Well I've finally finished watching the whole sensational "The Lucy Show: The Offical Season Two" and everything was so beautifully presented, episodes, commercials, extras packaging etc. The one let down was the totally unfunny Comedy Hour on the last disk. Lucy did her best but the huge disappointment for me was Bob Hope who I normally love. Normally he teams so well with Lucy however here he looks totally out of it and his reading of cue cards was glaringly obvious all the way through it which was really annoying. The basic idea of the special had potential and was a funny one but sadly it didn't raise one smile while I watched it. Thank God season two of the show was great unlike this special although of course I'm so glad it was included in a beautiful print, another piece of Lucy history preserved. Despite this let down I'm really hoping "Lucy in London" is put on the season five set when it is released eventually. What are others thoughts on the comedy hour?

Well I've finally finished watching the whole sensational "The Lucy Show: The Offical Season Two" and everything was so beautifully presented, episodes, commercials, extras packaging etc. The one let down was the totally unfunny Comedy Hour on the last disk. Lucy did her best but the huge disappointment for me was Bob Hope who I normally love. Normally he teams so well with Lucy however here he looks totally out of it and his reading of cue cards was glaringly obvious all the way through it which was really annoying. The basic idea of the special had potential and was a funny one but sadly it didn't raise one smile while I watched it. Thank God season two of the show was great unlike this special although of course I'm so glad it was included in a beautiful print, another piece of Lucy history preserved. Despite this let down I'm really hoping "Lucy in London" is put on the season five set when it is released eventually. What are others thoughts on the comedy hour?
I thought Bob Hope was miscast as Lucy's romantic interest. Bob Hope is a very funny comedian and a great comic actor but I just couldn't buy him as a romantic lead.

I have always enjoyed this special and consider it one of my favorite things of Lucy's that I have ever seen. Yet that is just my opinion, and everyone has different taste. But I do agree with you about the super quality of the special, and here's hopingthe London show gets a release on the season 5 set!

I found the Lucille Ball Comedy Hour to be entertaining but not as funny as The Lucy Show. The opening scene was hilarious as it pokes fun at women not being good executives, which Lucy was, though she didn't like the stress I think. I feel that the scene with Gale and Lucy chasing Bob around the world was unnecessary and strange. The plot for the pilot was funny because of Lucy but Bob does nothing in this production. (I found Bob Hope overrated but I'm 23 so maybe his humor is more dated than Lucy's.) Overall, a B-. I like most of Lucy in London but Lucy Call the President and Happy Anniversary and Goodbye are my favorite specials, but I haven't seen Catherine Curtis yet.

What's the story behind this special? Was Lucy considering changing formats and making this a regular series?

I think the comedy hour was a test to see if that particular format would be successful as she wasn't sure if TLS would continue.

Lucy works best in front of an audience. The laugh track was used on this and her timing was off (and the timing of the laugh track as well.) I won't go into my Bob Hope rant here....but I didn't like him....and anyone who requests admission to see his gravesite....come on, fella, get over yourself.....

Yes, seriously Lucy was considering dropping the sitcom and going with a comedy/variety hour. Many people wonder why she didn't go ahead with it when Vivian announced she was leaving the sitcom. Three seasons of Lucy and Viv were enough for syndication and maybe it would gave Lucy newfound energy to break away from the "lucy character".

Yes, seriously Lucy was considering dropping the sitcom and going with a comedy/variety hour. Many people wonder why she didn't go ahead with it when Vivian announced she was leaving the sitcom. Three seasons of Lucy and Viv were enough for syndication and maybe it would gave Lucy newfound energy to break away from the "lucy character".
Kind of interesting she went on to play the "Lucy" character for 10 more years. She must have figured thats what her fans wanted!

High ratings and a circle of advisors who told her to stick with the formula......and voila, this is what we got.

Yes, seriously Lucy was considering dropping the sitcom and going with a comedy/variety hour. Many people wonder why she didn't go ahead with it when Vivian announced she was leaving the sitcom. Three seasons of Lucy and Viv were enough for syndication and maybe it would gave Lucy newfound energy to break away from the "lucy character".

In the long run, she was smarter to stick with the sitcom, for its syndication viability. If she had switched to a variety show, if it hadn't been erased by now, it likely would be tied up in musical rights. Also variety shows tend to be a lot more dated than sitcoms.

I just ordered Lucy calls the president, one of her best specials imo.

In the long run, she was smarted to stick with the sitcom, for its syndication viability. If she had switched to a variety show, if it hadn't been erased by now, it likely would be tied up in musical rights. Also variety shows tend to be a lot more dated than sitcoms.
yea, a LOT of the variety shows and specials aren't on DVD (and sadly, may never be:( ) because of music rights. That's why only a couple are avaible; and only in "best of" sets.

Looking forward to season 3 and the specials "Happy Anniversary and Goodbye" and "What Now, Catherine Curtis?" in November and December.

Looking forward to season 3 and the specials "Happy Anniversary and Goodbye" and "What Now, Catherine Curtis?" in November and December.

"Catherine Curtis" is blah, ok but to me not anything to special. But "Happy Anniversary and Goodbye" is just great, perhaps the best post-series thing that Lucille ever did! Of course, that is just my opinion.

I just got in Lucy Calls the President one of her best specials. I did notice that it looked like Vivian had a stroke sometime prior to the special, you could see her right side of her face seemed droopy and her lip curl shd did do a great job.

I just got in Lucy Calls the President one of her best specials. I did notice that it looked like Vivian had a stroke sometime prior to the special, you could see her right side of her face seemed droopy and her lip curl shd did do a great job.
This is my favorite "Lucy" special. It's just so awesome that Lucy & Viv were re-united one last time. Plus with Gale Gordon, Mary Jane Croft and Mary Wickes, well that was just the icing on the cake! I wish Doris Singleton, Carole Cooke and Vanda Barra could have been included.

I agree Vivian looked like she wasn't well in Lucy Calls the President but she gave a great performance of it in spite of her age and she as always had enough star quality to equal Lucy in parts of it. I agree that Happy Anniversary and Goodbye is her best post-series work which is shown by the ratings (#4 only CBS Salutes Lucy got higher.) Stone Pillow and Happy Anniversary and Goodbye had her playing realistic characters and had a modern, edging script that made us think. I think Lucy should have done more drama. Critics, ratings = fans, and advisors seem to keep her as Lucy forever which I think result in Life With Lucy. If they had given her more praise in reviews past Here's Lucy for her different character specials I think she could have done more TV movies. At least she isn't like some older people who keep acting past their prime. Lucy's post-Here's Lucy appearances show grace, elegence and that she still had star qualities to her death. Betty White, Joan Rivers, etc... to me have overstay their welcome and have become annoying in the roles they are playing. At least Lucy left as a star and happy.

At least Doris came back in Lucy MOves to NBC, which I haven't seen. I hear it isn't special so maybe her role wasn't much. Why didn't Carole come back? SHe was Lucy's close friend and did a lot of appearances in the late 70s like Love Boat. Vanda only did thirteen appearance after Lucy Gets Lucky but was with Lucy on the Mary Tyler Moore Hour according to IMDB. I agree that I am glad Lucy didn't do a variety show because we won't have seen it aired today because of musical rights and many guest stars like the Carol Burnett Show is for the most part tied up in legal restrictions.

Betty White, Joan Rivers, etc... to me have overstay their welcome and have become annoying in the roles they are playing. At least Lucy left as a star and happy.

Joan Rivers, yes -- I used to love her, but now can hardly stand her -- but Betty White??? No way! I find myself loving her to pieces, no matter what role she plays. No matter how large or small the role, she's always the highlight of any production she does, like Lake Placid. I think she's hilarious in Hot in Cleveland. And she was superior in her appearance a few months ago on SNL. It was the funniest episode I have seen in many years.

Joan Rivers, yes -- I used to love her, but now can hardly stand her -- but Betty White??? No way! I find myself loving her to pieces, no matter what role she plays. No matter how large or small the role, she's always the highlight of any production she does, like Lake Placid. I think she's hilarious in Hot in Cleveland. And she was superior in her appearance a few months ago on SNL. It was the funniest episode I have seen in many years.


Betty White has class. Joan Rivers ... well, I get the impression that she's turned into a bitter old woman who has nothing better to do than yap about what people wear!

Betty White has class. Joan Rivers ... well, I get the impression that she's turned into a bitter old woman who has nothing better to do than yap about what people wear!

Yeah, and her "comedy" is too biting and mean, which I don't find funny at all. And that super shallow show, How Did You Get So Rich? Another part of my dislike of her now is that no-talent daughter of hers, who seems to have no reason for her D-list fame, other than that her mother is Joan Rivers. Evidence of that is the fact that Melissa goes by Rivers instead of her real name, Rosenberg, so obviously trying to exploit her mother's name. I have to change the channel the second I see her face. And speaking of faces, Joan's looks like it belongs to somebody else. Actually, it looks like it belongs on a mannequin. She no longer bears any resemblance to Joan Rivers. But back to Betty White, she's the real deal in every way: talented -- even at 88 she still has impeccable comic timing -- and as a human being, like you say, classy. And genuine. She's truly an American treasure.

How can you put Betty White and Joan Rivers in the same catagory?...or evenin the same sentence? Lucille Ball and Betty White are icons, legends for decades to come. I do agree Joan could retire, but Betty, no way! America loves her!!!!!!!:)

yea, a LOT of the variety shows and specials aren't on DVD (and sadly, may never be:( ) because of music rights. That's why only a couple are avaible; and only in "best of" sets.
For this reason, the Dvd volumes of The Carol Burnett Show by Columbia House, are nice to have. Although we'll never see the complete series, or full season sets, at least some of the best of her show have been released, although they're pretty hard to come by.

^Not to mention EXPENSIVE TO OWN!

Yeah, and her "comedy" is too biting and mean, which I don't find funny at all. And that super shallow show, How Did You Get So Rich? Another part of my dislike of her now is that no-talent daughter of hers, who seems to have no reason for her D-list fame, other than that her mother is Joan Rivers. Evidence of that is the fact that Melissa goes by Rivers instead of her real name, Rosenberg, so obviously trying to exploit her mother's name. I have to change the channel the second I see her face...
Actually Rivers isn't even Joan's name, other than a stage name. Joan's last name at birth was Malinsky, so Rivers is apparently something that she or someone else made up for her last name.