This is just my opinion, but sometimes I don't understand what people from the fifties were thinking. The Honeymooners classic 39 episodes have more laughs in them than the entire I Love Lucy series. Now the Mertzes were funny and so was Ricky. But Lucy was so over the top and usually she wasn't that funny. Some episodes though are good. But overall, the I Love Lucy series suffers from inconsistency with too many scenarios being played out. It's like they had a hard time deciding what direction to go in with the series. There were too many guest stars and too much nonsense going on in many of the episodes. I think what endeared Lucy to a lot of people is that she was somewhat of a trailblazer in the respect that a woman hadn't done this type of comedy before. She incorporated the style of old time silent comics like Charlie Chaplain and Buster Keaton into her act. But in many of these episodes, I find that she's basically acting like a lunatic and to me it's just not very funny.

In 1954, Lucy and Desi made the movie- The Long, Long Trailer. Now THIS is a classic 1950's period piece. It is not part of the I Love Lucy series, so Lucy and Desi step out of their Ricardo's character and this is one funny, wonderful movie. If only I Love Lucy was more like this. The Long, Long Trailer is superb. Lucy and Desi are good in this movie and it shows that Lucy did indeed have talent as an actress and comedianne if given the proper outlet to display it. The Long, Long Trailer is full of funny situations and has a tender moment at the end. Highly recommended.

When Lucy split with Desi and went on her own in the 60's with shows like The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy, she was getting older and had to tone down her act a little. In these two series, her acting was more mature and she displayed more of her natural acting ability. There are some classic routines with Vivian Vance, Lucy and Viv were a great team. So I will take episodes of The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy over I Love Lucy any day of the week.

I personally LOVED the show but we all have different takes on things.

But you reminded me of a dilemma I've always had: Why don't I "love" something that everyone else seems to (for ex: Star Trek, Forrest Gump, #1 songs I thought really sucked etc.)?

I guess it just comes down to this: taste is subjective.

I personally LOVED the show but we all have different takes on things.

But you reminded me of a dilemma I've always had: Why don't I "love" something that everyone else seems to (for ex: Star Trek, Forrest Gump, #1 songs I thought really sucked etc.)?

I guess it just comes down to this: taste is subjective.

Yea, it's about what each individual prefers. Lucy was definitely a talent, there's no denying that and she has her mark on the history of TV. But in some of these I Love Lucy episodes, her acting is silly and over the top and it comes off like she's trying too hard to be funny. It looks unnatural. I think she was much better in her later shows. But again, that's just my opinion.

She was funny in them too. I'm glad you liked her in something. It's hard to imagine anyone never liking Lucy.

While I thought she was a wonderful comedienne, I didn't think she was anything to write home about as an actress. The only exception was when she played a mom in "Yours, Mine and Ours". But man what a beautiful woman. She had legs that rivaled Betty Grables --even at 60. But then I guess that came from being a showgirl.

I bet the one thing we agree on is that she should have left well enough alone. The last show she did in the 80's was a real clinker.

Lee, youre right to say there was no direction from episode to episode, but, that wasnt the point. Every show was basically a self-contained
sketch-comedy "play" ( Unless you count the trips to Hollywood and Europe...and to a lesser extent, the shows leading up to little Ricky's birth ), it wasnt meant to show character development, but to showcase the comedic and other talents of the 4 main actors as a "team". Yes Lucy got the main billing, but, her genius was the ability to be SO over-the-top, that it was the other character's reactions to her schemes and faux-pas that really made the show. Lucy, despite her character's reputation, was the REAL "straight-man" of the show, and made the others hilarious. All of this has made the show, the classic that has survived on syndicated TV for over 55 years....long after its contemporaries are only shown in rare DVD box sets!

Lee, youre right to say there was no direction from episode to episode, but, that wasnt the point. Every show was basically a self-contained
sketch-comedy "play" ( Unless you count the trips to Hollywood and Europe...and to a lesser extent, the shows leading up to little Ricky's birth ), it wasnt meant to show character development, but to showcase the comedic and other talents of the 4 main actors as a "team". Yes Lucy got the main billing, but, her genius was the ability to be SO over-the-top, that it was the other character's reactions to her schemes and faux-pas that really made the show. Lucy, despite her character's reputation, was the REAL "straight-man" of the show, and made the others hilarious. All of this has made the show, the classic that has survived on syndicated TV for over 55 years....long after its contemporaries are only shown in rare DVD box sets!
Very well said. :)

TY:)

If I may add to Mikado's well written post, I Love Lucy came from the radio shows that were the norm from that era. The radio shows were not meant to be a series in which there was continuation. It was 30 minutes of laughs and jokes with a story. That is why if you read through our threads and posts on I Love Lucy you will read where we make comments on the goofs, errors, lack of continuation on certain aspects, etc. Bringing a radio show to tv was a huge task, and in this case, a brilliant move on Lucy and Desi's part.

And if you really take the time to check out Lucille Ball's biography as far as work is concerned, you will notice that she did many movies waaaaay before she ever did I Love Lucy. The Long Long Trailer came AFTER I Love Lucy. Desi Arnaz has an extensive work history as well. To evaluate Lucy's acting abilities simply by The Long Long Trailer is not giving her credit at all. Interesting note regarding that movie, a lot of people at that time felt why should they pay to go see a movie when they could just sit at home and watch Lucy and Desi for free.

Also, I Love Lucy is the show that many sitcoms that came after that, had hoped to be compared to as far as ratings, stamina, good cast, memorable episodes, memorable scenes and a show that will forever be seen in reruns.
I Love Lucy is the godfather of sitcoms. It is the show that others look up to and refer to.

I think the problem with I Love Lucy was that it was one of the first multicamera sitcoms on television, so things were just getting started. No one knew exactly how to run a TV show, or how exactly people wanted the series to go. They were really just getting their feet wet, consideirn git was 1951 when the show began.

Although, I think it's a great series. Comparing this with other TV series that were ratings winners, like All in the Family, or The Cosby Show, I always thought it was just as great.

Youre right Roseanne , ILL pioneered the 3 camera system thats more or less universal now, also, it was the first TV show to be filmed, other shows of its time were recorded on "Kinescope" ( Something like filming a picture off of a TV screen, with the same poor quality youd get from that ). Furthermore, it was a pioneer of the idea that a woman was more than windowdressing on a mans arm!

Not only that but the 3 camera system was DEVELOPED BY DESI ARNAZ. Something that future television shows should be forever grateful for. No one seemed to give Desi the kudos he deserved. He really knew his stuff and if it weren't for Lucy constantly reminding people of that fact, he may not have ever gotten his recognition.

Yup Desi was a genius actor and producer....and he proved it by letting his wife take the credit, while he quietly kept everything running like clockwork, behind the scenes! ( Its not surprising that Lucy wanted to give Desi his due...even long after they were married to others, they both readilly admitted being the love of each others lives< which makes me kind of sad to know they just couldnt work things out )

ps...To expand on something Irene said, I love Lucy was based on Lucys old radio show "My favorite Husband", which was adapted for TV. Originally, the network wanted an American actor to play the husband ( as on the radio show ), but, Lucy insisted on Desi....and thankfully for posterity, got her way, despite the network's rascist objections!

Yup Desi was a genius actor and producer....and he proved it by letting his wife take the credit, while he quietly kept everything running like clockwork, behind the scenes! ( Its not surprising that Lucy wanted to give Desi his due...even long after they were married to others, they both readilly admitted being the love of each others lives< which makes me kind of sad to know they just couldnt work things out )

ps...To expand on something Irene said, I love Lucy was based on Lucys old radio show "My favorite Husband", which was adapted for TV. Originally, the network wanted an American actor to play the husband ( as on the radio show ), but, Lucy insisted on Desi....and thankfully for posterity, got her way, despite the network's rascist objections!
Lucy and Desi though divorced, as you kindly pointed out, they remained on friendly terms and they both gave each other credit for many things. I remember when Desi passed away Lucy was asked by a reporter outside of the church to say something abt Desi. Lucy said that he was a great man, a great father, he was a genius and some other stuff. She was sincere abt it and you could see it in her face how sad she was. I also seen Desi, I believe it was the Merv Griffin show and he was just saying all these wonderful things abt Lucy. They were the epitomy of how two people who couldn't be married, remained friends and said only good things abt each other. Lucy said if it wasn't for Desi's drinking and cheating ways, they would never have parted.

:yeahthat: Irene, was ILL on NBC or CBS? Im thinking CBS, but, Im not really sure.

CBS

yeah...I remembered later that All in the Family was filmed in the same NY studio as ILL! ( so it HAD to be CBS )

Not only that but the 3 camera system was DEVELOPED BY DESI ARNAZ. Something that future television shows should be forever grateful for. No one seemed to give Desi the kudos he deserved. He really knew his stuff and if it weren't for Lucy constantly reminding people of that fact, he may not have ever gotten his recognition.


I watched a video where Robert Stack read a letter (that Desi wrote) to Lucy at her Kennedy Center tribute thing. And it was a letter that Desi was supposed to have read to her himself, but he died like a week before the tribute. She got choked up and you can tell that she still loved Desi.

I watched a video where Robert Stack read a letter (that Desi wrote) to Lucy at her Kennedy Center tribute thing. And it was a letter that Desi was supposed to have read to her himself, but he died like a week before the tribute. She got choked up and you can tell that she still loved Desi.
Oh yes, I remember seeing that. OMG, that was so emotional. That is love. No matter the fact they divorced, they had this love between them that couldn't be severed.

That reminds me of the eulogy Cher gave at Sonny Bono's funeral. She was crying and was all choked up.

If I may add to Mikado's well written post, I Love Lucy came from the radio shows that were the norm from that era. The radio shows were not meant to be a series in which there was continuation. It was 30 minutes of laughs and jokes with a story. That is why if you read through our threads and posts on I Love Lucy you will read where we make comments on the goofs, errors, lack of continuation on certain aspects, etc. Bringing a radio show to tv was a huge task, and in this case, a brilliant move on Lucy and Desi's part.

And if you really take the time to check out Lucille Ball's biography as far as work is concerned, you will notice that she did many movies waaaaay before she ever did I Love Lucy. The Long Long Trailer came AFTER I Love Lucy. Desi Arnaz has an extensive work history as well. To evaluate Lucy's acting abilities simply by The Long Long Trailer is not giving her credit at all. Interesting note regarding that movie, a lot of people at that time felt why should they pay to go see a movie when they could just sit at home and watch Lucy and Desi for free.

Also, I Love Lucy is the show that many sitcoms that came after that, had hoped to be compared to as far as ratings, stamina, good cast, memorable episodes, memorable scenes and a show that will forever be seen in reruns.
I Love Lucy is the godfather of sitcoms. It is the show that others look up to and refer to.

I'm aware of Lucy's film career, I mentioned The Long, Long Trailer because it was made during the time of I Love Lucy. The Long, Long Trailer is a good movie, very funny with Lucy and Desi giving fine performances. This movie gave em a chance to get away from their roles on I Love Lucy, and it looks like they had a good time doing it.

I watch I Love Lucy once in a while. Some episodes are funny but overall there are other shows I like better. It's all a question of individual taste.

Lucy, despite her character's reputation, was the REAL "straight-man" of the show, and made the others hilarious.

I don't know about that, but there's no disputing the fact that I Love Lucy has survived and remains fond in the hearts of many people. The show is just not on my personal list of favorites.

I watched a video where Robert Stack read a letter (that Desi wrote) to Lucy at her Kennedy Center tribute thing. And it was a letter that Desi was supposed to have read to her himself, but he died like a week before the tribute. She got choked up and you can tell that she still loved Desi.
wow. tht's a a nice piece of information.


...
anyway.
I find I Love Lucy hilarious, talented, original, timeless... u name it.
I'm sorry you don't enjoy it but, well there you have it, everybody's different.

I don't know about that, but there's no disputing the fact that I Love Lucy has survived and remains fond in the hearts of many people. The show is just not on my personal list of favorites.
Well its true. Only a true die-hard Lucy fan would know that. Obviously you are not a fan or else you wouldn't have come here to tell us your feelings abt this show. Just like my feelings on the Honeymooners, but I don't go on that forum to say how unfunny it is, how I find it dull and boring and I hate the whole kitchen scene, etc. I respect the Honeymooners fans enough to not go over there and make a thread to say the things I feel abt it. To each his own.

You dont like the Honeymooners??? :eek2: Ok, were no longer friends....JUST KIDDING...its ok ;) hehe

You dont like the Honeymooners??? :eek2: Ok, were no longer friends....JUST KIDDING...its ok ;) hehe
:lol: Not my cup of tea. I Love Lucy is MUCH MUCH BETTER. At least I am keeping that info here on this thread rather than taking my feelings to the Honeymooners board. ;) :lol:

Well, I agree ILL was a better show, but, I always liked both.

Obviously you are not a fan or else you wouldn't have come here to tell us your feelings abt this show. Just like my feelings on the Honeymooners, but I don't go on that forum to say how unfunny it is, how I find it dull and boring and I hate the whole kitchen scene, etc. I respect the Honeymooners fans enough to not go over there and make a thread to say the things I feel abt it. To each his own.

LOL whether you like it or not, the boards are for different types of comments both pro and con. All I basically said was I know many people like I Love Lucy, but I don't care for it much and don't think it's that funny. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm entitled to my opinion just like anyone else. If you don't like The Honeymooners, then go over on the board and state your opinion. Don't be afraid, knock yourself out. It aint gonna rock my boat. Your comments are totally irrelevant to me, but they're always good for a few laughs. :lol:

LOL whether you like it or not, the boards are for different types of comments both pro and con. All I basically said was I know many people like I Love Lucy, but I don't care for it much and don't think it's that funny. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm entitled to my opinion just like anyone else. If you don't like The Honeymooners, then go over on the board and state your opinion. Don't be afraid, knock yourself out. It aint gonna rock my boat. Your comments are totally irrelevant to me, but they're always good for a few laughs. :lol:
Yes, pro and con. But I would never go to another board, make a thread simply to say negative things abt a show. If our opinions were asked in a thread whether we like a specific show or not, that is different. I just don't see the purpose of your negative thoughts, though there was a little positive abt Lucy's movie. Maybe you should have turned your thread into a Long Long Trailer thread, talking abt what you liked so much abt it, then maybe mentioned that ILL is not your cup of tea, rather than title your thread I LOVE LUCY IS NOT THAT FUNNY. :rolleyes:

So, that is all. Not that your opinion matters much either, you are only one person, one that doesn't know what funny is since you don't care for I Love Lucy.
:jig:

:lol:

Maybe you should have turned your thread into a Long Long Trailer thread, talking abt what you liked so much abt it, then maybe mentioned that ILL is not your cup of tea, rather than title your thread I LOVE LUCY IS NOT THAT FUNNY.

you are only one person, one that doesn't know what funny is since you don't care for I Love Lucy.

That's correct, it's my opinion that I Love Lucy isn't that funny and that's how I chose to title the thread. Nothing wrong with that. To be more specific, it's Lucy HERSELF who isn't that funny. The Mertzes are usually funny, so is Ricky. Some of the episodes have humorous situations. But Lucy often spoils it by acting over the top and looking foolish and I don't see much laughter in that. Regarding The Long, Long Trailer: it's a funny, entertaining movie. The humor works, and Lucy plays a little different type of character than the nutty one in I Love Lucy. Lucy and Desi give good performances and the film is a classic period piece from the 50's.

LOL believe me I know what's funny. If I had posted here and said I Love Lucy is a great show, you wouldn't tell me I don't know what funny is. There are probably shows we both like, but we happen to disagree about I Love Lucy.

That's correct, it's my opinion that I Love Lucy isn't that funny and that's how I chose to title the thread. Nothing wrong with that. To be more specific, it's Lucy HERSELF who isn't that funny. The Mertzes are usually funny, so is Ricky. Some of the episodes have humorous situations. But Lucy often spoils it by acting over the top and looking foolish and I don't see much laughter in that. Regarding The Long, Long Trailer: it's a funny, entertaining movie. The humor works, and Lucy plays a little different type of character than the nutty one in I Love Lucy. Lucy and Desi give good performances and the film is a classic period piece from the 50's.

LOL believe me I know what's funny. If I had posted here and said I Love Lucy is a great show, you wouldn't tell me I don't know what funny is. There are probably shows we both like, but we happen to disagree about I Love Lucy.
I know we disagree abt ILL, no problem there. I have no issues on our difference of opinion (or fact), it is merely to point out how you put your words, not what you actually said. That is what I say to people when they talk, "It's not what you said, it's how you said it." Basically how you came across. That's all. I don't expect everyone in the world to love Lucy *YES I DO* :lol: But seriously, I was merely expressing my feelings.

I know we disagree abt ILL, no problem there. I have no issues on our difference of opinion (or fact), it is merely to point out how you put your words, not what you actually said. That is what I say to people when they talk, "It's not what you said, it's how you said it." Basically how you came across.

That's why I started the first post in this thread by saying "This is just my opinion." No disrespect intended, I just thought I'd post my thoughts and put it open for discussion.

I Love Lucy isn't a bad show, but there are other 50's shows I like better. Some episodes are alright. I like Lucy better in her later series The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy.

What made ILL so good and why it has sustained after all these years was these three basic elements:

Character
Chemistry
Conflict

The show was just about four basic characters going through life dealing with the typical issues friends and couples go through like finances, work problems, jealousy, etc. The physical comedy in each episode was only a very small portion of the show. It was the icing on the cake. The show still had meat to it because of the basic human aspects they had and their interaction with each other. What made the show work was just the four of them sitting around flinging sarcastic remarks, sentimental moments, friendship or whatever.

Lucy's other sitcoms, "The Lucy Show" and "Here's Lucy" weren't good (IMO) and have never done well in syndication because they relied totally on Lucy's physical antics. They took the part of ILL that they thought made the show work and then beat it to death. Those shows missed the whole ILL point and did not have the same chemistry between characters or basic foundations that made "I Love Lucy" work in the first place.

Most of my favorite moments in ILL were when they're just hanging around making the same kinds of remarks to each other and dealing with the same issues most of us still deal with in 2007 (like money, bosses, relationships). They were all very human, and it showed in the series. That's why so many people today can still relate to the cast, and the show still holds up well and probably always will.

The picture of the four of them up above on this site is a perfect example of what made the show work..not the overdone candy factory scenes (although they were funny but only put the icing on the cake).

Lucy's other sitcoms, "relied totally on Lucy's physical antics. They took the part of ILL that they thought made the show work and then beat it to death. Those shows missed the whole ILL point and did not have the same chemistry between characters or basic foundations that made "I Love Lucy" work in the first place.
Right, as I put it elsewhere on this thread, Lucy made the show great because the others were allowed to react to the things she did and thats when the show was the funniest, Lucy being the true "straight man" of the series....in the later shows, she did the funny bits, but the other characters were more likley to just go along with the consequences in a rather subdued way, as opposed to Rickys tortured responces to his wifes antics!
( This isnt to say I didnt love the Lucy show or Heres Lucy, but, they werent quite as funny without the ILL cast for Lucy to "bounce" off of )

I liked I Love Lucy, and The Lucy Shows first three seasons when Vivian Vance was still part of the cast. The second half of The Lucy Show wasn't as good without Vivian Vance. I also liked Here's Lucy, it was nice seeing her act with her kids.