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LUCY: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION featuring “Life With Lucy” (1 Viewer)

mrz7

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Time Life announced today that they are releasing “Lucy (as in Lucille Ball) The Ultimate collection. Selections from her four t.v. series (“I Love Lucy”, “The Lucy Show”, “Here’s Lucy” and “Life With Lucy”). Most of the collection is redundant to what has been already released, however, there are 4 episodes of “Life With Lucy” (her very last series) that has never been released on DVD until now. Here is the Time-Life link of today’s release announcement:
https://timelife.com/products/lucy-...st+-+180+days&utm_term=grid+-+carousel+-+conv

Continue reading...
 
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KPmusmag

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Hm. I think I have all of this. Of course, my copies of "Life with Lucy" are from my VHS recordings. Time-Life did not include what I think is the best episode of "Life with Lucy", titled "Love Among the Two-by-Fours" with guest star Peter Graves. IMO it is what this show should have been about - the changing generations and adjusting to age - there are some really heartfelt moments and a Lucy-style gag at the end that doesn't cheapen the heart of the episode.
 

Rob W

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With a limited selection of Here's Lucy shows in the set, why would they choose Lucy & Donny Osmond ? Lucy is barely in it and has little to do, as the episode is all about Donny's infatuation with Kim Carter / Lucie Arnaz, who even gets the obligatory musical number with Osmond at the end.

However, the episode is a must for Eve Plumb completists.
 

MartinP.

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Hmmm...some of the episodes chosen for this set are my "least favorite" episodes from each series. That's the trouble with collections.

Although it just says it's the "Ultimate Collection" not the best of etc. Anyway, for Lucy fans, the ultimate collection is each series in it's entirety. I wouldn't mind a release of all the colorized episodes so far. (Why has the only one of those that I missed, the "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" episode, never appear anywhere again?)

There are many lists of the Best or Favorite "I Love Lucy" episodes, but I'd like to know what episodes are your least favorite!

If they really wanted to sell this to people, they'd have been smart to release the entire Life with Lucy series in it. Otherwise, I really don't know who this might be marketed, too. It's quite pricey for a casual fan and everyone else would have all this, except the last series episodes, of course.
 

Tony Bensley

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Hmmm...some of the episodes chosen for this set are my "least favorite" episodes from each series. That's the trouble with collections.

Although it just says it's the "Ultimate Collection" not the best of etc. Anyway, for Lucy fans, the ultimate collection is each series in it's entirety. I wouldn't mind a release of all the colorized episodes so far. (Why has the only one of those that I missed, the "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" episode, never appear anywhere again?)

There are many lists of the Best or Favorite "I Love Lucy" episodes, but I'd like to know what episodes are your least favorite!

If they really wanted to sell this to people, they'd have been smart to release the entire Life with Lucy series in it. Otherwise, I really don't know who this might be marketed, too. It's quite pricey for a casual fan and everyone else would have all this, except the last series episodes, of course.
I agree that $100 is a lot for this type of set, especially considering that each series, except the last, is available in its entirety (Save, I believe for occasional edits!), and at relatively reasonable price points. Also, indeed why not issue every LIFE WITH LUCY (1986) episode (There weren't very many from that last series, after all!) as a helpful selling point?

CHEERS! :)
 
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mrz7

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Hmmm...some of the episodes chosen for this set are my "least favorite" episodes from each series. That's the trouble with collections.

Although it just says it's the "Ultimate Collection" not the best of etc. Anyway, for Lucy fans, the ultimate collection is each series in it's entirety. I wouldn't mind a release of all the colorized episodes so far. (Why has the only one of those that I missed, the "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" episode, never appear anywhere again?)

There are many lists of the Best or Favorite "I Love Lucy" episodes, but I'd like to know what episodes are your least favorite!

If they really wanted to sell this to people, they'd have been smart to release the entire Life with Lucy series in it. Otherwise, I really don't know who this might be marketed, too. It's quite pricey for a casual fan and everyone else would have all this, except the last series episodes, of course.

I agree with you Martin P. about "Lucy Does A TV Commercial" colorized episode. Thankfully I taped it when it was on Broadcast and transferred it to DVD myself. I wouldn't mind a Blu-Ray Release of all the colored episodes so far.....most of them are the "classic" episodes.

As far as "Life With Lucy", I do wish Time-Life would just have released the 13 episodes that were produced as an individual set. Since Time-life currently have the rights to the show to release on DVD, they might release something down the line? Hopefully.
 

Benno123

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As far as "Life With Lucy", I do wish Time-Life would just have released the 13 episodes that were produced as an individual set. Since Time-life currently have the rights to the show to release on DVD, they might release something down the line? Hopefully.

Give it time. Once they have drained every cent out of the Lucy fans who have to have everything and couldn’t wait they’ll announce a complete series release so those who want them all will have to rebuy some of the shows again.
 

Blimpoy06

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The episodes chosen for the latter series are there on the strength of the guest stars, not the stories. That's why they have Donny Osmond on there. The target buyer of this set is picking it up for nostalgia reasons. Not ideal for the hard core TV collector, but an understandable choice to move more product to the general public.
 

rmw650

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It's nice they're releasing the remaining episodes of Life With Lucy but the rest of this set is not even needed to say the least, as most of that material is already available on DVD
 

Mark Y

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I looked at the contents. As usual for Time-Life, there is an option to spend more money and get a 22-DVD set. But instead of more Lucy shows, they are discs from the Carol Burnett Lost Episodes, some of which feature Lucy.

I am not a typical fan as my introduction to Lucy was "The Lucy Show" when I was a kid. (Yeah, I know.) I currently have the entire "Lucy Show," the first two seasons of "Here's Lucy," and the Shout "Here's Lucy" sampler set. I have none of "I Love Lucy," yet. (Yeah, I know.)

I missed "Life With Lucy" when it aired. I always "meant to" tune in -- I was shocked that they even attempted it at that point in time and surprised Gale Gordon was then still alive -- but I wasn't good at keeping up with current TV by then and before I checked it out, it was off the air. So I would definitely be interested in seeing it. (My expectations are not high.)

I'd like to get some of "I Love Lucy" (since it is the gold standard) but at this point, I would just pick up the entire series. I'd feel the same about "Life With Lucy," especially since there were only 13 episodes.

I'm surprised to see Time-Life release a big set like this that actually includes some content that is really exclusive and not just recycled from a past release.
 

Randy Korstick

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This would've been a great set in 2006, when there was no Lucy Show or Here's Lucy available in their entirety on disc.

Now? 4 episodes of Life With Lucy, and maybe the uncut version of the Tallulah Bankhead episode of The Lucy/Desi Comedy Hour aren't worth $100.
I'm pretty sure I remember reading that the cut footage from The Tallulah Bankhead episode was lost which is why it was not released on the DVD set. If they were releasing the uncut version I'm sure the press release would mention it which it doesn't.
 

KPmusmag

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There are many lists of the Best or Favorite "I Love Lucy" episodes, but I'd like to know what episodes are your least favorite!

I Love Lucy will always be my favorite sit-com. It was like comfort food for me as a kid; if I had a bad day at school that half-hour with Lucy lifted me up.

There is only one episode I really actively dislike, and it is actually the first one filmed (but not broadcast): "Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying to Murder Her". Even as a kid, it hit all the wrong notes with me. First of all, the premise is ridiculous. I acknowledge that "deceive the spouse" and "wrong assumptions" make up 99% of the episodes, but this one goes too far with Ricky putting a sleeping powder in Lucy's drink and then she shows up with a gun (albeit fake) at the end. Also, Lucy hadn't quite found the character yet and she is rather frantic and shrill.

While that is the only one I really dislike, there are some others that I am OK to pass by.

"Drafted" - They push the "wrong assumption" premise too far for me and I just get annoyed by the end. Fred really thinks Ethel could be pregnant? Oh brother.

"The Adagio" - This one just grates on me, the duel scene is just painfully idiotic IMO.

"The Marriage License" - Lucy is shrill and beyond unreasonable in this one. One cannot, obviously, apply logic in a show like this, but you still have to believe the character.

"The Black Eye" - I just find this one unpleasant.

"Lucy and the Loving Cup" - this is an absurd episode, but I have to say Lucy does a brilliant job with what she is given to do, but even so it gets old.

"The Christmas Episode" just doesn't work for me. I can't quite define it, but it has an odd feeling to it and I LOVE Christmas episodes of all shows, sit-com, drama, whatever.

Something that bothers me here and there is when they write Ethel out of character. For example, in "Lucy is Jealous of Girl Singer", Ethel goads Lucy into acting on her jealousy. But then, most of the time (as in "Fan Magazine Interview") Ethel thinks Lucy is over-reacting, which is truer to Ethel's character IMO.

It is interesting how home video has changed the way we watch shows. It used to be that you had no option but to watch whatever episode was on and so you ended up seeing your least favorite episodes regardless, but now we can pick and choose. But looking at the list of Lucy episodes I realize that there are some I watch more than others and I really want to try to watch some I haven't seen in a long while.
 

Benno123

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I wonder if some of the choices with the episodes included have to do with the music licenses involved? It is Time Life, and while they do good with licenses they don’t do great. Look at all the edits on other series released by TL.
 

nobajoba

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There's NO WAY I'm paying $100 for four episodes of Life With Lucy, which is the only new thing on this entire set. Maybe a new interview with Lucie Arnaz, but she's not worth $100 either. Everything else has already been released to death. I'll pass on this until if/when it goes way down in price on ebay or amazon and I can pick it up for under $40 or something.
 

bmasters9

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But looking at the list of Lucy episodes I realize that there are some I watch more than others and I really want to try to watch some I haven't seen in a long while.

OT: I'm like that with a lot of the shows I've enjoyed-- some episodes were of a top-flight caliber, while others were just so-so (at least that was my opinion of them at the time I first saw them on DVD). Perhaps I ought to try to see more of the ones I've only seen once.
 

MatthewA

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The whole series of Life With Lucy is worth $25 at most, if that. The one person from that show they should interview is Jenny Lewis. She was good in other shows*, so you wonder why she never got a regular role in a hit. That's about the only attraction of this set to anyone who already bought the three prior Lucy shows on disc.

*After her Golden Girls appearance, she was in the movie Troop Beverly Hills, which had the same costume designer as Mame: Theodora Van Runkle.
 

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