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What episodes are you watching on "Here's Lucy"?


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"Lucy and Wayne Newton"--the one on location.  The fact that they're away from the studio is a novelty but like all these location shows, there is really no engaging plot.   The Carters get jobs as ranch hands......and that's it.  I guess the Unique Employment Agency can run itself with them gone.  There is some fun with Lucy and Harry branding a calf but no mention later that Harry has 3rd degree burns on his rump and a permanent tattoo.

At least there's SOME mention that the Carters and the celebrity of the week have met before--unlike Jack Benny who she always meets for the first time.  

"Tumbling Tumbeweeds" is a nice little musical interlude, but with no finish the writers turn to music.  I find trained animals a little hard to watch and Wayne and his dancing horses are no exception.  (The animals never look like it's their idea or they're having a good time).  But why the obviously pre-recorded "I've Got the World on a String" as the song?

Am I the only one watching these Cozi showings??

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Before joining my family on Christmas Eve:

 

"The Not-So-Popular Mechanics"

"Goodbye, Mrs. Hips"

"Lucy and Harry's Memoirs"

 

& the blooper reel on the same disc, which includes that Jerry Paris rape in the park crack by Lucy, which seemed to piss off the director -- I suppose birds of a feather stick up for each other.

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& the blooper reel on the same disc, which includes that Jerry Paris rape in the park crack by Lucy, which seemed to piss off the director -- I suppose birds of a feather stick up for each other.

I get her making a crude joke about Jerry and I get the director getting mad but what a dark place to go Lucy. Damn. It just seems like she really had an axe to grind and the tone she delivered it in always sort of bothered me.

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"Candid Camera"----ANOTHER celebrity lookalike crook??  How many does that make?

Not a stellar but not a horrible episode.  Funt is no actor but you'd think he might have at least learned his lines.

I have to admit that the "Robbery Medley" is a bit of a guilty pleasure.  I always envision it as being re-enacted by 3 board members. 

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"Candid Camera"----ANOTHER celebrity lookalike crook?? How many does that make?

Not a stellar but not a horrible episode. Funt is no actor but you'd think he might have at least learned his lines.

I have to admit that the "Robbery Medley" is a bit of a guilty pleasure. I always envision it as being re-enacted by 3 board members.

GUILTY pleasure?!

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GUILTY pleasure?!

Oh don't be alarmed Brock

The bit has me charmed Brock

 

It's a stretch but plot-wise  but this Candid Camera stunt, I guess, would result in "hilarious" reactions of the bank employees and customers witnessing a musical hold-up.   Though if the guard hadn't played along ("Why...this is a stick-up!"---"He's quick on the pick-up"), the Carters may have gotten shot!  Also playing along: the fellow who tries to escape but is thwarted by Lucy doing "Whatever Lucy Wants".

And once again, this episode on the eve of the "Mame" casting exonerates the Warners people.  There's no reason to think that Lucy could not handle "Mame" vocals and dance steps. 

But what makes the previous scene: robbing the fur salon--a Candid Camera stunt?

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Just to torture me I'm sure, Cozi ran "Lucy and the Generation Gap" last week.  I honestly think I prefer "Gorboona" over this one. 

 

Could that have been Lucie Arnaz providing her mother's rather nondescript singing voice?  It's hard to tell.

 

There are SO many things about this episode that bother me, I don't know where to begin.  The script by Fox & Jacobs is inane, witless and downright insulting on every level.  One of their WORST and that's saying a LOT.   I can't figure out why Lucy was so loyal to Fox/Jacobs.  Bob O'Brien, I can understand because even though he is responsible for some real duds, 3 of his episodes make my Top Ten Here's Lucy list. 

 

Minor gripe: Kim and Craig's friends all look like they'll never see 30 again.    But then again, Lucie and Desi (at 18 and 16 when this was filmed) looked very mature for their ages, especially Desi, who does not resemble any 16 year old I knew when I was 16----never MIND what year that WAS!! 

 

This was at the height of the Vietnam conflict which is really what caused the major part of this "generation gap".  History is on the side of the protesters but this is all handled with such sickening sweetness here....as if it was set in nostalgic 1952.  Most, if not all Here's Lucy writers were from the WW2 generation (or older!) and their very insulated condescending viewpoints come out in the jabs they take at the "new generation". 

 

Other than "Tallulah" and "Cleopatra", we're never shown the rehearsals for these shows they put on (unless I'm missing an ep) which is a shame, because that's where the comedy comes out.    The dialogue and the delivery of it  within "the show" are the same as if it were a conversation taking place in the Carter living room.   It's not Lucy Carter in a high school show.  It's Lucille Ball delivering the corny dialogue in the same way Lucy Carter would, with absolutely no nod to the fact that she's acting in front of a high school audience.

I can look the other way when the show-within-a-show is good like the Arthur Godfrey Riverboat musical.  But here, the songs are nothing: not clever, not particular tuneful and NOT entertaining.

  

The "space age" segment has what has to be one of the worst sight gags in HL history.   "The moon was having a sale on craters so I bought one".  UGH!   Craig's follow up is no better: something about a birdbath for an eagle.  What a waste of whatever material the prop man dug up. 

 

And just when you think things can get no worse, Gale pushes the button on the Cadillac-sized computer and we get the Milt Josefsburg sparks and smoke explosion, this time with confetti and crepe paper streamers.  UGH #2!

 

Yes, as Lucie says on the first Best of HL release, it's impressive that they could put a production like this together in the little time they had.  Would have been better if it had actually been entertaining on ANY level.   When the Best of HL came out, the fact that this episode was included made me bluster like Gale Gordon for a full 20 minutes.  

 

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Just to torture me I'm sure, Cozi ran "Lucy and the Generation Gap" last week.  I honestly think I prefer "Gorboona" over this one. 

 

Could that have been Lucie Arnaz providing her mother's rather nondescript singing voice?  It's hard to tell.

 

There are SO many things about this episode that bother me, I don't know where to begin.  The script by Fox & Jacobs is inane, witless and downright insulting on every level.  One of their WORST and that's saying a LOT.   I can't figure out why Lucy was so loyal to Fox/Jacobs.  Bob O'Brien, I can understand because even though he is responsible for some real duds, 3 of his episodes make my Top Ten Here's Lucy list. 

 

Minor gripe: Kim and Craig's friends all look like they'll never see 30 again.    But then again, Lucie and Desi (at 18 and 16 when this was filmed) looked very mature for their ages, especially Desi, who does not resemble any 16 year old I knew when I was 16----never MIND what year that WAS!! 

 

This was at the height of the Vietnam conflict which is really what caused the major part of this "generation gap".  History is on the side of the protesters but this is all handled with such sickening sweetness here....as if it was set in nostalgic 1952.  Most, if not all Here's Lucy writers were from the WW2 generation (or older!) and their very insulated condescending viewpoints come out in the jabs they take at the "new generation". 

 

Other than "Tallulah" and "Cleopatra", we're never shown the rehearsals for these shows they put on (unless I'm missing an ep) which is a shame, because that's where the comedy comes out.    The dialogue and the delivery of it  within "the show" are the same as if it were a conversation taking place in the Carter living room.   It's not Lucy Carter in a high school show.  It's Lucille Ball delivering the corny dialogue in the same way Lucy Carter would, with absolutely no nod to the fact that she's acting in front of a high school audience.

I can look the other way when the show-within-a-show is good like the Arthur Godfrey Riverboat musical.  But here, the songs are nothing: not clever, not particular tuneful and NOT entertaining.

  

The "space age" segment has what has to be one of the worst sight gags in HL history.   "The moon was having a sale on craters so I bought one".  UGH!   Craig's follow up is no better: something about a birdbath for an eagle.  What a waste of whatever material the prop man dug up. 

 

And just when you think things can get no worse, Gale pushes the button on the Cadillac-sized computer and we get the Milt Josefsburg sparks and smoke explosion, this time with confetti and crepe paper streamers.  UGH #2!

 

Yes, as Lucie says on the first Best of HL release, it's impressive that they could put a production like this together in the little time they had.  Would have been better if it had actually been entertaining on ANY level.   When the Best of HL came out, the fact that this episode was included made me bluster like Gale Gordon for a full 20 minutes.  

 

Neil while I agree with most all your salient points, could perhaps the main reason we look back on this episode with such disdain is we're oh how shall I put it, a lot more "mature" than we were when we first saw it, as youngun's back in the much-more-innocent late 60s??? I don't think I thought about half the issues you point out about it as a kid as I can concur with now, since you've pointed them out and we have more life 'sperience behind us!

 

I don't get the Seaman & Jacobs love either and to this day whenever I see their name appear in the credits I 1) groan outload and 2) reach for the player's remote to be ready to fast forward through the most painful parts!

 

And I agree about Bob O'Brien too although I give him much more of a pass since he wrote more of my favorite episodes of TLS ("Substitute Secretary" and Milton Berle, both featuring The Movie Star Miss Ruta Lee; "Main Street USA" and perhaps best of all (if memory serves) "Dates Dean Martin"), even if he did write - between both TLS & HL especially -- just as many if not more dogs than delights!

 

So what are your Top 3 HL episodes Bob wrote?

 

:peachonthebeach:

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So what are your Top 3 HL episodes Bob wrote?

 

:peachonthebeach:

My list from memory included 7 by B&M and 3 by Bob O

NG as RN

Harrison Carter, Male Nurse

Lucy's Big Break

Someone on Ski Lift with Dinah

Ginger Rogers Comes to Tea

Where is My Wandering Mother Tonight?

Lucy's Working Daughter

Lucy Meets Lucille Ball

Lucy Fights the System

Lucy and Eva are Hospital Roomies

 

seems like I'm leaving one out

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