C L A U D E Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 I agree with your choices here, except I haven't seen the Gene Kelly special, and there are several S5 episodes of TLS that I love. It's S4 for that I find unbearable. In the Kelly special, she was terrific and looked sensational, she pretended to be in the audience and when he calls her up on stage, she pretends not to remember the number they did in a movie together which just happens to be FRIENDSHIP, she rips off her beautiful coat and under it, is a sexy outfit and she does the number brilliantly with him, absolutely love this appearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 And The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which was just so-so in S1 and S2 and didn't fully hit its stride until S4, and continued getting better and better after that. Funny, that's exactly what i though after getting seasons one thru four, so i asked a friend to just make me copies of all the Sue Ann Nivens episodes, the only ones i ever liked and watched again and think that's Betty's best work on television. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 I don't think i ever made it clear that i loved Lucy so much that maybe that's the reason i adore her seasons in Hollywood as the sole star of the show on The Lucy show, that's where i really fell in love with her and her amazing comedic gifts, she reached that stage where she could have read the phone book and i would have been at her feet applauding, she was the QUEEN at that point and i think that's what the audience cheered at at those Life with Lucy tapings. Her great previous work, not what they were watching later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie2 Posted June 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 I agree with your choices here, except I haven't seen the Gene Kelly special, and there are several S5 episodes of TLS that I love. It's S4 for that I find unbearable. In the Kelly special, she was terrific and looked sensational, she pretended to be in the audience and when he calls her up on stage, she pretends not to remember the number they did in a movie together which just happens to be FRIENDSHIP, she rips off her beautiful coat and under it, is a sexy outfit and she does the number brilliantly with him, absolutely love this appearance. "Is Arthur Godfrey here tonight!!!???!!!??" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 "Is Arthur Godfrey here tonight!!!???!!!??" Oh i could watch that all day, thanks for posting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 "Is Arthur Godfrey here tonight!!!???!!!??" Love watching these and when they're over, you get to see loads more Lucy . . . . especially loved Lucy at the '52 Oscars, she looked absolutely incredible in white, beautiful gown and looking like The Queen she was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleRickyII Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 Funny, that's exactly what i though after getting seasons one thru four, so i asked a friend to just make me copies of all the Sue Ann Nivens episodes, the only ones i ever liked and watched again and think that's Betty's best work on television. There were a number of changes over time that turned The Mary Tyler Moore Show into a classic. Several of these began to materialize by the third season. Three of these changes involved the characters of Mary, Lou and Ted. Ted ties with Mary as my favorite characters on the show, but in the beginning he was barely seen. In the first season, Ted was basically a one-dimensional side character whose role on the show was just to walk into the newsroom every once in awhile, say something idiotic, then exit. There was no depth to him, so he really wasn't that funny in the beginning. His role got expanded a little in the second season. Then in the third season there were episodes that actually revolved around him. And they brought in Georgette as his girlfriend, which helped to round him out and present him as a real person with a real life. We got to know the humanity of the character, which made him more believable and, thus, funnier. Another change was Lou Grant. In the first two seasons, pretty much all he did was bark at people when he walked into the newsroom. There was never any warmth. But by the end of the second season, they started giving him opportunities to be a human being with feelings, such as the episode where he catches his son-in-law out at a movie theater with another woman. And by the third season, we started seeing the relationship develop between Lou and Mary as not just boss and employee, but also friends. Mary also changed, and it seemed to happen overnight with the first episode of the third season. Up to this point, she was always portrayed as sickeningly sweet. She never got angry, barely got frustrated, never questioned her boss. And all that adds up to boring. But in S3, she's suddenly more confident and willing to speak up a little, but in a Mary sort of way. In fact, in the season opener, she tells Ted, on the air, "Shut up, Ted!" Of course, she's mortified the moment she does that. But nevertheless, this is a side of Mary that had never been seen before, and it was hilarious. That was the biggest laugh in the series up to that point. Mary in S3 was also standing up a bit to Lou when she thinks she's not being treated fairly. That's a big departure from before. This new version of Mary Richards was much funnier than the earlier version who was too easygoing. Another thing, the first season was mostly the Mary and Rhoda show. It was basically just a chick show about Mary and Rhoda's dating life, which got old quickly. Starting in the second season, there was more focus on the folks in the newsroom. S4 brought in Sue Ann, which was not only a great character in her own right, but she also made Murray a more interesting character. Before Sue Ann, pretty much all Murray was used for was to insult Ted. But those insults weren't laugh-out loud funny because they would go over Ted's head. So there was no reaction. Murray also would dish out insults at Sue Ann, but the difference is Sue Ann would throw it right back in Murray's face, which made their banter back and forth funnier, and made Murray more interesting (rather than the boring character he had been). S5 was the first season without Rhoda. While I like the Rhoda character, and I love Valerie Harper, I think the show worked better in these later seasons without the Mary/Rhoda emphasis. In fact, it was these final three seasons when the show won consecutive "best comedy series" Emmys. It never won during the four Rhoda years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 There were a number of changes over time that turned The Mary Tyler Moore Show into a classic. Several of these began to materialize by the third season. Three of these changes involved the characters of Mary, Lou and Ted. Ted ties with Mary as my favorite characters on the show, but in the beginning he was barely seen. In the first season, Ted was basically a one-dimensional side character whose role on the show was just to walk into the newsroom every once in awhile, say something idiotic, then exit. There was no depth to him, so he really wasn't that funny in the beginning. His role got expanded a little in the second season. Then in the third season there were episodes that actually revolved around him. And they brought in Georgette as his girlfriend, which helped to round him out and present him as a real person with a real life. We got to know the humanity of the character, which made him more believable and, thus, funnier. Another change was Lou Grant. In the first two seasons, pretty much all he did was bark at people when he walked into the newsroom. There was never any warmth. But by the end of the second season, they started giving him opportunities to be a human being with feelings, such as the episode where he catches his son-in-law out at a movie theater with another woman. And by the third season, we started seeing the relationship develop between Lou and Mary as not just boss and employee, but also friends. Mary also changed, and it seemed to happen overnight with the first episode of the third season. Up to this point, she was always portrayed as sickeningly sweet. She never got angry, barely got frustrated, never questioned her boss. And all that adds up to boring. But in S3, she's suddenly more confident and willing to speak up a little, but in a Mary sort of way. In fact, in the season opener, she tells Ted, on the air, "Shut up, Ted!" Of course, she's mortified the moment she does that. But nevertheless, this is a side of Mary that had never been seen before, and it was hilarious. That was the biggest laugh in the series up to that point. Mary in S3 was also standing up a bit to Lou when she thinks she's not being treated fairly. That's a big departure from before. This new version of Mary Richards was much funnier than the earlier version who was too easygoing. Another thing, the first season was mostly the Mary and Rhoda show. It was basically just a chick show about Mary and Rhoda's dating life, which got old quickly. Starting in the second season, there was more focus on the folks in the newsroom. S4 brought in Sue Ann, which was not only a great character in her own right, but she also made Murray a more interesting character. Before Sue Ann, pretty much all Murray was used for was to insult Ted. But those insults weren't laugh-out loud funny because they would go over Ted's head. So there was no reaction. Murray also would dish out insults at Sue Ann, but the difference is Sue Ann would throw it right back in Murray's face, which made their banter back and forth funnier, and made Murray more interesting (rather than the boring character he had been). S5 was the first season without Rhoda. While I like the Rhoda character, and I love Valerie Harper, I think they show worked better in these later seasons without the Mary/Rhoda emphasis. In fact, it was these final three seasons when the show won consecutive "best comedy series" Emmys. It never won during the four Rhoda years. The sight of Betty sitting on that wedding cake after being put there by Murray is probably my favorite scene from the entire series. Well, that and the one where Ted walks into her bedroom and checks his hair in her mirrored ceiling. When i think of how great it would have been to have these types of writers working for Lucy and getting HER into situations like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneaLady Posted June 21, 2015 Report Share Posted June 21, 2015 Lucy is fabulous in all of them, but there are a couple that either the writing or other casting need vast improvements on. So far Beauty for the Asking and Easy to Wed fit in those categories for me. All in all though, I think Lucy was a "B actress' because her movies, as well as her own talent, were vastly underrated. I also can't watch her sitcom work after 1960, but that's only because Desi isn't involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted June 21, 2015 Report Share Posted June 21, 2015 Beauty I really like but that chic playing her friend was no good at comedy. I don't know if it was just me but I kept getting the guys mixed up. Easy to Wed though I have to disagree. Everyone seemed to click here. Some day I should check out Libeled Lady to see how it compares. Lucy does walk away with this whole movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene Kampen Tripp Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 I am sorry General Lady can't watch her sitcoms from 1960 on .. because there are some really GOOOD moments that deserve your attention! I did like Beauty For the Asking and I enjoyed Easy to Wed. Lucy does walk away with THAT movie and poor Ester Williams reminds me of Fanny Brice's comment.. "Wet she's a STAR.. dry she ain't". Ester is so stiff and one noted and needed a bit more direction I think. Lucy is great in that movie.. she is FANTASTIC. Also, thanks for posting that video of Lucy and Gene Kelly... I NEVER saw that before and I absolutely loved it.. it made my night! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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