Brock Posted January 29, 2011 Report Share Posted January 29, 2011 If have the channel and aren't watching already, hop to it! As part of their month-long Countdown to Valentine's Day, The Hallmark Channel is presenting a 24-hour marathon of I Love Lucy episodes beginning with season four's LA at Last on Saturday, January 29 at 5am/4c and continuing on through to season six's Desert Island. At the beginning of the 24-hours of I Love Lucy, comedy's original fab four travel to Los Angels where Ricky (Desi Arnaz)has been cast in a movie about Don Juan. Temporarily moving the action from New York's nightclub scene to Hollywood, these episodes hold special significants because they mark the beginning of a career-long tradition from Lucille Ball, in that they features a number of Ball and Arnaz's real-life celebrity friends in guest appearances as themselves. The celebrity guests often served as a way for Lucy and Desi to promote other projects associated with their Desilu Production company. In LA at Last, which first aired on February 7, 1955, Lucy schemes to meet William Holden. Of course Lucille had already met Holden some years prior when the two starred in 1949's Miss Grant Takes Richmond. Also making a cameo in this episode is Eve Arden, Lucille's longtime friend an co-star in 1937's Stage Door. At time this episode aired, Arden was starring in CBS's Our Miss Brooks, another Desilu Production, which co-starred Gale Gordon. Gordon, as any Lucy-geek like myself knows, played Lucy's husband's boss on radio's My Favorite Husband, the precursor toI Love Lucy. He also guested on I Love Lucy as Ricky's boss at The Tropicana. Gordon would also go on to co-star with Lucille in each of her three subsequent series. FollowingLA at Last are Don Juan and The Starlets and Lucy Gets in Pictures. Then there's more celebrity cameos in Fashion Show. Lucy, desperate to belong among the Beverly Hills ladies decides to visit the exclusive salon of designer Don Loper, who appears in the episode as himself. Lucy can't afford the dress, but learns of a celebrity wives fashion show. Lucy schemes her way into the show which also features real-life celebrity wives Sheila MacRae (Mrs. Godon MacRae), Brenda Holden (Mrs. William Holden), Jeanne Martin (Mrs. Dean Martin), Frances Heflin (Mrs. Van Heflin), Marilyn Tucker (Mrs. Forrest Tucker), and Mona Carlson (Mrs. Richard Carlson). Then it's Hedda Hopper, famed gossip columnist as herself in the appropriately titledThe Hedda Hopper Story. This episode also features Kathryn Card as Lucy's mother, Mrs. McGillicuddy. Ricky's movie gets canned in Don Juan is Shelved, then, in Bull Fight Dance, Lucy gets another shot at fame when MGM asks her to write a story about what it's like to be married to Ricky Ricardo. While this episodes doesn't feature any celebrity guests, it is memorable for the bull fight dance in which Ricky sings about Fernando the Fearless. When Lucy arrives on stage as a very effeminate-looking bull, she upstages Ricky and gets all the laughs. Kathryn Card is once again on-hand for the Hollywood Anniversary episode, during which Ricky sings The Anniversary Waltz. In The Star Upstairs, while writing in her diary, Lucy calculates that she's met 99 stars while in Hollywood and needs one more to make it an even 100. Ethel (Vivian Vance) reads in a gossip column that a famous movie star is staying nearby in a hiding place that begins with Beverly, so Lucy's hot on the trail. With the aide of a bellman, Lucy eventually tracks down Cornel Wilde, who's staying just above her in the penthouse of the Beverly Palms. Still more stars appear in the remaining Hollywood episodes, including: Rock Hudson, Van Johnson, Harpo Marx, Richard Widmark and John Wayne. With the marathon reaching the halfway mark at 3:30p/2:30c, we join the gang at the end of season five when they return to New York, but only temporarily. Up next, they prepare to leave for Ricky's European Tour. While in Europe, Lucy meets Charles Boyer, gets a Paris gown, tries escargot, battles a dragon, climbs the Swiss Alps, stomps grapes, bikes the banks of the French Riviera, gambles in Monte Carlo and disguises a piece of cheese as a baby in order to smuggle it onto the plan for the return home. As the Hallmark marathon continues into the wee hours of Sunday morning (3am/2c), Lucy and the gang return to New York, where Ricky tries desperately to keep her from stalking his upcoming nightclub headliner, Bob Hope. The episode titled Lucy Meets Bob Hope marked the debut of season six, as well as the first appearance of Keith Thibodeaux as Little Ricky. The role had previously been played by much younger actors. Elizabeth Patterson appears in her eleventh and final I Love Lucy episode asLittle Ricky's elderly babysitter, Mrs. Matilda Trumbull in Little Ricky Learns to Play The Drums. While curmudgeonly Fred Mertz (William Frawley) is featured throughout the series, this episode in particular showcases the actor at his very best. Then it's a cameo by Orson Welles in Lucy Meets Orson Welles. Next up, Little Ricky Gets Stage Fright. Then Lucy and Ricky get a surprise visitor when Jay Novello appears as Mario Orsatti, a Venetian gondolier they met in Italy. With only a few more episodes to Hallmark's I Love Lucy marathon, the gang head on yet another road trip, this time to Florida. Ricky, Fred and Little Ricky decide to head to Florida before the girls in order to get a head start on some deep sea fishing. When Lucy and Ethel can't find their train tickets, they decide to share the ride to Florida with Mrs. Grundy (Elsa Lanchester), a woman who's looking to share the cost of the trip. While en route, a radio news report puts fear into the girls' minds when they think their driving companion is none other than hatchet-weilding murderer. Problem is, Mrs. Grundy thinksLucy and Ethel are said murderer and her accomplice. Once in Miami the girls scheme to catch a bigger fish than the boys in Deep Sea Fishing. Lucy and Ethel stir up a whale of a tale when they cheat by buying a huge fish. Of course, things get slippery when they need a place to hide it. Hallmark's day-long I Love Lucy marathon comes to a close on Sunday morning at 5:30a/4:30c when the girls try to keep the boys from judging a beauty contest in Miami by stranding them on an island during a boat ride. While on the island, Ricky and Fred go in search of civilization and discover a huge Island native in the form of Claude Akins, who's on the island filming a movie. AtRicky's request, Claude scares the girls. The episode also features cameos by Joi Lansing and Jil Jarmyn. At the time this episode was filmed Joi had just been cast in Desilu'sThe Fountain of Youth, a TV pilot directed by Orson Welles. Despite winning a Peabody Award, the pilot was never greenlit and aired only once as part of the Colgate Theatre in 1958. Lansing's I Love Lucy co-star, Jarmyn, at the time of filming was a recurring character in the long--running crime drama,The Lineup, yet another Desilu Production. With that, the 24-hourI Love Lucy Saturday/Sunday marathon comes to a close. I Love Lucy airs as part of Hallmark's weekday schedule with two back-to-back episodes Monday-Friday beginning at 6am/5c. Continue reading on Examiner.com: Hallmark Channel's 24-hours of I Love Lucy features celebrity cameos galore - National daytime tv | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/daytime-tv-in-national/hallmark-channel-s-24-hours-of-i-love-lucy-features-celebrity-cameos-galore#ixzz1CRzdMI00'>http://www.examiner.com/daytime-tv-in-national/hallmark-channel-s-24-hours-of-i-love-lucy-features-celebrity-cameos-galore#ixzz1CRzdMI00 http://www.examiner.com/daytime-tv-in-national/hallmark-channel-s-24-hours-of-i-love-lucy-features-celebrity-cameos-galore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark bale Posted January 29, 2011 Report Share Posted January 29, 2011 Wow. 24 hours of b/w television in 2011. You would never catch any British TV channel doing that - hardly any "vintage" 50s or 60s or 70s shows get shown here now. Disgraceful. We do get a few 60s and 70s British series now and again, but even they are dying out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted January 29, 2011 Report Share Posted January 29, 2011 If have the channel and aren't watching already, hop to it! http://www.examiner.com/daytime-tv-in-national/hallmark-channel-s-24-hours-of-i-love-lucy-features-celebrity-cameos-galore Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuutttttttttttttttt, is Hallmark available here in Canada Brockie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted January 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuutttttttttttttttt, is Hallmark available here in Canada Brockie? Nope. I think they were turned down by the CRTC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 Nope. I think they were turned down by the CRTC. Well, they heard it was a channel that had shows just about card greetings, today at three, Valentine's Day, at four, Birthday wishes, at five, sympathy cards . . .they probably figured we'd be bored by it. How about the Carlton channel, do we get that? LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MONALISAISMONALUCY Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 Well, they heard it was a channel that had shows just about card greetings, today at three, Valentine's Day, at four, Birthday wishes, at five, sympathy cards . . .they probably figured we'd be bored by it. How about the Carlton channel, do we get that? LOL! This is too bad that they are not showing this station in Canada. They have three worthwhile sitcoms on a daily basis: "I Love Lucy", "Who's The Boss" and "The Golden Girls". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 This is too bad that they are not showing this station in Canada. They have three worthwhile sitcoms on a daily basis: "I Love Lucy", "Who's The Boss" and "The Golden Girls". Ok, those are great, but we already have loads of channels showing old comedies here. Hey Teri, where ya been? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted February 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 Ugh! Now I'm jealous. Hallmark is adding Empty Nest to its lineup with a 24-hour marathon on February 26. I love that show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MONALISAISMONALUCY Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 Ugh! Now I'm jealous. Hallmark is adding Empty Nest to its lineup with a 24-hour marathon on February 26. I love that show. I was thinking of "Empty Nest" the other day when they were showing "The Golden Girls" episode with Rita Moreno and DAVID LEISURE playing the freeloading neighbor. I met David Leisure in person when he was still doing those IZUSU commercials before he played the obnoxious neighbor on "Empty Nest". He was a real cool dude. I am looking forward in re-watching "Empty Nest". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MONALISAISMONALUCY Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 Ok, those are great, but we already have loads of channels showing old comedies here. Hey Teri, where ya been? I am back from doing other things like watching daytime SOAPS. I am hoping to spend more time here because I miss it. I had a wonderful time watching the "I Love Lucy" marathon and I am looking forward to "Empty Nest". I have been watching alot more sitcoms in the last week: The Golden Girls, Roseanne, I love Lucy, I Dream Of Jeannie, and Bewitched. I am hoping to catch up with successful series like Glee and Hot In Cleveland. The sitcoms is the reason why I am here and LUCY is on the top of that list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted August 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 It seems Hallmark is giving away $500 to one lucky random person who retweets a 101st Birthday Message for Lucy: http://twitter.com/hallmarkchannel/status/232297738480537600/photo/1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropicjeff Posted August 18, 2012 Report Share Posted August 18, 2012 Am I the only one who can't stand to watch Lucy on Hallmark. From the sped up opening music to the chipmunk sounding cast (everything is sped up!), it's crazy. No one, not even Ricky, could play a conga drum THAT fast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted August 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2012 Am I the only one who can't stand to watch Lucy on Hallmark. From the sped up opening music to the chipmunk sounding cast (everything is sped up!), it's crazy. No one, not even Ricky, could play a conga drum THAT fast! We don't get Hallmark Channel in Canada but when visiting Jamestown this month, I was shocked at how sped up everything was. When the gang and Cousin Ernie got up to sing Y'all Come on Milliken's Chicken Mash Hour you'd think everyone had just taken a caffiene shot with a speed chaser before going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeySanJoaquin Posted August 18, 2012 Report Share Posted August 18, 2012 We don't get Hallmark Channel in Canada but when visiting Jamestown this month, I was shocked at how sped up everything was. When the gang and Cousin Ernie got up to sing Y'all Come on Milliken's Chicken Mash Hour you'd think everyone had just taken a caffiene shot with a speed chaser before going on. Now there's a visual! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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