For me it was the music.

I always liked when Desi Arnaz would play with his band on the show. It wasn't on most of the episodes, but those are ones that got me into watching the show. I don't know of any other sitcom where that is the case, where someone has a band and sings. I think the show had unlimited replay value just on this alone.

Now I like the show for the actors also and the plots.

I'm only watching ILL for the first time in my life.
Before this, I had only seen a handful of episodes.

The actors are good. Not all the plots are though.

For those of the right age, it was because that's what everyone was watching on Monday nights starting in 1951. As the years have gone by, it's almost something you watch out of respect, knowing the series is easily one of the top shows in TV history.

As the years have gone by, it's almost something you watch out of respect, knowing the series is easily one of the top shows in TV history.

Precisely! And nobody, and I mean nobody, can top physical comedy like Lucille Ball, may she rest in peace. So many HILARIOUS scenes, I still guffaw when I see them. What, to me anyways, makes the show such a masterpiece is how much it trailblazed. It must always be remembered this is one of the EARLIEST shows on TV and was the first to introduce many themes and techniques commonplace today. I'd even go one step further to say it is THE TOP show, certainly in the top three.

Sorry, I got to disagree about ILL being the top show of all time.

A show where Ricky spanks Lucy or Lucy & Ethel have to wash dishes to help pay for a meal - well those scenes bother me. Also, Ricky never lets Lucy be in his show. Maybe in the 50's (before my time) that was considered acceptable but it sure isn't now.

That's not to say I don't enjoy some episodes of ILL.

My mother got me into this show! My dear Mother passed on January 24th of this year at 83 ! I am the baby of the family , so I was Mommy's girl, I loved hanging out with Mom ! I was about 8 or so, first time I remember seeing it. Lucy was on in reruns in the afternoon, I remember it being in black and white ( shows were in color by this time), so it caught my eye that it was an older show. The music , the heart coming up was cool and really caught my attention, and I remember thinking Oh wow! My Mom told me "Oh that is I Love Lucy, a show from years ago, watch it, it's funny" . So I started watching it and it seemed REALLY OLD!!! Even though it was only about 1970 at the time I first saw it , it still seemed OLD!!! And mom would be busy with her house chores and starting dinner, but she would stop and watch it with me sometimes, and tell me about how things were "back in the day", when she was in her 20's and stuff. Good memories!!

for me, it was when a local station started showing it on weekday afternoons back about 1970. I remember my Mom telling me that "that was her husband in real life at the time" and I remember I thought that she meant she was really married to Ricky Ricardo !:lol:

for me, it was when a local station started showing it on weekday afternoons back about 1970. I remember my Mom telling me that "that was her husband in real life at the time" and I remember I thought that she meant she was really married to Ricky Ricardo !:lol:


Yes Exactly. Weekday afternoons. I watched it after school. My Mom told me that they were married in real life too!! :)

I don't even remember when I first watched I Love Lucy. I remember watching The Lucy Show weekday mornings when I was very small. That must have been in the late 60's or early 70's. That was the first Lucille Ball show I remember watching. I probably didn't see I Love Lucy until the 1970's in syndication.

I don't even remember when I first watched I Love Lucy. I remember watching The Lucy Show weekday mornings when I was very small. That must have been in the late 60's or early 70's. That was the first Lucille Ball show I remember watching. I probably didn't see I Love Lucy until the 1970's in syndication.


OMG!!! Yes!! The Lucy show was on in the mornings. I remember that too ! As a little girl on summer vacation watching the Lucy Show in the morning! :)

Channel 50 from Detroit with their afternoon reruns, from old 16mm prints with splices, sound sync issues in spots, scenes jumping ... just a fantastic way to spend a summer vacation afternoon. Then forcing mom to stop taping her soaps so I could tape Lucy once school was back in session!!!

One of the stations aired reruns of I Love Lucy in the late 60's and I watched it in the afternoon when I got home from school. Loved the show then & still love watching it today. You can't beat I Love Lucy for great comedy.

One of the stations aired reruns of I Love Lucy in the late 60's and I watched it in the afternoon when I got home from school. Loved the show then & still love watching it today. You can't beat I Love Lucy for great comedy.


Yes , same here late 60's early 70's , after school. :) I love Lucy is a great "comfort show"! :)

Another memory is when Lucy was expecting and little Ricky being born . My Mom explaining to me that Lucy and Desi really were expecting in real life and she really was pregnant. :) But the baby on the show, Little Ricky wasn't there actual baby , he was an actor playing the part. I was like why didn't they have their real baby on the show? Also my mom said they had a little girl already named Lucy. Again I was how come she wasn't on the show as Little Lucy!!! LOL!!! :)

Yes , same here late 60's early 70's , after school. :) I love Lucy is a great "comfort show"! :)

Another memory is when Lucy was expecting and little Ricky being born . My Mom explaining to me that Lucy and Desi really were expecting in real life and she really was pregnant. :) But the baby on the show, Little Ricky wasn't there actual baby , he was an actor playing the part. I was like why didn't they have their real baby on the show? Also my mom said they had a little girl already named Lucy. Again I was how come she wasn't on the show as Little Lucy!!! LOL!!! :)


:crazy: I would have been totally confused if my mom tried explaining that to me as a kid. :lol:

:crazy: I would have been totally confused if my mom tried explaining that to me as a kid. :lol:


I know!!! I was confused!! I was like Are you sure the baby on the show isn't their real baby? :lol: And than when Desi Arnaz Jr. and Lucy Arnaz were on Here's Lucy at night and was told they were her real kids , I was like WHAT????? :eek:

What got me into the show were Lucy's antics and her reactions to the situations she would herself into with Ethel. I also like the barbs between Fred and Ethel, as well as the music.

Yes , same here late 60's early 70's , after school. :) I love Lucy is a great "comfort show"! :)

Another memory is when Lucy was expecting and little Ricky being born . My Mom explaining to me that Lucy and Desi really were expecting in real life and she really was pregnant. :) But the baby on the show, Little Ricky wasn't there actual baby , he was an actor playing the part. I was like why didn't they have their real baby on the show? Also my mom said they had a little girl already named Lucy. Again I was how come she wasn't on the show as Little Lucy!!! LOL!!! :)


Lucy and Desi decided to make the Ricardo baby a boy because they didn't want to have to explain to little Lucie why she wasn't included in the show. Not to mention that Desi wanted a boy no matter what. Desi Arnaz Jr. was delivered by Ceserean section on January 19, 1953 -- the night "Lucy Goes to the Hospital" was aired -- because Lucy's doctor performed all his Cesereans on Mondays. Those facts have been quoted by Bart Andrews and many other Lucy experts.

One observation from me: While having little Desi made Lucy "the greatest actor in the world", according to Desi Arnaz Sr., everyone knows the father decides the baby's sex! Had baby had been a girl, she would have named Victoria Dolores (Lucie and Vickie?)...

As for what got me hooked on "I Love Lucy," I had seen bits and pieces of the show in the past...but when "Lucy" re-runs began airing on a local St. Louis station in 1967, that's when I saw most all of them in sequence.

Ironically, I began studying Latin percussion --hand drums like bongos and congas -- so I could play as well as Desi Arnaz. Imagine my shock and laughter, followed by the realization I'd accomplished my goal, when my drum teacher told me I was playin' better than Ricky Ricardo! Indeed, critics of the day said Desi's percussive performances weren't all they were cracked up to be; he was described as having "meager talents," but also "a clean-cut Latin."

Lucy and Desi decided to make the Ricardo baby a boy because they didn't want to have to explain to little Lucie why she wasn't included in the show. Not to mention that Desi wanted a boy no matter what. Desi Arnaz Jr. was delivered by Ceserean section on January 19, 1953 -- the night "Lucy Goes to the Hospital" was aired -- because Lucy's doctor performed all his Cesereans on Mondays. Those facts have been quoted by Bart Andrews and many other Lucy experts.

One observation from me: While having little Desi made Lucy "the greatest actor in the world", according to Desi Arnaz Sr., everyone knows the father decides the baby's sex! Had baby had been a girl, she would have named Victoria Dolores (Lucie and Vickie?)...

As for what got me hooked on "I Love Lucy," I had seen bits and pieces of the show in the past...but when "Lucy" re-runs began airing on a local St. Louis station in 1967, that's when I saw most all of them in sequence.

Ironically, I began studying Latin percussion --hand drums like bongos and congas -- so I could play as well as Desi Arnaz. Imagine my shock and laughter, followed by the realization I'd accomplished my goal, when my drum teacher told me I was playin' better than Ricky Ricardo! Indeed, critics of the day said Desi's percussive performances weren't all they were cracked up to be; he was described as having "meager talents," but also "a clean-cut Latin."


Very cool!! That is interesting. Nice post! :)

yes it is!!

Lucy and Desi decided to make the Ricardo baby a boy because they didn't want to have to explain to little Lucie why she wasn't included in the show. Not to mention that Desi wanted a boy no matter what. Desi Arnaz Jr. was delivered by Ceserean section on January 19, 1953 -- the night "Lucy Goes to the Hospital" was aired -- because Lucy's doctor performed all his Cesereans on Mondays. Those facts have been quoted by Bart Andrews and many other Lucy experts.

One observation from me: While having little Desi made Lucy "the greatest actor in the world", according to Desi Arnaz Sr., everyone knows the father decides the baby's sex! Had baby had been a girl, she would have named Victoria Dolores (Lucie and Vickie?)...

As for what got me hooked on "I Love Lucy," I had seen bits and pieces of the show in the past...but when "Lucy" re-runs began airing on a local St. Louis station in 1967, that's when I saw most all of them in sequence.

Ironically, I began studying Latin percussion --hand drums like bongos and congas -- so I could play as well as Desi Arnaz. Imagine my shock and laughter, followed by the realization I'd accomplished my goal, when my drum teacher told me I was playin' better than Ricky Ricardo! Indeed, critics of the day said Desi's percussive performances weren't all they were cracked up to be; he was described as having "meager talents," but also "a clean-cut Latin."

They showed the episode where little Ricky was born this morning on METV!!! :) Ricky in his VooDoo makeup and costume, and that poor other expectant father that already had 6 girls, and his wife ends up having triplet daughters! :eek: :( He was the actor that played Homer Bedloe in Petticoat Junction, I can't think of his name. :crazy: Barbara Pepper (Doris Ziffel from Green Acres, one of my all time favorite funny ladies) played a nurse!!:)

Wow the times have changed, expectant fathers in the waiting rooms, not in the delivery room with the expectant mothers!!! :)

that other mans name was Charles Lane; he was on DOZENS of TV shows besides P.J.: BURNS & ALLEN, THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES, F TROOP, BEWITCHED are just some. He always played a banker, a businessman who believed in "all work & no play" etc.

that other mans name was Charles Lane; he was on DOZENS of TV shows besides P.J.: BURNS & ALLEN, THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES, F TROOP, BEWITCHED are just some. He always played a banker, a businessman who believed in "all work & no play" etc.

Oh yeah Charles Lane. He was in a lot of shows like you said playing a serious, businessman type. Of all people he didn't seem like he would have the patience to have nine children,:mad: all daughters no less!! LOL!!! :talk:

Another older guy that comes to mind is Burt Mustin who played Gus the fireman in Leave it to Beaver and popped up in lots of shows back in the day. I liked him, he was a sweet, grandfatherly type! :)

My parents watched it all the time when I was a little kid. I loved it just as much.