HTF REVIEW: "I Love Lucy" Season One: Volumes 1&2 (with screenshots) (1 Viewer)

[Joseph Miller]

"Volume One and Volume Two: Combined, they represent the
first 8 shows of the 39-show season (note I am
adding the PILOT episode to this number)."

Although 38 shows (not counting the pilot) were filmed the first season, three of them ("The Anniversary Present," "The Handcuffs," and "The Operetta") were saved for the second season.

Since these shows are being released in the original broadcast order -- which is good, because that's the way they were meant to be seen -- that means the first season will have 35 episodes, or 36 when you include the pilot. The other three episodes named above are episodes 3, 4, and 5 of the second season.

 

[Rob W]

Ron :

The animated openings were seen at the beginning of every episode, not just the first three. They are included on the Criterion Lucy laserdisc from episodes that were broadcast much later in the series.

I believe the "heart on satin" openings made their first appearance when the show went into syndication.

 

[Randy B A]

I think that when volume 3 and 4 are released they are releasing a gift set with all 4 DVDs, kind of how warner did with the best of friends DVDs.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

The most disappointing things about the sets are the price per minute, and the huge amount of shelf space it would take up.
I don't have a huge beef about the individual discs, but why not go 8 episodes each, dual-layered (say, for $25 MSRP).
If you divide these discs out to retail cost per minute, it comes to about 15 cents per. Not terrible, and in line with Star Trek: The Next Generation.
But look at FOX! The current (excellent) Buffy and MASH sets are only about 6 cents per minute, and take up little shelf space.
As a collector with limited shelf space and limited resources, I'll buy a couple of Lucy discs, spending maybe 20 bucks....and keep buying entire series runs of FOX series, spending hundreds of dollars.

 

[David Von Pein]

The most disappointing things about the sets are the price per minute.....

HARD TO BEAT THIS! Not many first-run discs are this cheap. I'm not gonna complain.

 

[David Lambert]

I don't have a huge beef about the individual discs, but why not go 8 episodes each, dual-layered

Okay, everbody just GET this idea, and do so by repeating after me: "Paramount was NOT gonna go to the trouble and expense to make new discs for this. They just re-used the Columbia House version masters. Paramount was NOT gonna go to the trouble and expense to make new discs for this. They just re-used the Columbia House version masters. Paramount was NOT..."

 

[Michael St. Clair]

HARD TO BEAT THIS!

Oh, THIS and THIS beat it handily. Half the price and a small fraction of the shelf space.

 

[MikeDE]

I wish they had the original openings on each episode, but the general public is probably too used to the satin heart to make the change. I was at the Lucy-Desi Museum in Jamestown, NY last week, and several people were shelling out over $50 for bobble heads of the stick figures from that opening. Still, it's good to have these shows on DVD more readily available in stores. This will be a must buy for me.

Mike

 

[David Lambert]

MikeDE, I think that if the discs had been authored showing the original opening instead of the heart-on-satin openings, the studio would be torn down brick-by-brick by the anti-smoking groups.
Hey, they made that change for a rather good reason: to draw less advertising and attention to a rather deadly habit. For those of you reading this who smoke, that's your choice and I do respect that. But you have to also respect the choice CBS Video/Columbia House/Paramount to keep the later-used opening, which not only is non-promotional of cigarettes, but is **MUCH** more familiar to fans of modern generations.
Be grateful instead that A) the episodes are shown uncut and in original form, when syndication cuts out much of the advertiser-oriented smoking stuff (see Disc 2's "The Audition", where Lucy looks in the camera holding up a pack of cigs while Ricky stands next to her shaving!), and B) that the original opening was shown at all.
Last night on Entertainment Tonight they were showing the DVDs and mentioning the pilot and the original opening. The original opening they showed was edited in a way as to make the impact of it being a giant box of Phillip Morris smokes rather minimal; the logo was avoided alltogether, IIRC. That's today's "standards".

 

[Gary Miller]

The guardians of public behavior and morality remain ever vigilant...I recognize the realities of marketing in this PC age so I can't say I totally disagree with the decision making process at work here. From a selfish perspective though, I am getting sick and tired of being patronized like a child or a dope. I find the whitewashing and repression of our heritage far more insidious to our culture then the display of crude ad campaigns. Anti-smoking groups may have howled in protest...but not if they wanted to be taken seriously. The terrific laserdisc edition(s) presented these shows in their original form: commercials and the opening and closing credit sequences intact. The commercial pitches were primitive enough to be a valuable lesson about the genesis of TV advertising and manipulation(the bizarre sequence of a midget bellhop exclaiming "call for Phillip Morris"! was truly spooky). The DVD undeniably has some cool features for Lucy-philes. For those, like myself however, more interested in the history of the medium, the laserdiscs are a keeper.

 

[Kajs]

If anyone read the backs carefully, you would see that "Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying To Murder Her" on Vol. 2 was the first episode and "The Girls Want To Go To A NightClub" on Vol. 1 is the second.

Obviously the only reason these were not released in season sets is because CH already put these discs together. Luckily we don't have to pay their outrageous prices.

Can the Paramount DVD opening get any longer? Now we have a 90th anniversary logo and CBS Video logo, and the 3 copyright screens. Why on earth can we not skip it?

 

[MatthewA]

When I like a show enough to collect it on DVD (or any other format), I like to collect all episodes. I'll be buying all of the I Love Lucy discs, but it will be neither inexpensive nor space-saving.

But when are the next volumes coming out?

 

[Nelson Au]

Gary-

Regarding your comments, I'll add that the laserdisc box set of the first episodes of The Flintstones cartoon included all the original commercials too and had cigarette adds to boot. I'm really glad I was able to grab that set when it came out.

 

[Jorge Montes]

If anyone read the backs carefully, you would see that "Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying To Murder Her" on Vol. 2 was the first episode and "The Girls Want To Go To A NightClub" on Vol. 1 is the second.
Obviously the only reason these were not released in season sets is because CH already put these discs together. Luckily we don't have to pay their outrageous prices.

Actually, if you'd read the backs a little closer, you'd notice there's a date next to the episodes in reference to the airdates (in otherwords, when they were shown).
According to my Lucy Log in The "I Love Lucy" Book:
"The Girls Want To Go To A Nightclub" was aired on Oct. 15, 1951
"Be A Pal" was aired on Oct. 22, 1951
"The Diet" was aired on Oct. 29, 1951
"Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying To Murder Her" was aired on Nov. 5, 1951.
HOWEVER....
The episode numbers are based on the day they were FILMED, not the day aired.
Episode 1: "Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying To Murder Her" was filmed on September 8, 1951.
Episode 2: "The Girls Want To Go To A Nightclub" was filmed on September 15, 1951
Etc. Etc. Etc.
So, by this logic, the DVDs are in order of when they were showed the public, not by when they were filmed (which is where the episode numbers come from). Therefore, while it may be the case that the reason we aren't getting season sets is because Columbia House already made these discs, if were were to have gotten a season set, the episodes would be listed in this order anyway.
As for WHY episode 2 was episode 1: "Because of technical problems inherent in ["Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying To Murder Her"], including the awkward use of four cameras instead of three, Jess (Opppenheimer, the producer and writer of the show) and the others choose the second "I Love Lucy" installment as the premiere show."
So there you have it. I'm done geeking out now. :b

 

[Gary Miller]

Nelson: Flintstone cartoons with cigarette ads? It's a miracle I reached middle age without the tobacco habit.

 

[Rob W]

It gets better - not only were there cigarette ads but some of them actually used the animated Flintstone characters to sell 'em !

 

[Gary Miller]

I wonder what was REALLY in those Flintstone vitamin tablets.

 

[David Lambert]

Gary, I just bought a new bottle of Flintstones vitamans for my son this weekend, so don't go there!
We're getting a wee bit off-topic here...

 

[Steve Tannehill]

No sale. The discs could easily hold almost twice the content, take up half the shelf space, and cost a fraction of the asking price. Paramount has some 'splaining to do.

- Steve

 

[Dave Scarpa]

I Absolutely agree, the only reasons these things are being sold like this is because they were already mastered for Columbia House. There is absolutely no excuse at this point in the DVD Lifecycle to offer 3 measly 30 min episodes per disk. It's inexcusable