I have a big surprise which I would love to spring on all the "I Love Lucy" fans on here but first I have a question for you. In all of the thousands of times that the show has been re-run on TV, has it ever been shown in its original form, where the opening and closing credits do not have the familiar white heart in the background with the theme music playing? In some online videos that I've seen on YouTube and DailyMotion, a series of little red hearts with photos from the show fly across the screen before showing a big red heart with the title of that week's episode written on it. That is followed by the episode which is shown in the usual manner.

If you know the show's history, you'll know that it used to be sponsored by Phillip Morris cigarettes. The commercials featured a fat kid in a red bellhop uniform yelling out "Call For Phillip Morris!!". Lucy herself re-creates this moment in the classic "Lucy Does A TV Commercial" episode. Then you would see a cartoon version of Lucy and Desi on the screen along with the credits that run in a different way than we're all used to. The real Lucy and Desi would show up at the end to say goodnight.

I remember once reading about how at the end of the "Lucy Goes To The Hospital" episode, instead of a commercial, there was a special message from the Phillip Morris company congratulating the Ricardos on the arrival of their new baby and the baby was then shown on the screen. I remember thinking at the time that it would be a moment that I would loved to have seen if I had been alive then and I wished that one day, the show would be seen in that form, with the original opening and closing credits. In the more than 40 years since that I have watched the series on TV and online, that has never happened to me before....

......UNTIL NOW!!!......

Yesterday, while looking for stuff to binge-watch, I came across these little gems on DailyMotion that left me completely awestruck. They are absolutely beautiful to watch and they look to be not only uncut but also unharmed the way some folks try to do on YouTube. Take a look for yourself and enjoy!


I Love Lucy - Season 2 - Fully Restored Episodes (http://www.dailymotion.com/user/robert-farrell/search/lucy/1)

The Blu-Ray versions of season 1 & 2 contain the original versions even with the original commercials.

While most episodes on the DVD have the white heart on satin opening credits, in the bonus features it includes the original openings. So we get to see them. It also includes lost footage from the episodes being re-run, since in those days they'd have the cast act out a scene and using the rerun as a flashback. And it points out the flubs from each episode as well.

That Philip Morris special message to Lucy and Ricky is also included in the bonus features. All of the stuff you mentioned (including the little red hearts with floating pictures and the title for that particular episode) are from the DVD box sets.

The DVDs are packed with bonus features with material not seen since the '50s.