Television Discussion Series: "I Love Lucy"

[CJ]

Great choice for the first television discussion, Aaron!

Although I Love Lucy is one of the many dvd sets that I do not have, it is by far one of my favorite television shows. I can remember catching a few episodes occasionally when I five or six years old. It wasn't until I was 9 years old, that I was able to watch it regularly. That is when I finally got Nickelodeon for the first time. I can remember watching I Love Lucy every night on Nick-at-Night. Like Disneykid, "Lucy Does A Commercial" is my favorite episode. That episode is classic, and I never get tired of watching it. I'm definitely planning on buying the season sets eventually.

[bennyb98]

When I was a little kid I LOVED this show, I would remember staying up late, being so quite to watch it on Nick at Nite, but then always getting caught by my parents as I would laugh so hard! Everytime it is on TV I have to just stop what I'm doing and watch it, no matter what else is on. My personal favorite episode was "The Operetta". I still laugh so hard when I see Lucy dressed up as the witch and when the men come and take down the scenery during the performance.

Does anyone else find it so hard to believe that Vivian and William hated each other in real life?

[AwallaceUNC]

My personal favorite episode was "The Operetta". I still laugh so hard when I see Lucy dressed up as the witch and when the men come and take down the scenery during the performance.

Glad to see this is a favorite for someone else too. I love the "We Like to Drink" song.

-Aaron

[AwallaceUNC]

I never said it wasn't, I just get carried away sometimes.

T/P fan: it wouldn't be the UD forum without him



-Aaron

[my chicken is infected]

At one time, I Love Lucy was my #1 all time favorite TV show. Today, I'd place it as my #3, right behind The Golden Girls and Roseanne. All three are shows that no matter how many times I've seen an episode, it's still just as funny the 50th time as it was the first time.

I only own Volume 8 from the first release of I Love Lucy's first season. I own this because it was $11 at Best Buy and contains my favorite TV episode ever - Lucy Does A TV Commercial. I place this among Job Switching aka The Candy Factory Episode, Carol Burnett's "Went With The Wind" sketch, and the Roseanne episode where Roseanne, Dan, and Jackie lock themselves up in the bathroom and get high on pot as one of the funniest moments in TV history. Or at least one of the funniest planned moments. Classic TV.

[Dottie]

Aaron If this is going to be a series, could we make a "The Waltons" thread sometime?

It is going to be a series and "The Waltons" will be covered at some point.

Also, both you and ichabod should give "I Love Lucy" a shot. As with anything, there's the chance that you won't like it, but few things come as universally recommended as this show. If you're a fan of the sitcom, you're bound to not hate it at the very least (and most likely really love it). It's some of the funniest stuff I've ever come across. I understand the price issues, though. It's expensive even for us here domestically, let alone for those of you who have to import. I'm really surprised that "Lucy" isn't shown much in Germany or the UK, given its popularity.

-Aaron

Thanks for the Waltons info!!

I do like Sitcoms (especially The Nanny), but some of my childhood favs are "Bewitched" and "I dream of Jeannie". Is "I love Lucy" kind of like these two. At least a bit?
If so, I might get one of the Boxsets when I'm in the US the next time.

[2099net]

Also, both you and ichabod should give "I Love Lucy" a shot. As with anything, there's the chance that you won't like it, but few things come as universally recommended as this show. If you're a fan of the sitcom, you're bound to not hate it at the very least (and most likely really love it). It's some of the funniest stuff I've ever come across. I understand the price issues, though. It's expensive even for us here domestically, let alone for those of you who have to import. I'm really surprised that "Lucy" isn't shown much in Germany or the UK, given its popularity.

Well, given the exchange rate is almost two dollars to a single pound, its actually very cheap to import. Yay! It's almost like back in 1999(ish) when I used to import like a madman. At that time it was huge online discounts driving me - DVDExpress actually ended up crediting my Credit Card when I ordered the original Titanic off them such were their discounts! (no wonder they eventually went bust) - now its the exchange rate!

Lucy has been on UK TV. I can remember if vaugely on Channel 4 in the afternoon when the station first began. But I know it was shown on BSB (before its merger with Sky) as we had a "Squarial" and subscription at home.

As people may know, I'm not a huge fan of "sit-com" sit-coms, but they do have their place when either vintage or good (preferably both). But I can't say I Love Lucy ever man much of an impression on me. In fact, I can't remember a single joke or situation from them. I do have much fonder memories of shows like The Phil Silvers Show and The Brady Bunch which I used to watch at the same time as Lucy was on.

[AwallaceUNC]

I do like Sitcoms (especially The Nanny), but some of my childhood favs are "Bewitched" and "I dream of Jeannie". Is "I love Lucy" kind of like these two. At least a bit?

I like both those shows quite a bit too, but they aren't very similar to ILL. The only similarity I can think of is the black & white, old-timey charm (and ILL is about ten years older). Both those shows are fantasy-type sitcoms, whereas ILL is more a real-life sitcom. The kind of humor is pretty different too. Bewitched and Jeannie both have kind of cutesy, hokey humor (don't get me wrong, I love the shows), whereas ILL's humor is more direct, laugh-out-loud, aimed-at-real-life comedy. However, I don't think that means you won't like ILL at least as much as those. After all, Bewitched, Jeannie, and ILL ran on Nick @ Nite for the same audience for years.

-Aaron

[crunkcourt]

I Love Lucy is arguably the best TV show produced so far. I am currently watching Season One on DVD and am having a blast doing so. One of my favorite shows from season one is Pioneer Women, when Lucy and Ethel challenge Ricky and Fred to live like the pioneers. I also love the series of episodes of when they go to Hollywood, especially when they end up in Tennessee, and see Ernie again. They are arrested for breaking the speed limit, and Ernie helps them get out of jail.

[AwallaceUNC]

I also love the series of episodes of when they go to Hollywood, especially when they end up in Tennessee, and see Ernie again. They are arrested for breaking the speed limit, and Ernie helps them get out of jail.

Forgot about this episode until I saw this post. That was a good one too. I think I've only seen it once a long time ago.

-Aaron

[Lucylover1986]

Thanks for recognizing my favorite show Aaron, lol. I can't wait for the last box set to come out. It's suppossed to have that I Love Lucy movie included as a bonus feature. Just be cool to see the never before seen connecting scenes that attach the episodes together. I frankly think it holds up well for a show that's over 50 years old. Still great today to watch.

[AwallaceUNC]

Thanks for a great discussion, everyone. I'm happy that the launch of the new discussion series went over so well. The second thread will be coming soon.

-Aaron

[musicradio77]

I used to watched "I Love Lucy" since I was a kid when it was on WNEW-TV (Channel 5) in New York City. I was in Puerto Rico when "I Love Lucy" used to be on. I guessed it was on TBS back in the 1980's. When I came back to New York since I was 10, I always love "I Love Lucy" on a local Fox affiliate WNYW-TV (Channel 5). It was usually on at 9:00 AM weekday mornings. I remember since I was being sick from school, I used to watched it. That brings back memories.

There was also one thing that I do remember when I was watching "I Love Lucy" for a long time, this was when I watched the end credits of "I Love Lucy" and then all of a sudden, the Viacom logo better known as the "V of Doom" scared me to death since I was in my childhood. That was so frightening. That was right after I watched reruns of "I Love Lucy". The "V of Doom" scared me to death. I remember when it was in black & white with just the filmed version, not the videotaped one. I found this on YouTube and here it is.

B&W Viacom "V of Doom" logo at the end of "I Love Lucy"

The "V of Doom" at the end of the "I Love Lucy" reruns brings back some horrified memories. I missed that show so much. TV Land usually had that on for several years, but no "V of Doom" there except the "Wigga-Wigga" logo was also there. Too bad, it was not on the "I Love Lucy" DVD's.

And there was also a song by the Wilton Place Street Band did a disco remake of "I Love Lucy" entitled "Disco Lucy". I don't have a 45 of that one except this one from Ebay.



I've heard that song and I've haven't listened to that version for so long. It was from 1976.

[TheNikki]

I've bought all six seasons for my mother who is a I Love Lucy fanatic. I've watched this series since I was a baby and it's just like comfort food for me. I've noticed that when I get to feeling bad I will try to find a rerun on, it's just my way of feeling better. I know that sounds a little odd, but it's nice to get drawn into their world and forget about my various problems of the moment.

[Pluto Region1]

Great choice for the first television discussion, Aaron!

Yes, wow, bravo! This IS my all time favorite sit-com. I grew up watching it and I never get tired of watching the same episodes over and over. I don't know what it is about that show, but it is one of the few where I can say that about it. It runs a couple times a day out here in California I think on Fox and I'll watch it if I happen to remember its on.

Like Timon/Pumbaa Fan, my husband HATES this show and pretty much put the kabbash on my collecting the DVDs.... never fear, family to the rescue. At Xmas time I received the ENTIRE DVD set thanks to my brothers and sisters. This set is available at Costco for $140. (Seasons 1-6). I could not have asked for a better Xmas gift than that.

My step mother also loves the series and she is currently just 2 seasons away from completing her collection.

The next favorite series of mine would have to be Leave it to Beaver, followed by Green Acres - I have faithfully collected all the DVD series releases of each of these. The fourth favorite of mine is Andy Griffith Show (a DVD series I can't yet afford to collect), followed by I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched and the Beverly Hillbillies.

I just asked my husband why he doesn't like I Love Lucy - he says he watched a lot of it while he was growing up and says the comedy is juvenile and her voice and personality is like "nails on a chalk board" to him.

[goofystitch]

This seemed like the best place to post this. I'm a pretty big Lucy fan. I only own the first and second seasons on DVD, mainly because of a lack of time to watch them. Anyways, I own the big expensive 9-disc box set, but it takes up so much room that I am considdering upgrading to the 7-disc digi-pack release. Does anybody have that release and can you tell me a few things about it? I want to know if any of the picture quality gets lost because my season 1 has 4 episodes per disc. I think the digi-pak has 6 per disc. I read that no bonus features are lost, but are any gained? And are the menus the same? The 9-disc menus are really ugly. They look very much like the individual cover art. Yellow background, picture of Lucy, the logo, and all of the episodes are boardered with a fururistic silver box. It doesn't look 50's at all, which is part of the show's charm.

Also, I will be putting my big Season 1 set up on ebay and I'm not sure why anybody would want it, but if you are interested in owning the season, it will probably end up selling for between $5 and $15, so let me know if you are interested and I'll send you the link.

[Escapay]

I want to know if any of the picture quality gets lost because my season 1 has 4 episodes per disc. I think the digi-pak has 6 per disc.

Discs One and Two are re-arranged to include two extra episodes (these are Volumes One, Two, and Three), as are Discs Four and Five (which were Volumes Five, Six, and Seven). Discs Six and Seven are the same as their Volume discs.

So, here's the old format:
Volume One: Pilot, Episodes 1-3
Volume Two: Episodes 4-7
Volume Three: Episodes 8-11
Volume Four: Episodes 12-15
Volume Five: Episodes 16-19
Volume Six: Episodes 20-23
Volume Seven: Episodes 24-27
Volume Eight: Episodes 28-31
Volume Nine: Episodes 32-35

New Format:
Disc One: Pilot, Episodes 1-5 (Volume One, 1/2 of Volume Two)
Disc Two: Episodes 6-11 (1/2 of Volume Two, Volume Three)
Disc Three: Episodes 12-15 (Volume Four)
Disc Four: Episodes 16-21 (Volume Five, 1/2 of Volume Six)
Disc Five: Episodes 22-27 (1/2 of Volume Six, Volume Seven)
Disc Six: Episodes 28-31 (Volume Eight)
Disc Seven: Episodes 32-35 (Volume Nine)

Personally, I'd rather they have simply done six episodes per disc like so:

Disc One: Pilot, Episodes 1-5
Disc Two: Episodes 6-11
Disc Three: Episodes 12-17
Disc Four: Episodes 18-23
Disc Five: Episodes 24-29
Disc Six: Episodes 30-35

Be one less disc to worry about, and the extras would still fit.

I don't think picture quality would be lost with six episodes, as four episodes didn't really fill up the disc, and most sitcoms on DVD try and cram eight episodes per disc. The standard I've seen is usually six or seven episodes, so it'll still look good.

I read that no bonus features are lost, but are any gained?

I don't think so. Then again, I still don't have any I Love Lucy sets on DVD (waiting for the big megaset before Christmas, which is rumored to include the I Love Lucy movie and more extras), but according to specs at various sites, nothing's gained.

Escapay

[goofystitch]

Thanks for the info, Escapay. Within an hour, I had posted my old set, it sold through Buy It Now, and I had bought the re-release. It only ended up costing me $10 to upgrade and that is with shipping!

As for the mega set, I know right now Amazon.com has a box set of the entire "I Love Lucy" series. Is that what you are talking about? Or is there something new kind of like the recent re-release of the complete series of "Friends" where it was all in one big box with an extra book? Do you think the "I Love Lucy" movie would be sold seperatley?

[Disneykid]

As for the mega set, I know right now Amazon.com has a box set of the entire "I Love Lucy" series. Is that what you are talking about? Or is there something new kind of like the recent re-release of the complete series of "Friends" where it was all in one big box with an extra book? Do you think the "I Love Lucy" movie would be sold seperatley?

The megaset on Amazon right now is simply all seven sets bundled together (probably with just shrinkwrapping). According to TVShowsonDVD.com, there's going to be a real boxed set similar to the Friends re-release you mentioned coming right before Christmas. Rumor has it that the I Love Lucy movie will be included. You don't have to worry about buying the whole set for the film, though. The movie will also be receiving its own release at the same time. Since I've yet to buy any of the show's sets, I'm holding out for the boxed set. Sometimes it pays to be a cheap slacker.

[Escapay]

Yeah, what Kelvin said.

In terms of bonus features, I'm really hoping that the I Love Lucy movie will include the excellent American Masters documentary Finding Lucy. It used to be on VHS, bundled with the first two volumes of the Best of compilation tapes, but I never got around to picking them up, and was only able to tape it from PBS a couple years ago.

Also, I wonder if they'll package the 50th Anniversary special in the megaset, though that'd probably piss off people that already picked it up on its own.

Escapay