I know this is already on another thread, but I want the date in the subject line so everyone sees it's official, and so they know the date (and hopefully are reminded so they don't forget.

This is the original thread: http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=354418

This is the CBS press release: http://www.cbs.com/shows/i_love_lucy/news/1006158/laugh-in-the-holidays-with-the-i-love-lucy-christmas-special/

This holiday season is about to get a lot funnier, as CBS plans to broadcast the I Love Lucy Christmas Special, featuring two back-to-back episodes of the iconic sitcom in full color on Friday, Dec. 2 at 8/7c on CBS.

The episodes include "The Christmas Episode" (first broadcast in Dec. 1956) and the newly colorized "Lucy Gets In Pictures" (Feb. 1955). Both were modified to have a "vintage look," which is a nod to the series' 1950s period.

The episodes have also been seamlessly combined into one special, with no interruption between the two.

As fans may recall, "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 Ricardos' son, Little Ricky. 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.

In "Lucy Gets in Pictures," Lucy's lifelong dream of appearing in a motion picture seems to have come true when Ricky arranges for her to play a showgirl in a new musical. Unfortunately, the enormous feathered headdress she is expected to wear as she descends a staircase proves to be too cumbersome. After numerous mishaps on the stairs, the musical's frustrated director decides to make a change.

The I Love Lucy Christmas specials have been an ongoing tradition on CBS for the last three years, each combining the holiday-themed episode with a different comedy classic.

Watch the new I Love Lucy Christmas Special on Friday, Dec. 2 at 8/7c on CBS, and stream full episodes of I Love Lucy on CBS All Access.

Just a reminder that we're only a few days away from the new I Love Lucy Christmas Special.

TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT!

I'll be watching with my mom! This has become a Christmas tradition.

Looking forward to it!

Cool! Count me in! ;) :wave:

Obviously I will be watching tonight, too. My ONLY gripe is that the first half hour will be another repeat of the Christmas episode which, IMO, is the worst, or maybe second worst episode of the series (after "Drafted"). But I am really exited to see "Lucy Gets in Pictures" in color!

I'll be watching too!:D

I will certainly be watching. This has become a holiday tradition.

Obviously I will be watching tonight, too. My ONLY gripe is that the first half hour will be another repeat of the Christmas episode which, IMO, is the worst, or maybe second worst episode of the series (after "Drafted"). But I am really exited to see "Lucy Gets in Pictures" in color!


Lucy gets in pictures will be really cool in color! ;) :wave:

I didn't watch it. The Christmas one is lousy and the part I like in the second one is when she keeps falling down the stairs, which I missed.

Fun to watch as usual. Still hoping for "The Freezer" to get the color treatment.

I loved both episodes.

What a treat!

Fred and Ethel looked more attractive in color for some reason.

Fun to watch as usual. Still hoping for "The Freezer" to get the color treatment.


I am sure it will be. There is a new release of colored episodes coming out in Jan which I preordered.

It was the most watched show last night. So I am sure we will see more next year.

Obviously I will be watching tonight, too. My ONLY gripe is that the first half hour will be another repeat of the Christmas episode which, IMO, is the worst, or maybe second worst episode of the series (after "Drafted"). But I am really exited to see "Lucy Gets in Pictures" in color!

Funny coincidence you feel that way, since the original broadcast of Drafted ends with that same "too many Santas" tag the Christmas Special does. Anyway, I think there are episodes worse than both those. The last half-hour episode, for example (Lucy and the Statue), is terrible.

I'm not a fan of this colorizing nonsense, if something was filmed in black and white that's how I prefer to see it, but I will say that they did a fairly good job with the colorizing process for those who like that sort of thing. :rolleyes:

As far as the episodes go, the Christmas/flashback one isn't very good, and I thought Lucy Gets In Pictures was unfunny and silly. I've never been a big I Love Lucy fan, I prefer Lucy in The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy.

Also, some scenes must have been cut from the episodes because there were way too many commercials. Shame on you CBS. :lol:

Also, some scenes must have been cut from the episodes because there were way too many commercials. Shame on you CBS. :lol:

That's what I wanted to ask the Lucy experts. Are these color episodes edited or unedited?

That's what I wanted to ask the Lucy experts. Are these color episodes edited or unedited?
They were edited. I noticed at least one awkward commercial-to-show transition during "Lucy Gets in Pictures" where it was obvious something was missing.

That's what I wanted to ask the Lucy experts. Are these color episodes edited or unedited?

They're edited. I didn't watch the Christmas episode, but I watched Lucy Gets in Pictures. Some of it felt edited, so after it was over I popped in my DVD of the episode, and sure enough, there were several parts cut (mostly just extra lines, plus a bit between Ricky and the Mertzes before Lucy comes back from the drug store). They were all in the first half of the episode, though. Once they moved to the film set, it ran unedited (granted, with an extra commercial break inserted).

Mike

Funny coincidence you feel that way, since the original broadcast of Drafted ends with that same "too many Santas" tag the Christmas Special does. Anyway, I think there are episodes worse than both those. The last half-hour episode, for example (Lucy and the Statue), is terrible.

That Christmas tag was repeated again in 1952 and 1953. So for three straight years, they showed that same too many Santas skit. They were all marching around the room singing Jingle Bells. Then they incorporated some of it into the 1956 Christmas episode.