cptnhastings Posted October 22, 2013 Report Share Posted October 22, 2013 Maybe because you weren't THERE at that time, Dean was a legend and Lucy never looked lovelier, the script was just excellent, she wasn't an idiot like in so many other badly written episodes etc etc etc. Well, it's impossible for every episode to be my favorite. I just double-checked the list of season 4 episodes, and it is my 4th favorite of those. Lucy does look amazing in the episode I agree. I don't hate the episode. Just don't especially love it. I never read anything about the Lucy Show before watching it all in syndication years ago, and I had no idea what episodes were or weren't generally popular when I was developing my own opinions of everything. The Dean Martin one didn't really stand out to me. Just a better-than-average season 4 one. That's why I find it surprising that it's one of the more popular episodes. But to each his own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted October 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2013 Part of it has to do with overexposure. When I was young, prior to DVDs, those top episodes were the easiest to find on video. And while I loved them, I also got sort of oversaturated on them. So by the time the DVDs came out I had all these new ones to look forward to and the ones I'd seen before elicited a, "eh, been there done that" reaction. And I still feel that way to an extent. The episodes aren't bad, they're just not tops for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annaleigh Posted October 22, 2013 Report Share Posted October 22, 2013 Part of it has to do with overexposure. When I was young, prior to DVDs, those top episodes were the easiest to find on video. And while I loved them, I also got sort of oversaturated on them. So by the time the DVDs came out I had all these new ones to look forward to and the ones I'd seen before elicited a, "eh, been there done that" reaction. And I still feel that way to an extent. The episodes aren't bad, they're just not tops for me.I guess I can say that I don't go to the tops to watch usually. I've watched them probably the most, especially as a child. But it makes me appreciate them that much more when I don't watch them often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene Kampen Tripp Posted October 22, 2013 Report Share Posted October 22, 2013 Yes I agree it has to do with overexposure... certainly people who aren't as addicted to LUCY as I am would enjoy the grape stomping or the nose going up in flames... as far as the DEAN MARTIN episode being sooo popular.. I think it has to do with 1. Dean Martin 2. Her beautiful hair and black dress and 3. The Hollywood setting... I think it is the first time that a celebrity didn't walk into the bank and was dealt with on a business level first... SHE was dating Dean's Double... so she had a delayed OMG moment when she realized she was with the REAL Dean and not the STUNT Dean... so that quality is appealing too many,,, However... some people may view it and think.. Oh.. just another old tv show with Lucy in it... I get it.. I am learning that younger people sometimes don't appreciate or have a hard time initially relating to what was once VERY popular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted October 22, 2013 Report Share Posted October 22, 2013 I am 26 and I don't always get the in-jokes especially in later Lucy Show and Here's Lucy. They aren't funny to me. However, I do get teh Dean Martin one. I love it because it gives the Lucy character class and character and is funny based on a realistic story. That is missing sometimes from the later years and I like a show where people don't just pop up for no reason. It got old who's coming in the bank today and the plots from that. However, it fit worse in Here's Lucy where a small employment agency and family would get to know so many stars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted October 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2013 All wonderful points. Everyone has their own perspective. And thankfully there are 180 episodes for people to pick their favorites from, regardless of the polls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivfantoo* Posted October 24, 2013 Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 With the popular episodes, I sometimes like 1/2 to 2/3 of the episode, & the rest not so much. But the good overpowers the bad . When I watch ILL in order, there are several I skip, one being the episode where Ricky breaks the Mertzs TV set & Fred kicks in the screen on the Ricardos set. Too much fighting & arguing when I'm in the mood to see funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted October 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 With the popular episodes, I sometimes like 1/2 to 2/3 of the episode, & the rest not so much. But the good overpowers the bad . When I watch ILL in order, there are several I skip, one being the episode where Ricky breaks the Mertzs TV set & Fred kicks in the screen on the Ricardos set. Too much fighting & arguing when I'm in the mood to see funny. I know what you mean. The scene that makes it so famous is always worth watching even if the episode as a whole may not be as entertaining. Lucy even said that about TV Commercial. It wasn't her favorite episode per se but she felt the Vitametavegamin routine was easily her best bit. I, however, do enjoy that one start to finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harrison Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 I know what you mean. The scene that makes it so famous is always worth watching even if the episode as a whole may not be as entertaining. Lucy even said that about TV Commercial. It wasn't her favorite episode per se but she felt the Vitametavegamin routine was easily her best bit. I, however, do enjoy that one start to finish. I feel the same way as Lucy does when it comes to the Vitametavegamin episode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upperco Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 Love "Lucy Does A TV Commercial." Just wish Viv was in it, then it would be perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 Love "Lucy Does A TV Commercial." Just wish Viv was in it, then it would be perfect. And what would Viv do? Hold the bottle for her? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harrison Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 Love "Lucy Does A TV Commercial." Just wish Viv was in it, then it would be perfect. Yeah, that's somethin ... one of the most popular episodes (if not THE most popular) of the entire series and Viv isn't even in it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 Yeah, that's somethin ... one of the most popular episodes (if not THE most popular) of the entire series and Viv isn't even in it! Viv was in almost all the others, isn't that good enough for you two? LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harrison Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 Viv was in almost all the others, isn't that good enough for you two? LOL! So was Bill! But Bill managed to be in the Vitameatavegamin episode! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upperco Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 And what would Viv do? Hold the bottle for her? No, but a major part of the series is the friendship between Lucy and Ethel. The fact that Vivian isn't in this episode means that I'd never show it to new fans hoping for a taste of the show, since it isn't indicative of the series as a collective whole. In these regards, "Job Switching" would be a MUCH better choice, as it is a better representation of the series and its storytelling. But the infamous sequence in "Lucy Does A TV Commercial" is brilliant, and I actually do prefer it to the infamous scene in "Job Switching," though the latter episode has a better script and a stronger set-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted October 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 Viv was originally in it and Fred wasn't. In the original script there was a tag scene where Ethel brings her a bottle of you know what to cure her hangover. Not sure what caused Bill to take her place in it. But Ethel's absence has always made me sad about that episode a little bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harrison Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 Viv was originally in it and Fred wasn't. In the original script there was a tag scene where Ethel brings her a bottle of you know what to cure her hangover. Not sure what caused Bill to take her place in it. But Ethel's absence has always made me sad about that episode a little bit. This is part of the reason why I think "Job Switching" deserves the title as the BEST I Love Lucy episode over "Lucy Does a TV Commercial". In "Job Switching", ALL four of the regular cast members were featured and each had a huge role in the episode which resulted into a well-executed entry with MANY funny bits from start to finish. It wasn't that so with "Lucy Does a TV Commercial". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted October 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 This is part of the reason why I think "Job Switching" deserves the title as the BEST I Love Lucy episode over "Lucy Does a TV Commercial". In "Job Switching", ALL four of the regular cast members were featured and each had a huge role in the episode which resulted into a well-executed entry with MANY funny bits from start to finish. It wasn't that so with "Lucy Does a TV Commercial". Good points. And the Globe Lucy issue a while back actually did place Job Switching above TV Commercial. They had a best of list with an order I've never seen before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 No, but a major part of the series is the friendship between Lucy and Ethel. The fact that Vivian isn't in this episode means that I'd never show it to new fans hoping for a taste of the show, since it isn't indicative of the series as a collective whole. In these regards, "Job Switching" would be a MUCH better choice, as it is a better representation of the series and its storytelling. But the infamous sequence in "Lucy Does A TV Commercial" is brilliant, and I actually do prefer it to the infamous scene in "Job Switching," though the latter episode has a better script and a stronger set-up. Like Desi once said, Lucy WAS THE SHOW, so she didn't need anybody's help in that particular episode. I think what your point is might actually be better on The Lucy show as it was just the two of them on that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 This is part of the reason why I think "Job Switching" deserves the title as the BEST I Love Lucy episode over "Lucy Does a TV Commercial". In "Job Switching", ALL four of the regular cast members were featured and each had a huge role in the episode which resulted into a well-executed entry with MANY funny bits from start to finish. It wasn't that so with "Lucy Does a TV Commercial". Regardless, it was a tour de force by Lucy and definitely her very best BIT on the series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted October 27, 2013 Report Share Posted October 27, 2013 Good points. And the Globe Lucy issue a while back actually did place Job Switching above TV Commercial. They had a best of list with an order I've never seen before. Tastes invariably change through the years, decades . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upperco Posted October 28, 2013 Report Share Posted October 28, 2013 Like Desi once said, Lucy WAS THE SHOW, so she didn't need anybody's help in that particular episode. I think what your point is might actually be better on The Lucy show as it was just the two of them on that one. She didn't need anyone else in that particular bit. She definitely needed support in the series as a collective entity. In fact, one of the reasons I think I LOVE LUCY is a cut above all of her later works is that every single player got chances to shine. They were developed, fleshed out, and given moments of their own. Yet, there was never a doubt who was the star. It wasn't an ensemble show like MARY TYLER MOORE or GOLDEN GIRLS, but there was such strength in the regular cast. Lucy was never alone. This is nothing like THE LUCY SHOW, particularly in the last five seasons. I'm currently re-watching that series in order (I'm in the middle of Season Five right now), and even when she has the greatest guest stars in the world, the lack of a solid team is glaring. Yes there's Gale and Mary Jane -- but they're shadows when compared to the nuanced characters like Ricky, Ethel, and Fred. We all here love Lucille, and she's undoubtedly the most important ingredient to I LOVE LUCY, but she's not the only ingredient. I adore "Lucy Does A TV Commercial," but the missing Ethel makes it imperfect from a structural standpoint. The relationship they share is integral to the series and any episode that doesn't feature that is going to be lacking in an essential ingredient. Does it stop it from being funny? No. Does it stop the "Vitameatavegamin" bit from being brilliant? No. The same principle is applicable to "The Chinese Restaurant" episode of SEINFELD. It's brilliantly funny, but doesn't feature Kramer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted October 28, 2013 Report Share Posted October 28, 2013 She didn't need anyone else in that particular bit. She definitely needed support in the series as a collective entity. In fact, one of the reasons I think I LOVE LUCY is a cut above all of her later works is that every single player got chances to shine. They were developed, fleshed out, and given moments of their own. Yet, there was never a doubt who was the star. It wasn't an ensemble show like MARY TYLER MOORE or GOLDEN GIRLS, but there was such strength in the regular cast. Lucy was never alone. This is nothing like THE LUCY SHOW, particularly in the last five seasons. I'm currently re-watching that series in order (I'm in the middle of Season Five right now), and even when she has the greatest guest stars in the world, the lack of a solid team is glaring. Yes there's Gale and Mary Jane -- but they're shadows when compared to the nuanced characters like Ricky, Ethel, and Fred. We all here love Lucille, and she's undoubtedly the most important ingredient to I LOVE LUCY, but she's not the only ingredient. I adore "Lucy Does A TV Commercial," but the missing Ethel makes it imperfect from a structural standpoint. The relationship they share is integral to the series and any episode that doesn't feature that is going to be lacking in an essential ingredient. Does it stop it from being funny? No. Does it stop the "Vitameatavegamin" bit from being brilliant? No. The same principle is applicable to "The Chinese Restaurant" episode of SEINFELD. It's brilliantly funny, but doesn't feature Kramer. Sorry, i'm tempted to just say BULLSHIT here but I've always liked you so i'll instead say that being Lucille Ball's biggest fan, for over half a century, I think the Lucy show episodes when she shone A L O N E were the best of the series, it was called the Lucy show and I only tuned in to see LUCY, so sue me. She did not need supporting players and nobody ever was truly, in the sense that they were on I Love Lucy, that I will grant you. The writers were to blame for never surrounding her with an ensemble of equals, but they knew as long as they had HER, they did not need anyone else to get great comedy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upperco Posted October 28, 2013 Report Share Posted October 28, 2013 Sorry, i'm tempted to just say BULLSHIT here but I've always liked you so i'll instead say that being Lucille Ball's biggest fan, for over half a century, I think the Lucy show episodes when she shone A L O N E were the best of the series, it was called the Lucy show and I only tuned in to see LUCY, so sue me. She did not need supporting players and nobody ever was truly, in the sense that they were on I Love Lucy, that I will grant you. The writers were to blame for never surrounding her with an ensemble of equals, but they knew as long as they had HER, they did not need anyone else to get great comedy. I know you've always had a clear preference for the post-Viv years of THE LUCY SHOW, and that's great. It's not THE LUCY AND VIV SHOW. It's THE LUCY SHOW. But I will always prefer the earlier seasons, in which I felt the scripts were stronger. Though different strokes for different folks. My point here isn't about the various formats of THE LUCY SHOW. It's about the necessity of the ensemble in I LOVE LUCY. I truly believe that they're integral to the series' success. I'm a bit confused about your point-of-view, however. Do you think Lucy ever produced work that was consistently of the same caliber as I LOVE LUCY? And if you don't, to what do you attribute I LOVE LUCY's unique success? For me, it's the writing. But part of that is also the format that allowed for richer characters -- the ensemble included. To clarify my feelings about Lucy's importance to the show. Lucy + writing = brilliance in "Lucy Does A TV Commercial." Nothing else. BUT generally Lucy + Writing + Ensemble = brilliance in I LOVE LUCY. For me, an episode where Lucy AND the ensemble get chances to shine is usually going to take precedence over an episode in which only Lucy gets to shine. But there are exceptions to every rule, and everyone's mileage varies. I know you probably feel that any episode that Lucy gets to shine is paramount, regardless of anyone else. And I see the point -- it's Lucy. She should always shine, and I always WANT Lucy to shine. But part of what I think made I LOVE LUCY special is that others shone too. So, as far as I'm concerned, "Lucy Does A TV Commercial" is not the best representation of the series. But it's a nitpick. A funny episode is a funny episode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted October 28, 2013 Report Share Posted October 28, 2013 I think the Lucy show episodes when she shone A L O N E were the best of the series, Do you have the first act of Catherine Curtis on a loop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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