Pavan
09-06-2001, 01:09 PM
"I Love Lucy 50th Anniversary Celebration: 50 Greatest Laughs (Episodes)"
TV Land, the new home of I Love Lucy, will bring you Lucy like she hasn't been seen since the 1950s! Our five-night marathon features 50 episodes, fully restored to their original lengths. Also, we've recreated several of the original animated Lucy-Desi "stick figure" openings that will be part of each episode we air.
Join us beginning Monday, October 15 from 9:00PM - 1:00AM ET/PT, Tuesday, October 16 through Thursday, October 18 from 8:00PM - 1:00AM ET/PT, and Friday, October 19 from 8:00PM - 2:00AM ET/PT. Check out the week's schedule below!
Monday, October 15
9:00PM 1 -- "The Girls Want to Go To a Night Club" " To celebrate the Mertzes' wedding anniversary, Fred and Ricky want to go to a prize fight, but the girls want to get dressed up and go to a nightclub. Lucy threatens to find two other escorts if their husbands won't take them. This is just fine with Fred, but Ricky worries. So he and Fred find two other girls and go to the same nightclub to spy on their wives.
First aired October 15, 1951.
9:30PM 2 -- "Be a Pal" " Lucy decides Ricky's love is growing cold, so she takes Ethel's suggestions: that she join her spouse in his weekly poker game and that she turn the apartment into a Cuban hacienda to appeal to Ricky's native tastes. Look for Lucy's wacky Carmen Miranda impression in this episode.
First aired October 22, 1951.
10:00PM 7 -- "The Seance" " Lucy suddenly becomes interested in numerology and superstitions. After advising Ricky that it's a good day for him to make deals, she realizes that she read yesterday's horoscopes and that today is actually a bad day for Ricky. She thus says "no" to a very important business call for Ricky from Mr. Meriweather. In the process of putting things right, Lucy conducts a seance. Classic Ethel quote: "Ethel to Tillie, Ethel to Tillie, come in Tillie."
First aired November 26, 1951.
10:30PM 8 -- "Men Are Messy" " When Ricky leaves his clothes around the living room, Lucy gets angry and divides the living room in half so Ricky can be as messy as he likes on his side. Ricky gets the Tropicana jumping with the "Straw Hat Song" in this episode.
First aired December 3, 1951.
11:00PM 19 -- "The Ballet" " Ricky is searching for both a ballet dancer and a burlesque comic for his new act. Lucy wants the ballet job desperately and enrolls in a dance class run by the strict Madame Lamond. After failing at ballet, she decides to hire a burlesque comic teacher in hopes that she can at least be the comic in the show. When Lucy is summoned to the club to replace a sick performer, she assumes it's the comic they need, but it is actually the ballet dancer. Look for Lucy's "Slowly I Turned" burlesque comedy routine in this episode.
First aired February 18, 1952.
11:30PM 21 -- "The New Neighbors" " Lucy and Ethel can't wait to get a closer look at the belongings of their new neighbors, the O'Briens. Ricky makes Lucy promise not to set foot in their apartment. Lucy and Ethel decide to snoop anyway, but when the O'Briens come home suddenly, Lucy and Ethel hide in a closet. There they overhear the O'Briens discussing what sounds like a plot to murder Ricky and Lucy. The neighbors are actually television actors rehearsing a scene. Hayden Rorke, who played Dr. Bellows on "I Dream of Jeannie," guest-stars in this episode.
First aired March 3, 1952.
12:00AM 22 -- "Fred and Ethel Fight" " Lucy and Ricky try to patch up the Mertzes' quarrel by inviting each to dinner without the other's knowledge. "I Love Lucy" sponsor Phillip Morris is prominently plugged in this episode.
First aired March 10, 1952.
12:30AM 23 -- "The Moustache" " When Ricky refuses to shave off his new mustache, Lucy glues a white beard and mustache on her own face. Ricky concedes defeat, but Lucy is unable to remove her false whiskers because the glue remover is no longer available. It's "Bulldog Cement" that seals Lucy's fate in this episode.
First aired March 17, 1952.
Tuesday, October 16
8:00PM 25 -- "Pioneer Women" " Determining that they have washed 219,000 dishes since being married, Lucy and Ethel demand dishwashers. The men insist that the women have it too "soft" and bet them fifty dollars that they can't live without modern conveniences. See the classic moment when Lucy battles a loaf of bread.
First aired March 31, 1952.
8:30PM 27 -- "The Kleptomaniac" " Ricky discovers a large amount of cash in Lucy's purse and a cache of silverware and other valuables in a closet. Unaware that Lucy is collecting items for a club bazaar, he immediately jumps to the conclusion that she's a kleptomaniac. Joseph Kearns, Mr. Wilson in "Dennis the Menace," guest-stars in this episode.
First aired April 14, 1952.
9:00PM 29 -- "The Freezer" " Lucy gets a walk-in meat freezer, orders two sides of beef, and runs a business with Ethel until the neighborhood butcher gets wise to their competitive tricks. While trying to move the beef from the basement freezer into the unlit furnace before Ricky sees the $483 meat bill, Lucy accidentally gets locked inside the freezer. This is the "human popsicle" episode.
First aired April 28, 1952.
9:30PM 30 -- "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" " Lucy tricks Ricky into letting her do a commercial during a television variety show. The commercial is for Vitameatavegamin Vitamins, and Lucy is the Vitameatavegamin girl. Don't miss this classic episode.
First aired May 5, 1952.
10:00PM 31 -- "The Publicity Agent" " To increase business at the Tropicana, Lucy concocts a publicity scheme based on a newspaper item claiming that the Shah of Persia owns all of Benny Goodman's records. Lucy decides to pose as the Maharincess of Franistan, who has traveled halfway around the globe to see her singing idol, Ricky Ricardo.
First aired May 12, 1952.
10:30PM 33 -- "Lucy's Schedule" " After Lucy is late for a dinner appointment with Ricky's boss Alvin Littlefield, Ricky puts his wife on a rigid time schedule. Ricky tells his boss about this new schedule, adding that he has Lucy jumping around like a trained seal and that Littlefield should come over to see her perform. When Lucy gets wind of the plot, she schemes with Ethel and Mrs. Littlefield to teach their time-conscious hubbies a well-deserved lesson. Gale Gordon makes his first guest-star appearance as Alvin Littlefield, Ricky's boss.
First aired May 26, 1952.
11:00PM 40 -- "The Operetta" " Lucy persuades members of her women's club to stage her original operetta with "John Charles Ricardo" as the leading man. Lucy plays a witchlike gypsy in the show, and Ricky plays the hero "good Prince Lancelot." In the midst of the performance, men from the costume and scenery rental company arrive and proceed to repossess the items.
First aired October 13, 1952.
11:30PM 36 -- "Job Switching" " Convinced that they need to do something more lucrative than keep house, Lucy and Ethel get jobs in a candy factory. The girls are forced to work at a conveyer belt that brings the sweets to them faster than their unskilled hands can pack them. This episode is a classic among classics
First aired September 15, 1952.
12:00AM 56 -- "Lucy Changes Her Mind" " When Ricky complains that Lucy is constantly changing her mind and never completing things, she decides to complete an old high-school romance by finishing a love letter she started when she was in high school. Rather than being jealous, Ricky offers to mail it for her. Lucy must intercept the letter, or her ex-boyfriend will think she's out of her mind. "I Love Lucy" regular Frank Nelson returns, this time as a myopic waiter.
First aired March 30, 1953.
12:30AM 63 -- "Lucy Wants New Furniture" " A frantic economy wave engulfs the Ricardo household. Lucy buys some furniture against Ricky's orders and is forced to pay for it out of her own allowance. Ricky confiscates the furniture and takes it to the club until it's paid off. Lucy also needs a new dress and a new hairstyle for the Carrolls' party at the Tropicana on Saturday night. She tries to make her own dress and then does some "permanent damage" in this episode.
First aired June 1, 1953.
8:00PM 64 -- "The Camping Trip" " When Lucy and Ethel come to the conclusion that good marriages are based on mutual interests, they invite themselves on a rugged camping trip with their spouses. Ricky submits to the proposal, assuming that the sound of the first coyote's howl will send the girls dashing back to the city. Watch as Lucy conquers the great outdoors (with a little help from Ethel).
First aired June 8, 1953.
8:30PM 69 -- "Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress" " Lucy wangles the star role in a revue staged by her women's club by promising that she will deliver her husband, Ricky, as the show's emcee. The fly in the theatrical ointment comes as Ethel Mertz, Lucy's arch rival for show honors, turns up in the same gown as Lucy's. In this episode, Lucy and Ethel sing the Cole Porter classic, "Friendship."
First aired October 19, 1953.
9:00PM 72 -- "Lucy Tells the Truth" " Lucy vows to tell the truth for twenty-four hours in order to win a bet. This lands her in a knife-throwing act on television. Her predicament stems from a little white lie during her round-the-clock truth test -- namely, that she can understand a talent agent who can't speak English. When he hires her, Lucy has a choice of facing the knife-thrower's blades or losing the bet. This is the episode where Lucy unwittingly reveals her true age, weight, and original hair color.
First aired November 9, 1953.
9:30PM 74 -- "Redecorating the Mertzes' Apartment" " The Ricardos nearly wreck the apartment of their landlord friends, the Mertzes, when they try to help decorate their apartment and Lucy proves herself an inferior decorator.
First aired November 23, 1953.
10:00PM 79 -- "Million Dollar Idea" " Lucy and Ethel have visions of making a million dollars by bottling and selling old-fashioned salad dressing -- until their operations reach the point of diminishing returns, largely because of their bizarre views on how to run a business. Watch as Lucy and Ethel, a.k.a. Isabella Klump and Margaret McMertz, invent the infomercial.
First aired January 11, 1954.
10:30PM 89 -- "Lucy is Envious" " A wealthy ex-schoolmate of Lucy's is collecting for a charity. Lucy tells her friend to put her down for "five." But when the uppity friend arrives to collect the pledged funds, Lucy is shocked to learn that her "five" meant five hundred dollars. In order to raise the money, Lucy and Ethel get a job dressed as two maids from Mars in a stunt to publicize a science fiction movie. They "invade" the top of the Empire State Building and scare the daylights out of a group of hotel patrons.
First aired March 29, 1954.
11:00PM 92 -- "The Black Wig" " Ricky forbids Lucy to get "one of those new Italian haircuts." She rebels by borrowing a wig from her hairdresser Roberta, who insists Lucy looks like a different person with it on. Lucy plans to wear the wig so she can test Ricky's fidelity, but the salon manager tips off Ricky to the scheme. When Lucy puts on the wig and starts flirting, Ricky flirts back.
First aired April 19, 1954.
11:30PM 102 -- "Mr. & Mrs. TV Show" " Ricky is initially reluctant to host a new TV show when he learns that the sponsor prefers a husband-and-wife format. Nonetheless, he agrees to do the show. But when Lucy learns that he hadn't wanted her in the show at all, she decides to get even by sabotaging the "Breakfast with Lucy and Ricky" dress rehearsal. What Lucy doesn't know is that the so-called rehearsal is actually being broadcast to the entire city of New York in an effort to achieve an unrehearsed, spontaneous look. Classic Lucy quote: "Phipps is a great big bunch of gyps."
First aired November 1, 1954.
12:00AM 104 -- "Ricky's Screen Test" " The term "helpmate" takes on a new meaning when Lucy appears on a Hollywood movie lot. The cameras roll for Ricky's screen test -- but when the big moment arrives, Lucy takes the cue. Classic Lucy quote: "Hark! Do I hear a football? Is it you, Don Juan?"
First aired November 15, 1954.
12:30AM 111 -- "First Stop" " The Ricardos and Mertzes have a hard time finding accommodations that will please everyone on their trip to California. They finally hit a greasy restaurant where stale cheese sandwiches cost them a dollar apiece. Hoping to find something better elsewhere, Ricky pays the check. The couples leave -- only to return several hours later, fooled by some purposely misleading road signs. This episode marks the first time the "I Love Lucy" crew ventured out of the studio for a shoot.
First aired January 10, 1955.
Thursday, October 18
8:00PM 113 -- "Ethel's Home Town" " The Ricardos and the Mertzes stop at Ethel's hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico (Vivian Vance's real-life hometown). Under the impression that Ethel has been called to Hollywood and not Ricky, the townsfolk accord her a monumental ovation. When Ethel refuses to disillusion them -- and even goes so far as to put on a "celebrity act" -- Lucy takes matters into her own hands.
First aired January 31, 1955.
8:30PM 114 -- "L.A., at Last" " Lucy arrives in Hollywood with stars in her eyes. She heads for The Brown Derby, a celebrity hangout, where she encounters Eve Arden and William Holden -- and inadvertently presents Holden with a custard pie in the face. Hollywood legends William Holden and Eve Arden guest-star as themselves.
First aired February 7, 1955.
9:00PM 116 -- "Lucy Gets into Pictures" " Lucy finally gets her big break when she snares a bit part in an MGM motion picture. Cast as a showgirl who meets death while parading down a long flight of stairs in a glamorous nightclub setting, Lucy vows to make her death scene the most unforgettable one ever recorded by Hollywood cameras. It is.
First aired February 21, 1955.
9:30PM 117 -- "The Fashion Show" " Mrs. William Holden, Mrs. Dean Martin, Mrs. Gordon MacRae, Mrs. Richard Carlson, Mrs. Van Heflin, Mrs. Forrest Tucker, famed couturier Don Loper, and a scarlet-skinned Lucy Ricardo are the contributors to a dazzling fashion show. The charity benefit, hosted by Loper and featuring the wives of motion picture stars, is a sheer burst of good fortune for Lucy, who is eager to perform before an audience.
First aired February 28, 1955.
10:00PM 125 -- "Harpo Marx" " Lucy decides to impersonate some Hollywood notables to impress a nearsighted girlfriend visiting from New York. A mixup occurs when Lucy, having introduced her friend to "Gary Cooper," "Clark Gable," "Marlon Brando," and "Jimmy Durante," decides to impersonate Harpo Marx just as the real Harpo arrives at the apartment with Ricky.
First aired May 9, 1955.
10:30PM 128 -- "Lucy Visits Grauman's" " With only a week left in Hollywood, Lucy weeps about her lack of souvenirs. Her collection already includes a tin can run over by Cary Grant's rear tire, a napkin boasting Lana Turner's lip-prints, and a few other goodies. But when Lucy discovers that John Wayne's concrete block at Grauman's Chinese Theatre is loose, she decides to take home a souvenir to end all souvenirs.
First aired October 3, 1955.
11:00PM 130 -- "Lucy and the Dummy" " When Ricky refuses to entertain at a studio party, Lucy accepts in his place, planning to do a straight dramatic role with a dummy. The audience pans her performance, but the studio is eager to sign her up as a comedienne. In this episode, Lucy Ricardo is offered what Lucille Ball once had in real life: a contract with MGM.
First aired October 17, 1955.
11:30PM 131 -- "Ricky Sells the Car" " Ricky sells his car, and the Mertzes think they are being stranded in California. Ricky buys train tickets for everyone, but a reservations mixup puts Lucy in an apparently compromising position with Fred Mertz. Watch for Fred and Ethel decked out in motorcycle gear and riding on a Harley.
First aired October 24, 1955.
12:00AM 132 -- "The Great Train Robbery" " Unaccustomed to train travel, Lucy is sure her trip to New York will be filled with intrigue and romance. When she hears that a jewel thief is on board, she sees herself as the possible heroine of the situation. Lucy finds all the excitement she was looking for, but not where she looked for it.
First aired October 31, 1955.
12:30AM 139 -- "Staten Island Ferry" " Fred's fear of becoming seasick threatens the Mertzes and Ricardos' plans for Ricky's European band tour. To prove that Fred won't get seasick, Ricky takes him down to the ship, which is anchored in the harbor. But Fred turns green and becomes more firm about his not going. Lucy and Ethel test some new, improved seasickness remedies on the Staten Island Ferry. The trial run leads to unexpected complications when Lucy gets seasick.
First aired January 2, 1956.
Friday, October 19
8:00PM 142 -- "Lucy Meets the Queen" " Lucy is thrilled at being in London and desperate to see the Queen. She misses the Queen at Buckingham Palace, where she gets involved in the changing of the guard. Ricky is invited to meet the Royal Family when they attend a special performance at the Palladium. Lucy is not included in the invitation, but she has no intention of letting it go at that. Nancy Kulp, who played Miss Hathaway on "The Beverly Hillbillies," guest-stars in this episode.
First aired January 30, 1956.
8:30PM 147 -- "Lucy Gets a Paris Gown" " Lucy decides to go on a hunger strike until Ricky agrees to buy her a designer dress. The plan works perfectly (even though Ethel has been smuggling food to Lucy) and Ricky finally gives in and buys her an expensive outfit. But when Ricky discovers what Lucy has been up to, he puts together a crazy outfit made of burlap and passes it off as a Paris original.
First aired March 19, 1956.
9:00PM 150 -- "Lucy's Italian Movie" " En route to Rome by train, Lucy is spotted by a famous Italian cinema director and chosen to play a part in his new movie "Bitter Grapes." Lucy sets out to immerse herself in the role. When she nonchalantly wanders into a vineyard inhabited by a motley assortment of Italian-speaking women, she is dispatched to the wine-making area to crush grapes with her feet. This episode has the classic scene of Lucy in the wine vat.
First aired April 16, 1956.
9:30PM 152 -- "Lucy Goes to Monte Carlo" " Ricky is working in Monte Carlo, but Fred goofs and negotiates too little money for the engagement. Lucy and Ethel go to the casino to watch, and Lucy finds a chip that someone dropped. She picks it up and puts it on the table. The chip wins, and continues to do so, all by accident. Since Ricky warned Lucy to stay away from the casino, she hides the money in Ethel's trunk. Ricky finds it and thinks Fred has been holding out on him. "I Love Lucy" writer and recurring extra, Bob Carroll, Jr., appears in this episode as the gambler wearing the fez.
First aired May 7, 1956.
10:00PM 153 -- "Return Home from Europe" " The Ricardos and Mertzes need to return to the U.S. by plane instead of ship. The 60-pound-per-person baggage limit taxes Lucy's ingenuity: she has bought lots of clothes and souvenirs, including a 30-pound cheese. She boards the plane wearing all the clothes at once and carrying the cheese as a "baby."
First aired May 14, 1956.
10:30PM 159 -- "Off to Florida" " When Lucy misplaces two train tickets to Florida, she and Ethel consult the classified section, hoping to share a ride with someone driving south. They team up with a peculiar middle-aged woman, Mrs. Grundy, who's bent on getting to Florida in record time. Elsa Lanchester, who played the original "Bride of Frankenstein," guest-stars as Mrs. Grundy in this episode.
First aired November 12, 1956.
11:00PM 164 -- "Lucy and the Loving Cup" " Ricky's disapproval of Lucy's new hat leads to her trying on a loving cup which Ricky has planned to present to jockey Johnny Longden at a National Turf Association dinner. The problem is that Lucy can't get the trophy off her head. Look for Lucy's classic ride on the Lexington Avenue subway in this episode.
First aired January 7, 1957.
11:30PM 165 -- "Lucy and Superman" " When another boy has a birthday party the same day as Little Ricky's, Lucy looks for unusual entertainment to lure the children. Ricky remembers that Superman is in town, and he invites him. When Ricky is unable to corral Superman, Lucy is left with no choice but to dress as the Man of Steel herself. George Reeves makes a special guest-star appearance in this episode.
First aired January 14, 1957.
12:00AM 171 -- "Lucy Raises Chickens" " The Mertzes find a way to stay with the Ricardos: chicken farming. But the scheme puts Lucy over her head in chickens when she and Ethel bring home 500 baby chicks before the hen house is ready.
First aired March 4, 1957.
12:30AM 172 -- "Lucy Does the Tango" " Chicken-raising and practicing a tango for Little Ricky's school PTA meeting combine to get the Ricardos and the Mertzes in a verbal battle. It's up to Ricky, Jr. and his neighborhood pal Bruce Ramsey to straighten things out. (The scene where Lucy and Ricky do the tango resulted in the longest recorded studio audience laugh in the history of the show.)
First aired March 11, 1957.
1:00AM 176 -- "Building a Barbecue" " Lucy has a problem deciding what to do to get her vacationing husband, Ricky, out of her hair so she can do her housework. She and Ethel solve the problem by putting their husbands to work building a barbecue. In this episode Lucy loses her wedding ring and Ricky tries to teach her a lesson.
First aired April 8, 1957.
1:30AM 178 -- "Lucy Raises Tulips" " Suburban living gets Lucy into a flower-show competition, and she raises tulips with a vengeance as she tries to beat out her neighbor, Betty Ramsey, for first prize. Lucy asks Ricky to mow the lawn so that her garden will look just right. But he only mows half before taking off for a baseball game, leaving Lucy and Ethel to tiptoe through the tulips -- with the lawnmower.
First aired April 29, 1957.
TV Land, the new home of I Love Lucy, will bring you Lucy like she hasn't been seen since the 1950s! Our five-night marathon features 50 episodes, fully restored to their original lengths. Also, we've recreated several of the original animated Lucy-Desi "stick figure" openings that will be part of each episode we air.
Join us beginning Monday, October 15 from 9:00PM - 1:00AM ET/PT, Tuesday, October 16 through Thursday, October 18 from 8:00PM - 1:00AM ET/PT, and Friday, October 19 from 8:00PM - 2:00AM ET/PT. Check out the week's schedule below!
Monday, October 15
9:00PM 1 -- "The Girls Want to Go To a Night Club" " To celebrate the Mertzes' wedding anniversary, Fred and Ricky want to go to a prize fight, but the girls want to get dressed up and go to a nightclub. Lucy threatens to find two other escorts if their husbands won't take them. This is just fine with Fred, but Ricky worries. So he and Fred find two other girls and go to the same nightclub to spy on their wives.
First aired October 15, 1951.
9:30PM 2 -- "Be a Pal" " Lucy decides Ricky's love is growing cold, so she takes Ethel's suggestions: that she join her spouse in his weekly poker game and that she turn the apartment into a Cuban hacienda to appeal to Ricky's native tastes. Look for Lucy's wacky Carmen Miranda impression in this episode.
First aired October 22, 1951.
10:00PM 7 -- "The Seance" " Lucy suddenly becomes interested in numerology and superstitions. After advising Ricky that it's a good day for him to make deals, she realizes that she read yesterday's horoscopes and that today is actually a bad day for Ricky. She thus says "no" to a very important business call for Ricky from Mr. Meriweather. In the process of putting things right, Lucy conducts a seance. Classic Ethel quote: "Ethel to Tillie, Ethel to Tillie, come in Tillie."
First aired November 26, 1951.
10:30PM 8 -- "Men Are Messy" " When Ricky leaves his clothes around the living room, Lucy gets angry and divides the living room in half so Ricky can be as messy as he likes on his side. Ricky gets the Tropicana jumping with the "Straw Hat Song" in this episode.
First aired December 3, 1951.
11:00PM 19 -- "The Ballet" " Ricky is searching for both a ballet dancer and a burlesque comic for his new act. Lucy wants the ballet job desperately and enrolls in a dance class run by the strict Madame Lamond. After failing at ballet, she decides to hire a burlesque comic teacher in hopes that she can at least be the comic in the show. When Lucy is summoned to the club to replace a sick performer, she assumes it's the comic they need, but it is actually the ballet dancer. Look for Lucy's "Slowly I Turned" burlesque comedy routine in this episode.
First aired February 18, 1952.
11:30PM 21 -- "The New Neighbors" " Lucy and Ethel can't wait to get a closer look at the belongings of their new neighbors, the O'Briens. Ricky makes Lucy promise not to set foot in their apartment. Lucy and Ethel decide to snoop anyway, but when the O'Briens come home suddenly, Lucy and Ethel hide in a closet. There they overhear the O'Briens discussing what sounds like a plot to murder Ricky and Lucy. The neighbors are actually television actors rehearsing a scene. Hayden Rorke, who played Dr. Bellows on "I Dream of Jeannie," guest-stars in this episode.
First aired March 3, 1952.
12:00AM 22 -- "Fred and Ethel Fight" " Lucy and Ricky try to patch up the Mertzes' quarrel by inviting each to dinner without the other's knowledge. "I Love Lucy" sponsor Phillip Morris is prominently plugged in this episode.
First aired March 10, 1952.
12:30AM 23 -- "The Moustache" " When Ricky refuses to shave off his new mustache, Lucy glues a white beard and mustache on her own face. Ricky concedes defeat, but Lucy is unable to remove her false whiskers because the glue remover is no longer available. It's "Bulldog Cement" that seals Lucy's fate in this episode.
First aired March 17, 1952.
Tuesday, October 16
8:00PM 25 -- "Pioneer Women" " Determining that they have washed 219,000 dishes since being married, Lucy and Ethel demand dishwashers. The men insist that the women have it too "soft" and bet them fifty dollars that they can't live without modern conveniences. See the classic moment when Lucy battles a loaf of bread.
First aired March 31, 1952.
8:30PM 27 -- "The Kleptomaniac" " Ricky discovers a large amount of cash in Lucy's purse and a cache of silverware and other valuables in a closet. Unaware that Lucy is collecting items for a club bazaar, he immediately jumps to the conclusion that she's a kleptomaniac. Joseph Kearns, Mr. Wilson in "Dennis the Menace," guest-stars in this episode.
First aired April 14, 1952.
9:00PM 29 -- "The Freezer" " Lucy gets a walk-in meat freezer, orders two sides of beef, and runs a business with Ethel until the neighborhood butcher gets wise to their competitive tricks. While trying to move the beef from the basement freezer into the unlit furnace before Ricky sees the $483 meat bill, Lucy accidentally gets locked inside the freezer. This is the "human popsicle" episode.
First aired April 28, 1952.
9:30PM 30 -- "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" " Lucy tricks Ricky into letting her do a commercial during a television variety show. The commercial is for Vitameatavegamin Vitamins, and Lucy is the Vitameatavegamin girl. Don't miss this classic episode.
First aired May 5, 1952.
10:00PM 31 -- "The Publicity Agent" " To increase business at the Tropicana, Lucy concocts a publicity scheme based on a newspaper item claiming that the Shah of Persia owns all of Benny Goodman's records. Lucy decides to pose as the Maharincess of Franistan, who has traveled halfway around the globe to see her singing idol, Ricky Ricardo.
First aired May 12, 1952.
10:30PM 33 -- "Lucy's Schedule" " After Lucy is late for a dinner appointment with Ricky's boss Alvin Littlefield, Ricky puts his wife on a rigid time schedule. Ricky tells his boss about this new schedule, adding that he has Lucy jumping around like a trained seal and that Littlefield should come over to see her perform. When Lucy gets wind of the plot, she schemes with Ethel and Mrs. Littlefield to teach their time-conscious hubbies a well-deserved lesson. Gale Gordon makes his first guest-star appearance as Alvin Littlefield, Ricky's boss.
First aired May 26, 1952.
11:00PM 40 -- "The Operetta" " Lucy persuades members of her women's club to stage her original operetta with "John Charles Ricardo" as the leading man. Lucy plays a witchlike gypsy in the show, and Ricky plays the hero "good Prince Lancelot." In the midst of the performance, men from the costume and scenery rental company arrive and proceed to repossess the items.
First aired October 13, 1952.
11:30PM 36 -- "Job Switching" " Convinced that they need to do something more lucrative than keep house, Lucy and Ethel get jobs in a candy factory. The girls are forced to work at a conveyer belt that brings the sweets to them faster than their unskilled hands can pack them. This episode is a classic among classics
First aired September 15, 1952.
12:00AM 56 -- "Lucy Changes Her Mind" " When Ricky complains that Lucy is constantly changing her mind and never completing things, she decides to complete an old high-school romance by finishing a love letter she started when she was in high school. Rather than being jealous, Ricky offers to mail it for her. Lucy must intercept the letter, or her ex-boyfriend will think she's out of her mind. "I Love Lucy" regular Frank Nelson returns, this time as a myopic waiter.
First aired March 30, 1953.
12:30AM 63 -- "Lucy Wants New Furniture" " A frantic economy wave engulfs the Ricardo household. Lucy buys some furniture against Ricky's orders and is forced to pay for it out of her own allowance. Ricky confiscates the furniture and takes it to the club until it's paid off. Lucy also needs a new dress and a new hairstyle for the Carrolls' party at the Tropicana on Saturday night. She tries to make her own dress and then does some "permanent damage" in this episode.
First aired June 1, 1953.
8:00PM 64 -- "The Camping Trip" " When Lucy and Ethel come to the conclusion that good marriages are based on mutual interests, they invite themselves on a rugged camping trip with their spouses. Ricky submits to the proposal, assuming that the sound of the first coyote's howl will send the girls dashing back to the city. Watch as Lucy conquers the great outdoors (with a little help from Ethel).
First aired June 8, 1953.
8:30PM 69 -- "Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress" " Lucy wangles the star role in a revue staged by her women's club by promising that she will deliver her husband, Ricky, as the show's emcee. The fly in the theatrical ointment comes as Ethel Mertz, Lucy's arch rival for show honors, turns up in the same gown as Lucy's. In this episode, Lucy and Ethel sing the Cole Porter classic, "Friendship."
First aired October 19, 1953.
9:00PM 72 -- "Lucy Tells the Truth" " Lucy vows to tell the truth for twenty-four hours in order to win a bet. This lands her in a knife-throwing act on television. Her predicament stems from a little white lie during her round-the-clock truth test -- namely, that she can understand a talent agent who can't speak English. When he hires her, Lucy has a choice of facing the knife-thrower's blades or losing the bet. This is the episode where Lucy unwittingly reveals her true age, weight, and original hair color.
First aired November 9, 1953.
9:30PM 74 -- "Redecorating the Mertzes' Apartment" " The Ricardos nearly wreck the apartment of their landlord friends, the Mertzes, when they try to help decorate their apartment and Lucy proves herself an inferior decorator.
First aired November 23, 1953.
10:00PM 79 -- "Million Dollar Idea" " Lucy and Ethel have visions of making a million dollars by bottling and selling old-fashioned salad dressing -- until their operations reach the point of diminishing returns, largely because of their bizarre views on how to run a business. Watch as Lucy and Ethel, a.k.a. Isabella Klump and Margaret McMertz, invent the infomercial.
First aired January 11, 1954.
10:30PM 89 -- "Lucy is Envious" " A wealthy ex-schoolmate of Lucy's is collecting for a charity. Lucy tells her friend to put her down for "five." But when the uppity friend arrives to collect the pledged funds, Lucy is shocked to learn that her "five" meant five hundred dollars. In order to raise the money, Lucy and Ethel get a job dressed as two maids from Mars in a stunt to publicize a science fiction movie. They "invade" the top of the Empire State Building and scare the daylights out of a group of hotel patrons.
First aired March 29, 1954.
11:00PM 92 -- "The Black Wig" " Ricky forbids Lucy to get "one of those new Italian haircuts." She rebels by borrowing a wig from her hairdresser Roberta, who insists Lucy looks like a different person with it on. Lucy plans to wear the wig so she can test Ricky's fidelity, but the salon manager tips off Ricky to the scheme. When Lucy puts on the wig and starts flirting, Ricky flirts back.
First aired April 19, 1954.
11:30PM 102 -- "Mr. & Mrs. TV Show" " Ricky is initially reluctant to host a new TV show when he learns that the sponsor prefers a husband-and-wife format. Nonetheless, he agrees to do the show. But when Lucy learns that he hadn't wanted her in the show at all, she decides to get even by sabotaging the "Breakfast with Lucy and Ricky" dress rehearsal. What Lucy doesn't know is that the so-called rehearsal is actually being broadcast to the entire city of New York in an effort to achieve an unrehearsed, spontaneous look. Classic Lucy quote: "Phipps is a great big bunch of gyps."
First aired November 1, 1954.
12:00AM 104 -- "Ricky's Screen Test" " The term "helpmate" takes on a new meaning when Lucy appears on a Hollywood movie lot. The cameras roll for Ricky's screen test -- but when the big moment arrives, Lucy takes the cue. Classic Lucy quote: "Hark! Do I hear a football? Is it you, Don Juan?"
First aired November 15, 1954.
12:30AM 111 -- "First Stop" " The Ricardos and Mertzes have a hard time finding accommodations that will please everyone on their trip to California. They finally hit a greasy restaurant where stale cheese sandwiches cost them a dollar apiece. Hoping to find something better elsewhere, Ricky pays the check. The couples leave -- only to return several hours later, fooled by some purposely misleading road signs. This episode marks the first time the "I Love Lucy" crew ventured out of the studio for a shoot.
First aired January 10, 1955.
Thursday, October 18
8:00PM 113 -- "Ethel's Home Town" " The Ricardos and the Mertzes stop at Ethel's hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico (Vivian Vance's real-life hometown). Under the impression that Ethel has been called to Hollywood and not Ricky, the townsfolk accord her a monumental ovation. When Ethel refuses to disillusion them -- and even goes so far as to put on a "celebrity act" -- Lucy takes matters into her own hands.
First aired January 31, 1955.
8:30PM 114 -- "L.A., at Last" " Lucy arrives in Hollywood with stars in her eyes. She heads for The Brown Derby, a celebrity hangout, where she encounters Eve Arden and William Holden -- and inadvertently presents Holden with a custard pie in the face. Hollywood legends William Holden and Eve Arden guest-star as themselves.
First aired February 7, 1955.
9:00PM 116 -- "Lucy Gets into Pictures" " Lucy finally gets her big break when she snares a bit part in an MGM motion picture. Cast as a showgirl who meets death while parading down a long flight of stairs in a glamorous nightclub setting, Lucy vows to make her death scene the most unforgettable one ever recorded by Hollywood cameras. It is.
First aired February 21, 1955.
9:30PM 117 -- "The Fashion Show" " Mrs. William Holden, Mrs. Dean Martin, Mrs. Gordon MacRae, Mrs. Richard Carlson, Mrs. Van Heflin, Mrs. Forrest Tucker, famed couturier Don Loper, and a scarlet-skinned Lucy Ricardo are the contributors to a dazzling fashion show. The charity benefit, hosted by Loper and featuring the wives of motion picture stars, is a sheer burst of good fortune for Lucy, who is eager to perform before an audience.
First aired February 28, 1955.
10:00PM 125 -- "Harpo Marx" " Lucy decides to impersonate some Hollywood notables to impress a nearsighted girlfriend visiting from New York. A mixup occurs when Lucy, having introduced her friend to "Gary Cooper," "Clark Gable," "Marlon Brando," and "Jimmy Durante," decides to impersonate Harpo Marx just as the real Harpo arrives at the apartment with Ricky.
First aired May 9, 1955.
10:30PM 128 -- "Lucy Visits Grauman's" " With only a week left in Hollywood, Lucy weeps about her lack of souvenirs. Her collection already includes a tin can run over by Cary Grant's rear tire, a napkin boasting Lana Turner's lip-prints, and a few other goodies. But when Lucy discovers that John Wayne's concrete block at Grauman's Chinese Theatre is loose, she decides to take home a souvenir to end all souvenirs.
First aired October 3, 1955.
11:00PM 130 -- "Lucy and the Dummy" " When Ricky refuses to entertain at a studio party, Lucy accepts in his place, planning to do a straight dramatic role with a dummy. The audience pans her performance, but the studio is eager to sign her up as a comedienne. In this episode, Lucy Ricardo is offered what Lucille Ball once had in real life: a contract with MGM.
First aired October 17, 1955.
11:30PM 131 -- "Ricky Sells the Car" " Ricky sells his car, and the Mertzes think they are being stranded in California. Ricky buys train tickets for everyone, but a reservations mixup puts Lucy in an apparently compromising position with Fred Mertz. Watch for Fred and Ethel decked out in motorcycle gear and riding on a Harley.
First aired October 24, 1955.
12:00AM 132 -- "The Great Train Robbery" " Unaccustomed to train travel, Lucy is sure her trip to New York will be filled with intrigue and romance. When she hears that a jewel thief is on board, she sees herself as the possible heroine of the situation. Lucy finds all the excitement she was looking for, but not where she looked for it.
First aired October 31, 1955.
12:30AM 139 -- "Staten Island Ferry" " Fred's fear of becoming seasick threatens the Mertzes and Ricardos' plans for Ricky's European band tour. To prove that Fred won't get seasick, Ricky takes him down to the ship, which is anchored in the harbor. But Fred turns green and becomes more firm about his not going. Lucy and Ethel test some new, improved seasickness remedies on the Staten Island Ferry. The trial run leads to unexpected complications when Lucy gets seasick.
First aired January 2, 1956.
Friday, October 19
8:00PM 142 -- "Lucy Meets the Queen" " Lucy is thrilled at being in London and desperate to see the Queen. She misses the Queen at Buckingham Palace, where she gets involved in the changing of the guard. Ricky is invited to meet the Royal Family when they attend a special performance at the Palladium. Lucy is not included in the invitation, but she has no intention of letting it go at that. Nancy Kulp, who played Miss Hathaway on "The Beverly Hillbillies," guest-stars in this episode.
First aired January 30, 1956.
8:30PM 147 -- "Lucy Gets a Paris Gown" " Lucy decides to go on a hunger strike until Ricky agrees to buy her a designer dress. The plan works perfectly (even though Ethel has been smuggling food to Lucy) and Ricky finally gives in and buys her an expensive outfit. But when Ricky discovers what Lucy has been up to, he puts together a crazy outfit made of burlap and passes it off as a Paris original.
First aired March 19, 1956.
9:00PM 150 -- "Lucy's Italian Movie" " En route to Rome by train, Lucy is spotted by a famous Italian cinema director and chosen to play a part in his new movie "Bitter Grapes." Lucy sets out to immerse herself in the role. When she nonchalantly wanders into a vineyard inhabited by a motley assortment of Italian-speaking women, she is dispatched to the wine-making area to crush grapes with her feet. This episode has the classic scene of Lucy in the wine vat.
First aired April 16, 1956.
9:30PM 152 -- "Lucy Goes to Monte Carlo" " Ricky is working in Monte Carlo, but Fred goofs and negotiates too little money for the engagement. Lucy and Ethel go to the casino to watch, and Lucy finds a chip that someone dropped. She picks it up and puts it on the table. The chip wins, and continues to do so, all by accident. Since Ricky warned Lucy to stay away from the casino, she hides the money in Ethel's trunk. Ricky finds it and thinks Fred has been holding out on him. "I Love Lucy" writer and recurring extra, Bob Carroll, Jr., appears in this episode as the gambler wearing the fez.
First aired May 7, 1956.
10:00PM 153 -- "Return Home from Europe" " The Ricardos and Mertzes need to return to the U.S. by plane instead of ship. The 60-pound-per-person baggage limit taxes Lucy's ingenuity: she has bought lots of clothes and souvenirs, including a 30-pound cheese. She boards the plane wearing all the clothes at once and carrying the cheese as a "baby."
First aired May 14, 1956.
10:30PM 159 -- "Off to Florida" " When Lucy misplaces two train tickets to Florida, she and Ethel consult the classified section, hoping to share a ride with someone driving south. They team up with a peculiar middle-aged woman, Mrs. Grundy, who's bent on getting to Florida in record time. Elsa Lanchester, who played the original "Bride of Frankenstein," guest-stars as Mrs. Grundy in this episode.
First aired November 12, 1956.
11:00PM 164 -- "Lucy and the Loving Cup" " Ricky's disapproval of Lucy's new hat leads to her trying on a loving cup which Ricky has planned to present to jockey Johnny Longden at a National Turf Association dinner. The problem is that Lucy can't get the trophy off her head. Look for Lucy's classic ride on the Lexington Avenue subway in this episode.
First aired January 7, 1957.
11:30PM 165 -- "Lucy and Superman" " When another boy has a birthday party the same day as Little Ricky's, Lucy looks for unusual entertainment to lure the children. Ricky remembers that Superman is in town, and he invites him. When Ricky is unable to corral Superman, Lucy is left with no choice but to dress as the Man of Steel herself. George Reeves makes a special guest-star appearance in this episode.
First aired January 14, 1957.
12:00AM 171 -- "Lucy Raises Chickens" " The Mertzes find a way to stay with the Ricardos: chicken farming. But the scheme puts Lucy over her head in chickens when she and Ethel bring home 500 baby chicks before the hen house is ready.
First aired March 4, 1957.
12:30AM 172 -- "Lucy Does the Tango" " Chicken-raising and practicing a tango for Little Ricky's school PTA meeting combine to get the Ricardos and the Mertzes in a verbal battle. It's up to Ricky, Jr. and his neighborhood pal Bruce Ramsey to straighten things out. (The scene where Lucy and Ricky do the tango resulted in the longest recorded studio audience laugh in the history of the show.)
First aired March 11, 1957.
1:00AM 176 -- "Building a Barbecue" " Lucy has a problem deciding what to do to get her vacationing husband, Ricky, out of her hair so she can do her housework. She and Ethel solve the problem by putting their husbands to work building a barbecue. In this episode Lucy loses her wedding ring and Ricky tries to teach her a lesson.
First aired April 8, 1957.
1:30AM 178 -- "Lucy Raises Tulips" " Suburban living gets Lucy into a flower-show competition, and she raises tulips with a vengeance as she tries to beat out her neighbor, Betty Ramsey, for first prize. Lucy asks Ricky to mow the lawn so that her garden will look just right. But he only mows half before taking off for a baseball game, leaving Lucy and Ethel to tiptoe through the tulips -- with the lawnmower.
First aired April 29, 1957.