lucy in a kangaroo costume inside a restaurant trying to eat soup. Great episode all around.

"Lucy Buys a Sheep" (#2) - cute animal show

[Harrison 136]

Wednesday, January 6th, 2021

"Lucy Puts Out a Fire at the Bank" (#41) & "Lucy and the Military Academy" (#42)

 

Thursday, January 7th, 2021

"Lucy's College Reunion" (#43) & "The Loophole in the Lease" (#40)

 

Friday, January 8th, 2021

"Lucy Gets Trapped" (#133)

 

 

[Harrison 136]

Saturday, January 30th, 2021:

"Kiddies Parties, Inc." (#37) (before that, I watched the I Love Lucy episode "Sales Resistance")

[Neil 1,531]

"Lucy & Pat Collins".  For a California bank episode, it's pretty good....up to the disappointing last scene, made all the worse because everything that preceded it was good stuff.   The fur salon is the highlight.  The woman playing the saleswoman put a lot into a part that could have been a nothing. And Lucy is great throughout.  Her 1967 Emmy was well-deserved (much more than the 1968 win IMO).  Note that Lucy's look to Mary Jane after MJ says of the $30,000 coat Lucy's trying on "Why don't you buy it?" is the same look she gives Ethel when E suggests to Carolyn that she might be able to change her Hawaii reservations to come to Lucy's "party".   But what were they thinking with the hypnotism scene?  The nadir of which has Lucy and Mooney doing a Laurel and Hardy bit--under hypnosis (?!).   

Pat Collins, aka "Miss Pat" with her cat-eye glasses and piled-high cotton candy blonde hair,  wins The Lucy Show's "Don Loper Award" for the most stilted, but somehow endearing performance by a non-actor in a Lucy show.  (The Here's Lucy recipient: Lawrence Welk?).  I never noticed before that Pat croons some of Edie Adams' "That's All" to end her act.  I would guess Miss Pat's "The Hip Hypnotist" was an actual club act. 

[Mot Morenzi 1,770]

13 hours ago, Neil said:

"Lucy & Pat Collins".  For a California bank episode, it's pretty good....up to the disappointing last scene, made all the worse because everything that preceded it was good stuff.   The fur salon is the highlight.  The woman playing the saleswoman put a lot into a part that could have been a nothing. And Lucy is great throughout.  Her 1967 Emmy was well-deserved (much more than the 1968 win IMO).  Note that Lucy's look to Mary Jane after MJ says of the $30,000 coat Lucy's trying on "Why don't you buy it?" is the same look she gives Ethel when E suggests to Carolyn that she might be able to change her Hawaii reservations to come to Lucy's "party".   But what were they thinking with the hypnotism scene?  The nadir of which has Lucy and Mooney doing a Laurel and Hardy bit--under hypnosis (?!).   

Maury Thompson admitted to hating the hypnotism scene for the same reason. He felt it was a flimsy excuse for Lucille and Gale to do corny shtick. 

13 hours ago, Neil said:

Pat Collins, aka "Miss Pat" with her cat-eye glasses and piled-high cotton candy blonde hair,  wins The Lucy Show's "Don Loper Award" for the most stilted, but somehow endearing performance by a non-actor in a Lucy show.  (The Here's Lucy recipient: Lawrence Welk?).  I never noticed before that Pat croons some of Edie Adams' "That's All" to end her act.  I would guess Miss Pat's "The Hip Hypnotist" was an actual club act. 

Miss Pat did indeed have her own act. It was substantially toned down for this episode; clips of her shows on YouTube reveal she could be quite vulgar (making jokes about gang-bangs and such).

It’s worth holding onto a public domain copy of this episode, as her rendition of “That’s All” was cut from the official DVD release. The editing was pretty seamless, and I probably wouldn’t have noticed had I not seen the uncut version first. Must’ve been an issue with music licensing, though CBS was able to secure the rights for Edie Adams’ Comedy Hour rendition.

[Luvsbway 2,311]

8 hours ago, Mot Morenzi said:

Miss Pat did indeed have her own act. It was substantially toned down for this episode; clips of her shows on YouTube reveal she could be quite vulgar (making jokes about gang-bangs and such).

A hypnosis show that talksxabout gang-bangs. Now that's something I got to investigate for the sheer lunacy. 

 

[Neil 1,531]

Lucy is in top form.  Highlights: following tea cart around so she can get her lunch; and her posture during delivery of "How about next Friday?" line.  I love the Joanna Barnes-like performance of the salon host.   I'll bet she did Gloria Upson in some production of "Auntie" or "Mame".   Isn't uncredited model ("Come, Georgia") Cher's MOTHER?   Though it's been done before (on Dick Van Dyke), I expected Lucy to get "accidentally" hypnotized.  

Mary Jane and Miss Pat: an unlikely friendship.  Doesn't being at Lucy's beck and call for another "kooky caper" preclude having a social life?   Mary Jane has a boyfriend??  (bites her nails then his during scary movie).  

Miss Pat has a pretty good singing voice.  I didn't know her "That's All" was cut from the DVD. 

[Neil 1,531]

Miss Pat trivia: she was only 31 when she did The Lucy Show.  She performed at her LA club until 1983, then moved to Lake Tahoe where did her act until 1992 "when ill health forced to retire".  She died in 1997 and was only 62.  Had had a stroke.  But poor Miss Pat spent her childhood in orphanages and foster homes. 

[Mot Morenzi 1,770]

9 hours ago, Neil said:

Miss Pat has a pretty good singing voice.  I didn't know her "That's All" was cut from the DVD. 

Only the official one. It seems to be intact on most of the public domain releases. Really the only reason to keep one of those nowadays. I'm not sure if there were any other music edits on other episodes. 

[Mot Morenzi 1,770]

12 hours ago, Luvsbway said:

A hypnosis show that talks about gang-bangs. Now that's something I got to investigate for the sheer lunacy. 

The joke comes around the 4:50 mark. It’s not too bad, she meant it in good fun. I get the impression her act might’ve become bawdier as time went on. Note her opening joke about applause making her boobs grow - Lucy probably wouldn’t have hired her if her act was like that circa 1966. 

[Luvsbway 2,311]

10 minutes ago, Mot Morenzi said:

The joke comes around the 4:50 mark. It’s not too bad, she meant it in good fun. I get the impression her act might’ve become bawdier as time went on. Note her opening joke about applause making her boobs grow - Lucy probably wouldn’t have hired her if her act was like that circa 1966. 

Oh thank you so much for finding that. And that audience laughed knowing what it was. 

[Mot Morenzi 1,770]

What I find interesting about her taped specials is that they illustrate how her “Lucy Show” appearance was a fairly accurate (albeit tamer and truncated) representation of how her show was conducted. It may have been obvious Lucille and Gale were deliberately clowning around, but she really did have people do little sketches like that. 

[HarryCarter 1,264]

Miss Pat also did her act in the movie Divorce, American Style with Dick Van Dyke, Debbie Reynolds, and Van Johnson. It was filmed before her Lucy Show episode aired, but released after. 
 

Pat was also in a contestant on What’s My Line?  in 1961. She said she got involved in hypnosis after suffering from hysterical paralysis.   
 

 

 

[Luvsbway 2,311]

3 hours ago, HarryCarter said:

 hysterical paralysis.  

Is that anything like hysterical pregnancy?

[HarryCarter 1,264]

14 minutes ago, Luvsbway said:

Is that anything like hysterical pregnancy?

The paralysis was psychosomatic and she was was cured with hypnotism. 

[HarryCarter 1,264]

16 hours ago, Mot Morenzi said:

Only the official one. It seems to be intact on most of the public domain releases. Really the only reason to keep one of those nowadays. I'm not sure if there were any other music edits on other episodes. 

The only other one I’ve ever noticed is from another fifth season episode that is also in the public domain, “Lucy the Babysitter.” When the chimp plays the organ, the song was originally “Lullaby of Broadway.” It was replaced by a generic tune on the official DVD. 

[Mot Morenzi 1,770]

6 hours ago, HarryCarter said:

The only other one I’ve ever noticed is from another fifth season episode that is also in the public domain, “Lucy the Babysitter.” When the chimp plays the organ, the song was originally “Lullaby of Broadway.” It was replaced by a generic tune on the official DVD. 

Interesting. 

All this talk of Pat Collins piqued my interest and I rewatched the episode yesterday, the first time in years I’ve seen it. The music edits were more extensive than I realised, most of them instrumental. This resulted in lots of little moments getting cut, such as everyone laughing at the movie and the bulk of Lucy’s wax museum pose, along with Pat’s accompanying line. Her entrance was also scrapped, cutting to her already onstage. 

I’m not entirely sure how all of this works from a technical standpoint, but a few of those moments definitely could’ve had the underscoring replaced instead of cut entirely. 

[Mot Morenzi 1,770]

I’ve been having an impromptu marathon the past few nights, including a few episodes I’ve never gotten around to watching before now.

Lucy and the Ring-A-Ding-Ding: The Burton episode may be more famous and share the same basic premise, but I find this one to be far funnier. Mooney helping tranquillised Lucy Into her apartment is a tour de force. Lucie’s cameo (“And they worry about our generation!”) was the cherry on top. 
 

Lucy & The Submarine: I wouldn’t call this a standout episode but it is quite amusing. I’ve always loved the “Club, Auto” gag. The supporting cast is top notch and the “fire one” routine is terrific. It’s nice to see episodes where Mooney gets intimidated and knocked down a few pegs; it helps humanise the role and make him funnier. 
 

Viv Visits Lucy: If only all planes could land and deboard as fast as Viv’s! The reunion scene is incredibly heartfelt and touching, though it’s odd to learn that Lucy left Danfield prior to Viv’s wedding and hasn’t even met her new husband. Judging by Viv’s description, Lucy’s never even seen a photo of him. I’ve always found the bank scene funnier than the Sunset Strip segment, but it’s certainly a great late 60’s time capsule. 
 

Lucy & John Wayne: This one’s a bit loud and obnoxious for my tastes, though seeing Lucy immediately take over the set was quite amusing and well done. I love the Milton Berle cameo. 
 

Lucy With George Burns: A truly fun outing. This premise could’ve made for a fun format change, with Lucy touring alongside various celebrities and Mooney acting as her agent. Love Jack Benny’s voice appearance. 
 

Lucy & Phil Harris: And here is one I’d never seen before last night! After the madcap John Wayne episode, it was a bit jarring for me to shift gears into slower-paced, sentimental territory. It’s a bit schmaltzy at times but undeniably touching, and it’s good to see episodes which calm Lucy down a little and show what a good person she is. Harris tearing up during his song got me a little emotional, too. Oh, and Vanda’s waitress getup was great!
 

Lucy & Sid Caesar: Here’s another brand new one for me, one I wanted to like more than I ultimately did. I think two “celebrity plays their own lookalike” episodes in one season was excessive. Nice to see Carole Cook return a “Gladys.” It’s a pity they couldn’t have found a steady recurring role for her like Mary Jane Croft. She was so often wasted in these bit parts. And Sid’s line about the boys winking at him...a gay joke on 1968 network TV???
 

Lucy Helps Ken Berry: Yet another never seen it before episode. I enjoyed this one a lot more than I thought I would. Ken Berry was fantastic; hard to believe this was the same man who’d go on to play dimwit Vinton Harper. Lucy enrolling a bunch of burly truckers into dancing school was a hoot. I’m not a big fan of “song and dance” episodes, but at least it didn’t take up the entire show, and this routine was very well done. Also nice to see the full Ralph Story scene after years of enjoying those bloopers. (Was it common for secretaries to alternate as tellers as frequently as Lucy does this final season? Or did they just need an excuse to get her and Gale out into the lobby more often?)
 

Lucy Meets the Berles: The genuine laughter during the salad scene makes it all the funnier. Watching Ruta trying to keep it together is especially great. I wish Miss Lee had appeared more often. She could’ve made a good girlfriend for Lucy, perhaps another neighbour in Glenhall. As Lucy and Mary Jane seem to be the only tenants season five onwards, a few more faces would’ve been nice to see. 

[JoeySoCal 1,056]

I'm kinda amusingly shocked you've never seen a couple of these before, Brian! I'm pretty in line with all your reviews & comments about each episode...and nice observation about how The Movie Star (who's autobiography is just now being released!! Sure hope she does some in-person book signings!!! ) Miss Lee could/should have appeared in miss episodes as a neighbor/friend (same could be said for Carole, as you mentioned) however the two she is in are two of my all-time favorites of the Hollywood era.... Maybe I need to rewatch the Ken Berry one but I'm with you the song & dance eps are my least favorite and sadly, IMHO that's what "moved the needle" for me away from enjoying so many later TLS and HL episodes....give me "true" all-sitcom plots a la the first TLS season any day!  The only slight disagreement I have is that I've tried a couple times to watch the John Wayne episode and it is just so hard to get through, the Carmichael character comes off more pushy and obnoxious than anything, I think, then during the saloon filming scenes, add stupid as she honestly is so clueless she believes the "fights" to be real?? Yeah, right... Just annoying!

 

[Neil 1,531]

On 4/22/2021 at 2:46 PM, JoeySoCal said:

I'm kinda amusingly shocked you've never seen a couple of these before, Brian! I'm pretty in line with all your reviews & comments about each episode...and nice observation about how The Movie Star (who's autobiography is just now being released!! Sure hope she does some in-person book signings!!! ) Miss Lee could/should have appeared in miss episodes as a neighbor/friend (same could be said for Carole, as you mentioned) however the two she is in are two of my all-time favorites of the Hollywood era.... Maybe I need to rewatch the Ken Berry one but I'm with you the song & dance eps are my least favorite and sadly, IMHO that's what "moved the needle" for me away from enjoying so many later TLS and HL episodes....give me "true" all-sitcom plots a la the first TLS season any day!  The only slight disagreement I have is that I've tried a couple times to watch the John Wayne episode and it is just so hard to get through, the Carmichael character comes off more pushy and obnoxious than anything, I think, then during the saloon filming scenes, add stupid as she honestly is so clueless she believes the "fights" to be real?? Yeah, right... Just annoying!

 

I guess I'm the only one (except for Lucy herself, apparently) that enjoys the John Wayne episode.  Each summer when CBS ran The Lucy Show from 68 to 71, it was shown.  Yes, it's a bit overboard that Lucy would get "carried away", but I think it's one of her best free-wheeling performances.  I'm continually amazed that these shows were put together in 4 days.  By this time of TLS, SO MUCH relied on Lucy herself carrying the whole show: "Lucy Flies to London" is a perfect example.   I've always wanted to see the John Wayne script because I've assumed it was one of the few times where Lucy seemed to ad lib, brilliantly IMO.  I love her swiping the sponge from Bennett Green and jerking John's face back and forth as she adjusts his make up, all the while lamenting how he's always ganged up on in his movie scenes.   Oh, well....it's not the first or last time I've been out on my own with my opinions.   

The 6th season is by far my least favorite.   "Phil Harris" has grown on me even though it's not The Lucy Show as I wanted it to be.  Missing scene: Lucy getting drunken Phil our of his clothes and into that bathrobe! (which might have been quite funny).  By this time, TLS was a two-character show set in a bank.  Roy Roberts added nothing and Mary Jane, through no fault of her own, was no Viv and was given little to do other than react.  You have to give Phil Harris scribe Bob O'Brien some credit for trying to expand the premise beyond that stodgy bank.   Though impoverished, the Lucy Carmichael of the first two seasons had class.  6th season Carmichael was, much of the time, more annoying than funny.  I detect a change in the character from the 5th season.  What is missing?  Her sweetness and vulnerability, maybe.  Though it had more than its share of duffers, there are many 5th season shows I like.  No so, the 6th.   I enjoy "George Burns" but the routine is lifted verbatim from Burns and Allen.  You can have your Rose Nylan and Connie Stevens' Wendy.  No one else could do Gracie.  Not even Lucy. 

[Harrison 136]

In the last two months or so, I watched the following ...

"Lucy and the Submarine" - not one of the best episodes to watch but it is a delight to watch. I prefer the second half with the setting in the actual submarine more so than the first half.

"Lucy and John Wayne" - One of the first episodes I watched back in the late 90s in rediscovering the series. It can be an annoying one at times but I do have a fondness for it. It's definitely not like the I Love Lucy two-part John Wayne one. Anyways, I love the dialogue between Lucy and John Wayne in the restaurant and, of course, Milton Berle's cameo appearance.

"Lucy Flies to London" - Great episode all around. I believe it was based on an earlier script by the original Lucy scribes Madelyn Pugh Davis Martin and Bob Carroll, Jr.

"Lucy and Pat Collins" - My favorite scene in this episode is the opening scene. Lucy seems just so sophisticated and very personable.

"Mooney the Monkey" - Lucy is so overworked that she begins to think she's having hallucinations of Mr. Mooney as a monkey? That's a bit of a stretch. Not the greatest episode. And probably one of my least favorites from season five.

"Lucy, the Bean Queen" - Love, LOVE this episode. It's a Lucy scheming to make money episode. Its a refreshing episode from the Bank years  of the show. Love the ending of this one when Lucy's conscience gets the best of her and she decides to not keep the check and admits that "Bailey's beans is the best beans I ever ate".

"Lucy and Viv Install a Shower" - perhaps the most famous episode of this series. A good portion of this episode was just a build-up to the climax of the episode with Lucy and Viv getting trapped in the shower stall and it filling up with water. This episode sort of reminds me of one of the most remembered episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show where Laura Petrie is locked in the hotel bathroom with her toe stuck to the bathtub faucet.

"Lucy and the Ring-a-Ding Ring" - I personally prefer this one over the similar Here's Lucy episode, "Lucy Meets the Burtons". Lucy and Gale are top-notch throughout the episode and it keeps getting better. From Lucy getting the ring stuck on her finger, her taking that pill which causes her to be loopy to Mooney trying to help her out of the car, and eventually the ring going down the drain. One of the best entries from season five, no doubt.

"Lucy and Paul Winchell" - Not one of my favorites but an amusing episode nonetheless.

"Lucy and Tennessee Ernie Ford" - This one has grown on me over the years. It's a great nod to the biggest show of the time - The Beverly Hillbillies and probably was inspired by it. I love the hoe-Down scene with a frustrated Mr. Mooney chasing hillbilly Lucy around.

"Little Old Lucy" - Love the dialogue between Lucy and Mary Jane in the opening scene. Great line from this episode: "That mink goes out on more dates than I do and it's dead!".

"Viv Moves Out" - This one would have more appropriate for season three or even season four. I love the scene where Lucy dances with the music while peeling the potatoes and also the scene where Viv comes back to try to make amends, not knowing that Lucy has earplugs in and ends up leaving feeling ignored.

"Lucy Takes a Job at the Bank" - Interesting that this early episode eventually became what the show's premise would be later on. It's a nice treat to see so many Lucy players in this one: Mary Jane Croft, Kathleen Freeman and Carol Cook. Too bad that Mary Wickes wasn't included.

"Lucy and the Boy Scout Show" - I much prefer this over the first part of this two-part episode, "Lucy Teaches Ethel Merman To Sing" (which that first half in itself was somewhat of a remake of season 1's episode, "Lucy's Barbershop Quartet").  

"Lucy Is Her Own Lawyer" - Classic Lucy. Enough said.

[Harrison 136]

On ‎6‎/‎26‎/‎2018 at 9:38 AM, Neil said:

"The Lucy Show" is sometimes referred to in books as being "just an excuse for Lucy to interact with the celebrity guest star of the week".  Ethel Merman was The Lucy Show's first REAL guest star, and the only one in the first 59 episodes (I'm not counting ROberta, Umberto, Gary Stewart or the golf pros) and "Ethel" was episode #48 (in the order aired).  The next celebrity was episode #60 with Jack Benny as the plumber.  (Wait! there's another with the above described celebrity lookalike premise!)   And if you don't count Ann Sothern's four 3rd season episodes as 'guest star' shows (I don't), that season had just Benny (plus Hope cameo), Danny Kaye and  Arthur Godfrey bringing the total to just 4 in the Danfield years, the first 84 episodes, over half (54%) of the total TLS output.   Just goes to show how far afield The Lucy Show eventually strayed from the original premise. 

 

And that is unfortunate as the first three seasons of The Lucy Show are not at all like that. And what the general public remembers the most about this series are those later years with Lucy working at the bank. And that is probably why this series hasn't been a hit a syndication. I often wonder how The Lucy Show would have done in reruns if only its original run consisted of the first three seasons. Those last three seasons should have been a series of its own. They are more like Here's Lucy if one comes to think about it.  

[Mot Morenzi 1,770]

On 4/24/2021 at 8:34 AM, Neil said:

I guess I'm the only one (except for Lucy herself, apparently) that enjoys the John Wayne episode.  Each summer when CBS ran The Lucy Show from 68 to 71, it was shown.  Yes, it's a bit overboard that Lucy would get "carried away", but I think it's one of her best free-wheeling performances.  I'm continually amazed that these shows were put together in 4 days.  By this time of TLS, SO MUCH relied on Lucy herself carrying the whole show: "Lucy Flies to London" is a perfect example.   I've always wanted to see the John Wayne script because I've assumed it was one of the few times where Lucy seemed to ad lib, brilliantly IMO.  I love her swiping the sponge from Bennett Green and jerking John's face back and forth as she adjusts his make up, all the while lamenting how he's always ganged up on in his movie scenes.   Oh, well....it's not the first or last time I've been out on my own with my opinions.   

The 6th season is by far my least favorite.   "Phil Harris" has grown on me even though it's not The Lucy Show as I wanted it to be.  Missing scene: Lucy getting drunken Phil our of his clothes and into that bathrobe! (which might have been quite funny).  By this time, TLS was a two-character show set in a bank.  Roy Roberts added nothing and Mary Jane, through no fault of her own, was no Viv and was given little to do other than react.  You have to give Phil Harris scribe Bob O'Brien some credit for trying to expand the premise beyond that stodgy bank.   Though impoverished, the Lucy Carmichael of the first two seasons had class.  6th season Carmichael was, much of the time, more annoying than funny.  I detect a change in the character from the 5th season.  What is missing?  Her sweetness and vulnerability, maybe.  Though it had more than its share of duffers, there are many 5th season shows I like.  No so, the 6th.   I enjoy "George Burns" but the routine is lifted verbatim from Burns and Allen.  You can have your Rose Nylan and Connie Stevens' Wendy.  No one else could do Gracie.  Not even Lucy. 

I enjoy the John Wayne episode for the reasons you mentioned. Those bits are brilliant. 
 

The more I see of season six, the more I concur with your opinions. There’s a different feeling to it. Missed opportunities to make more use out of Mary Jane and Mr. Cheever. 

[HarryCarter 1,264]

21 hours ago, Neil said:

I guess I'm the only one (except for Lucy herself, apparently) that enjoys the John Wayne episode.  Each summer when CBS ran The Lucy Show

Gary said at one of Lucy’s Sherwood Oaks seminars in 1977 that Lucy originally hated the script for this episode. He said he talked her into doing it and she ended up loving it. At Lucy’s 1984 Museum of Broadcasting seminar, she said she was the one who wanted a script in which she ordered Big Duke around. 

[Luvsbway 2,311]

7 hours ago, HarryCarter said:

Gary said at one of Lucy’s Sherwood Oaks seminars in 1977 that Lucy originally hated the script for this episode. He said he talked her into doing it and she ended up loving it. At Lucy’s 1984 Museum of Broadcasting seminar, she said she was the one who wanted a script in which she ordered Big Duke around. 

Oh how I wish we could hear more of those seminars. I get a giggle out of the one on YouTube. When a man tells the story of a lousey director and Lucy answers, Bull Shit. Because I was thinking the same thing.