It's been ages since I saw this but....
I've always wondered if she is SUPPOSED to be the same Lucy from "I love Lucy"

I know she is divorced, and I SWEAR on one episode she mentioned the name "Ricky"!

No, they are two different characters.

Lucy on The Lucy Show is a widow with two children, Chris and Jerry. They live in Connecticut with Lucy's best friend Vivian and her son Sherman. Later the format of the show changed and Lucy lived alone and her best friend was Mary Jane Lewis.

Oh, she was widowed? I thought I remembered arguments about child-support and stuff like that,,, But when I was little watching the show I used to try to connect the 2 characters. I assumed Vivian's name MIGHT have been "Vivian Ethel":) I know Ethel is a commen middle name.

But I think the main reason is because in one episode the man who played Fred Mertz guest-stared and Lucy says something like "He reminds me of someone I used to know."

But when I was little watching the show I used to try to connect the 2 characters. I assumed Vivian's name MIGHT have been "Vivian Ethel":) I know Ethel is a commen middle name.


That's cute. :)

The writers purposely made the characters different so people wouldn't confuse Lucy Ricardo with Lucy Carmichael. They didn't want audiences watching the show to think Lucy and Ricky had split. I guess it was okay for them to think he was dead. :lol:

This is the same thing CBS did when Mary Tyler Moore began The Mary Tyler Moore Show. In the first episode it's mentioned that Mary had been stood up at the altar. This was to prevent audiences from thinking Mary and Rob from The Dick Van Dyke Show had divorced.

I'm just curious, but why would she use the same maiden name on both shows? I know I heard her say the same maiden name on at least one episode of The Lucy Show.

Oh, she was widowed? I thought I remembered arguments about child-support and stuff like that,,, But when I was little watching the show I used to try to connect the 2 characters. I assumed Vivian's name MIGHT have been "Vivian Ethel":) I know Ethel is a commen middle name.

But I think the main reason is because in one episode the man who played Fred Mertz guest-stared and Lucy says something like "He reminds me of someone I used to know."

Lucy Carmichael's arguments were with her banker over the trust fund her late husband left her. Vivian's character, Vivian Bagley, however, was a divorcee. She was frequently griping on the show about ex-husband Ralph Bagley's tardiness in sending her alimony checks.

Ok I think I had the 2 mixed up...I was thinking Lucy was a divorcee and Vivian was widowed.

I'm just curious, but why would she use the same maiden name on both shows? I know I heard her say the same maiden name on at least one episode of The Lucy Show.

In the later episodes, the producers seemed to make a conscious effort to link this Lucy to Lucy Ricardo from "I Love Lucy". Her maiden name was changed to MacGillicuddy and the opening credits ended with Lucy's picture in a heart, perhaps in an effort to recall Lucy's glory days on TV. But originally, in the second season, Lucy said that her maiden name was Taylor (this was the episode where she went to her college reunion).

They would have been better off focusing their efforts on fixing the inferior scripts of the later years.

Oh, she was widowed? I thought I remembered arguments about child-support and stuff like that,,, But when I was little watching the show I used to try to connect the 2 characters. I assumed Vivian's name MIGHT have been "Vivian Ethel":) I know Ethel is a commen middle name.

But I think the main reason is because in one episode the man who played Fred Mertz guest-stared and Lucy says something like "He reminds me of someone I used to know."

I remember the episode where William Frawley guest starred-- I LOVED the comment Lucy made about the guy seeming familiar, brilliant reference to the I Love Lucy days. And it was great seeing the old gang on screen together in color (except for Ricky) I just wish that Frawley would have made a few more appearances!

In ILL she played Lucy Micgillicutty Richardo on TLS she played Lucy Carmichael and on Here's Lucy she played Lucy Carter

I remember the episode where William Frawley guest starred-- I LOVED the comment Lucy made about the guy seeming familiar, brilliant reference to the I Love Lucy days. And it was great seeing the old gang on screen together in color (except for Ricky) I just wish that Frawley would have made a few more appearances!
That was his last TV Appearance I believe. He was very ill and was dying.

...he left "MY THREE SONS" early in 1965 because he needed surgery. It didn't help...and apparently Lucy decided to give him a "fond farewell" by
having him appear on "THE LUCY SHOW" that October, for old times' sake.
As we all know, Bill passed away in March of 1966.