The Use of Lucie and Desi Jr.

[ILuvCarolBurnett]

It seems to me that as the series moved from season to season, the kids were used less and less. I know Desi Jr left halfway through the series run, but it seemed to me the kids were just not used as best as they could. Desi Jr was a good looking guy, very charming, and he seemed to have some good episodes (Lucie always got on my nerves!) but eventually it wound up being just Lucy and Gale Gordon, like "The Lucy Show". But it didn't start with this intention, right?

[Bonniegirl]

Originally Posted by ILuvCarolBurnett

It seems to me that as the series moved from season to season, the kids were used less and less. I know Desi Jr left halfway through the series run, but it seemed to me the kids were just not used as best as they could. Desi Jr was a good looking guy, very charming, and he seemed to have some good episodes (Lucie always got on my nerves!) but eventually it wound up being just Lucy and Gale Gordon, like "The Lucy Show". But it didn't start with this intention, right?

Lucy and Gale always wound up together! The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and later on Life with Lucy even! It was almost like they were a married couple. They had that Love/Hate old married couple thing going on. I would have liked to have seen them end up actually getting married on Here's Lucy. Realizing that all the yelling and how annoyed he always was with her, that he really was in love! And Lucy feeling the same way for him. He was her brother in law of her deceased husband, but that would be acceptable, because enough time had passed after he died. And Kim and Craig liked Uncle Harry. He was nice to them , didn't yell all the time at them like he did to Lucy!

[Zenna]

I've always preferred Here's Lucy over The Lucy Show because her real kids were on it rather than the fake kids of The Lucy Show. Also, on Here's Lucy, it made more sense that Gale Gordon played her brother-in-law and boss, rather than just a boss like in The Lucy Show. Since they were family in Here's Lucy, it was understandable that he'd put up with her mistakes. Whereas on The Lucy Show, it never made sense that Mr. Mooney would keep her on when she was such a mess.

I was also disappointed that Desi Jr wasn't used as much as he should have been. He was talented, good looking, and could have been a real asset, but instead they chose to showcase Lucy's comedy, a woman who should have learned by then to act more mature instead of acting endlessly goofy. After all, we do learn how to behave like adults at some point (usually). I was extremely saddened when Desi Jr decided not to continue because I preferred the family format of Here's Lucy: Lucy, Kim, Craig, and Harry.

The best part of The Lucy Show for me were the episodes with Vivian Vance and Mary Wickes.

[Bonniegirl]

Originally Posted by Zenna

I've always preferred Here's Lucy over The Lucy Show because her real kids were on it rather than the fake kids of The Lucy Show. Also, on Here's Lucy, it made more sense that Gale Gordon played her brother-in-law and boss, rather than just a boss like in The Lucy Show. Since they were family in Here's Lucy, it was understandable that he'd put up with her mistakes. Whereas on The Lucy Show, it never made sense that Mr. Mooney would keep her on when she was such a mess.

I was also disappointed that Desi Jr wasn't used as much as he should have been. He was talented, good looking, and could have been a real asset, but instead they chose to showcase Lucy's comedy, a woman who should have learned by then to act more mature instead of acting endlessly goofy. After all, we do learn how to behave like adults at some point (usually). I was extremely saddened when Desi Jr decided not to continue because I preferred the family format of Here's Lucy: Lucy, Kim, Craig, and Harry.

The best part of The Lucy Show for me were the episodes with Vivian Vance and Mary Wickes.

I'm thinking maybe Desi Jr. wanted to quit after the third season because he wanted to further his career. He was in a bunch of made for TV movies after Here's Lucy. And at that point he was really growing up and very nice looking! Maybe he didn't want to be on his mothers show anymore. I don't blame him. But I agree, the show wasn't the same without him. I was a little girl when Here's Lucy was on and I thought he was a cute 'older boy" LOL!!! Now , watching on Cozi TV , I totally am checking him out. Wow season 2 and he is HOT! When they get to season 4 and 5 without him , he really will be missed!

I really love Lucy, I think her comedy style is funny, yes she is goofy, but that is how she is supposed to be portrayed. She's a very talented lady. And she wasn't that young anymore in Here's Lucy, and to still have the energy to do all that physical comedy! I liked Lucie too, she was a very sweet girl! And I love Gale Gordon too! I did like how it was family, with him playing her brother in law!

Back to Desi Jr. It would have been so cool if he got his own spin off series if he didn't want to be on his Mom's show any more. Maybe a sitcom about him and his friends, maybe have them be in a band, getting girls, showing some romantic scenes. A show more geared towards teenagers and young adults rather than for young children and older people like Here's Lucy!

From the movie 'Billy two hats"!

[Marvo301]

Desi Jr. left the series to concentrate full time on his movie career. In later seasons Lucie was exploring other career options (live theatre, music) and that's she wasn't in some of the episodes.

[Coffeecup]

I remember reading about his departure. It was written in ? tv guide that he wanted to attend school. I am guessing college. He did do a few tv spots on other shows.

[gidgetgrape]

Desi Jr. also had a drug problem during this time.

When he was just 16 (and with his mother's approval), Desi Jr. moved into his own house in Beverly Hills. While kids his age were playing basketball and dating cheerleaders, Desi Jr. was performing on Mom's Here's Lucy (1968-71) and running around with older women, including Duke and Liza. He also plunged into the drug scene, including cocaine and hallucinogens. "I was raised in the '60s," he says, "when we thought that drugs were not only the answer to a lot of our seeking, but also better than alcohol. But, in effect," he muses, "we do learn the way we try to solve problems. My father and I had a lot in common."

Unsuccessfully, Arnaz tried various drug-rehab programs. Then, in 1978, he read Vernon Howard's book The Mystic Path to Cosmic Power. He visited Howard at his Boulder City headquarters and immediately joined the foundation. He eventually became its national spokesman, working full-lime on a volunteer basis (Arnaz's investments have made him independently wealthy).

Source:
http://www.people.com/people/archive...112652,00.html

[LittleRickyII]

Originally Posted by Coffeecup

I remember reading about his departure. It was written in ? tv guide that he wanted to attend school. I am guessing college. He did do a few tv spots on other shows.

That's part of the story. Desi Jr. appeared on The Merv Griffin Show in 1973, along with his mother, sister, and step-father, and Merv asked him why he left the show. He answered that he never intended to do more than three seasons, and then during the third season he was asked to do a movie. He said he asked his mother if he could do the movie, so she gave him permission, which meant he missed out on the last several episodes of the third season. And he said he "never intended to do any more" after that. Then his mother interjected, "And then he really jollied us and said he was going into college." Lucie chimed in and said he was in college "a week and a half." His mom concurred, but Desi disagreed, saying it was longer. Lucy tried to get him to be specific: Lucy: "Two weeks." Desi: "No . . . " Lucy: "Three weeks." Desi: "No, I was in for at least four or five weeks." Merv then jumped in and said he remembered Desi had returned to college and said Desi gave him "a great speech" about going back to college. Desi said he went back to college "for about three months," but had to quit again because he didn't have any money and had to go back to work. Lucie agreed. Merv asks, "Mom wouldn't help?" "Oh no," Desi answered, "we pay for everything." Lucie responded: "When we moved out, that was it, Merv. . . . A little left over meatloaf on Thursdays maybe, but that's it." Merv: "[You're] tough, Lucy." Lucy: "They can't even touch their trust funds." Lucie: "Do we have a trust fund???" Secret revealed

So that's how Desi Jr. explained the situation in 1973. Here's what the press was saying in 1971: http://news.google.com/newspapers?ni...g=4896,3414410 By the way, this article gets his age wrong: he was 18 at the time, not 17.