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''The Lucy Show'' was Lucille Ball's television comeback that almost didn't happen
Even though CBS gave Ball great offers to do the show, Vivian Vance is why the comeback happened.
After the series finale of I Love Lucy in 1957, viewers thought they'd never see Lucille Ball as the loveable character on their television screens again. The actress spent time on Broadway and in successful motion pictures during her television hiatus. In 1962, she returned as Lucy in The Lucy Show, but there were a few changes.
The character's last name was no longer Ricardo, it was Carmichael, and she was a widow with two children. Vivian Vance's character, Ethel Mertz, was now named Vivian Bagley, and she was divorced with one child. The new change made this highly anticipated comeback a mixture of exciting and worrying for Ball.
In an interview with the Chattanooga Daily Times in August 1962, two months before the show's debut on CBS, the actress talked about how she hoped viewers would accept the new plot. "I think they're going to miss Ricky and Fred," she began. "After all those years. But I hope, and pray, they'll like the show enough and that it's funny enough to help accept us without the husbands."
Although the two men were no longer a part of the show, Lucy and Vivian were the same characters who always found themselves in bad situations, arguing and dressed up in hilarious costumes.
Even though Ball was away from television acting for a while, she insisted that it was easy for her to get back into the hang of things. "[It's] like I've never been away," she added. "And I'm back playing the character I know best and like best, Lucy. But I don't think I'd be doing this if it hadn't been for Viv."
Vance thought working with Ball again was perfect, which was why the comeback happened.
"The studio had the idea, and the offers were fabulous. But the thing that jelled it was Viv," Ball said. "She said let's go back to working together, she'd been busy doing one thing or another and was getting homesick for regular work, hard as it is. We're great friends, and we love to work together. So here we are."
The Lucy Show was a success, producing six seasons of comedic episodes and the wild adventures of two best friends.
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https://youtu.be/Qp9gu2p9i_k
William Frawley played a crook named Koppel in this clip from the
1936 Eddie Cantor movie called
Strike ME Pink .
The Roller Coaster Clip.
1936 Eddie Cantor movie called
Strike ME Pink .
The Roller Coaster Clip.
https://youtu.be/9Pgf5xrnfnM
Cpl Klinger of MASH calls other
TV Characters on METV.
TV Characters on METV.
https://youtu.be/Ez_zZ4UnRvw
William Frawleys Last TV appearance on The Lucy Show.
https://youtu.be/Za34xhluhj0
Lucille Ball is one of The Goldwyn
Girls with blonde hair in this clip
From the Eddie Cantor movie called Kid Millions. Anyone spot
Lucy in this clip?
Girls with blonde hair in this clip
From the Eddie Cantor movie called Kid Millions. Anyone spot
Lucy in this clip?
Not interested pin pointing Lucille Ball in a video-clip.
Here is a photo ( different costume though) from Pinterest.
Lucille Ball in Kid Millions, 1934.
Here is a photo ( different costume though) from Pinterest.
Lucille Ball in Kid Millions, 1934.
Excellent photo of Lucille Ball .
William Frawley (Fred Mertz ILL)
Played a crook named Koppel in
Strike ME Pink a movie from 1936
with Eddie Cantor.Koppel wants to put illegal slot machines in DREAMLAND Amusement Park .
William Frawley also made a CAMEO APPEARANCE ON THE LUCY SHOW.
Played a crook named Koppel in
Strike ME Pink a movie from 1936
with Eddie Cantor.Koppel wants to put illegal slot machines in DREAMLAND Amusement Park .
William Frawley also made a CAMEO APPEARANCE ON THE LUCY SHOW.
Please 🙏 start airing good video quality of the Lucy Show & Here's Lucy! Thanks. I have all of the Lucy Shows on DVD. I think this would boost the ratings over the roof!
I *loved* "The Lucy Show." I have *all six official* seasons on DVD, so now I'll never have to worry again about, say, if Decades abruptly decided to stop running the program.
I also liked "Here's Lucy," and I hope to get the DVD series box set of that one eventually.
Why?
Well, as I said on other postings, these were the "Lucy" shows I grew up with in the 60's and 70's (I was born on Sunday, April 29, 1962, five months before "The Lucy Show" premiered), and they remind me a lot of my childhood days. And Lucy and Viv were at their funniest (for example, in the "Together for Christmas" episode from the first season). And to be fair, as I've said before, different strokes for different folks!
By the way: "The Lucy Show" was based on a book called "Life Without George" by Irene Kampen. If I ever find a copy of that book, I've got to read it and see how Lucy got her inspiration for "The Lucy Show" (that book is *very* hard to find, even on Ebay. I suppose once the official DVD's of "The Lucy Show" were released, most people began taking notice of that and looked for a copy of "Life Without George").
I also liked "Here's Lucy," and I hope to get the DVD series box set of that one eventually.
Why?
Well, as I said on other postings, these were the "Lucy" shows I grew up with in the 60's and 70's (I was born on Sunday, April 29, 1962, five months before "The Lucy Show" premiered), and they remind me a lot of my childhood days. And Lucy and Viv were at their funniest (for example, in the "Together for Christmas" episode from the first season). And to be fair, as I've said before, different strokes for different folks!
By the way: "The Lucy Show" was based on a book called "Life Without George" by Irene Kampen. If I ever find a copy of that book, I've got to read it and see how Lucy got her inspiration for "The Lucy Show" (that book is *very* hard to find, even on Ebay. I suppose once the official DVD's of "The Lucy Show" were released, most people began taking notice of that and looked for a copy of "Life Without George").
The worst movie Lucille Ball was in was 'Mame', the remake of 'Auntie Mame' with Rosalind Russell.
That was bad casting. Lucy couldn’t sing.
Agreed!They should have called it "Lame"!!
Both were great together on TV
Thanks MeTV for a very good behind the scenes story.
Lucille Ball got her start in movies
Playing a Goldwyn Girl in some of
Eddie Cantor s movies like
KID MILLIONS AND ROMAN SCANDALS.
Playing a Goldwyn Girl in some of
Eddie Cantor s movies like
KID MILLIONS AND ROMAN SCANDALS.
Candy Moore was the model for Alberto Vargas’ painting on the cover of The Cars album Candy-o. The album’s title song and her name was just a coincidence.
* True indeed! THE LUCY SHOW began as a show about 2 single moms and their children but eventually devolved into the Lucy and Mr. Mooney show.
Has anyone ever noticed that
Wendy MISTY ROWE and Trudy
Tita BELL Moose Barry Greenberg
Gloria Linda Purl and Tommy
Kevin Sullivan had NO LAST NAMES
ON HAPPY DAYS?
ON Gilligan's Island Willie was
Gilligan's first name.
Wendy MISTY ROWE and Trudy
Tita BELL Moose Barry Greenberg
Gloria Linda Purl and Tommy
Kevin Sullivan had NO LAST NAMES
ON HAPPY DAYS?
ON Gilligan's Island Willie was
Gilligan's first name.
Where as Lucy was prolific to end her kids dropped out of show business rather early
I thought Lucie Arnaz was a good actress. Desi Jr. not so much.
* Actually Desi Jr. did a terrific dramatic performance on a Night Gallery episode "A Death in the Family" with E. G. Marshall bizarre as it was.
When I Love Lucy went to the 1 hour format the marriage between Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz was ending due to Desi's drinking and constant cheating. As for William Frawley he and Vivian hate each other with a passion. So when CBS offered Lucy a new solo show she was a widow with two kids and her last name was Carmichael.
If I ever meet Lucie Arnaz, I'm going to ask her what Mary Jane Croft was really like. We've already heard all the stories about Vivian Vance, but Croft is kind of a mystery to most people.
Load previous comments
Croft was great on radio, and appeared in a number of shows. That’s also where she met her husband, Elliot Lewis. He was a great radio performer (his best work was as Frankie Remley on The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show”). He also had an impressive career as a producer as well.
A couple of months ago I remember that you said that on
Happy Days that you didn't like the way that they(Garry Marshall and the writers got rid of Chuck Cunningham. I agree with you and the woman on the METV Comment Line that Chuck Cunningham and .Bag Zombroski should have stayed on Happy Days until the Last Season of Happy Days.
Chuck Cunningham Moose Spike
Bag Zombroski Eugene Belvin Trudy
Melvin Belvin Wendy Marsha Simms
KC CUNNINGHAM Flip Phillips. Leather Tuscedero Daphne Potsie
Ralph Malph and Clarence should all have been invited to the wedding of Joanie and Chachi.
Happy Days that you didn't like the way that they(Garry Marshall and the writers got rid of Chuck Cunningham. I agree with you and the woman on the METV Comment Line that Chuck Cunningham and .Bag Zombroski should have stayed on Happy Days until the Last Season of Happy Days.
Chuck Cunningham Moose Spike
Bag Zombroski Eugene Belvin Trudy
Melvin Belvin Wendy Marsha Simms
KC CUNNINGHAM Flip Phillips. Leather Tuscedero Daphne Potsie
Ralph Malph and Clarence should all have been invited to the wedding of Joanie and Chachi.
Howard Cunningham had "3 Wonderful Kids "(Chuck Richie and
Joanie ) -not 2 wonderful kids.
That 2 wonderful kids line was written deliberately just to make fans of Chuck Cunningham mad .
Joanie ) -not 2 wonderful kids.
That 2 wonderful kids line was written deliberately just to make fans of Chuck Cunningham mad .
And 2 wonderful kids line on the last episode of Happy Days was
The DUMBEST Word Blooper and Dumbest Line in TV history.
The DUMBEST Word Blooper and Dumbest Line in TV history.
Great story, MeTV! Thanks for sharing (-:
The article states that after I Love Lucy ended in 1957, viewers thought they would never see Lucille Ball as the lovable character again. It doesn’t mention that there were 13 new one-hour episodes spread out over 3 seasons and CBS aired them as a summer replacement from 1962-67. Also CBS aired I Love Lucy reruns in the morning from 1959-67 and in various other time slots such as late Sunday afternoon under the name The Lucy Show and Sunday evening in 1960 as Lucy in Connecticut, airing repeats of the final season.
Weren't the one hour episodes " The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour?. They could do a whole story on what was recorded outside of the original I love Lucy episodes, as in extras. Fascinating topic though.
The 1 hour episodes first aired under different titles depending who sponsored them. The later ones aired as part of their Desilu Playhouse anthology series. Beginning in 1962 the 13 episodes were packed as a summer replacement series under the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour title with new opening and closing credits.
In the 90's the syndication package was called "We Love Lucy."
Metv in Knoxville, Tn. doesn't carry The Lucy Show. I wish they would add it as a replacement for some of the shows that has been on for a long time.
Load previous comments
And 150 miles from Petersburg VA
With the ANALOG SIGNALS OF
YESTERYEAR I could receive BOTH
CJSNNEL 8 WGHP IN HIGH POINT
NC AND CHANNEL 8 WRIC IN
PETERSBURG VA.
I watched two different Shock Theatres on two different chsnnel
8s .On the High Point 8 I watched
Shock Theatre with the host
Dr Paul Bearer played by Dick
Be nick and on the Petersburg 8
I watched Shock Theatre with host
Bowman Body (Bill Bowman).
I also watched Frank Deal tell jokes
While he gave the weather forecast on WGHP ch.8 in High Point NC.
I used to watch Chiller Drive In on
RETRO TV WITH HOST Wolfman
Mac.Also is there anyway that I can find out why Roy Stuart (Cpl Boyle)
Left the cast of Gomer Pyle USMC and is there anyway that I can find out why Neil J Schwartz (Bag
Zombroski ) left the cast of Happy Days.
With the ANALOG SIGNALS OF
YESTERYEAR I could receive BOTH
CJSNNEL 8 WGHP IN HIGH POINT
NC AND CHANNEL 8 WRIC IN
PETERSBURG VA.
I watched two different Shock Theatres on two different chsnnel
8s .On the High Point 8 I watched
Shock Theatre with the host
Dr Paul Bearer played by Dick
Be nick and on the Petersburg 8
I watched Shock Theatre with host
Bowman Body (Bill Bowman).
I also watched Frank Deal tell jokes
While he gave the weather forecast on WGHP ch.8 in High Point NC.
I used to watch Chiller Drive In on
RETRO TV WITH HOST Wolfman
Mac.Also is there anyway that I can find out why Roy Stuart (Cpl Boyle)
Left the cast of Gomer Pyle USMC and is there anyway that I can find out why Neil J Schwartz (Bag
Zombroski ) left the cast of Happy Days.
I had answered another users "brief" comment, "Adamsfather45" with information about the
Decades Network. as it "pertains" to both "I Love Lucy" and The "Lucy Show." The topic of the article.
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I'll keep the post about the "Movies!" network up for a bit, as you've most likely read it. However not interested in the whole Analog vs Digital signal debate.
You can find the information on your select series ( Gomer Pyle, Happy Days) as any of us would. ( Look it up, research it, Google it)
Decades Network. as it "pertains" to both "I Love Lucy" and The "Lucy Show." The topic of the article.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'll keep the post about the "Movies!" network up for a bit, as you've most likely read it. However not interested in the whole Analog vs Digital signal debate.
You can find the information on your select series ( Gomer Pyle, Happy Days) as any of us would. ( Look it up, research it, Google it)
I ALSO watch Svengoolie on METV.
Mostly, the episodes from season 5 of "The Lucy Show" are the only ones more commonly shown. This was because in mid-1967, Desilu didn't copyright these season 5 shows and they are now in the public domain. At that time, Lucille Ball was in the process of negotiating Desilu's sale to Charles G. Bluhdorn, head of Gulf+Western Industries, which owned Paramount.
Fun Fact: Lucy had only intended to do one season, but she ended up doing six! The reason she went to do Here's Lucy is that Paramount bought the Desilu studios and Lucy wanted to still be her own boss!
Yes. Under her conditions. Lucy knew what she wanted. Admirable.
Desilu had to be sold to Paramount do to Lucy and Desi divorce. Desi in the 1960's became a drunk.
He was a drunk way before the 60's😂😂
True but Desi became a lot worse.
I thought it was because Gulf+Western chairman Charles G. Bluhdorn wanted Paramount to get into television production. Desilu and Paramount were located next to each other in Hollywood. And, of course, Bluhdorn eventually cheated Ms. Ball out of Desilu, after promising it would be a wholly-owned subsidiary of G+W, and turned it into the first incarnation of Paramount Television.