Lucy Show DVD Box Sets? (1 Viewer)

[Chas_Michael]

OK Guys! Has anyone compared the video quality, running time, etc. of these two Lucy Show Box sets?

Best of Lucy and Friends
[4 Discs] Mill Creek Entertainment
UPC: 683904505590
Release Date: 04/10/2007

The Lucy Show
[3 Discs] Platinum/St Clair Entertainment
UPC: 777966884196
Release Date: 11/02/2004

 

[Jeff#]

Another in a long series of public domain releases with crappy film prints. I don't even have to see these to know that. It's 15 hours+ which means it has to have the same 30 episodes as the Platinum release and no doubt other releases.

Even Here's Lucy had a re-mastered edition come out with selected episodes. I'm not sure why The Lucy Show hasn't gotten the respect it deserves, but it's the best of all of the Lucille Ball TV series.

 

[Charles Ellis]

You mean the best after the split with Desi! There's a reason why I Love Lucy has never been off the air in either its original CBS airings or in reruns since 1951!

 

[Robert13]

Yeah, we're all hoping The Lucy Show will see a remastered Season 1 box-set to follow on the heels of the very successful ILL box-sets. I'm afraid any of the budget sets available are of subpar quality.

 

[Bob Hug]

There's a discussion of the St. Clair Entertainment release of "The Lucy Show" here:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...=The+Lucy+Show

I’d guess that Paramount might eventually release season sets of “The Lucy Show,” particularly the black & white episodes since only two of the 30 episodes in the public domain are from the show’s black & white era. When Paramount released season three of “The Andy Griffith Show,” they did so knowing full well that half of that season (16 episodes) had been making the rounds on numerous public domain releases of TAGS.

 

[Jeff#]

The Lucy Show was the best of all of Ms. Ball's sitcoms, because she was a single woman raising two kids. Why they got rid of the kids after a few years when Viv and her boy left is anybody's guess.

 

[Larry.P]

I think it's time for a letter writing campaign. The "I Love Lucy" sets were wonderful and we are now hoping to see "The Lucy Show" treated with the same care. And of course we want Tom Watson involved.

 

[Joe Lugoff]

As stated elsewhere, it's doubtful that "The Lucy Show" will sell as well as "I Love Lucy," because there are many people who loved "I Love Lucy" but didn't like (or even hated) "The Lucy Show," whereas I doubt there are many people who loved "The Lucy Show" but didn't like "I Love Lucy."

There are some Lucy fans to whom the mere mention of the words "Mr. Mooney" provokes a violent response. (I'm not one of them, by the way -- but I know a few!)

 

[Jeff#]

I Love Lucy has been oversaturated in the video market. A lot of fans of that series and the limited number of Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour specials who make up the generations younger than us might have never had the opportunity to see The Lucy Show. So if CBS Video / Paramount were to give Ball's second series the royal treatment too, it could very well outsell what preceded it. Vivian Vance's participation in the 1960s series is a plus. The fact that it's in color from the second season on gives it even wider appeal considering that a lot of kids today don't care for black & white. They should press discs and release the first & second season sets of The Lucy Show at the same time. It was the 2nd year that introduced Theodore J. Mooney as the vice-president of Lucy Carmichael's bank.

As for Gale Gordon, he made his TV (and radio) marks in the "Our Miss Brooks" sitcom playing Osgood Conkin. Mp3s of the CBS radio show (which outlived the TV version by a year) are free to download and for new audiences to enjoy. On both I Love Lucy and Here's Lucy, Gordon made a perfect blustery comic foil for Lucille Ball just as he previously had for Eve Arden.

 

[Steve...O]

I enjoy THE LUCY SHOW (and Mr. Mooney), but I can't agree that it was better than I LOVE LUCY or that it will outsell it.

ILL is an iconic TV show and continues to be merchandised not only on video but other memorabilla as well. I don't see how it can be called oversaturated when it is still so popular and new generations of fans are discovering it all the time.

THE LUCY SHOW was quite successful in its day, but unlike the timelessness of ILL it does come across as somewhat dated which will probably limit its fan appeal. The lack of success in syndication in recent years demonstrates the problems it has with maintaining a deep fan base.

The HERE'S LUCY box set of last year apparently didn't do well despite the efforts of the Arnaz family and Paul Brownstein to produce a first rate collection. I don't see how that can be anything but bad news for the prospects of THE LUCY SHOW.

Gale Gordon was a great comic in my book. In addition to Mooney, I enjoyed his incarnation as Mr. Wilson #2 on DENNIS THE MENACE. It's a shame that he doesn't get the recognition today that he should in my opinion.

Steve

 

[Jeff#]

On that we agree, Steve O.

 

[Jeff#]

On that we agree, Steve O.

 

[Chas_Michael]

CAN ANYONE JUST ANSWER THE ORIGINAL QUESTION...


PLEASE.

 

[Steve...O]

Jeff, your passion for THE LUCY SHOW is commendable. It is going to need many strong advocates such as yourself to make it come to retail and succeed. But, since you said you wouldn't buy it if it came out doesn't that send a signal to CBS/Paramount that if a major fan like you isn't willing to buy it, the general public won't either?

 

[Jeff#]

Well, as said earlier, Steve, I DID buy one version of the public domain 30 episode set, but that was because it was only $10 and I wanted to see those old shows again for the first time in 20 year+
I then gave it to a friend whose mother is a huge Lucy fan and enjoys all of her work.

My unwillingness to buy any other Lucille Ball shows beyond that doesn't make any difference. I'm just saying that only ONE of her TV series (her first after many years in radio and films) has gotten the respect that her other series also deserve. Nothing we post here will have an impact on Paramount's decision either way. The Lucy Show will get season releases eventually just as BONANZA has (and is in other countries).

 

[Robert13]

Really??? I had read that the set sold very well, better than they had expected, and that the reason why they didn't release a follow-up set was that the rights-holder saw the successful sales as a way to capitalize on the copyright license fees. Shout! didn't feel it was a fair price. So they have shelved plans for a second set. I could be wrong but this was posted over at SitcomsOnline's message boards a while ago.

 

[Joe Lugoff]

Are those HERE'S LUCY "rights holders" you mention Desi and Lucie, Jr.?

Wasn't inheriting millions of dollars for just being born enough for them?

In a saner world, there'd have been Season Sets of THE LUCY SHOW and HERE'S LUCY years ago.

 

[Bob Hug]

I'm not so sure that "Here's Lucy" did well sales wise. It's being liquidated here for around $10:

http://www.oldies.com/product-view/4230GD.html

 

[Joe Lugoff]

On the Internet, you can read totally conflicting "facts," always said with absolute certainty. If someone here says A, within minutes someone will respond with Z.

From what I know, HERE'S LUCY did NOT sell well -- and if it had, there would have been a second volume, or season sets.

 

[MatthewA]

Perhaps they didn't sell well because those who wanted it would rather have bought season sets.