The Lucy Show Season 1 Spring 2009

besides the divorcee situation, you've got Lucy and Vivian supposedly having babies in their 40s. What does that say about their marriages since they didn't get knocked up until late in life?

One Day At a Time sure did glamorize the life of a divorcee - sitting back in a luxury condo and collecting those fat checks from the ex-husband. Bonnie Franklin sure had it easy on that show. My favorite episode is the one where Schnider installs her solid gold toilet. 

wish more seasons of One Day at a Time were out.

Keep in mind also that not only were syndicated reruns of DVD Show still fresh in everyone's mind but Dick and Mary had also just the year before reunited in a highly rated TV special "Dick Van Dyke And The Other Woman".     The idea that they were afraid of was that Mary Richards divorcee could easily seem like Laura Petrie divorcee (and understandable in that it's NEVER easy for someone widely identified with one TV role to shake that image right away).

I couldn't agree more.    To me the Norman Lear sitcoms are very overrated because they ushered in the trend of using sitcoms as a vehicle for agenda preaching at the expense of entertainment, and the agenda preaching was always one-sided.

"All In The Family" I give a partial pass to only because of the brilliant comic timing of the actors and the fact that when the show stuck to traditional ways of doing comedy the results were hilarious.     When Archie gets locked in the basement for instance, that's an example of when the show is great fun to watch.    But listening to the dumb sermonettes of Meathead, who was ultimately totally out of synch with where the country was heading makes the show cringe-inducing on many occasions (and considering that Meathead was being given the privilege of free room and board he would have been well-advised to show more tact and tolerance for Archie's vices)

Very well said, Jack.  We definitely agree on this point.  Give me the classic 50's and 60's sitcoms over those preachy, Norman Lear 70's ones any day of the week.

Gary "really looking forward to The Lucy Show: Season 1" O.

The Press Release was just posted on tvshowsondvd.com. I thought they lived in Danfield, Connecticut. It says they live together in a suburban New York house. Whatever they write, I can't wait to buy this set!!!!

It is Danfield, New York and not Connecticut (altho the mistake is often made)

 

I can't wait to get my hands on this set! 

 

 

Yeah, I once had this big Internet argument with a guy over the Connecticut-New York issue.

People assume it's Connecticut, because that's where the Ricardos were living when "I Love Lucy" ended.

But it's definitely New York, and it's explicitly stated in the third season episode with Arthur Godfrey, to name one example.

I'm thinking Danfield was in Westchester county, not far from New Rochelle, where Rob and Laura Petrie were living at the same time.  But it might have been on Long Island.

I think the main reason people assumed it was because in reality there is no Danfield NY, but there is a Danfield CT.  Danfield NY is strictly a fictional location.

And it definitely "feels" more like Westchester (or thereabouts) than Long Island, the way they depicted it.

Ah, thanks for clearing that up. For some reason, I never felt like it was New York when I was watching the show. I had forgotten about the Arthur Godrey episode. Thanks again! :)

Yeah, I made the same mistake myself for many years before someone wised me up.  Definitely doesn't feel like New York to me either.

Gary "this one is less than a week away now!" O.

In actuality there is not a Danfield Ct, it is Danbury Ct.  I also made this mistake over the years and thought she was in CT during this show.  Especially when I lived near Danbury CT and the snow drifts reminded me of the winter episodes of the Lucy Show. 

I guess I would have to put my vote in for Westchester County.  Looking forward to this set.

Oops, Allen, you are absolutely correct.  There is no Danfield CT either.  My bad.

"Oh how I hated those preachy, liberal sitcoms from the 70's where every virtue became a vice and every vice became a virtue.  Not all sitcoms from that era fell into this trap, but many did.  One Day at a Time is a perfect example (as was Maude)."

Actually I was surprised by the DVDS of Maude's first season.....I had forgotten that they DID poke fun of Maude's liberalism  AT FIRST.....they quickly aboandoned that in favor of making HER look like the level headed one and anyone who disagreed with her to be the moron.

Mine arrived today and I have watched the first episode never seen it before but it was great. Really enjoyed, picture quality was great cant wait to start watching the rest now.
Packaging is a normal DVD case with a cardboard sleeve.

Which site did you purchase it from to receive it early?  

[Deleted by moderator; do not repost]

HTF Rule 7:

 Quote:

Dore dont ask anyone that again it is against the rules here

I just got my copy of "The Lucy Show - The Official First Season" and let me just say that this seems to be the benchmark for how to do television on DVD.  Everyone involved did an outstanding job.  The source material seems clean and completely restored.  The box has the standard Paramount disclaimer about music replacement, but I haven't found any as yet, and I've sampled about half the episodes so far.

The menu gives you an option to play each episode with the original sponsored openings, cast commercials and closings or with the cleaner openings off the negatives.  The extras include chatty interviews with Lucie Arnaz (who made her acting debut on this show) and Jimmy Garrett who played Jerry Carmichael.  Jerry also discusses the extensive promotional items sold in stores during the first season.  The cast bios and flubs are in a format very similar to what is found on I Love Lucy.  And the menus themselves have one or two surprises.

My favorite bonus may be "A Message from CBS DVD" which features the cartoon figures of Lucy and Viv in the familiar episode credit roll displaying the following memo from the producers of this DVD:

"Dear Fans,
 
We are delighted to be bringing you THE LUCY SHOW.  Seldom in our history have we received so many requests to receive a television program on DVD.

But that’s not so surprising;  It stars the First Lady of television comedy, Lucille Ball, with her longtime sidekick, Vivian Vance, in all-new laugh-filled adventures.  Plus, the episodes were written and produced by many of the same creative team as I LOVE LUCY

We recognize how much you, the fans, love classic TV… and so do we.  All 30 episodes from this season have been beautifully remastered from original film negatives, and are presented here with a long list of extras.

Included among our special features are clips from the CBS Television special “Opening Night” which introduced several shows from CBS’s 1962 Fall line-up, including THE LUCY SHOW.  “Opening Night” has not been seen since the program’s original airing in 1962.  We also have special interviews with Lucie Arnaz and cast member Jimmy Garrett; rare cast commercials and network promos; and an avalanche of cast bios, production notes and interesting ‘flubs.
’

Many thanks to all who contacted us, and please enjoy THE LUCY SHOW Season 1 on DVD… Again and again.

CBS DVD”

All others take note:  This is how classic TV on DVD is done.  This is far and away the best season of "The Lucy Show" with many outstanding moments of comedy that can stand proudly next to the work done by Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance in "I Love Lucy."  This is a TV-on-DVD dream come true for me and I for one can't wait to for season two which will be Lucy's first in color!

 Thank you, Bob! All this is very exciting.  Can't wait to get my hands on one copy, next Tuesday!

I picked up my copy today at Best Buy and had them price match the WalMart price. (they check the online price it was 26.something)

I Recieved this set as a gift today, and it looks nice.

The DVDs are set up much like the I Love Lucy sets, with guest cast info, flubs, original elements, production notes, and the like. I guess that's to be expected, though. The Executive Producer of this DVD set was also involved with Season 6 of ILL and the Lucy Desi Comedy Hour box set. Plus, why fix something that isn't broke?

One thing I thought was interesting, though, was the flyer included in the box set for MPI's Desilu and Lucy offerings. The flyer advertised Here's Lucy season 1, The Mothers In Law, Lucy's movies, and a documentary. I would never have thought to see something like that... I mean, all these products are from another company. But, it's nice to see some advertising for this stuff. Who would be more likely to pick up Here's Lucy than someone who bought The Lucy Show?

I noticed that, too. They must have some sort of deal. During Lucie's interview, they showed clips of Here's Lucy courtesy of MPI (the transfers look sharp and colorful, BTW). I think Lucie owns a piece of Here's Lucy.

The episodes included on the DVD set "The Best of Here's Lucy" were just about the best prints of a TV show I've ever seen.  I hope they maintain that quality on the season sets.

As far as I know, Lucie and her brother Desi entirely own "Here's Lucy," having inherited Lucille Ball Productions from their mother twenty years ago.

God, 20 years already.  I remember that day hearing the news about her passing while I was driving to work over Laurel Canyon.  

Does anyone know when we can expect the next release of her tv specials from MPI or the complete set of The Mothers-In-Law? Can't wait for more dvds of one of my favorite tv stars.

Well, I'm sure you know she won't be seen in The Mothers-in-Law .. although the series was certainly in the spirit of her type of TV comedy.

MPI had announced it would be out "before the end of the year."

Yeah, I just think it's going to be a great set. I love all kinds of classic tv shows. So I'm definitely looking forward to this. Plus Eve Arden is in it. So it's got to be a fun show.