Television Discussion Series: "I Love Lucy"

[AwallaceUNC]

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I Love Lucy

<img src="http://imagecache2.allposters.com/image ... osters.jpg">
Genre: Comedy
Format: 1/2 Hour Sitcom
Premiere: October 15, 1951
Finale: May 6, 1957
Currently Syndicated: Yes
Original Run: 6 Seasons (180 episodes)
Network: CBS
Production Studio: Desilu (now Paramount)
Distributor: Paramount
Timeslot: Mondays, 9:00pm
Setting: New York City
Theme Song: "Theme From 'I Love Lucy'" (Instrumental) by Wilbur Hatch
Spin-Offs: "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour"
Feature Film Adaptations: <i>I Love Lucy</i> (1953)
Highest Nielson Season Rating: #1
Emmys: 5
Emmy Nominations: 22

<u><b>Premise</b></u>
A Cuban band leader, Ricky, is frequently at light-hearted odds with his accident-prone and fame-hungry wife, Lucy. With the help of their landlords and best friends, Fred and Ethel, the couple often engage in elaborate schemes to outwit one another.

Main Cast
<table width="75%" border="1"><tr><td><b>Actor</b></td><td><b>Character</b></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Lucille Ball</td><td>Lucy Ricardo</td><td></td><td>Deceased</td></tr><tr><td>Desi Arnaz</td><td>Ricky Ricardo</td><td></td><td>Deceased</td></tr><tr><td>Vivian Vance</td><td>Ethel Mertz</td><td></td><td>Deceased</td></tr><tr><td>William Frawley</td><td>Fred Mertz</td><td></td><td>Deceased</td></tr><tr><td>Keith Thibodeaux (AKA Richard Keith)</td><td>"Little Ricky" Ricardo, Jr.</td><td>(Season 6)</td><td>Living</td></tr></table>

Nielson Season Ratings
<table width="20%" border="0"><tr><td>Season 1</td><td>#3</td></tr><tr><td>Season 2</td><td>#1</td></tr><tr><td>Season 3</td><td>#1</td></tr><tr><td>Season 4</td><td>#1</td></tr><tr><td>Season 5</td><td>#2</td></tr><tr><td>Season 6</td><td>#1</td></tr></table>

<u><b>DVD Releases</b></u>
Season One: Volumes 1 - 9
The Complete First Season (Box Set of Volumes 1-9)
The Complete First Season (Digipak Reissue)
The Complete Second Season
The Complete Third Season
The Complete Fourth Season
The Complete Fifth Season
The Complete Sixth Season
The Complete Seasons 1-5 (Multi-pack)
The Complete Series (Multi-pack)
I Love Lucy - 50th Anniversary Special

<u><b>Recurring Cast</b></u>
Kathryn Card - Mrs. MacGillicuddy
Mary Jane Croft - Betty Ramsey
Jerry Hausner - Jerry
Bob Jellison - Bobby
Joseph A. Mayer - "Little Ricky" Ricardo, Jr. (baby)
Michael Mayer - "Little Ricky" Ricardfo, Jr. (baby)
Richard Simmons - "Little Ricky" Ricardfo, Jr. (baby)
Ronald Lee Simmons - "Little Ricky" Ricardfo, Jr. (baby)
Shirley Mitchell - Marion Strong
Frank Nelson - Ralph Ramsey
Elizabeth Patterson - Mrs. Matilda Trumbull
Doris Singleton - Caroline Appleby

<u><b>Select Notable Celebrity Guest Stars</b></u>
Claude Akins
Eve Arden
Eleanor Audley
Bea Benaderet
Charles Boyer
Jimmy Demaret
Barbara Eden
Verna Felton
Tennessee Ernie Ford
William Holden
Bob Hope
Hedda Hopper
Rock Hudson
Van Johnson
Betty Noyes
George Reeves
Aaron Spelling
John Wayne
Orson Welles
Mary Wickes

<u><b>Cross-Overs</b></u>
N/A

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Memorable Episodes
"Job Switching"
"Lucy Does a Commercial"
"Lucy Goes to the Hospital"
"The Ballet"
"Lucy Is Enceinte"
"L.A. At Last"
"Lucy's Italian Movie"
"Lucy and the Loving Cup"

Memorable Catch Phrases and Quotes
"Honey, I'm home" - Ricky
"Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do!" - Ricky
"Eeeeeehhhhhh" - Lucy

Notable Facts
*"I Love Lucy" is one of -- and arguably <i>the</i> -- most popular TV series of all time. It has been said that at any given moment, it is being aired somewhere around the world.
*Though it is technically a spin-off, many consider "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" to be a continuation of "I Love Lucy". Paramount is distributing the spin-off under the "I Love Lucy" title
*Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were married in real life during the course of the series (they later divorced)
*The 1953 <i>I Love Lucy</i> film was largely comprised of episodes from the series and was shelved, never released to theaters as originally planned
*TV Guide ranked "I Love Lucy" the #2 greatest TV series of all time (behind "Seinfeld")
*TV Guide ranked Lucy and Ethel's candy factory scene in the "Job Switching" scene the second greatest moment in TV history (behind the moon landing)
*68% of all US TVs were set to "Lucy Goes to the Hospital"
*The series ended its run while in the #1 timeslot (one of only three shows to do so)
*The show is often praised for its cinematography
*Many shows have modeled themselves after "I Love Lucy". Among the most frequently compared are "Ellen" and "That's So Raven"
*Though it is not technically a spin-off, the Lucy-Desi film, <i>The Long, Long Trailer</i>, resembles "I Love Lucy" in terms of its characters and comedy
*Lucille and Desi's famously rocky marriage was most recently the subject of a 2003 telefilm, <i>Lucy</i>
*Lucy and Ricky were TV's first interracial couple
*Lucy was the second pregnant character in TV history, and the first to get a lot of attention
*There is a museum dedicated to Lucille Ball and "I Love Lucy" at both US Universal Studio theme parks and to the Lucy-Desi duo in Jamestown, New York
*When Lucille Ball took over sole control of Desilu, she became the first woman to head a major studio, and the industry's most powerful woman until the arrival and dominance of Oprah
*Though the Ricardos lived in New York City, they often traveled throughout the United States and the world during the show
*The show was the first to use both a three camera set-up and a live audience approach. It was also one of the first to film in Hollywood rather than New York.
*Due to taboos of the time, Lucy and Ricky never appeared in bed together and Lucy was never referred to as "pregnant"
*The show frequently welcomed numerous celebrity guests, a pattern which has often been criticized
*The series is often referenced, quoted, or recreated in film, music, and TV
*"Weird Al"'s song, "Ricky", is an homage to the series and is sung in voice from both Lucy and Ricky's perspectives
*Desi Arnaz was the only of the four primary cast members to never received an Emmy nomination
*Lucy fans are among the most active of any fan base and Lucy look-alikes and impersonators are common among them
*The series is frequently re-aired on numerous cable and broadcast networks. It can regularly be found on the TV Land network.

Overview/History
I Love Lucy, a CBS television sitcom that aired in the 1950s, was the most popular American sitcom of its generation and is still considered by viewers and experts alike to be one of the greatest television series of all time. The series starred movie actress and radio comedienne Lucille Ball, her actor/orchestra leader husband Desi Arnaz, stage actress Vivian Vance and movie character actor William Frawley. The series ran from October 15, 1951 to May 6, 1957 on CBS (180 episodes, including the "lost" Christmas episode). This show was ranked #2 on TV Guide's top 50 greatest shows of all time in 2002, behind Seinfeld and ahead of The Honeymooners. Episodes of "I Love Lucy" are still syndicated on television in dozens of languages across the world. The show was heavily based on a radio show from a few years before, My Favorite Husband about Liz and George Cooper (George is a banker) and many of the scripts were rewritten for I Love Lucy using the same writers (Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll, Jr.). On this radio show, Lucy had played "Liz" and actor Richard Denning had played "George".

The program was originally sponsored by cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris, and Lucy and Ricky (as well as Ethel) dutifully puffed away in the early episodes. The program originally opened with animated match-stick figures of Lucy and Ricky climbing down a packet of Philip Morris cigarettes. It was only when the series went into reruns that the familiar "heart on satin" with "I Love Lucy" on it appeared.

The program was filmed at Desilu, a production studio jointly owned by Ball and Arnaz. Studio heads were worried that American audiences would not find such a "mixed marriage" to be believable, and were concerned about Arnaz's heavy Cuban accent.[1] But Ball was adamant, and they were eager to have her in the part. To help sway their decision, Ball and Arnaz put together a vaudeville act featuring his music and her comedy, which was well received in several cities. In the end, CBS agreed (with the then-President of CBS silencing critics by distributing an internal memo that simply read, "Don't f*** around with the Cuban."[citation needed]), but refused to let Desi Arnaz's role be part of the show's title (as in "Lucy and Ricky"). After lengthy negotiations, Arnaz relented and agreed to I Love Lucy, reasoning that the "I" would be his part.

Gale Gordon and Bea Benaderet were originally approached for the roles of Fred and Ethel, but neither could accept due to previous commitments. Gordon did appear as a guest star in 2 episodes, playing Ricky's boss, Mr. Littlefield. Gordon was a veteran from the classic radio days in which he perfected the role of the exasperated character, such as in Fibber McGee and Molly. He would go on to co-star with Ball in most of her post-I Love Lucy series. Benaderet once guest starred playing the Ricardo's neighbor, the elderly Miss Lewis. Ms. Ball was reluctant to accept Vivian Vance for the role because she considered her too attractive for the role, so Vance was required to wear clothes that were too small for her in order to make her appear overweight. In addition, Vance was given a series husband, William Frawley, who was 20 years her senior. Frawley, a baseball fan, only agreed on the series provided they let him go to any main game he wanted to. Despite her scatty appearance on the show, Ball was a perfectionist and would spend an hour practicising a simple stunt. Later when big stars started appearing on the show, she even complained to some of them about their delivery, and that if they had done it such and such a way, they would have got 30% more laughs.

(Mini-Overview from Wikipedia.org)

Official Website: N/A

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-Aaron

[AwallaceUNC]

This is an idea that others have asked me about a few times and was even attempted at one point but didn't get much response. With the number of TV fans we have here, hopefully it can be a success. I thought "I Love Lucy" was as appropriate a starting place as any.

-Aaron

[Ting Ting]

I grew up watching I Love Lucy reruns and was literally OBSESSED as a child. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz have had a huge impact on my life. Because of their talents, I have a passion for acting and have the dream of becoming famous by the time I'm 20 years-old.

Here's to the Queen of Comedy!

[ichabod]

I never seen an episode of I Love Lucy, although the show has always intrigued me. I've often considered importing one of the seasons sets of this show, only put of by the price tags and the import tax I'd have to pay, and I don't even know if I'd even like the show! I'm sure that one day, this show will wander into my collection.

Living in the UK it's only through references to this show is other shows such as the Simpsons than I even know it exists. Unlike other sitcoms such as Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie which regularly crop up here, I Love Lucy appears to be long forgotten.

[Dottie]

Same here. I have never seen I love Lucy (I'm not even sure it was shown in Germany), but whenever I saw one of the boxsets in the US, I thought I might just buy one, but in the end I never did, since I don't know if I'd like the show, and if I wanna spend the money on a show that I don't know. Maybe anyone here can tell me if it's really worth it. I do like Bewitched and I dream of Jeannie, though.

Weird, my post is almost the same as ichabod's.

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

[Jungleprince_55]

This is my most favorite show, Ever.

I was watching Nick at Nite one night in '95 and after The Munsters was over I saw "Lucy and the Dummy" and I was hooked, And have been a fan of lucy ever since.

and I think I remember on Saturdays back when Nick at Nite didn't suck 11 or 12 years ago they would show an episode of I Love Lucy, Then an episode of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, Followed by The Lucy Show.

I have all of the season sets of I love Lucy but I wish that her other shows would get more recognition and more airtime. I never see The Lucy Show on TV anymore and very rarely ever se TLDCH.

[MadonnasManOne]

I Love Lucy stands as one of the greatest televisions shows of all times. It is still just as funny today, as when it first went on the air. I Love Lucy is one of a very few shows that I could watch, over and over, and NEVER get tired of it. I would say that even those who have not seen the show, would be able to pick it up, and become hooked! I loved the relationship between the four main characters. No matter how mad they made each other, no matter what ridiculous situation they got into, at the end of the day, they were all still friends. This is a classic, that never ages. It is one of my top 5 shows of all time!

[xxhplinkxx]

I LOVE LUCY!!!!!

I named my second dog, a poodle, after her! I was like 5 or 6 at the time. I only have the first season on dvd cause I dont work anymore and have no money But I plan to own them all one day! Along with the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour! This is a show that no matter how long its been and no matter how many times youve seen the episodes, its still always funny. This truly is the most famous and best show in the history of tv. In fact, I think I'll go watch some Lucy right now!!!

[MickeyMousePal]

I seen I Love Lucy and it still synicated in Fox here.
I think it's a really great show. I nevery seen the whole series or bought any DVD's since my Dad hates I Love Lucy.
But I tell him it's a great show giving women rights to be actress and freedom.

[Escapay]

Woohoo! Spread the Lucy-lovin' around!

I first came across I Love Lucy during our trip to Walt Disney World in 1995. We had stayed at Embassy Suites, and while the parents decided to check out a bar or club on the ground floor, Kram, Jane, and I were watching Nick@Nite in the bedroom. Since we never had cable, we relished at the chance to watch Nickelodeon, and that particular night was the Lucy marathon for "Block Party Summer" (anyone remember those?). We caught the tail end of "Redecorating", where Lucy and Ethel sold all the furniture and wallpapered the bedroom (very badly). After that, they aired "Lucy Does A TV Commercial" which still remains my favorite episode of the entire series.

Anyways, we had such a BLAST watching the show, as it was our very first time seeing the series (I'm sure it was syndicated on a local station when we were young, but we never found it), that immediately after our WDW trip, we asked our parents if we could *finally* get cable in order to watch I Love Lucy. They relented, and so the summer of 1995 not only saw the birth of I Love Lucy in our home, but that of cable!

For some time, I would try and record every episode of the show, but my rampant recording days often had them scattered across many a VHS tapes and I didn't want to edit through them. And since only those "Best of" VHS tapes were out, I figured taping the whole series would be cheaper.

When the first DVDs came out, I originally wanted them, but at the time (I think it was 2000/2001), I didn't really have the money for it. Once the second season came out, I had already resolved to simply pass on all of them until a complete series was released (all 6 seasons plus comedy hours). So once March 2007 hits, my wallet is gonna hurt from a lot of things (Peter Pan: Platinum Edition, Doctor Who: The Invasion, and I Love Lucy: The Complete Series + Comedy Hours)

One of my favorite Lucy telefilms was 1991's Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter, which had Frances Fisher as Lucy and Maurice Benard as Desi (back when MoBe could actually act). The 2003 film with Rachel York as Lucy was pretty good, as it covered much more than the 1991 movie. Unfortunately, neither are available on DVD or even VHS, though the 1991 film is often rerun on the WE channel (which I don't have, dammit).

The 2000 PBS American Masters documentary, Finding Lucy was also really good, and I had hoped to see it released on DVD or at least in a Lucy DVD set. It was released on VHS (in the aforementioned Best-Of VHS sets), though I never got around to picking those up (which I should have as they seem to have disappeared quickly). Thankfully, I taped a repeat from a couple years ago, though it's not as good quality as I'd like.

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<u><b>DVD Releases</b></u>
Season One: Volumes 1 - 9
The Complete First Season (Box Set of Volumes 1-9)
The Complete First Season (Digipak Reissue)
The Complete Second Season
The Complete Third Season
The Complete Fourth Season
The Complete Fifth Season
The Complete Sixth Season
The Complete Seasons 1-5 (Multi-pack)
The Complete Series (Multi-pack)
I Love Lucy - 50th Anniversary Special</center>

We can add the comedy hours release (titled I Love Lucy: The Final Seasons - 7, 8 & 9) once March 13 comes around, woohoo! According to the cover art at tvshowsondvd.com, it'll contain rare color footage as well as what I'm presuming is the public domain "Desilu/Westinghouse" presentation. It will also be the first time that "Lucy Takes a Cruise to Havana" will be seen in its entirety, as the 75-minute episode was always trimmed down for repeats (eliminating the Hedda Hoppa prologue and a few other snippets).

Also, I wonder if "The Celebrity Next Door" will have the deleted scene cleaned up and re-instated, during the dinner when Tallulah Bankhead mentions her allergies to strawberries and how the ruined pie saved her from hives.

I never really got into the comedy hours, as it often seemed to isolate Lucy from the regular cast half the time and stick her with the celebrity. I've always loved "Lucy Hunts Uranium", though.

<center><u><b>Recurring Cast</b></u>
Kathryn Card - Mrs. MacGillicuddy
Mary Jane Croft - Betty Ramsey
Jerry Hausner - Jerry
Bob Jellison - Bobby
Joseph A. Mayer - "Little Ricky" Ricardo, Jr. (baby)
Michael Mayer - "Little Ricky" Ricardfo, Jr. (baby)
Richard Simmons - "Little Ricky" Ricardfo, Jr. (baby)
Ronald Lee Simmons - "Little Ricky" Ricardfo, Jr. (baby)
Shirley Mitchell - Marion Strong
Frank Nelson - Ralph Ramsey
Elizabeth Patterson - Mrs. Matilda Trumbull
Doris Singleton - Caroline Appleby</center>

Funny story about Richard or Ronald Simmons. During the episode "Lucy and John Wayne", when Little Ricky was supposed to play in the cement and mess up the print, the young actor(s) didn't want to go in, as he was wearing new shoes and didn't want to ruin them!

Also, maybe we could add Barbara Pepper to the list of recurring castmembers, as she was a close friend of Lucille Ball and is almost always noticeable in her small parts (she was in 6 episodes, most notably as a customer at the butcher's in "The Freezer" and as the nurse in "Lucy Goes to the Hospital".)

<u><b>Cross-Overs</b></u>
N/A</center>

There were two.

The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour & Make Room for Daddy - The cast of MRFD guest-starred on the comedy hour in December 1958, and a month later (January 1959), Lucy and Desi guest-starred on MRFD as Lucy and Ricky.

The Anne Sothern Show - Lucy alone guest-starred as Lucy Ricardo in an episode in October 1959.

Escapay

[AwallaceUNC]

"I Love Lucy" is one of my all-time favorite shows. It's in my Top 5 as well (though probably just top 5 favorite comedies, not shows overall). As others have said, it's as outright hilarious today as it must have been back in the '50s. Though it is at times too reliant on formula, the comedic talent of the cast is so incredible that it overshadows any other flaw.

I was first introduced to "I Love Lucy" in elementary school. There was this academic enrichment program thing that ran for a few weeks during the summer and during it we had a few drama classes. On the first day, we were shown "The Ballet" and told to focus on the way Lucy conveyed humor and emotion through her facial expressions. Afterwards, we had to reenact the signature scene from the episode as a class. I was so mesmerized by the show that I went home and sought it out. It soon became a nighttime regular for me on Nick @ Nite, and I've been a fan ever since.

I only have the first season DVD, as they are still on the pricey side. I lucked up and found the re-packaged S1 on a good sale at Target. I can't to watch it and then get Season 2, which contains what is perhaps my favorite episode: "The Operetta".

I also really want to get the 50th Anniversary Special on DVD. I really enjoyed that when it first aired (and not just because it was hosted by Whoopi and Dick Van Dyke).

We can add the comedy hours release (titled I Love Lucy: The Final Seasons - 7, 8 & 9) once March 13 comes around, woohoo!
...
There were two.

I'm treating "I Love Lucy" and "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" as two different shows. I know Paramount is releasing the Comedy Hour episodes as seasons 7-9 and a lot of fans view it that way, but just like "The Golden Palace" isn't really Season 8 "Golden Girls", "Comedy Hour" is technically a spin-off. Since the "Anne Southern Show" cross-over came in 1959, that falls under "Comedy Hour" territory.

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.

Now the question is when will "I Love Lucy" be adapted into a feature-length comedy?

-Aaron

[Disneykid]

I'm a huge Lucy fan. I've seen every episode of this and the Lucy/Desi Comedy Hour (except for the infamous Christmas episode, which I'll be seeing for the first time when I start buying the DVDs). This may have been the first series I ever saw. I remember being four years old and seeing this during the day on a local network. I don't think I officially became a fan, though, until Nick-at-Nite rolled around about the time I was in 1st grade or 2nd grade (it may have been around before then, but I don't remember watching it before my Peskoe Elementary days in 1st grade). It was through Nick-at-Nite that I was able to watch every episode religiously.

I've never been a fan of physical comedy or slapstick; witty banter's always been my favorite type of humor. For some reason, I Love Lucy's a huge exception. Perhaps it's because of just how innovative the physical comedy was and unpredictable. One of my biggest problems with this kind of humor is that you can see the punchline of the gag a mile away. With this show, however, it was always twisting and turning and doing things far out of left field. I've yet to see any modern sitcom (heck, or any film, for that matter) reach the level of brilliance I Love Lucy tapped with its physical comedy. That's not to say the writing was forgettable, either. It was always filled with dry sarcasm and one liners (which is, like I said, my kind of humor). They so expertly parodied every day life despite all of the insane events we know it best for. The best sitcoms are the ones that not only have quick wits about them, but can present events that the audience can relate to and laugh at even more (when in fact, they're sort of laughing at themselves).

My favorite episode would have to be "Lucy Does A Commercial," no doubt about it. Her reaction when she first tries Vitameatavegamin is so freaking hilarious. It's one of the few things out there that can make me laugh no matter how many times I see it.



The way Lucille Ball slowly portrayed her from being nauseated to being delightfully drunk was just pure genius. Plus, you HAVE to at least smile at at lines like, "Do you pop out at parties? Are you unpoopular? Well, the answer to all your troubles is in this bittle lottle!"

Viva la Lucy!

[AwallaceUNC]

I've never been a fan of physical comedy or slapstick; witty banter's always been my favorite type of humor.

The same is true for me (and <i>Home Alone</i> is my big exception there). Interestingly, I don't immediately think of Lucy's slapstick comedy when I think of the show, but it's definitely there. I'm always most focused on the big picture of things when I watch them, and Lucy and Ricky's schemes are always what have most attracted me to the show. Well, that and Lucille Ball's performances. Those facial and vocal reactions are just priceless. And look at that... after saying I never paid much attention to physical comedy, I'm commenting on it as one of my favorite aspects. I'd delete and not post this, but then I hate doing that. So just ignore me.

-Aaron

[Finchx0rz]

In my younger years, back when Nick at Nite played programs whose original broadcasts were not frighteningly close to my own date of birth, I couldn't get enough of Lucy. I had a few blank tapes (recorded in EP mode) devoted entirely to this show. My fondness waned as I got older, when repeats got boring and my sense of humor took on a dry, dark tone. It doesn't help that I went to high school with an absolute pill who considered herself the High Priestess of Lucyism. To this day I still can't think of "I Love Lucy" without that wench popping up in my memory.

[Timon/Pumbaa fan]

Well, I guess I'm the "Lone Ranger" here. [*LONG RANT ALERT*]

I personally hate this show with a passion. I never really found it funny. I don't really think it's much of the show's fault as it isn't exactly terrible, but the fact people love it so much makes me feel "the emperor has no clothes".

For one the show is incredibly formulatic, by that, I really mean it. I've never seen two different episodes. They're all the same. Lucy wants something. Ricky doesn't give it to her. She finds a way to get it, the plan then backfires, and she tries to fix it, requiring her to dress in some ridiculous costume is still backfires and it ends. Now I can forgive a show's formula(as that's how several sitcoms are), if it had creative writing. Home Improvement, for example, while shared similar plots, had wonderful dialouge with Wilson and Tim, on Tool Time as well as try new things, especially, with it's technology, that when you saw a different episode, it FELT like a different episode. However, the writing in ILL is so dumb and cringeworthy, I feel, even in the 50's, the scripts were as incredibly poor as a human being could write. I've NEVER heard a "joke" in ILL that didn't somehow not relate to the plot, and a lot of times, they're the best jokes in a sitcom. The ones that were amusing you could predict the first for 30 seconds, any other joke that wasn't predictable stunk. I haven't seen every episode, but I'm pretty sure if I saw it, I could tell you everything that happens with just watching the first 5 minutes.

Second, I feel Lucille Ball is a pretty bland and unfunny actress. Now I'm in complete opposite of the two posts above in that I love slapstick, but hate I Love Lucy, so I ask, what's so special about Lucille Ball? I've never seen an episode that allowed her to use her body to make me ever impressed. The only thing she could do was make here eyes big. Compared to many at even her time, she felt weak and uninspired. She just never had much talent imo. Although, it didn't help the character she played was such a whiney baby.

Finally, it's overratedness. The #2 best television show ever? Yeah right T.V. Guide. There are SOOOOO many shows that have much more complex and hilarious plots, better acting, less predictabillaty, wittier dialouge, more likable characters... I could go one. While I haven't seen a list of every television show ever made, I'm 100% sure if I did, I could name more than 100 shows on that are better. I couldn't give a hoot if it was "one of the first shows on television . There were probably many shows in the 50's MUCH better than Lucy at the time . Unfortunately, from what I understand, Desi Arnaz was a very powerful business man, haveing the best television company at the time and making sure to save many of those prints and put them in sydication. I strongly believe had any other producer had it, we wouldn't even be discussing it today, and eveyone would say "What the hell is "I Love Lucy?" I could also care less if it "inspired many". How in the world can you use the phrase "It help inspired "That's So Raven" as a compliment? In fact, while it's a tad better than "That's So Raven" as it doesn't have the "modern" stuff thrown at you, but not by much.

I prefer MANY slapstick shows and films, and don't see how I Love Lucy could possibly be "revolutionary". I mean, okay, it might've been okay then, but now, it's painful to watch. If you want a show near the time that's ACTUALLY funny, try "The Honeymooners", "The Andy Griffith Show", "The Dick Van Dyke Show", heck, ANY show from the 50's or 60's is 100 times better than Lucy. Personally, if it weren't for the hype, I'd forget about it immediatly. Which show how forgetable this show is, wow, this show is so overrated. Just my opinion though.

Now this was a great thread, and thank Aaron for the research, but, I hope the next show is MUCH MUCH MUCH better choice.

Okay, feel free to sharpen your pitchforks.

[AwallaceUNC]

Well, I guess I'm the "Lone Ranger" here. [*LONG RANT ALERT*]

Well somehow I'm not surprised.

Lucy wants something. Ricky doesn't give it to her. She finds a way to get it, the plan then backfires, and she tries to fix it, requiring her to dress in some ridiculous costume is still backfires and it ends. Now I can forgive a show's formula(as that's how several sitcoms are), if it had creative writing.

That's true enough and as I've said, it's a valid point of criticism for the show. However, a structural formula doesn't have to be a bad thing. Take any detective or murder mystery show... you know someone will die and that the protagonist will crack the case at the very end of the show. It happens in every episode. It's the cleverness of each individual situation that elevates the show above the blandness that such a formula could produce. I feel that "I Love Lucy" transcended its formulaic nature with a lot of creativity and the other talents that I've already elaborated on above.

I've NEVER heard a "joke" in ILL that didn't somehow not relate to the plot, and a lot of times, they're the best jokes in a sitcom.

They're there, I promise.

Finally, it's overratedness. The #2 best television show ever? Yeah right

I actually think it's pretty ridiculous that "Seinfeld" got the top spot over "I Love Lucy" (and this is coming from a "Seinfeld" fan). Remember that TV Guide wasn't ranking the 50 "best", but rather the 50 "greatest" -- there's a difference. The latter takes into account the impact the show had/has, regardless of personal opinion.

Unfortunately, from what I understand, Desi Arnaz was a very powerful business man, haveing the best television company at the time and making sure to save many of those prints and put them in sydication. I strongly believe had any other producer had it, we wouldn't even be discussing it today, and eveyone would say "What the hell is "I Love Lucy?"

Oh come on. You honestly believe that it's one of the most watched, most aired shows around the world today because Desi Arnaz had some weight in Hollywood back in the '50s? "Lucy" was never not popular. Just look at the stats in the first post. It was #1 in 4 of its 6 seasons (and #2 and #3 in the others) and was on top when it went out, one of only three shows to ever do so. It propelled many other very popular projects too. Lucille Ball was still making new TV through the '80s solely because of her popularity from "I Love Lucy". Any show as successful as this one was would have a long life. It had nothing to do with Desi Arnaz "making sure" to save the prints. Sorry, but you're going to have to support this argument with some evidence.

...That piece of your post aside, though, disliking ILL is totally your prerogative. You made a couple of strong points and even if you hadn't, you can like or dislike whatever you want. Thanks for sharing with us some of the reasons you don't care for it, even if I disagree with most of them.

-Aaron

[Ting Ting]

Okay, feel free to sharpen your pitchforks.

Looks like I'm first in line!

I prefer MANY slapstick shows and films, and don't see how I Love Lucy could possibly be "revolutionary".

If I Love Lucy wasn't revolutionary, then I don't know what was! Lucy had a very large share of firsts in television history. For example, this show was the first show that starred an interracial married couple. Television execs tried to stop it from happening, viewers even complained, but Lucy and Desi still managed to come out on top. It was also the first show to have a pregnant character. Pregnancy wasn't allowed to be shown on TV at the time, but our favorite screw-balled red-head managed to slip it in there. And if you'd like me to go on, I Love Lucy was the first to use multiple cameras while filming; this technique is now used in every movie, show, music video, commercial, and whatever else today.

I mean, okay, it might've been okay then, but now, it's painful to watch. If you want a show near the time that's ACTUALLY funny, try "The Honeymooners", "The Andy Griffith Show", "The Dick Van Dyke Show", heck, ANY show from the 50's or 60's is 100 times better than Lucy.

And in the end, we all seem to forget that it's just a matter of opinion.

[Ting Ting]

Aw, shucks! Aaron beat me to it!

Oh well.

[Timon/Pumbaa fan]

I actually think it's pretty ridiculous that "Seinfeld" got the top spot over "I Love Lucy" (and this is coming from a "Seinfeld" fan). Remember that TV Guide wasn't ranking the 50 "best", but rather the 50 "greatest" -- there's a difference. The latter takes into account the impact the show had/has, regardless of personal opinion.

Well, I'm a Seinfeld fan as well, but I also agree #1 was way too high. Personally, my favorite shows(and also two of the most influential I feel) only got #48 and #47 on the list. Here's hoping those two shows get discussed

And in the end, we all seem to forget that it's just a matter of opinion.

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

[AwallaceUNC]

For example, this show was the first show that starred an interracial married couple. Television execs tried to stop it from happening, viewers even complained, but Lucy and Desi still managed to come out on top. It was also the first show to have a pregnant character. Pregnancy wasn't allowed to be shown on TV at the time, but our favorite screw-balled red-head managed to slip it in there. And if you'd like me to go on, I Love Lucy was the first to use multiple cameras while filming; this technique is now used in every movie, show, music video, commercial, and whatever else today.

You're right about the interracial thing, which needs to be added to my post. It was actually the second show to feature a pregnant woman, though, but the first to get a lot attention for it. It also wasn't exactly the first to use three camera from what I understand (though it was one of the first), but rather the first to do that and also use a live studio audience, thus giving birth to the standard sitcom set-up.

-Aaron