Whenever I read the posts on this board, everybody is talking about the greatest episodes. What Lucy Show episodes are the worst or, at the very least, not the best?

Mooney the Monket. This episode is simply put bad. It's one of Lucy's worst episodes in her entire 23 years on t.v.

That's Monkey, not Monket.

Originally posted by oldshows
Mooney the Monkey. This episode is simply put bad. It's one of Lucy's worst episodes in her entire 23 years on t.v.

I disagree. I thought Mooney the Monkey was pretty good. The bad episodes I think of the show were "Lucy In the Music World", #89 and "Lucy and Danny Thomas", #92 both were from the fourth season. Episode #89 was just plain annoying due to the music that was so outdated! Episode #92 was just horrible because it made Lucy Carmichael look so dumb when actually she wasn't. Those by far are the two worst episodes of the entire series AND probably the worst Lucy episodes ever.

I disagree. Lucy In The Music World was a wonderful episode and the music wasn't outdated for the time. The rendition of His Surfboard Came Back By Itself was GREAT. Lucy looked very good...I think it was probably one of the top 5 episodes of Season Four.

"We're gonna have a wingding
a real swinging wingding
we're gonna have a wingding toniiiiight...
the craziest wingding that's every been done
the zaniest wingding that's every begun
a ringadingalingaling, a dingalingalingalingaling
A WINGDING!!!!!!!!!"

I also agree that Mooney The Monkey was the worst episode.

One of my favorite non-Viv Lucy Shows was the Lucy in the Music World episode. It was a take-off of Hullabaloo and Shindig. I was pretty young but I remember thinking at the time how cool it was for The Lucy Show to spoof teen music shows. I think that's one of the reasons it plays so over-the-top now because they went one step further than how those shows really were. But I love the WingDing theme song and the 3 go-go girls.

Another vote for Mooney the Monkey, who wrote that ****! Does anybody have the words to that surfboard song, i loved it and was thinking about it last week. My trousseau just lies on the shelf, since his surfboard came back by itself. I'm missing the next line but have the hilarious closer, don't learn how to surf till you learn how to swimmmmmmmmmm!

What Lucy Show episodes are the worst or, at the very least, not the best?

My advice is to watch all of the episodes available, and make a decsion like this on your own.

I can't even begin to tell you of the countless times that I've seen authors (Ex. The Lucy Book...LOL I'm ALWAYS bringing up this book), or Lucy fans discuss "awful" episodes of TLS that personally I happen to like.

I disagree with the "Mooney, the Monkey" and "Wing DIng" episodes. I especially loved the "Wing Ding" and wish they would release it on video.

"Mooney the Monkey" was NOT the best, I agree, but certainly not the worst, in my opinion. I guess everyone has their favorites and least faves.

My least fave episodes of the "Lucy Show" would be "Lucy the Fight Manager".......can't stand watching this episode with Don Rickles...I don't know why.....the episode is annoying to me in every way!!

I also cannot take "Lucy and Phil Harris"......not one funny moment in the entire episode.

As a Lucy "fan" from way back (she and I share birthdays...different years of course...lol), I can honestly say the first three seasons of this 'underrated sitcom' were the best. The last three had Lucy going at it with too many guest stars and not enough ensemble playing. Plus, Lucy's voice in the last two years of the "Lucy Show" was getting hoarse and deeper and it detracted from her performances.

However, I will always "Love Lucy" and never tire of watching her!!!

Sincerely,

Larkin

I am not that crazy about episodes from the 1965 to 1968 seasons. Every week, Lucy has to depend on a guest to keep her in trouble or in the need of money. I think the Vivian Vance years
1962 - 1965 seasons were the best! Even though, the ratings were not good, the episodes were good! I think the later seasons ratings were good because of the special guests! Not just for Lucy! That's what I think!

I thnk we all tuned in to the LUCY show, not to whoever was guesting that week. But each star gave her a different premise or plot to work with, the writers kept having to repeat themselves, how could they not, her shows ran almost a quarter century.

I have to disagree. I enjoy the "Lucy at the Bank" years just the same as the "Lucy & Viv" years, if not a little more. I get just as much a kick out of watching Lucy, Mary Jane & Mr. Mooney clowning around the bank as I did watching Lucy and Viv install a shower, buy a sheep, etc...

I have agree though, that Mooney, the Monkey was pretty bad. It had no basis in reality. It showed Lucy as a competent, over-worked secretary, which, as anyone who's watched this show even once, knows she wasn't. The episode may have been better with a slightly different plotline...

Originally posted by bb25
I have agree though, that Mooney, the Monkey was pretty bad. It had no basis in reality. It showed Lucy as a competent, over-worked secretary, which, as anyone who's watched this show even once, knows she wasn't. The episode may have been better with a slightly different plotline...


Please do not repeat (re-type, whatever...) that BS from "The Lucy Book" ---I recognized it IMMEDIATELY:lol:


There may be MANY things wrong with the "Lucy mistakes mooney for a monkey" episode (whatever it's called), and the "Lucy" being written as overworked may be one of them, but I just can't stand comments from that damn book...

LOL, venting...sorry:D

Also...

If I'm not mistaken, the "Lucy" character was potrayed as intelligent on more than a few occassions on TLS (yes, even in the "California" years). Not only did it not effect the show, usually it added to the situations.

LOL! I can't help it...it's the best Lucy book out there. My copy is practically falling apart!

And sure, she appeared intelligent, but not to the point of hallucination!!

Originally posted by bb25
LOL! I can't help it...it's the best Lucy book out there. My copy is practically falling apart!

My copy is in pieces as well...As far as obtaining info on any and (almost) all Lucy appearences on TV, it is invaluable, but I just the feel the author is overcritical of Lucy's later work. I get the feeling he sometimes dismisses things just because it was work that came after the "ILL years". His basic complaints about some of HL and TLS episodes can be found in an ILL episode he praised.

A tad hypocritical...JMO


And sure, she appeared intelligent, but not to the point of hallucination!!

Proper motivation would have given the story more credence and made it more believeable(SP?) and possibly funnier.

That's true, we all love the book but hate some of his comments on her later work, everybody says that. It IS a great reference book though!

Yeah, I agree totally. The one thing that really bothers me are his constant complaints about lack of character continuity, especially in the first few seasons of The Lucy Show. As if I Love Lucy was perfect and everything stood correct and unchanged till the end. How may different middle names did Ethel Mertz have? Did Lucy really have real pearls or not? Ethel drove in "The Camping Trip" yet she didn't know how 2 seasons later. How many different couches did the Ricardo's go through? I mean sure they may have been a little more drastic in TLS and HL, but come on, they had different writers every week! And his constant talk about Lucy & Viv's fluctuating weight, hairstyles, voice, age, etc...they were human for crying out loud! He should talk! (look at his pic in the back)...one can't deny that the book is extremely comprehensive and insightful, but it is a tad too opinionated. I even wrote him a letter with a few questions and praising the book, and never saw a reply...

Isn't there supposed to be a revised edition coming out too?