In order, What would you say were the 50 greatest episodes of I Love Lucy?

BUMP!

I couldn't name 50 episodes! I could maybe do 10...
1. Vitameatavegamin
2. The one where lucy and ethel work in the candy factory
3. The one where lucy stomps the grapes
4. The one where lucy finds out she is pregnant
5. The one with harpo marx in it
6. The baby pictures ep
7. The one where lucy keeps pulling the emergency brake on the train
8. The one where Lucy and the mertzes dress up as gangsters to get out of buying the house in the country
9. The one where superman comes to little ricky's b-day party
10. The one where lucy and ethel steal john wayne's footprints

Originally posted by BeaversBiggestFan
I couldn't name 50 episodes! I could maybe do 10...
1. Vitameatavegamin
2. The one where lucy and ethel work in the candy factory
3. The one where lucy stomps the grapes
4. The one where lucy finds out she is pregnant
5. The one with harpo marx in it
6. The baby pictures ep
7. The one where lucy keeps pulling the emergency brake on the train
8. The one where Lucy and the mertzes dress up as gangsters to get out of buying the house in the country
9. The one where superman comes to little ricky's b-day party
10. The one where lucy and ethel steal john wayne's footprints

The episodes you descibed above are called: "Lucy Does a T.V. Commercial", "Job Switching", "Lucy's Italian Movie", "Lucy Is Enciente", "Lucy and Harpo Marx", "Baby Pictures", "The Great Train Robbery", "Lucy Wants To Move To the Country", and "Lucy Visits Grauman's" Part 1 of 2.

Well, i'll give it my best shot, here are my favortie 50 (or as far as i can think!)

1. Lucy Does a TV Commercial.
2. Lucy Does the Tango
3. The Black Eye
4. The Quiz Show
5. The Operetta
6. Hollywood Anniversary
7. Lucy Writes a Play
8. Lucy in Enceinte
9. Lucy Tells the Truth
10. Job Switching
11. Lucy's Italian Movie
12. L.A. at Last!
13. Never Do Business With Friends
14. The Dancing Star
15. Lucy Visits Graumans
16. Ethel's Hometown
17. The Great Train Robbery
18. Bon Voyage!
19. Return Home From Europe.
20. Lucy Meets the Queen
21. Paris at Last
22. The Diet
23. Lucy's Schedule
24. Lucy Fakes Illness
25. The Freezer
26. The Kleptomaniac
27. Breaking the Lease
28. The Moustache
29. Lucy Gets in Pictures
30. The Million Dollar Idea
31. Lucy's Last Birthday
32. Staten Island Ferry
33. Lucy and John Wayne
34. Harpo Marx
35. Lucy Goes to Monte Carlo
36. Lucy and the Loving Cup
37. Housewarming
38. Country Club Dance
39. Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress
40. Tennessee Ernie Visits
41. Lucy Gets a Paris Gown
42. First Stop
43. Sales Resistance
44. The Inferiority Complex
45. The Handcuffs
46. Lucy Gets Ricky on the Radio
47. Mr. and Mrs. TV Show
48. Home Movies
49. The Star Upstairs
50. The Gossip

I'll take the easy way out, i love every episode except Drafted, and even though i hated the Scotland and Gypsy episodes, they have grown on me over the years and with all that great music, i now love them also. So those are my top 178!

Originally posted by SPLAIN
I'll take the easy way out, i love every episode except Drafted, and even though i hated the Scotland and Gypsy episodes, they have grown on me over the years and with all that great music, i now love them also. So those are my top 178!

I think Drafted is absolutely the worst episode of the series. The Operetta, on the other hand, is far and away one of my favorites which I love today more than I used to. All the cast members have great moments in that one. I especially love how Vivian goes from so innocently singing "I am Lilly of the valley" into belting out that song in an almost raunchy way. The Scotland episode has some solid music in it, but it doesn't stand up to Operetta.

Agree, i've said a hundred times that as a kid i HATED the musical numbers, i wanted comedy, not singing, but now that i'm an old fogey, i love them. As for that Ethel thing with the singing that song, yes, many people mention that, it's like when you find out about her real life, compared to her image, she goes from the innocent Viv to the one married four times, and a husband who used to beat her and the last one was gay, unreal!

Originally posted by JaneTVFan
I think Drafted is absolutely the worst episode of the series.

Ditto. It's so ridiculous. Sure, Ethel's pregnant. :rolleyes:

Fred and Ethel could hardly kiss, never mind having a baby! I hope i live to see the day, i'll like this partucular episode, but believe it or not, some people have told me they like it!

Add me to the list of those who don't like "Drafted." Blech. :p

I'd be hard pressed to find another one i dislike so much! Ok, then, it's anonymous!

Originally posted by SPLAIN
I'd be hard pressed to find another one i dislike so much! Ok, then, it's anonymous!

Don't you mean unanimous?

Originally posted by dawsongirl
Don't you mean unanimous?

lol. I make that mistake all the time!:lol: :lol: :lol:

Sorry, i thought everybody would know i said that as a joke, like Lucy Ricardo would!. But if you didn't get that, i may as well tell you that i always write dun't instead of don't, and thin instead of thing!

The three that always come to my mind are Lucy Does a Commercial, Job Switching, and Lucy's Italian Movie

You know old shows, those are the ones most often mentionned by fans, but the bigger the fan, the more we know those by heart so we gravitate towards weird ones just because we want something different from those old standards that we know too well, as for Lucy herself, her favorite was the Baby show, where she has the baby, how could it not be? That one was a media event watched by more people than watched the inauguration of Eisenhower and the crowning of the queen, both also at the same time. When they asked Lucy for a show to put in a time capsule at the corner of Sunset and Vine, that's the show she picked. Then, they tore down the building and the show along with the capsule dissapeared forever!

I kinda like "Drafted". I like Ricky and Fred 'drilling' together, with Ricky getting all clumsy and throwing his gun away. Any episode that lets him take centre stage for a while is good. I also like it when they sing, but then I'm a fan of Desi's music anyway. Any episode when he gets going on the conga drum is always appreciated. Being British I don't get to see many of the episodes that often though. Most I haven't seen in close to fifteen years. I'm just getting back into it with the DVD releases, so I can only really comment on the first season at present. (And the Bob Hope ep, which I've got on tape). I like "The Girls Want To Go To A Nightclub" and "Men Are Messy", and also the 'lost' pilot. It's funny when Desi keeps laughing. That 'live' aspect is one of the things that I've always liked about the show. Desi seems to be finding it all just as funny as the audience, and very often it looks as though Lucy is aware of that, and is actively trying to make him laugh. At least, that's the way it looks to me!

:wave:

Originally posted by Mickey
I kinda like "Drafted". I like Ricky and Fred 'drilling' together, with Ricky getting all clumsy and throwing his gun away. Any episode that lets him take centre stage for a while is good. I also like it when they sing, but then I'm a fan of Desi's music anyway. Any episode when he gets going on the conga drum is always appreciated.

I agree that "Drafted" isn't really that bad. I never understood why everyone hates it so much. The plot is a bit out there, but I think it is a lot better than episodes like "Lucy Thinks Ricky is Trying to Murder Her" and "Lucy Goes to Scotland". And I agree with you about Desi. I love it when he beats that conga drum, especially when he does Babalu in "The Audition". That was such an awesome performance.


Originally posted by Mickey
It's funny when Desi keeps laughing. That 'live' aspect is one of the things that I've always liked about the show. Desi seems to be finding it all just as funny as the audience, and very often it looks as though Lucy is aware of that, and is actively trying to make him laugh. At least, that's the way it looks to me!


Yeah, I'm amused by that too. Sometimes it looks like he is trying so hard not to laugh. It's like when Lucy and Desi made their first appearance on television together on a variety show, and there was a part where Desi could not stop laughing and the host was poking fun at him for it. Recently I noticed that during the ballet episode, in the scene where Lucy gets hit in the face with a pie, you can hear Desi laughing so hysterically in the background and he isn't even in the scene! I thought it was so funny that, even though Desi had probably seen that scene before at rehearsal, he could not contain his laughter at the sight of his wife getting hit in the face with a pie! But I think he is also great at covering himself too. Like during "Cuban Pals" when he is supposed to translate in Spanish to Ricky's friends from Cuba and he accidentally does it in English, he starts laughing but then gets himself together and did it in Spanish like he was originally supposed to. He covered really well and it made for a cute moment.

The 'Lost' Pilot is another example. They had done that cello routine (also in "The Audition") hundreds of times on their cabaret tour, but it still makes Desi laugh, especially when Lucy makes fun of his English, and when she does the bit with the gloves. A couple of times he really loses it. Also in "The Seance", when she crosses everything, and then gets up to go and do something. He starts to go then too.

http://freespace.virgin.net/xenon.swordznsorcery/image1.jpg

The 'Lost' Pilot "Never mind making fun of my English!"

Originally posted by Mickey
I kinda like "Drafted"

Barf! In addition to other comments made about this lousy episode, how the hell could Lucy and Ricky both separately invite all their closest friends to their separate parties without managing to invite any of the same people. That makes NO sense whatsoever. Are Lucy and Ricky married or do they live completely separate lives and not share any of the same friends?

By the way, folks, I'm still alive! I've been very busy lately with little time for the Internet. Heck, I haven't even had time for sex. It's been at least a month since I've had any! :crazy: Unfortunately, I'll continue to be very busy for the foreseeable future.

Analyse anything too much and it turns out rubbish. How could Ricky and Fred not recognise Ethel and Lucy in "The Girls Want To Go To A Nightclub"? How could Lucy and Ethel really believe that Ricky wanted to murder Lucy? And why didn't they go to the police? Why at least didn't Lucy leave the apartment? How could Lucy possibly mistake two such obviously different boys for the same one in "The Amateur"? How could Mr Merriweather possibly have been fooled by Lucy pretending to be his pet dog in "The Seance"? The list is endless, and that's before we even get on to changing middle names and marriage dates. The point is, is doesn't matter, or shouldn't. Why didn't the producers of the commercial shut Lucy up when it became obvious that she wasn't going to get that Vitameatavegamin thing done? And that's most people's favourite episode!


http://freespace.virgin.net/xenon.swordznsorcery/image2.jpg

Two very obvious disguises. But who cares?!

Notice how all the examples you give are from first season episodes. That's why I can't stand the first season. The rest of the series was wonderful, but the first season mostly sucked.

Originally posted by Mickey
Analyse anything too much and it turns out rubbish. How could Ricky and Fred not recognise Ethel and Lucy in "The Girls Want To Go To A Nightclub"? How could Lucy and Ethel really believe that Ricky wanted to murder Lucy? And why didn't they go to the police? Why at least didn't Lucy leave the apartment? How could Lucy possibly mistake two such obviously different boys for the same one in "The Amateur"? How could Mr Merriweather possibly have been fooled by Lucy pretending to be his pet dog in "The Seance"? The list is endless, and that's before we even get on to changing middle names and marriage dates. The point is, is doesn't matter, or shouldn't. Why didn't the producers of the commercial shut Lucy up when it became obvious that she wasn't going to get that Vitameatavegamin thing done? And that's most people's favourite episode!


http://freespace.virgin.net/xenon.swordznsorcery/image2.jpg

Two very obvious disguises. But who cares?!

Originally posted by Mickey
The list is endless, and that's before we even get on to changing middle names and marriage dates.

Every series has inconsistencies in them if you watch closely enough. I just found this over on the Leave It to Beaver message board:

Hi!

Yea, there are several inconsistencies in the show with regard to names. As pointed out:

Gilbert's last name is first called Gates, than Bates, then for two episodes it's Harrison, than back to Bates again. All LITB references credit Gilbert's last name as "Bates" so this was obviously an inconsistency in writing

Eddie's dad's name is George Haskell (although Mr. Haskell is played by at least 3 different actors in the series) in "Eddie Spends the Night" it's Frank Haskell. In "Wally Joins the Boy Scouts, Eddie says HIS name is Edward Haskell Jr.! in "Eddie's credit card, it says Eddie's middle initial is "W", but in another Episode (can't remember which one) Eddie says he is Edward Clark Haskell!

Mrs. Rutherford's first name is Geraldine in the 1st-2nd seasons, than later it becomes "Gwedlyen".

Lumpy is a Junior in high school when we first meet him, but in the next season, he is a sophomore along with Wally and Eddie. (It is said he was held back a year, but in this case, he would just repeat his junior year, not go back to sophomore.)

The actor who played Mr. Blair (Wendell Holmes) also played Mr. Willett, who was Beaver's music teacher and Beaver's principle. (He has light hair than) Mr. Blair also played Andy the alcoholic.

In the first season....Wally is either 12 or 13 years old depending on the episodes when his age is discussed.

If you think of others....add to the list!!!

Jack


10-18-2002 07:44 PM

BeaversBiggestFan
Beaver Cleaver Fever

Registered: Jun 13, 2002
Location: 211 Pine, Mayfield, USA: The only place on earth happier than Disney World!
Posts: 328

The same guy played Captain Jack and Uncle Billy...

In the first seasons, they always say that the ocean is far away, but in the last seasons, the ocean is said to be 20 miles away...

In the 4th season, there is an episode that Wally says something about being in the class of '62, but he graduates in '63. I don't remember him being held back...

It's kind of fun spotting all of these litttle inconsistencies!

Originally posted by JaneTV Fan
Notice how all the examples you give are from first season episodes. That's why I can't stand the first season. The rest of the series was wonderful, but the first season mostly sucked.


Yes, but to be honest that's only because the first season is the only one I know well. It's been too long since I've seen the later ones, and I can only comment on the episodes recently released on DVD, and a few others that were extensively quoted from in a recent documentary about Lucy screened on BBC1. There might be other things in the later seasons that can be equally well ridiculed if you really want to do it. My point is, why bother? How could Bob Hope have failed to realise that Lucy was a woman with a bad false moustache when she was trying to sell him hotdogs? And how could things have gone so wrong, to the extent that her singing surprised him at the end of the show? Did they not have a rehearsal for their song and dance routine? I know I'm nitpicking here, and I'm not getting at you or anything, I just feel that it's wrong to pick holes in things, especially a comedy show. Maybe I'm defending it so much because I like the first season, especially episodes riddled with potholes, like "The Girls Want To Go To A Nightclub" and "Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying To Murder Her". But then I'm one of the people who doesn't care about obvious mistakes, and Desi giggling, and noises off-stage and the rest. It all adds to the charm!

:wave:

Well, Jane nice to FINALLY have you back, even if it's only for a short time. I always used to say that i hated season one until i looked up the episodes and found out how many great ones were in there. But i definitely agree that the characters were not developed yet and not so clearly defined, and God knows the show would have benefited from someone in charge of continuity, so that all those mistakes would have been omitted. But back then they had no idea the show would last beyond one season or that they would wind up in reruns seen for the next fifty years!

Originally posted by lucyfan1983
Well, i'll give it my best shot, here are my favortie 50 (or as far as i can think!)

1. Lucy Does a TV Commercial.
2. Lucy Does the Tango
3. The Black Eye
4. The Quiz Show
5. The Operetta
6. Hollywood Anniversary
7. Lucy Writes a Play
8. Lucy in Enceinte
9. Lucy Tells the Truth
10. Job Switching
11. Lucy's Italian Movie
12. L.A. at Last!
13. Never Do Business With Friends
14. The Dancing Star
15. Lucy Visits Graumans
16. Ethel's Hometown
17. The Great Train Robbery
18. Bon Voyage!
19. Return Home From Europe.
20. Lucy Meets the Queen
21. Paris at Last
22. The Diet
23. Lucy's Schedule
24. Lucy Fakes Illness
25. The Freezer
26. The Kleptomaniac
27. Breaking the Lease
28. The Moustache
29. Lucy Gets in Pictures
30. The Million Dollar Idea
31. Lucy's Last Birthday
32. Staten Island Ferry
33. Lucy and John Wayne
34. Harpo Marx
35. Lucy Goes to Monte Carlo
36. Lucy and the Loving Cup
37. Housewarming
38. Country Club Dance
39. Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress
40. Tennessee Ernie Visits
41. Lucy Gets a Paris Gown
42. First Stop
43. Sales Resistance
44. The Inferiority Complex
45. The Handcuffs
46. Lucy Gets Ricky on the Radio
47. Mr. and Mrs. TV Show
48. Home Movies
49. The Star Upstairs
50. The Gossip
I'm with you. Those are almost like mine!

As long as Drafted's not on there, it must be right!