What similarities and what differences do you notice in Lucy Ricardo and Lucy Carmichael?

Difference: Lucy Ricardo was a casual smoker; Lucy Carmichael doesn't smoke

Similarity: Lucy Carmichael wants to be in "the show" just like Lucy Ricardo
(Ethel Merman episode)

Another similarity is that they both have a sidekick that inevitably gets pulled into all their schemes. For Lucy Ricardo it's Ethel Mertz and for Lucy Carmichael it's Vivian Bagley.

A difference is that Lucy Ricardo is happily married to Ricky whereas Lucy Carmichael is a widow.

And another similarity is that both Ethel Mertz and Vivian Bagley is played by the late Vivian Vance. And a difference is that Ethel Mertz is married to Fred.,and have no kids.Vivian Bagley is a divorcee,(predating "One day at a Time's"Ann Romano ,as the FIRST divorcee on a comedy series)and her ex-husband is named Ralph.And she has kids,a son named Sherman.

I've noticed some similer stuff in the episodes that sort of like in "I Love Lucy". For instence, in the episode "Lucy Enters a Baking Contest" there is a scene at the end of it when they all go change cloths. Well Viv come back in and switches the pies so she can let Lucy win with her pie. Well then Lucy comes in not know that Viv had already switched the pies and she switches them well then she started feeling guilty so she switched them back.

Well that scene sort of reminded me of the scene from the I Love Lucy episode "Lucy Thinks Ricky is Trying to Murder Her". The scene is where Ricky give Lucy a sedative in a glass of soda water but, she thinks it's poison. Well after Lucy takes the drink she sets it on the coffee table and talks Ricky into dancing. Well Ricky sets his glass on the coffee table and they dance for a moment around the Ricardo living room. Then they spin around and Lucy claps her hands in the air and switches the drinks. Then Ricky switches them back.

Course there is a flub in the ILL version. Before they started dancing they where standing at the oppisate sides of the coffee table then they started. So when Lucy switched the glasses and Ricky switched them back Ricky actually got the one with the sedative.

So The Lucy Show version would've been a remake of this scene had Lucy not switched the pies back the second time.

Lucy Ricardo wears her hair up, Lucy Carmichael wears hers down.

They both have sons, but Lucy Carmichael also has a teenage daughter.

Lucy Carmichael's late husband (I assume) was never in show biz and wasn't Cuban.

Lucy Ricardo tends to cry almost inconsolably when very upset. Lucy Carmichael is sometimes the same way.

Lucy Ricardo does not particularly like to drink milk, making a face and not enjoying it at all. Does Lucy C. react similarly?

And here's another similarity:In "I Love Lucy"when they move out in the country,they move to Conneticut.In the first 3 seasons of "The Lucy Show",she lives in Danville,Conneticut.And a difference:"I Love Lucy"in the early years,they live in New York City,in an apartment.In "The Lucy Show",(the first 3 seasons)she lives in a house.

And here's another similarity:In "I Love Lucy"when they move out in the country,they move to Conneticut.In the first 3 seasons of "The Lucy Show",she lives in Danville,Conneticut.

Danfield is in New York (near New Rochelle), not Connecticut.

And another similarity is that both Ethel Mertz and Vivian Bagley is played by the late Vivian Vance. And a difference is that Ethel Mertz is married to Fred.,and have no kids.Vivian Bagley is a divorcee,(predating "One day at a Time's"Ann Romano ,as the FIRST divorcee on a comedy series)and her ex-husband is named Ralph.A

But if you ever hear Vivian describe Ralph Bagley, she's talking about Fred Mertz! :lol:

^More likely she is talking about William Frawley--and that was no act!
:brent

Also while Lucy R had to contend with her husband about money--Lucy C has to contend with first, Mr. Barnstahl and then Mr. Mooney.

One difference to me is that Viv Bagley was not as submissive as Ethel Mertz--she could be quite haughty at times, if not downright nasty! :lol:

^More likely she is talking about William Frawley--and that was no act!
:brent

Now that is very possible. Isn't that what they call method acting? :lol:

Also while Lucy R had to contend with her husband about money--Lucy C has to contend with first, Mr. Barnstahl and then Mr. Mooney.

One difference to me is that Viv Bagley was not as submissive as Ethel Mertz--she could be quite haughty at times, if not downright nasty! :lol:

And that's exactly what I love about Viv. :)

As was apparent in the Season 2 ep "Lucy Puts Out a Fire at the Bank", Lucy Carmichael was not a smoker, while Lucy Ricardo had been. I'm sure a main reason for that was I Love Lucy's biggest sponsor was Philip Morris, while no cigarette manufacturer was ever a major sponsor of The Lucy Show.

What I enjoy about season 2 is there is still a sense of continuity with season 1--the volunteer ladies fire dept (whether or not you think that is a funny plotline), Professor Gitterman from "The Barbershop Quartet" s.1 is brought back for the Cleopatra episode and is also referenced in the first Ethel Merman episode with Lucy repeating the chewing of the tongue routine. We still see Danfield Cab call phones in the town. Supporting characters like Audrey Simmons and Mrs. Valance stick around, plus other things which I can't think of at the moment.

Lucy Carmichael has a sister (played by Janet Waldo)
If Lucy Ricardo had siblings, we never meet them.

Lucy Ricardo's mother, Mrs. McGuillicuddy appears in ILL
Lucy Carmichael's parents are never introduced.

If either Lucy talked about her dad, I must have missed it...LOL

I've noticed that Lucy and Viv get into misadventures like Lucy and Ethel. I loved the episode where lucy and Viv get tied up back to back in a candy store and have to work together to use a phone and hop to the counter to eat some of the candy.

(Difference:) Lucy Carmichael tends to have permanent employment, as with Mr. Mooney's bank, while Lucy Ricardo's jobs are temporary or otherwise short-lived.

(Difference:) Lucy Carmichael tends to have permanent employment, as with Mr. Mooney's bank, while Lucy Ricardo's jobs are temporary or otherwise short-lived.

And likewise, a similarity: For the first three seasons of The Lucy Show, Lucy Carmichael, like Lucy Ricardo, never had a permanent job. ;)

If either Lucy talked about her dad, I must have missed it...LOL
Lucy Carmichael's father read her Dickens' Christmas Carol every Christmas.

In which season did Lucy Carmichael's sister appear? That will be interesting to see. Janet Waldo provided the voice of Judy Jetson on "The Jetsons" didn't she? Did she makes more than one appearance on "The Lucy Show" as Lucy's sister?

Lucy Carmichael has a sister (played by Janet Waldo)
If Lucy Ricardo had siblings, we never meet them.

Lucy Ricardo's mother, Mrs. McGuillicuddy appears in ILL
Lucy Carmichael's parents are never introduced.

In which season did Lucy Carmichael's sister appear? That will be interesting to see. Janet Waldo provided the voice of Judy Jetson on "The Jetsons" didn't she? Did she makes more than one appearance on "The Lucy Show" as Lucy's sister?

She appeared only once, in the first season. I didn't find her very convincing as Lucy's sister because she seemed too young for the part, even though in reality Lucille Ball was only 6 and 1/2 years older. Janet seemed like she was 20 something even though she was 44 years old at the time.

She appeared only once, in the first season. I didn't find her very convincing as Lucy's sister because she seemed too young for the part, even though in reality Lucille Ball was only 6 and 1/2 years older. Janet seemed like she was 20 something even though she was 44 years old at the time.

Wow, that's some acting on her part! :lol: I was convinced she was that young!

Wow, that's some acting on her part! :lol: I was convinced she was that young!

She showed up at a couple of the Lucy conventions in Burbank in the 1990s, and even then she looked way younger than her actual age. She mentioned being pregnant in that I Love Lucy episode, which stunned me because I thought she was just a kid at the time. I was even more stunned to learn she was born in 1918, and is now 92 years old (and her Hollywood career dates to 1938). She looks 70 at most! Here she is in a clip from this year. Does THAT look like a 92 year-old woman to you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EItX_X1z6v0

Doesn't even look 70!!! She's beyond amazing!

She looks late 60s at most!!! WOW!!!

Lucy Ricardo knew Danny Williams. Lucy Carmichael knew Danny Thomas.
Ricardo and Carmichael both knew Milton Berle.
Both women were continuously stalked by Hazel Pierce, who followed them almost everywhere except in their own homes!

^In an odd coincidence in the tv universe--Lucy Carter also knew Danny Williams!

^In an odd coincidence in the tv universe--Lucy Carter also knew Danny Williams!
Yeah, from the episode of Make Room for Grandaddy ! Kind of bizarre!!!