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Thanks, senor Brock, for one of the best banners you've ever created! :D

 

It takes me back to the summer of '86 and one of the highlights of my life! Despite how things turned out, it would be really, really difficult to give up those memories, that experience, that glorious evening when The First Lady of Television returned to her beloved "arena" and graced us with her perhaps "aged" but sage, inimitable talent....cue cards and all, stepped onto the stage and was welcomed back with sustained, gregarious, enthusiastic applause. What a night!

I will nevah forget it, ya know!?! :lucythrill:

Didja get an autograph or picture with her backstage at least?

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[quote name=DroopyDrawers :D' timestamp='1316504393' post='21239]

That made my night. HAHAHA. :lucyhaha:

Dun't laugh, when Lucy was making pilots to sell at Desilu, they had the idea for The Gary Morton Show, it was the story of some second or third string comic who latches on to a Hollywood cougar and goes through her money like water and shortens her career with bad advice and lousy taste. The man was just BORN to play that role! So much so that he ended up living it. :lucy2:

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Dun't laugh, when Lucy was making pilots to sell at Desilu, they had the idea for The Gary Morton Show, it was the story of some second or third string comic who latches on to a Hollywood cougar and goes through her money like water and shortens her career with bad advice and lousy taste. The man was just BORN to play that role! So much so that he ended up living it. :lucy2:

Ouch!

 

:lucyhorror:

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This one I wouldn't count on! Wow, 25 years for her "newest" show already? This is one of those time markers that makes me feel OLD!!! :lucydisgust:

 

Why? The other Lucy shows are bestsellers as far as I understand. This would only make sense. Plus they can play up its rarity, as it's so seldom seen, plus it's much shorter, so what, only two DVDs would do, probably? Can't wait to have a complete Lucy TV library.

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I was 18 or 19 when that show came on and I only saw one episode.. of course I don't recall what it was about, but I didn't think it was a bad show.. but my god ..the way people talked about (in my circle) her being too old.. I never looked at it that way.. her being too old.. I thought it would have been fine if they changed the night it was on (Sat night I believe) and tweek it a little.. but I don't remember thinking it was a bad show.. I do remember thinking how there were other shows on that were worse.. Like "Small Wonder"..

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I was 18 or 19 when that show came on and I only saw one episode.. of course I don't recall what it was about, but I didn't think it was a bad show.. but my god ..the way people talked about (in my circle) her being too old.. I never looked at it that way.. her being too old.. I thought it would have been fine if they changed the night it was on (Sat night I believe) and tweek it a little.. but I don't remember thinking it was a bad show.. I do remember thinking how there were other shows on that were worse.. Like "Small Wonder"..

Surely you understand that they compared it to her best work on ILL so it suffered by comparison.

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Why? The other Lucy shows are bestsellers as far as I understand. This would only make sense. Plus they can play up its rarity, as it's so seldom seen, plus it's much shorter, so what, only two DVDs would do, probably? Can't wait to have a complete Lucy TV library.

I can't imagine LIFE WITH LUCY not getting a dvd release at some point. There have been several one-season flops that have been issued on dvd (Dom DeLuise's LOTSA LUCK, etc.) and Lucy has proven she can sell dvds.

 

Not a great show but definitely a step up from LUCY MOVES TO NBC. Anything would be, of course.

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Dun't laugh, when Lucy was making pilots to sell at Desilu, they had the idea for The Gary Morton Show, it was the story of some second or third string comic who latches on to a Hollywood cougar and goes through her money like water and shortens her career with bad advice and lousy taste. The man was just BORN to play that role! So much so that he ended up living it. :lucy2:

I am dying. :lucyhaha:

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Surely you understand that they compared it to her best work on ILL so it suffered by comparison.

I do understand THAT and don't call me Shirley! :) I just mean there were other shows on the air at the time that were far worse! I just watched "World's Greatest Grandma" an unaird episode of LIFE WITH LUCY on youtube and I have to say, her recitation of "Sunrise Sunset" was very moving... She is a wonderful actress and if this show was given some time to adjust it would have found its footing and become great! I think Gary made a deal with ABC that LUCY would get ONE MILLION DOLLARS if ABC pulled the plug so he probably hoped the show would tank!

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I do understand THAT and don't call me Shirley! :) I just mean there were other shows on the air at the time that were far worse! I just watched "World's Greatest Grandma" an unaird episode of LIFE WITH LUCY on youtube and I have to say, her recitation of "Sunrise Sunset" was very moving... She is a wonderful actress and if this show was given some time to adjust it would have found its footing and become great! I think Gary made a deal with ABC that LUCY would get ONE MILLION DOLLARS if ABC pulled the plug so he probably hoped the show would tank!

 

Don't make assumptions like that. I'm tired of people bagging Gary on this forum. Lucy loved him and he loved her and that's all that matters - we should not cast judgement - we were not there.

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I do understand THAT and don't call me Shirley! :) I just mean there were other shows on the air at the time that were far worse! I just watched "World's Greatest Grandma" an unaird episode of LIFE WITH LUCY on youtube and I have to say, her recitation of "Sunrise Sunset" was very moving... She is a wonderful actress and if this show was given some time to adjust it would have found its footing and become great! I think Gary made a deal with ABC that LUCY would get ONE MILLION DOLLARS if ABC pulled the plug so he probably hoped the show would tank!

Definitely, and the other shows on at that time are not that great either, but there are many factors that made the show get cancelled, the time slot, it should have followed a hit already on the network and not led the night, the cost, it was the costliest show on ABC for that season. It was poorly written, the cast not that great, if they had had it follow Who's the Boss till it got it's bearings, had someone like Audrey Meadows supporting Lucy from the very beginning and a few other factors, more sophisticated writing, a Golden Girls type of setting maybe . . . and you're absolutely right about gary.

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She fell apart once it was cancelled and almost gave up, which in turn made her health "give up". Very sad indeed.

 

You know- I totally agree with you!- all but with the quote above.

 

I think Lucy was not some overly depressed shattered woman who was nearing "giving up" after LWL.

Even health wise.

It can be perceived that way, but -I don't think there's much truth to that. Lemme explain:

 

I think the real blow to Lucy's health was Stone Pillow. PERIOD.

Lucy was over 70 years old. Constantly working in the heat, STAYED in her make up and costumes during shooting (which was even more hot)

and still under the pressure of moving, acting, and delivering good work. SHE DID IT WELL as only Lucy could

HOWEVER - It gave her some health issues that would stay with her until her death.

 

After all, As we all know-she was hospitalized for 5 days because of Stone pillows rigorous shoot.

 

NOW- let's look at that..in 88 she had a stroke and was rushed by Gary to Emergency. After just what, a few hours?, or a day?, she demanded to leave and did so lol

In 85, she was placed in the hospital after Stone Pillow, Admitted to being incoherent for most of the stay, and was kept for 5 days!

Now, If Lucy left emergency some hours after having a stroke-How bad was her health after SP to have made her stay in there 3-4 days more?

 

Stone Pillow hit her- BUT Just as she had done with her bout with that painful rheumatoid arthritis, she got up, got healthy, and got back to working because She's a race horse in that respect lol

A Hybrid is what I mean lol TOUGH

 

LWL came, and yes it was a flop. What the public was uncomfortable seeing, she took as a personal rejection to her work and career.

It wasn't that, it was just that the LUCY character had not grown up, and Lucy Barker could not compete with a youthful Lucy Ricardo- AND LUCY KNEW THAT.

Aaron Spelling continued to get and give ideas about a new Lucy to Lucy-but he trusted the legend in her and gave her creative control on most things, and she brought on the same crew from the 50's and it didn't work.

 

LUCY WAS HUMAN- a show or sitcom shutting down is NEVER fun or just something to dismiss or pass by; it's always a little tough, and being the star of the show you take it harder, I'm sure

but I honestly don't think it killed her or her health.

 

A quote I put up on that awesome LWL FB page shows Lucy speaking of her acceptance of LWL being cancelled and moves on.

I thinks she did this emotionally and in her career after some time. Yes she admitted many times to being hurt by that, but who wouldn't be- but not at the point of suicide or wanting to die-not even subconsciously.

 

I think it speaks for itself too- In 86 AFTER LWL was cancelled she plays Super password-HOSTS an all star party for Clint Eastwood and receives the Kennedy Honors.

In 87-88 she did more TV workeven after having the stroke- She makes 8 more appearances nearly up until she's too sick to do so.

She only made 7 tv appearances from 1983-85 in total- So it can be considered that she did MORE work AFTER LWL, not to mention her un-televised appearances and attendances.

 

So I think LWL's cancellation really brought her some sadness and much rejection, but she picked up and moved on with her life and career.

It may have hurt her really badly, and even brought some depression, but even in that, she still had a will to live. A will to work, and a joy in working.

You can't be in the business for over 40 years and not have a pick me up in you after a disappointment .

 

LWL should be celebrated for what it was and not for the problems it faced behind the camera. It's hard to do that, because after having not one- not two- but three

successful TV shows on the air for more than 5 years each, you wonder "what happened to this one?" but that question should only be entertained for only so long- because

during and after LWL we were given some good Lucy gems to appreciate for ever. it should come out on DVD though. Just cus lol

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Don't make assumptions like that. I'm tired of people bagging Gary on this forum. Lucy loved him and he loved her and that's all that matters - we should not cast judgement - we were not there.

 

Agreed. And I gave you a positive point for that. LOL

lucy was such a legend, and people make her out to be some abused misused trophy wife. NO husband and wife are perfect, and no husband and wife are always happy with everything the other does

ESPECIALLY when they grow old together like Gary and lucy did, unlike she and Desi-and that should be respected. YES- I think he, based on what others say, wasn't the best, but who is- He was the best he could be to Lucy,

and it was what it was.

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Don't make assumptions like that. I'm tired of people bagging Gary on this forum. Lucy loved him and he loved her and that's all that matters - we should not cast judgement - we were not there.

We were not there but others WERE! And read the books and see what they said about him, then maybe it'll wake you up to the the way things really were.

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You know- I totally agree with you!- all but with the quote above.

 

I think Lucy was not some overly depressed shattered woman who was nearing "giving up" after LWL.

Even health wise.

It can be perceived that way, but -I don't think there's much truth to that. Lemme explain:

 

I think the real blow to Lucy's health was Stone Pillow. PERIOD.

Lucy was over 70 years old. Constantly working in the heat, STAYED in her make up and costumes during shooting (which was even more hot)

and still under the pressure of moving, acting, and delivering good work. SHE DID IT WELL as only Lucy could

HOWEVER - It gave her some health issues that would stay with her until her death.

 

After all, As we all know-she was hospitalized for 5 days because of Stone pillows rigorous shoot.

 

NOW- let's look at that..in 88 she had a stroke and was rushed by Gary to Emergency. After just what, a few hours?, or a day?, she demanded to leave and did so lol

In 85, she was placed in the hospital after Stone Pillow, Admitted to being incoherent for most of the stay, and was kept for 5 days!

Now, If Lucy left emergency some hours after having a stroke-How bad was her health after SP to have made her stay in there 3-4 days more?

 

Stone Pillow hit her- BUT Just as she had done with her bout with that painful rheumatoid arthritis, she got up, got healthy, and got back to working because She's a race horse in that respect lol

A Hybrid is what I mean lol TOUGH

 

LWL came, and yes it was a flop. What the public was uncomfortable seeing, she took as a personal rejection to her work and career.

It wasn't that, it was just that the LUCY character had not grown up, and Lucy Barker could not compete with a youthful Lucy Ricardo- AND LUCY KNEW THAT.

Aaron Spelling continued to get and give ideas about a new Lucy to Lucy-but he trusted the legend in her and gave her creative control on most things, and she brought on the same crew from the 50's and it didn't work.

 

LUCY WAS HUMAN- a show or sitcom shutting down is NEVER fun or just something to dismiss or pass by; it's always a little tough, and being the star of the show you take it harder, I'm sure

but I honestly don't think it killed her or her health.

 

A quote I put up on that awesome LWL FB page shows Lucy speaking of her acceptance of LWL being cancelled and moves on.

I thinks she did this emotionally and in her career after some time. Yes she admitted many times to being hurt by that, but who wouldn't be- but not at the point of suicide or wanting to die-not even subconsciously.

 

I think it speaks for itself too- In 86 AFTER LWL was cancelled she plays Super password-HOSTS an all star party for Clint Eastwood and receives the Kennedy Honors.

In 87-88 she did more TV workeven after having the stroke- She makes 8 more appearances nearly up until she's too sick to do so.

She only made 7 tv appearances from 1983-85 in total- So it can be considered that she did MORE work AFTER LWL, not to mention her un-televised appearances and attendances.

 

So I think LWL's cancellation really brought her some sadness and much rejection, but she picked up and moved on with her life and career.

It may have hurt her really badly, and even brought some depression, but even in that, she still had a will to live. A will to work, and a joy in working.

You can't be in the business for over 40 years and not have a pick me up in you after a disappointment .

 

LWL should be celebrated for what it was and not for the problems it faced behind the camera. It's hard to do that, because after having not one- not two- but three

successful TV shows on the air for more than 5 years each, you wonder "what happened to this one?" but that question should only be entertained for only so long- because

during and after LWL we were given some good Lucy gems to appreciate for ever. it should come out on DVD though. Just cus lol

I disagree here as she gave up on life when she got cancelled for the very first time and the reviews were awful, people putting her down and newspapers saying The Queen Is Dead, how did you expect her to recover from that? She even said herself that thank God the Kennedy Center Honors happened right afterwards or she would really have despaired.

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I disagree here as she gave up on life when she got cancelled for the very first time and the reviews were awful, people putting her down and newspapers saying The Queen Is Dead, how did you expect her to recover from that? She even said herself that thank God the Kennedy Center Honors happened right afterwards or she would really have despaired.

 

How many comments have you made (on this board alone) that you would like to have pulled at random to represent your entire life in a decade?

None- You can't do that for Lucy.:). You don't know the joys or acts that brought reaffirmation to her talents, that encouraged and inspired her to keep going AFTER LWL was cancelled.

 

The HUGE out pour of love and affection she did get after the series ended that gave her a pep.

You can't say that after LWL she found no more life and Kennedy centers just about saved her life.

 

Yes, there is sadness, and yes ,there is pain HOWEVER, she dealt with it, as she had with Mame- as she had with Critics Choice and Forever darling- not to mention the many many pilots she had personally been apart of behind the scenes that were rejected.

 

Lucy taught a class on rejection, and knowing the odds of the business, even being sad she was aware of the risks.

 

 

About the media and press:

Knowing Lucy was protected from the rag mags and the grocery store tabloids- she only paid attention to critics-studio heads- and their comments.

"Notices" is what she called it on joan Rivers. This isn't some new actress looking and picking up mags to see what they say about her appearances- THIS IS LUCILLE BALL MORTON! lol

She wouldn't even like to see or even hear about the pictures printed in them, let alone know the content of the articles. She had a team that protected her from that- even back in the days of ILL.

 

I disagree with you Claudy (respectively and playfully that is :) ),

I can accept the fact that she was very disappointed and very upset, but I don't think it claimed her life.

 

I can not believe that Lucille Ball accepted defeat for the rest of her life after LWL cancelled.

 

YES she was getting older, Yes she was having health problems and enjoyed being at home- BUT another side of her enjoyed going out

and enjoyed working and enjoyed doing new things and going beyond LWL as she had done.

 

MANY MANY well known actresses (Doris Day, Katherine Hepburn to name some) became recluse after a certain time- THIS could have been the case for Lucy,

but no- she stayed in there and fighting months into 89 AND WAS PLANNING on leaving the hospital and getting all dolled up to go to another

HUGE event in Jamestown, IN HER HONOR. This doesn't seem like a woman who decided she'd kill over in 86.

Depressed? yes, sad? yes- The end of her life? in 86? No.

 

Sorry, not buying it. and here's a 1988 pic just to prove it lol

 

315088_120138964758749_100002879378676_100406_2073526682_n.jpg

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How many comments have you made (on this board alone) that you would like to have pulled at random to represent your entire life in a decade?

None- You can't do that for Lucy.:). You don't know the joys or acts that brought reaffirmation to her talents, that encouraged and inspired her to keep going AFTER LWL was cancelled.

 

The HUGE out pour of love and affection she did get after the series ended that gave her a pep.

You can't say that after LWL she found no more life and Kennedy centers just about saved her life.

 

Yes, there is sadness, and yes ,there is pain HOWEVER, she dealt with it, as she had with Mame- as she had with Critics Choice and Forever darling- not to mention the many many pilots she had personally been apart of behind the scenes that were rejected.

 

Lucy taught a class on rejection, and knowing the odds of the business, even being sad she was aware of the risks.

 

 

About the media and press:

Knowing Lucy was protected from the rag mags and the grocery store tabloids- she only paid attention to critics-studio heads- and their comments.

"Notices" is what she called it on joan Rivers. This isn't some new actress looking and picking up mags to see what they say about her appearances- THIS IS LUCILLE BALL MORTON! lol

She wouldn't even like to see or even hear about the pictures printed in them, let alone know the content of the articles. She had a team that protected her from that- even back in the days of ILL.

 

I disagree with you Claudy (respectively and playfully that is :) ),

I can accept the fact that she was very disappointed and very upset, but I don't think it claimed her life.

 

I can not believe that Lucille Ball accepted defeat for the rest of her life after LWL cancelled.

 

YES she was getting older, Yes she was having health problems and enjoyed being at home- BUT another side of her enjoyed going out

and enjoyed working and enjoyed doing new things and going beyond LWL as she had done.

 

MANY MANY well known actresses (Doris Day, Katherine Hepburn to name some) became recluse after a certain time- THIS could have been the case for Lucy,

but no- she stayed in there and fighting months into 89 AND WAS PLANNING on leaving the hospital and getting all dolled up to go to another

HUGE event in Jamestown, IN HER HONOR. This doesn't seem like a woman who decided she'd kill over in 86.

Depressed? yes, sad? yes- The end of her life? in 86? No.

 

Sorry, not buying it. and here's a 1988 pic just to prove it lol

 

315088_120138964758749_100002879378676_100406_2073526682_n.jpg

Honey, i can still love ya to pieces but disagree with you totally on this. LWL was the last straw that broke Lucy's back. How can you say something like she enjoyed being at home, she never did, she lived for performing and that's all she cared about at the end as her kids were gone, her husband ruined what was left of her career and now she felt even her reputation was tainted or soiled.

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Pictures can be deceiving too. Just because she smiled once in a while doesn't mean she was okay on the inside. Plenty of people with depression (myself included) smile and joke around once in a while. I too think LWL crushed Lucy pretty good, and maybe if that hadn't happened she would've lived a few more years. She really felt like she had nothing left to live for after that. She believed her career was done. Her kids were grown and gone, Desi Sr. died right around that time, and as for Gary...well, didn't some friends say they were having problems at the end, especially after LWL was cancelled?? There is such a thing as being so depressed it can kill you eventually. JMO.

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Pictures can be deceiving too. Just because she smiled once in a while doesn't mean she was okay on the inside. Plenty of people with depression (myself included) smile and joke around once in a while. I too think LWL crushed Lucy pretty good, and maybe if that hadn't happened she would've lived a few more years. She really felt like she had nothing left to live for after that. She believed her career was done. Her kids were grown and gone, Desi Sr. died right around that time, and as for Gary...well, didn't some friends say they were having problems at the end, especially after LWL was cancelled?? There is such a thing as being so depressed it can kill you eventually. JMO.

 

lolol I know pics are deceiving, Im not saying this one pic represented the later 80's lol but here she IS HAPPY. and what? it's after LWL.

Not everything after 86 was depressing and sad.

 

Why does every one keep looking at the negatives?

Lucy was not absorbed in clinical depression from 86-89- maybe during 86, YES. Who doesn't when those things happen,

but to say it killed her..To say she died of a broken heart, just doesn't seem true to me. Sounds good for a book or movie- but not a reality.

 

For instance 1989- Bob Hope and she presented at the Academy- you think she was MADE to do that?

You think it was something she was forced to do? No she accepted the job and LOVED LOVED LOVED being there.

As any actress who came up in the 30's-40's she was concerned about her look- but that's age's fight with beauty-an age old fight lol

 

Every one has been depressed in their life, including me. Every one, well mostly every one has been really disappointed, but to ASSUME

she had nothing else to live for and wanted to die because of LWL demise just isn't believable to me-

 

BUT I CERTAINLY RESPECT ur opinion cus i see your point :)

I just don't think LWL caused Lucy's death and gave her a wish to die.

 

I think we've been given the "Lucy in the 80's was terribly depressed and sad for ever and ever" story and run with it.

Not wanting to be around too long, yes.

Not wanting to do another show, yes

Wanting to curl up and die for ever and having a crushed sense of life? Im sorry, but it's just hard to believe that.

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