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


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  • 4 weeks later...

 

Put on an old tape I made years ago that contained a mixture of episodes of Lucy's first four series. The ones of Here's Lucy that I came across and watched were: Lucy and the Great Airport Chase Lucy's Impossible Mission (PAX-TV recordings).

 

 

Isn't it hard to sit through old VHS taped-from-syndication copies after having the sparkling, crystal clear DVDs in all their digital glory??  :HALKING:

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Isn't it hard to sit through old VHS taped-from-syndication copies after having the sparkling, crystal clear DVDs in all their digital glory??  :HALKING:

 

No because of a number of reasons:

 

1) It brings me back to the time when I was introduced to Lucy/Here's Lucy not too mention all of the cool promos PAX-TV/Nick-at-Nite had of their shows.

2) The tape itself holds six hours worth of programming that I can just sit and watch and not have to get up to change it (unlike DVDs).

3) When the tape is done, the VCR rewinds it back to beginning and turns itself off. At that point, I'm already asleep.

 

Granted, the DVDs are better in terms of overall quality; however, the tapes do hold some sentimental value to them (at least to me) and can be just as convenient.

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I for one was happy to chuck my 10 long play recorded off Nick TLS when the DVDs came along. No edits, chrisp quality and best off all not having to fast forward to the episode I wanted. Every year when I would head off to college I took my 80 VHS rack of tapes with me. It's amazing how much space I have now with my whole collection on DVD, both bought and VHS converted.

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I'm not actually watching "Lucy Meets the Burtons" but wikipedia has this to say about the episode:

"Burton showed a subtle flair for comedy in a 1970 guest appearance with Elizabeth Taylor on the sitcom Here's Lucy, where he recited, in a plumber's uniform, a haunting excerpt of a speech from Shakespeare's Richard II. He later parodied this role in an episode of the television show The Fall Guy."

 

Does anyone know what they're talking about with The Fall Guy episode?

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I finally bought the Shout! Factory Here's Lucy DVD. Even though I heard great reviews I always expected it to be one of those public domain DVDs. I admit that I purchased it for just the special features but the quality in the episodes are very nice. Didn't expect it, I should've bought it sooner!

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I finally bought the Shout! Factory Here's Lucy DVD. Even though I heard great reviews I always expected it to be one of those public domain DVDs. I admit that I purchased it for just the special features but the quality in the episodes are very nice. Didn't expect it, I should've bought it sooner!

THAT was the first Here's Lucy dvd that I aquired

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  • 2 weeks later...

The recent discussion of the Here's Lucy Burton and Lawrence Welk episodes in the "New Books" thread prompted me to get out my Here's Lucy DVDs and rewatch a couple.

If you can get past the fact that "Welk" is such a blatant remake of "Harpo Marx", it provides what few HLs do: some genuine laughs. Welk's stiffness works in his favor as he reads word for word off cue cards and winks at the studio audience.  To be fair to Welk, he never claimed to be an actor!  Particularly sincere is the anticipatory laughter at the  moment when Welk replaces the dummy (dressed in the same attire of course) and Mary Jane stares at him with her mouth agape.  Watch Lucy waiting out the laugh talking to Viv in the kitchen before she delivers her LOL line to MJ: "That's the worst impersonation of Lawrence Welk I've ever heard".  You can hear Gary CONVULSING. Though Vivian Jones seems to know Mary Jane, am I right in that this is their ONLY scene together in TLS or HL?

Also watched the follow-up "Lucy and Viv in Mexico"--which is much better than I remember.  However it contains one of those lazy direction shots that spoils a gag.  When Harry prepares to swing the jai alai paddle the camera positions itself on an unnatural wide shot and it's obvious he's going to hit the pinata. Predictability ruins the bit.  Other examples of this: the shot where Lucy tosses Eva's necklace out the hospital window; when Leonard does his somersault trip in LWL.  I'm sure there are others.

And typical of HL's lack of continuity, Viv is over her one-episode myopia from the week before.

Also watched the bonus featurette about the Burtons episode.  Nowhere in this or ANY of  the extended rehearsal scenes in the HL DVD sets and the original "Best of" set do you see Lucy as overbearing like Burton and others claim. In fact, the only rudeness I can perceive is her ignoring Desi, Sr. as he visits the Sammy set. The Burton post-episode wrap-up is all hugs-and kisses as the Burtons bask in the attention, Elizabeth's "piles" notwithstanding.  There are certainly two polar opposite stories surrounding the filming.  Burton's diaries reveal a disdain for Lucy's talent, but Howard recounts him being in awe of Lucy's inventiveness during her gum-chewing scene.

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Neil I agree with all your points here and those moments like Mary Jane’s stunned look at the real Welk.  Of the 2 Season 2 episodes of Viv I like Mexico better for the shear fact that I felt like we had the old Viv back.  Apparently when she loses her glasses she becomes stupid as well.  The glasses bit thing is done the same for Caroline.  She never had glasses after Harpo Marx.  I get a kick out of the sloppy serape dance in the car.

 

One of my favorite things ever to watch with Lucy is that HL rehearsal footage.  I love watching her work.  And like you said Neil no where in that rehearsal footage do you see what has been said about her attitude in the rehearsal of the show.    The Jack Benny bio episode rehearsal stuff is my favorite.  Love watching her rehearse the dancing.  When you see her “directing” Jack I see it more of a collaboration of Lucy, Jack, and Herb.  Just 3 serious people figuring out what works and what they are supposed to do.  I watched this episode over the weekend and for the amount of rehearsing just shown in the doc it really goes by so quick on camera. 

 

Some of the rehearsal footage on the best of disk has commentary by the kids.  For the Sammy Davis Jr. one I loved how shocked they seemed in their commentary when they saw their dad show up on the set.  I believe it was Lucie who said it wasn’t all that uncommon that he did that and everyone just kept on working like it was no big deal, hence probably why it seems like Lucy is ignoring him when I think she was just working.  It’s also pretty short so who knows what went on when the documentary camera stopped.  

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I watched Lucy and the Astronauts last night.  I think this may have been only the third time I have seen this episode.  Granted the concept is totally out there but I enjoyed this more than I had remembered.  Usually by this time I find some of these over the top interferences/pushy situations from the Lucy character really annoying (ex. Petula Clark) but this one seemed rather fun.  I think Lucy’s acting in this is rather charming.  She seems so upbeat and looks to be having a blast.  The 3 guys playing the astronauts look to be having so much fun with her and I think were getting a kick out of what she was doing.  The episode seems to have a different feel to it than say Lucy Makes a Few extra bucks that follows it.

 

I also watched the Dinah Shore episode as well.  When Lucy is telling Harry about winter as a kid the way she tells the story and with the Jamestown and grandfather references I get the feel that she is telling a real story about winters in Jamestown.  I can totally believe that Grandpa Hunt made her a little red sled and that she watched the snow fall outside her window at the little house in Celeron.  The roll to answer the phone has got to be one of my favorite physical Lucy bits of all time.  I wonder how long it took her to perfect that.  This is another episode where Lucy meeting the celebrity is not pushy but really charming.  She acts so adorable singing on the ski lift with Dinah.  Really giddy, kid like.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Watching these first run in order, you don't know what a pleasant surprise "Ski Lift/Dinah" was.  To have Lucy and Harry have an adult discussion that did not end in a joke, insult or yelling was a refreshing change and I believe it was a here's Lucy first.   Their mutual acrimony was getting unpleasantly stale as in "Earns a Few Extra Dollars" which only has the dunk tank visual going for it.   CBS ran this audio promo over a Here's Lucy still photo some time before the episode

"Lucy joins a carnival to get a raise in pay--- Here's Lucy Monday night" which would make one scratch their heads to make sense out of it.   It was just one of the  vignettes of Lucy trying to show Harry how desperately in need of money she was---a trying premise to begin with.

Agree about all your other points about "Dinah" and add that skiing down the flight of stairs was also remarkable.  The bit with Lucy turning the wrong way with her skis out-- to get a look at Dinah and knocking her down has been down before, but is very well executed here.  This was my favorite episode up to that point and still makes my top 5.  It doesn't get mentioned much when people name their favorite HLs.

Didn't like "Astronauts" when it first aired but haven't seen it in a long time.  At least it dealt with something topical because we were still doing moon missions and the returning astronauts were indeed quarantined.  Idea probably looked good on paper but the script-fleshing just wasn't amusing enough.  I think this was by the Derman/Rhine team that didn't put out ONE good HL that I recall.   A rather odd episode for viewmaster to select for their one Here's Lucy.  Even "Few Extra Dollars" would have been better visually.


I also watched the Dinah Shore episode as well.  When Lucy is telling Harry about winter as a kid the way she tells the story and with the Jamestown and grandfather references I get the feel that she is telling a real story about winters in Jamestown.  I can totally believe that Grandpa Hunt made her a little red sled and that she watched the snow fall outside her window at the little house in Celeron.  The roll to answer the phone has got to be one of my favorite physical Lucy bits of all time.  I wonder how long it took her to perfect that.  This is another episode where Lucy meeting the celebrity is not pushy but really charming.  She acts so adorable singing on the ski lift with Dinah.  Really giddy, kid like.

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Lucy and Flip Wilson (excellent) season 4

 

Lucy and Dan Dailey (very funny) season 4

 

Craig wants his drivers license w/Jack Gilford (very funny) season 1

 

Lucy Gets A Date w/Caesar Romero (classic Lucy) (excellent) season 1 (Lucy putting her hand in the cocktail sauce is hysterical)

 

Lucy the Shopping Expert (very funny) season 1

 

Lucy and Chuck Connors (very good) season 6

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I finally bought the Shout! Factory Here's Lucy DVD. Even though I heard great reviews I always expected it to be one of those public domain DVDs. I admit that I purchased it for just the special features but the quality in the episodes are very nice. Didn't expect it, I should've bought it sooner!

You've been missing out. That set has some extras that weren't ported over to the MPI releases. And no HL episode exists in the public domain so you'll always have good quality.

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