A box set of the not-as-widely-seen 13 one-hour episodes of "Lucy" will be released in early 2007. The show ran in a weekly half-hour format from 1951 to 1957, then switched to monthly one-hour shows for the next three seasons.

The one-hour shows were originally titled "The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show" on CBS, then syndicated as "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" and "We Love Lucy." Each show featured the original cast, with guest stars such as Milton Berle, Danny Thomas and Tallulah Bankhead.

"People have been asking about the `Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour' a lot" said Gord Lacy, editor of the Web site TVShowsOnDVD.com, where fans vote for which shows they want most to see released on DVD. "The `I Love Lucy' seasons have been released at a steady pace and people are happy with the sets and want more."

The episodes will be released as seasons 7, 8 and 9, but in a single DVD package. They will have some rare gems, including color home movies secretly taken by an audience member during the show's first season. It is the only color film of the Ricardos in their apartment, according to Oppenheimer, who is producing the set.

Also included will be three episodes linked together by 12 minutes of never-before-seen footage that was originally put together as an "I Love Lucy" feature film. But it was shelved and seemingly lost forever until it was discovered recently in an incorrectly labeled film cannister.

"`I Love Lucy' had a leg up in the nostalgic market because there are very few '50s shows that were in regular rerun circulation throughout the childhoods of subsequent generations," said Thompson. "My personal experience with the show was exclusively in reruns, and I've seen every episode of it."

He doesn't think any show will ever seep into the culture as deeply as "I Love Lucy" has been able to with audiences now so fragmented.

"It's very rare that we are going to see a show that the entire nation watches at the same time," he said. "`I Love Lucy' was No. 1 for several years and No. 1 back then meant that virtually everyone was watching. Most of the country knew this show and watched it at least occasionally and then, of course, you couldn't avoid the reruns."

http://www.dailynews.com/business/ci_4340465

http://tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=6487

This is great news to hear, I can't wait til they hit dvd. I'm buying them for sure.

According to Lucyfan.com on the 10/2 update, the episodes that are released will be the syndicated versions that aired on CBS in the 1960s, as well as Nick and Nite. Just when there was a chance to get complete episodes, including the 75 minute "Havana" show, and now nothing but rerun versions, edited from their original length. Go figure . . . time to go "cheap" now that the first 6 seasons were such a success.

If that's what happens, it's unfortunate. So much care went into the previous sets. Anyone know if Gregg Oppenheimer was involved in the production of this set?

If that's what happens, it's unfortunate. So much care went into the previous sets. Anyone know if Gregg Oppenheimer was involved in the production of this set?

No. Tom Watson, who co-produced the sixth season of I Love Lucy on DVD, is producing. The deleted scenes will be available as bonus features.

As I understand it, both Tom Watson and Gregg Oppenheimer are producing the sets. The bonus material sounds great (the color home movies from season 1, the ILL movie, etc.) but presenting the shows as the syndicated versions just plain stinks. I feel that if enough care was taken into the first 6 seasons to reedit footage into the shows when it was missing, etc. then why not take the time and care that this set deserves? Case in point: the first hour show was 75 minutes, so that means that we'll get 15-20 minutes of bonus material from this show not edited in, and then go back and piece it together in my mind? I don't think so.

I wonder if the color home movies of the Ricardo's apartment have sound or if they are silent home movies. Either way, I would really love to see. LOL :) Also, I heard that Gregg Oppenheimer has a copy of the colorized I Love Lucy episode, LA at Last. Somebody told me that it's a VHS copy of it and that Gregg didn't think anybody would want to see it, for it's not the quality of a DVD. To my knowledge, he has the only remaining copy in existence, for CBS accidentally lost it.

If the "deleted scenes" are to be included as bonus features then why the heck can't they just release the episodes as originally aired on CBS???
This seems rather stupid as they obviously have all the material since they can include them as "bonus" selections.
I sure wish they would put the TLC into this and the (hopefully forthcoming) dvd's of The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy as they did with I Love Lucy. That series was treated properly in it's dvd release and is one of my favorite shows on dvd that I watch repeatedly.

Chad

A while back, I bought about five VHS tapes of the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour. Including the first episode. I didn't time it, but it had more scenes than N@N had. It even had Desi coming out and talking to the audience. If they can release those on VHS (a little less than a decade ago) I can't see why the DVDs would be syndicated. I'll buy it nevertheless, but I'm hoping for uncut episodes.

so are they going to edited episodes or no?
i dont follow..sorry

As I understand it, both Tom Watson and Gregg Oppenheimer are producing the sets. The bonus material sounds great (the color home movies from season 1, the ILL movie, etc.)

Unfortunately, the ILL movie is not going to be included. This is not the fault of the producers as they wanted it included, but the budget they were given won't allow it. Also, there was some thought that the movie could stand on its own as possibly a separate DVD, and so it might be a waste to include it as just an extra on this set. But don't hold your breath that there will be an ILL movie DVD. The good news is that the "lost" Havana footage will be included in this new set. And yes, those color movies from the audience member in season one will be included as well.

Season 7-9 Lucy fans beware....
On the 1st disc - episode #2 - The Celebrity Next Door there is a crucial scene missing at 24:04. This scene is right after Fred & Ethel collide with the pie. The missing scene is Miss Bankhead tells Lucy that she is allergic to strawberries. Now this scene appears on the We Love Lucy specials from the early 90's. Funny thing is this episode is severly edited when it appears on that special. Here it is suppose to be uncut/unedited & here - the most crucial scene setting up the main gag at the end of the episode - is missing. We know the scene exists - but where did it go? Please contact Paramount to get the scene put back in for either a replacement disc or for the future complete I Love Lucy set. Thank you!!
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