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Life With Lucy: The Episodes


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Yes once briefly after her taping a guest appearance on Mary Tyler Moore's short-lived variety hour! Thanks chiefly to our own "tjw", or it never would have happened! Thanks again, Tom!! ;)

 

I really need to connect you with my Grade 11 English teacher who was also at the taping of The MTM Hour. lol

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Yes once briefly after her taping a guest appearance on Mary Tyler Moore's short-lived variety hour! Thanks chiefly to our own "tjw", or it never would have happened! Thanks again, Tom!! ;)

Lucky bastard! How about all the OTHER celebs you've met over the years, just awesome list, lucky YOU, being in Hollyweird and all.

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  • 2 months later...

Saw this on Stu's Show facebook page. A listener asked:

 

Hi Stu, Just finished listening to your 2011 interview with Michael Stern. On the interview, you discussed the reasons why "Life with Lucy" bombed. Over a year ago, I hear another theory, this time offered by someone interviewed on "TV Confidential." The theory was that ABC was willing to work with the show, since it was getting better (with the addition of Audrey Meadows) but wanted to pay Lucy less money. Gary didn't like that idea, and instead of giving Lucy the option to make that decision, he made it for her and didn't tell her. So, Gary rejected ABC's offer, and then ABC cancelled. I'm sure there are a lot of factors involved with the cancellation, but this financial one was a new one to me. Any validity to this financial reason? Also, another question: What is your opinion of the book "Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz," by Sanders and Gilbert. That book seems to go through the business side of things in great detail. Didn't know if it was accurate from your view. Thanks!

 

Stu's reply:

 

The money issue was floated as a possible reason to continue the show, but it was quickly dismissed. I don't think more than 5 minutes was devoted to that because it was important to Gary that Lucy receive more money than Bill Cosby was getting at the time for his series. As for the Desilu book, it is one of the best and most accurate of all of the endless stream of books written on the subject.

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Saw this on Stu's Show facebook page. A listener asked:

 

Hi Stu, Just finished listening to your 2011 interview with Michael Stern. On the interview, you discussed the reasons why "Life with Lucy" bombed. Over a year ago, I hear another theory, this time offered by someone interviewed on "TV Confidential." The theory was that ABC was willing to work with the show, since it was getting better (with the addition of Audrey Meadows) but wanted to pay Lucy less money. Gary didn't like that idea, and instead of giving Lucy the option to make that decision, he made it for her and didn't tell her. So, Gary rejected ABC's offer, and then ABC cancelled. I'm sure there are a lot of factors involved with the cancellation, but this financial one was a new one to me. Any validity to this financial reason? Also, another question: What is your opinion of the book "Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz," by Sanders and Gilbert. That book seems to go through the business side of things in great detail. Didn't know if it was accurate from your view. Thanks!

 

Stu's reply:

 

The money issue was floated as a possible reason to continue the show, but it was quickly dismissed. I don't think more than 5 minutes was devoted to that because it was important to Gary that Lucy receive more money than Bill Cosby was getting at the time for his series. As for the Desilu book, it is one of the best and most accurate of all of the endless stream of books written on the subject.

Yeah, i'm sure it really would have mattered to Lucy that she make more than Cosby, who had a HIT show on television at the time. Please dry your screens from the dripping sarcasm.

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The money issue was floated as a possible reason to continue the show, but it was quickly dismissed. I don't think more than 5 minutes was devoted to that because it was important to Gary that Lucy receive more money than Bill Cosby was getting at the time for his series.

 

ABC wanting to get out of paying her the big bucks make sense because I think they promised advertisers a certain rating and there was some discount given because the ratings were not what they promised---so they were probably losing money on the show.

It's true that the show was getting better quality-wise, but the ratings were not. It went from #23 to #57 and then to the bottom ten with each week being a little worse than the last. Fox was not figured into the Nielsens then, so there were only about 67 shows on the list. The last show with Audrey Meadows was 2nd from the last in the ratings that week, only trumping the unfortunate show to which it was the lead-in "Ellen Burstyn".

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ABC wanting to get out of paying her the big bucks make sense because I think they promised advertisers a certain rating and there was some discount given because the ratings were not what they promised---so they were probably losing money on the show.

It's true that the show was getting better quality-wise, but the ratings were not. It went from #23 to #57 and then to the bottom ten with each week being a little worse than the last. Fox was not figured into the Nielsens then, so there were only about 67 shows on the list. The last show with Audrey Meadows was 2nd from the last in the ratings that week, only trumping the unfortunate show to which it was the lead-in "Ellen Burstyn".

ABC said at the time that it was their most expensive show to produce, due to the salaries no doubt, AND the low ratings for it's lead off show were bringing down the ratings for their whole Friday night too.

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ABC said at the time that it was their most expensive show to produce, due to the salaries no doubt, AND the low ratings for it's lead off show were bringing down the ratings for their whole Friday night too.

More expensive than their hour-long popular hit at the time, Dynasty? I would think with combined salaries and production costs, etc. the hour-long show would still be more expensive than a half-hour sitcom, even if it did star The First Lady of Television! :lucyhmm:
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More expensive than their hour-long popular hit at the time, Dynasty? I would think with combined salaries and production costs, etc. the hour-long show would still be more expensive than a half-hour sitcom, even if it did star The First Lady of Television! :lucyhmm:

That was a typo again, MOST EXPENSIVE "N E W" SERIES TO PRODUCE is the way it should have read. And probably COMEDY series also.

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I read on other boards how uh orrible Lucille.acted on filming.nights to the crew amd those concerned.with the.show...any.validity to this and.if.so...why? Even remember reading where that set.had to be.a.tough place to work.

As much as most people LOVE Lucy, there seems to be a bunch of moronic Lucy haters out there who spread this crap with glee. Check if the e mail address of the worst poster belongs to Miss Lansburied.

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How did the store-filling up with-foam thing work live?

 

I would agree in the sense that (except for those behind the scenes) we as an audience -- live and on television -- weren't quite sure what to expect. And having been to other filmings/tapings featuring you-know-who, I have to tell you it was a thrill to witness her making her entrance as "Lucy" for the first time in over a decade: the applause (we were on our feet!), whoops and whistles must have gone on a good 2, 3 minutes (at least it seemed like it) because of the excitement and electricity in the air -- Gale's entrance sustained nearly as long as hers -- and curious they didn't cut his down in editing like they did Lucy's.... but I guess they had to cut something since the show ran long and they had to cut the scene in her bedroom entirely (as she's moving in), where she walks on her bed (which you saw snippet of in the opening credits). :D

 

I know about all the arguments, supposition and "what ifs" to her life and career about whether or not she should have ever done the show in the first place....but I have to admit that going to that first filming was one of the highlights of my life, one of the biggest thrills, something I'd only dreamed but never thought I'd get to experience so that being said it's very hard for me to imagine if it had never come to pass. Selfish I know, but I can't help it. Just being honest! :D

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How did the store-filling up with-foam thing work live?

From what I can recall (detail wise, not much!), you could see it coming from a mile away! (For one thing, you could see the masking tape or whatever they used that ran the edge of the set where the "walls" and floor of the hardware store met, ostensibly to "keep it in line" (from seeping through and making it harder to clean up, I suppose).

 

One cool aspect was it was supposedly one of the few times one of her shows (with an audience, that is) was shot out of sequence: since the foam was going to make such a huge mess -- and it did! -- so the sequence in the show after the incident (her exit line, going upstairs was "You know, being despised takes a lot out of you!" (which afterward I always found to be sadly prophetic!) ) was filmed before the scene in which there was smoke and the foam was set off. :D

 

If I remember correctly, they (Lucy & Gale) said their thank-yous, goodnights and thank you for coming from the middle of the "wall of foam", hands waving high above it as best they could. :)

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From what I can recall (detail wise, not much!), you could see it coming from a mile away! (For one thing, you could see the masking tape or whatever they used that ran the edge of the set where the "walls" and floor of the hardware store met, ostensibly to "keep it in line" (from seeping through and making it harder to clean up, I suppose).

 

One cool aspect was it was supposedly one of the few times one of her shows (with an audience, that is) was shot out of sequence: since the foam was going to make such a huge mess -- and it did! -- so the sequence in the show after the incident (her exit line, going upstairs was "You know, being despised takes a lot out of you!" (which afterward I always found to be sadly prophetic!) ) was filmed before the scene in which there was smoke and the foam was set off. :D

 

If I remember correctly, they (Lucy & Gale) said their thank-yous, goodnights and thank you for coming from the middle of the "wall of foam", hands waving high above it as best they could. :)

Great description. Watched the one with the baby chicks last night and they must have encountered a similar problem on that one with baby chicks scattering all over the set, and with an audience yet.

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From what I can recall (detail wise, not much!), you could see it coming from a mile away! (For one thing, you could see the masking tape or whatever they used that ran the edge of the set where the "walls" and floor of the hardware store met, ostensibly to "keep it in line" (from seeping through and making it harder to clean up, I suppose).

 

One cool aspect was it was supposedly one of the few times one of her shows (with an audience, that is) was shot out of sequence: since the foam was going to make such a huge mess -- and it did! -- so the sequence in the show after the incident (her exit line, going upstairs was "You know, being despised takes a lot out of you!" (which afterward I always found to be sadly prophetic!) ) was filmed before the scene in which there was smoke and the foam was set off. :D

 

If I remember correctly, they (Lucy & Gale) said their thank-yous, goodnights and thank you for coming from the middle of the "wall of foam", hands waving high above it as best they could. :)

This made me smile too much. You are very lucky! :)

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Point is Annaleigh is we all had to be born and LIVE in LA to get to our Lucy, of course, might have been late for YOU as you are so young.

Actually, I didn't live here at the time but ached to for the many opportunities such as the one described above, which is the main reason I only got to attend one filming.  I did however, with my "partner in crime at the time" manage to go to several Lucy-featured tapings (e.g., The Mary Tyler Moore Hour, Merv Griffin, Body Language, etc.) as much as work off time, finances, etc. would allow.

 

But yes ...perhaps not as much as some here but I have been very fortunate indeed.  ;)

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Actually, I didn't live here at the time but ached to for the many opportunities such as the one described above, which is the main reason I only got to attend one filming.  I did however, with my "partner in crime at the time" manage to go to several Lucy-featured tapings (e.g., The Mary Tyler Moore Hour, Merv Griffin, Body Language, etc.) as much as work off time, finances, etc. would allow.

 

But yes ...perhaps not as much as some here but I have been very fortunate indeed.   ;)

Which Merv Griffin show?  Did you see Miss Miller too?

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