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ME-TV Adds The Lucy Show

Harrison

By Harrison,
in The Danfield Tribune

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mickie Newbie

mickie

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Thats great news to hear, just wish it was a little later in the day, but i am glad they added the show to the ME-TV lineup. I see ILL is off the schedule for weekdays. I don't mind that if if they show TLS everyday. Now if only some network would start airing Here's Lucy!!!

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LucyImHome Newbie

LucyImHome

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Hallelujah!! now more people can see her great Carmichael adventures in brilliant restored color! at least I hope thats the set going out.

 

That's what I wonder. If a show like The Lucy Show gets remastered and restored for dvd release, would they use this resource to play on Me-TV?

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Neil Newbie

Neil

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It's on at 6 a-WHAT???

I hope this will be the originals and not the CBS morning edited versions run by Nick at Nite.

I don't know that I saw ILL on Me, but did they do trimming?

We get (via cable) Me, Antenna and This but what's COZI?

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  • 3 weeks later...
Neil Newbie

Neil

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Caught "Astronaut" this morning. They're using the de-colorized opening credits from season 4 same as CBS and NickatNite, so I assume these are the edited versions. Couldn't tell from "Astronaut"; not one I know all that well.

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Brock Newbie

Brock

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Caught "Astronaut" this morning. They're using the de-colorized opening credits from season 4 same as CBS and NickatNite, so I assume these are the edited versions. Couldn't tell from "Astronaut"; not one I know all that well.

 

Speaking of, when TLS last aired in Canada, CTS used the Season 4 -- both in colour and b/w -- or all episodes NOT already released on VHS by Columbia House. Do you have any idea why?

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Neil Newbie

Neil

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Was this before the official DVD releases of TLS? Were the episodes the CBS Morning/NickNite edited versions?

Did they run the Col House unedited versions? Did they run just the opening credits from the Col versions and then the CBS edited versions?

If they did that, I can't figure out why, except maybe there was a LS purist on the staff who when the Col House opening credits became available decided to insert the proper credits.

To remind those that don't know, when CBS started running TLS in the moringing in 1968, they careful edited the shows down several minutes by cutting lines, exchanges and sometimes whole scenes. IF they HAD to do this, they at least took a little care so it wouldn't leave holes in the plot. They divided the 3 acts of TLS into 4; and inserted a graphic into the middle that said "Stay tuned for part 2 of TLS". I think this was so they could call it two separate 15 minute series and get in more commercials, so it went I don't know what the original running time was and what CBS edited it down to, but each act listed below could not have been much over 5 minutes.

The big problem with this method is that they had to establish seques into commercial breaks where there were none before, so what they would do is insert a big laugh and fast music on sometimes non-laugh lines. I did not discover this until seeing the actual syndicated versions years later.

1. opening credits

2. commercial

3. ACT "One"

4. commercial

5. ACT "Two"

6. commercial

7. "Stay Tuned" graphic

8. commercial

9. ACT "THREE"

10. comercial

11. ACT "FOUR:

12. Commercial

13. Closing credits.

Some full scenes I remember getting the ax.

"Kangaroo" ended with the line "He hated to see a grown kangaroo cry" and eliminated Jerry and his bike.

"Ethel Merman/Boy Scouts Show" included only the finale and cut Sherman's dance and Emcee Jerry's jokes.

"Locked in Vault" starts with Lucy entering the bank and cuts the scene where she and Viv discuss the car.

"Arthur Godfrey" cuts the opening scene with Carole Cook and the board; and ends an act with Godfrey's line "Sometimes daddies can just be plain stupid" inserting a laugh when there wasn't one and cuts Godfrey's "Reconstruction Time" reprise. Likewise after "Steamboat Bessie", Lucy says "I guess I'll have to fight fi-ah with fi-ah". Godfrey: What? Lucy: "Fire with fire.".-commercial-- The next act picks up with the beginning of "Dixie Lucy".

"Cub Scout Camping Trip" ends with the trio following the boy scouts back to camp and cuts the end scene where they get lost AGAIN and find the canoe.

"Boss of the Year" cuts the whole songwriting scene with Lucy and Mary Jane.

I guess the FCC designated how much commercial time was allowed in prime time vs. the morning. WHERE ARE THEY NOW???

 

Speaking of, when TLS last aired in Canada, CTS used the Season 4 -- both in colour and b/w -- or all episodes NOT already released on VHS by Columbia House. Do you have any idea why?

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Neil Newbie

Neil

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Caught "Kangaroo for a Day" on Me-TV's Lucy Show at 6 a-what?? this morning.

These are definitely the pre-edited versions but today's episode had the 1st season stick figure opening credits.

I haven't seen "kangaroo" in a while and what a laugh-fest it is from start to finish: THREE big comedy scenes. It's so great to hear an audience convulsing uncontrollably at Lucy. When the TV Guide review came out and the reviewer said "New Years Eve" was "the best of the lot so far", I don't think he'd seen this one. "Kangaroo" was the 7th one shown and by far the best episode up to that date (though I love "Loses $2000"). It was filmed on August 30, a full month before TLS had its debut, so this audience had never seen the "new" Lucy.

A couple of things stand out:

When Barnsdahl tells her it was the check she forgot to sign, Lucy does a silent version of the 'spider'. Funny that she dropped 'spider' except in one or two LS/HLs.

A small Lucy moment: when she's got her toe in the water cooler, stretched out trying to answer the intercom and McGiver comes in, she looks up and gives him THAT look that makes her so great. (Can't describe it adequately).

Who else could have pulled off the physical bit of having her knit dress unravel? I'd love to know which writer thought of having her hang on to the wardrobe rack and do those hitch-kicks trying to avoid being spun around.

And a historical note: electric typewriters WERE pretty new in 1962 and if you punched a bunch of keys and then turned it on, it DID go crazy. Would Milt Josefsburg have been able to resist having the carriage fly off the machine? No, and he would have added smoke, sparks and an explosion.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Neil Newbie

Neil

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I have yet to see one of those clever Me-TV promos for TLS. Has anyone seen one?

Speaking of another Me-TV show, I've caught a few of the Honeymooners, the half-hour series of one season 55-56 not the 'lost' episodes. Gleason and Carney are a joy to watch: classic clowns. But that set! It's SO stark. Is this an accurate depiction of the conditions someone employed as a bus driver in New York City would live in? Not even a couch! The relationship between Ralph and Alice is much more mean spirited than Lucy and Ricky, despite the warm "You're the greatest" embrace at the end.

This was recorded using the "Electronicam" system. It was broadcast live and filmed at the same time with a combination video-film camera, developed by the DuMont network which had just folded. The system was rendered obsolete when videotape was invented and put into use the next year.

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C L A U D E Newbie

C L A U D E

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Yesterday I saw The Lucy Show for the first time on ME-TV. It came on at 5 AM. Yesterday was the last time I will see The Lucy Show on ME-TV.

JOY TV here in Canada ruins every I Love Lucy ep also and chop it up to fit in more crappy commercials. I only put it on for filler, I enjoy the show on Comedy Gold though, they show flawless copies, uncut and have the commercials where they're supposed to be and she runs three times a day, noon, 8PM primetime and then at Midnight, not a ridiculous hour like 5 am.

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sharon Newbie

sharon

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JOY TV here in Canada ruins every I Love Lucy ep also and chop it up to fit in more crappy commercials. I only put it on for filler, I enjoy the show on Comedy Gold though, they show flawless copies, uncut and have the commercials where they're supposed to be and she runs three times a day, noon, 8PM primetime and then at Midnight, not a ridiculous hour like 5 am.

Just my luck too, ME-TV showed the Wally Cox episode with Lucy banging the cymbals! I know ME-TV can't accommodate everyone's scheduling preferences, but I wish they would move their sitcom block to the afternoons.
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C L A U D E Newbie

C L A U D E

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Just my luck too, ME-TV showed the Wally Cox episode with Lucy banging the cymbals! I know ME-TV can't accommodate everyone's scheduling preferences, but I wish they would move their sitcom block to the afternoons.

Well, yeah, who the heck do they expect is watching at 5 am besides night shift workers?

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C L A U D E Newbie

C L A U D E

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Claude, that kind of reminds me of a SpongeBob episode where he and Squidward are forced to work the graveyard shift and Squidward says "Who would want a Krabby patty at 3 in the morning?" Cut to Patrick the starfish waking up to his alarm clock "Oh boy, 3 AM!" *eats patty*

Thanks for that, have never seen that show.

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Neil Newbie

Neil

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"the Lucy Show" don't get no respect. Just what sort of ratings do they expect at 6 AM??

They're now running the tail end of the 2nd season.

They think "Petticoat Junction" will do better? Shades of CBS's proposed 1964-65 schedule when "Petticoat" was slated for TLS's time slot until Lucy, thank GOD, changed her mind.

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