"I Love Lucy" Christmas Special To Air on CBS
Oct. 22, 2013


CBS says it plans to air the "I Love Lucy Christmas Special", featuring two newly colorized classic episodes of the U.S. sitcom.

The hour-long program is to be broadcast Dec. 20. It will include the "Christmas Episode" and "Lucy's Italian Movie".



The episodes "were colorized with a vintage look, a nod to the 1950s period in which the shows were filmed," CBS said in a news release Tuesday.

"The main titles and end credits of the two episodes are seamlessly combined into one set -- at the beginning and end of the hour -- with no interruption between the episodes."



Starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance and William Frawley, the show ran from 1951-57, but has been seen for decades in re-runs.

http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/TV/2013/10/22/I-Love-Lucy-Christmas-special-to-air-on-CBS/UPI-88861382463216/

CBS Sets Record Straight on "I Love Lucy" Christmas Special
by LISA DE MORAES, TV Columnist
October 22, 2013


The Internet was abuzz today with a report that grinchy old CBS was getting that warm, cuddly holiday feeling and had announced it would air back-to-back episodes of "I Love Lucy", colorized and without commercial interruption, and call it The I Love Lucy Christmas Special, on December 20th.

The I Love Lucy Christmas Special will feature colorized episodes of the 1950’s CBS comedy series: the seldom-seen "Christmas Episode", and "Lucy’s Italian Movie" (aka The Grape Stomping Episode). The network said the episodes were “colorized with a vintage look,” for all you purists out there, “in a nod to the 1950’s period in which the shows were filmed.”

That period would be The Black- and-White TV Period, but we’ll let it go.





The "Christmas Episode" finds the Ricardos and Mertzes decorating Lucy and Ricky’s Christmas tree and reminiscing about how their lives have changed since the arrival of the Ricardo’s son, Little Ricky.

Flashbacks are in black-and-white, to emphasize the time lapse, CBS explained. Flashbacks recall the night Lucy tells Ricky she is pregnant, the time Lucy shows up unexpectedly as part of a barbershop quartet, and the day Ricky and the Mertzes rehearse taking Lucy to the maternity ward.

The "Christmas Episode" was first presented as part of the series in December of ’56. The episode wasn’t included in the series’ long history of rebroadcasts, first on CBS Daytime and later in syndication, the network noted, adding that it was thought to be “lost,” until CBS found it — in 1989.





"Lucy’s Italian Movie" finds the Ricardos and Mertzes visiting Rome, where Lucy is invited by a famous Italian film director to appear in his next picture, "Bitter Grapes", which she mistakenly thinks is about the wine industry, so she visits a local vineyard for research and winds up soaking up more local color than intended.

CBS owns the episode, and CBS colorized it. Two episodes makes for a cheap holiday special.





CBS is airing the special on a Friday – a night on which it’s got nothing to lose. It’s the weekend before Christmas – the company will probably sell some DVD’s off of the broadcast.

Oh, but that part of the report about CBS airing the special without commercial interruption? CBS wants you to know it will be running the special with all the advertising you’ve come to expect during the holiday season. Advertisers love holiday programming – even if it’s 60 years old. Look at Rudolph! Look at Frosty the Snowman! Advertisers line up to get in those shows.

CBS may be getting sentimental for the holidays — but it’s not stupid.

http://www.deadline.com/2013/10/cbs-sets-record-straight-on-its-i-love-lucy-christmas-special/

I'm excited to see it, even with commercials. ;)

The colorized Christmas episode is an extra on the I Love Lucy DVD's but I've never seen the colorized version of Lucy's Italian Movie!

What would really be cool is if CBS aired an original commercial from the original broadcast of the episodes.

What would really be cool if CBS reran the two Lucy Show Christmas episodes - one from 1962 in black and white and one from 1965 in color. They could air after as filler during Christmas week or on a Saturday night from 8:00-9:00.

What would really be cool is if CBS aired an original commercial from the original broadcast of the episodes.
Yeah that would be a added bonus. I wonder what was advertised
in those days. It sure wasn't medical ailment ads like today. Then again they did advertise Geritol in the 1950's.

What would be great is if CBS added Lucy back to the schedule on a weekly basis!!

What would be great is if CBS added Lucy back to the schedule on a weekly basis!!

I doubt that would happen. I tend to think Lucy captures the baby boomers and the generation x'ers or y ers. what ever they are called wouldn't go for old black and white tv. I think of this way. Would I be interested in seeing movies of the 1920's with no sound. Don't think so.

It is fun to see the colorized episodes. I hope they do a good job. I would like to see the chocolate factory episode or Vitameatavegamin in color, too.

It is fun to see the colorized episodes. I hope they do a good job. I would like to see the chocolate factory episode or Vitameatavegamin in color, too.

Based on the captures I've seen posted, I'd like to see them all in color. :)

I doubt that would happen. I tend to think Lucy captures the baby boomers and the generation x'ers or y ers. what ever they are called wouldn't go for old black and white tv. I think of this way. Would I be interested in seeing movies of the 1920's with no sound. Don't think so.

I don't think that's a valid comparison. My young niece and nephew had a TV in the back seat of the family car that played DVD's. They would always bring along DVDs to watch and were always popping in things like The Three Stooges.

I doubt that would happen. I tend to think Lucy captures the baby boomers and the generation x'ers or y ers. what ever they are called wouldn't go for old black and white tv. I think of this way. Would I be interested in seeing movies of the 1920's with no sound. Don't think so.

First of all it was an off-handed comment. Second, I get tired of everyone throwing this new generation under one umbrella. My nieces (ages 17 and 13) happen to love to watch Lucy, Dick Van Dyke with me. They only represent 2 people but do not make it sound like everyone that age feels that way. Plus, if someone doesn't want to watch something there is this thing called an off button. And what does watching Lucy on a network broadcast have to do with silent films, and do I really care if you are "interested in seeing movies of the 1920's with no sound?" Don't think so.

I don't think that's a valid comparison. My young niece and nephew had a TV in the back seat of the family car that played DVD's. They would always bring along DVDs to watch and were always popping in things like The Three Stooges.

This argument that "it is black and white, young kids won't watch" is like "that Beatles album is on vinyl, I won't listen." B&W or color, good is good and if someone wants to watch it they will regardless. My feeling is that if someone is ignorant enough not to give something a try because it is not in color the it is their loss, not mine. But this generalizatiom that "everyone"
in this age group will not watch something in B&W drives me nuts. Your nephew and our nieces prove my point that if someone likes it they will watch.

And this discussion of colorizing "Lucy" is silly to me, too. Again, for a special on-off show it is ok, but again if someone won't watch for that one reason alone then they lose out, not me.

This argument that "it is black and white, young kids won't watch" is like "that Beatles album is on vinyl, I won't listen." B&W or color, good is good and if someone wants to watch it they will regardless.

Well said. And incidentally, occasionally I do watch silent films. :) And no, I didn't grow up in the 1920s. :lol:

Well said. And incidentally, occasionally I do watch silent films. :) And no, I didn't grow up in the 1920s. :lol:


Just don't watch those films with the volume up too loud, I don't want the neighbors to complain!!! :crazy:

I find it amusing to read these early reviews of the color DVD. I find it funny that I come here and read comments how ILL needs to be colorized, there is no way the series will last forever in black and white, blah blah blah. When someone like myself says to just keep it the way it has been and don't mess with a classic I get told that I don't know what I am talking about, people need options and that I should just watch it in B&W, etc. Now people are not happy with the way these shows look colorized. Some people are never happy.

I hope to see the series come out on bluray in the next year or so ... remastered ... with the bonus features from the DVDs and brand new ones to make purchasing these episodes yet again in a new format ... in black and white :) :) :)

Just don't watch those films with the volume up too loud, I don't want the neighbors to complain!!! :crazy:

I'll keep that in mind. :lol:

I find it amusing to read these early reviews of the color DVD. I find it funny that I come here and read comments how ILL needs to be colorized, there is no way the series will last forever in black and white, blah blah blah. When someone like myself says to just keep it the way it has been and don't mess with a classic I get told that I don't know what I am talking about, people need options and that I should just watch it in B&W, etc. Now people are not happy with the way these shows look colorized. Some people are never happy.

That's the bottom line there. It gets old, too. Some friends of mine worked on the various Lucy DVD projects, and I can tell you they worked their tails off and got little or no compensation for their efforts. It was totally a labor of love. And they put out some of the best sitcom DVD releases I've ever seen. Yet there are still people nitpicking and complaining. The glass is 99% full, yet they will expend their energy complaining about the missing 1%. There was a time not too long ago when the idea of personally owning the entire I Love Lucy series was nothing but a fantasy. Another fantasy was just to be able to see a single episode of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour because it was never being broadcast. Now not only have all those LDCHs been endlessly rebroadcast in recent years, but they are all available on DVD along with every single episode of I Love Lucy, every episode of The Lucy Show and every episode of Here's Lucy. Now we're being given the opportunity to see episodes of I Love Lucy in color. All these fantasies being realized, yet people will still complain. There are so many problems in the world. People are suffering financial, medical and political ordeals -- real problems -- yet there are others complaining that they found an I Love Lucy DVD less than perfect.[/QUOTE]

I think its a good idea. I've actually seen the lost X-Mas show. I think it was on TV Land or something. Honestly, its not that great but I'll watch because its in color and on CBS.

"I Love Lucy" Tops Friday
by Matt Webb Mitovich
12/21/13


All together now: We still love Lucy.

CBS’ special, colorized holiday-themed telecast of two "I Love Lucy" episodes on Friday night drew 8.7 million total viewers and a 1.4 rating, winning the night in the demo.

http://tvline.com/2013/12/21/ratings-i-love-lucy-holiday-spcial-cbs/

I watched and really enjoyed the episodes!:D :D

I watched, and I would have enjoyed it just as much if it were B&W.

I enjoyed it. It was nice for a change watching a good, clean tv show.

I saw an ad during the show for this color release on dvd so I promptly marched to Barnes and Noble the next day and bought it. They really did a good job colorizing these episodes. I thought they looked great!

though there were a couple of edits during the shows, weren't there?

While it's enjoyable seeing Lucy in color, the B&W shows have more of a "charm," if you will.

Quite interesting to see "Lucy" in color.Particulalry in the case of William Frawley.As I was watching,it occurred to me I had NEVER seen him in color!Never!Does anyone know if he stuck around long enough to do color episodes of "My Three Sons" before he passed in 1966?

Quite interesting to see "Lucy" in color.Particulalry in the case of William Frawley.As I was watching,it occurred to me I had NEVER seen him in color!Never!Does anyone know if he stuck around long enough to do color episodes of "My Three Sons" before he passed in 1966?
I don't know about My Three Sons, but his last television appearance was on The Lucy Show, which was in color.

I'm so glad but a bit surprised to read that Lucy won her time slot this past Friday evening with the Christmas special! Wow, after all these years, America still does love Lucy.

What an amazing feat for this show. Lucille Ball truly was an American treasure!

Isn't there a scene where the four are marching around the Christmas tree, and a fifth mystery Santa Claus appears. I'm not referring to when they discovered him in the kitchen.

[QUOTE=JamesG]"I Love Lucy" Tops Friday
by Matt Webb Mitovich
12/21/13


All together now: We still love Lucy.

CBS’ special, colorized holiday-themed telecast of two "I Love Lucy" episodes on Friday night drew 8.7 million total viewers and a 1.4 rating, winning the night in the demo.

I was surprised it did have good ratings. I guess more people Love Lucy than I thought. What was the competition that night?