Did you guys enjoy the new (well, its really the old old one, but its new to us) animation sequences to I Love Lucy? I personally think that it is WWWAAAAYYY better than the boring heart opening...your opinions?

Much better. But why no original closings?

(Placing bets on the movement of this to the ILL board.)

wonder why they didnt keep the original commericals at least for this week? I know direct cigarette ads are banned on tv ( cigarettes still plug their products on tv/ radio in a way, talk NASCAR you'll hear Winston Cup- what is a Winston?) but from a standpoint of history I dont think the rules apply unless of course Philip Morris paid for it.

Besides do they still make regular Phillip Morris cigarettes, the kind Lucy & Ricky smoked? I know PM is huge company now but its been years since I have seen a pack of Phillip Morris at the local store.

I don't know if Phillip Morris is still a brand, but it's definitely still a major maker of other brands.

There was an article in the New York Times yesterday which said that N@N did ask permission from Phillip Morris to use the cigarette package image in the opening. But PM felt that using the original opening might run afoul of FCC regulations. So they denied permission, and N@N edited in the TV set image (and their logo, of course) instead.

[This message has been edited by TV Guy (edited 10-16-2001).]

Really, if Phillip Morris had given them permission, it probably would have taken the FCC only hours to contact TVLand to tell them not to. (I don't want to sound like I was expecting you to all be whiney or anything, because I wasn't, but I am really impressed because I anticipated people being unhappy with the fact that they did change a few things, and I'm really impressed (though, what does it matter if I'm impressed? he he).

Originally posted by duane:
talk NASCAR you'll hear Winston Cup- what is a Winston?)


Yeah, Winston Cup!!!!!!

Winston's are cigarettes; I believe they can't have cigarette sponsorship on the cars anymore.


[This message has been edited by dawsongirl (edited 10-16-2001).]

Originally posted by dawsongirl:
Much better. But why no original closings?

(Placing bets on the movement of this to the ILL board.)

What you're seeing, and have always seen in syndication, essentially are the original closings. I've seen the originals to a few episodes. The only difference is the originals show the closing credits rolling over a picture of the sponsor's product, instead of over the satin heart. It's the very same script that was used originally. The ONLY difference is the background -- and that the there was a segue from the sponsor's final commercial into the closing credits (at the end of the episode, the "curtains" would close on the scene, just as we're used to, but with the animated Lucy and Ricky characters instead of the satin heart; then those animated characters would lead into a final commercial; and then the commercial would segue to the closing credits, which were the same closing credits we've always seen, except they featured the sponsor's product instead of the satin heart).

Oh, well, then I guess it's no big deal! They're shoving them to the side anyway.