Jump The Shark: Here's Lucy - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

callmetootie · 09-27-2001, 07:36 PM

How did you think HL jumped the shark during it's run? I think it did when Vivian was washed out of the series.

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Andrew Carden

That Other Fan · 09-28-2001, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by callmetootie:
How did you think HL jumped the shark during it's run? I think it did when Vivian was washed out of the series.

Wrong show your thinking of "The Lucy Show".

Unless your thinking of Viv's infrequent guess appearences on HL. If this is the case, she wasn't "washed out of the series", she found out after her last HL appearence that she had cancer, because of this she was unable to make an guest shots on HL.

Her last appearence with Lucy was on the special "Lucy Calls The President", in either 1976 or 77.

TV Guy · 09-28-2001, 11:02 PM

Yup, Viv was never a regular on "Here's Lucy". She made one or two guest appearances a year for the first four seasons. She was a regular on "The Lucy Show" for it's first three seasons before leaving.

I think TLS jumped the shark when Viv left, because the format changed and Lucy and Mr. Mooney by themselves got very tiring. I think "Here's Lucy" jumped from day one -- Lucille Ball was forced to carry some very badly-written episodes. There are a few good ones here and there, but overall its a major comedown from "I Love Lucy", and the early days of "The Lucy Show".

callmetootie · 09-29-2001, 08:33 AM

I extremly agree that Lucy was wasted in HL...it's not that great of a series, but so many people want to watch it because they're Lucy lovers...like me. I think that the first 1 or 2 seasons were the only good ones.

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Andrew Carden

TV Guy · 09-29-2001, 01:08 PM

I'm with you, Andrew. It's worth watching simply because Lucille Ball is in it. It says a lot about her talent that she was able to make such a mediocre-to-lousy sitcom into a top 10 hit.

That Other Fan · 10-02-2001, 03:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by TV Guy:
I'm with you, Andrew. It's worth watching simply because Lucille Ball is in it. It says a lot about her talent that she was able to make such a mediocre-to-lousy sitcom into a top 10 hit.

Here's Lucy is a BIG comedown from the glory days of ILL, but it's not as bad as some potray it to be. I have seen worst shows with even sillier plots and eps last longer than HL( I won't name the shows because it may offend some), and are better remembered than TLS and HL combined!

And your right TV Guy, it takes a tremendous amount of talent to be able to make some of the episodes HL entertaining!

[This message has been edited by That Other Fan (edited 10-02-2001).]

dawsongirl · 10-16-2001, 11:58 PM

I think HL jumped when Desi Jr. left. No, really. I agree, some of the scripts stunk, but I think they were downright dreadful once Lucy only had one kid there. Lucie's great, but the three were good with each other.

EdLuvsLucy · 10-20-2001, 12:03 PM

While I love watching Here's Lucy I have to agree that it wasn't as good as I Love Lucy. But I guess its hard to live up to the success of a classic. I think Here's Lucy started to go down hill around the fourth season and by the time Lucy had broken her leg in the fifth season it really lost something. Thats not to say it was a bad show it just wasn't up to the quality of I Love Lucy. I think it was getting harder to come up with new ideas and there was no real continuity to the series as a whole. But all in all it was great to have new shows featuring Lucy and would be great to see her in it again.

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ELL

CHUCK T · 08-02-2002, 08:29 PM

Yes "Here's Lucy" was a major comedown...even from "The Lucy Show", but the major interst in the show was seeing Lucy work with her real life children. Also, Desi Sr. used to come to tapings of "Here's Lucy" when the children were featured (Gary Morton would introduce him to the audience as , "My ex-husband in-law")and very occassionally on the Here's Lucy soundtrack you can hear his familiar guffaw as he laughed with the studio audience. But Desi certainly wasn't a fan of "Here's Lucy", he felt that the story lines had no rhyme or reason to them. He felt that Lucy should create her havoc in a carefully thought out situation that audiences could relate to. He was right.

Also, on "Here's Lucy" they sure did shout there lines alot!!

APPLEI · 08-07-2002, 05:50 PM

I THINK HERES LUCY DEPENDED ON GUESTSTARS TOO MUCH.
MOST OF THE TIME THE GUEST STARS WERE JUST WINDOWDRESSING TO MAKE UP FOR BAD WRITING!

ONE EXCEPTION WAS THE EPISODE WITH LIZ TAYLOR AND RICHARD BURTON.
THAT EPISODE RANKS UP THERE WITH SOME OF THE CLASSIC I LOVE LUCY EPISODES.

LucyFan · 04-17-2004, 05:23 PM

I think Here's Lucy jumped the shark some when Desi Arnaz, Jr. left the show. Despite that he wasn't the main character, he DID add some things that made the show more real and likeable. Likewise, it was a shame to see him leave Here's Lucy because he was immedaitly missed thereafter. His mark was already made and it never really got filled up after his departure. In other words, when he left Here's Lucy so did a part of show left too.

RoseNylund · 07-06-2004, 06:47 PM

One of the MAJOR reasons that this show was different from past shows is Lucille Ball reading off those cue cards. I don't think she ever did in I LOVE LUCY or even THE LUCY SHOW, but in HERE'S LUCY, practically every episode she is looking off stage to the cue cards. This really took away from the comedy. So much of her brillance was her relationship to the cast, and half the time she was reading off the cards; probably because at that time she really was running the entire show, as producer as well, and just didn't have as much time to learn her lines.

ARealLucyFan · 07-07-2004, 03:56 PM

The show never jumped the shark. It was always great. It definitely improved after Desi Jr. left, although it didn't have anything to do with him. The writing improved and the cast was fantastic.

bb25 · 07-15-2004, 09:44 AM

Actually, Lucie Arnaz stated that she didn't really start using the the cue cards heavily until the 5th or 6th seasons, and that at the beginning to middle of the show, she memorized everyones line...

All I can say is that after 2 decades of constant memorization, anyone would want to give their brain a rest...

That Other Fan · 07-20-2004, 03:52 AM

Were Lucie and Desi Jr that talented that the whole show jumped the shark once one of these actors decided to leave?

I've always thought of Lucie and Desi were pretty good in HL, but not THAT good,lol. It was LUCILLE's show not LUCIE's (or Desi Jr's).

09-27-2001, 07:36 PM	#1
callmetootie Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 06, 2001 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 4,768	Jump The Shark: Here's Lucy How did you think HL jumped the shark during it's run? I think it did when Vivian was washed out of the series. ------------------ Andrew Carden

09-28-2001, 11:02 PM	#3
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	Yup, Viv was never a regular on "Here's Lucy". She made one or two guest appearances a year for the first four seasons. She was a regular on "The Lucy Show" for it's first three seasons before leaving. I think TLS jumped the shark when Viv left, because the format changed and Lucy and Mr. Mooney by themselves got very tiring. I think "Here's Lucy" jumped from day one -- Lucille Ball was forced to carry some very badly-written episodes. There are a few good ones here and there, but overall its a major comedown from "I Love Lucy", and the early days of "The Lucy Show".

09-29-2001, 08:33 AM	#4
callmetootie Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 06, 2001 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 4,768	I extremly agree that Lucy was wasted in HL...it's not that great of a series, but so many people want to watch it because they're Lucy lovers...like me. I think that the first 1 or 2 seasons were the only good ones. ------------------ Andrew Carden

09-29-2001, 01:08 PM	#5
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	I'm with you, Andrew. It's worth watching simply because Lucille Ball is in it. It says a lot about her talent that she was able to make such a mediocre-to-lousy sitcom into a top 10 hit.

10-16-2001, 11:58 PM	#7
dawsongirl Member Forum Icon Join Date: Jan 04, 2001 Posts: 53,128	I think HL jumped when Desi Jr. left. No, really. I agree, some of the scripts stunk, but I think they were downright dreadful once Lucy only had one kid there. Lucie's great, but the three were good with each other.

10-20-2001, 12:03 PM	#8
EdLuvsLucy Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 08, 2001 Location: Glenshaw, Pa. 15116 Posts: 57	While I love watching Here's Lucy I have to agree that it wasn't as good as I Love Lucy. But I guess its hard to live up to the success of a classic. I think Here's Lucy started to go down hill around the fourth season and by the time Lucy had broken her leg in the fifth season it really lost something. Thats not to say it was a bad show it just wasn't up to the quality of I Love Lucy. I think it was getting harder to come up with new ideas and there was no real continuity to the series as a whole. But all in all it was great to have new shows featuring Lucy and would be great to see her in it again. ------------------ ELL

08-02-2002, 08:29 PM	#9
CHUCK T Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jun 15, 2002 Posts: 84	Yes "Here's Lucy" was a major comedown...even from "The Lucy Show", but the major interst in the show was seeing Lucy work with her real life children. Also, Desi Sr. used to come to tapings of "Here's Lucy" when the children were featured (Gary Morton would introduce him to the audience as , "My ex-husband in-law")and very occassionally on the Here's Lucy soundtrack you can hear his familiar guffaw as he laughed with the studio audience. But Desi certainly wasn't a fan of "Here's Lucy", he felt that the story lines had no rhyme or reason to them. He felt that Lucy should create her havoc in a carefully thought out situation that audiences could relate to. He was right. Also, on "Here's Lucy" they sure did shout there lines alot!!

08-07-2002, 05:50 PM	#10
APPLEI Member Forum Regular Join Date: Aug 16, 2000 Location: JACKSON MI. 49203 Posts: 810	I THINK HERES LUCY DEPENDED ON GUESTSTARS TOO MUCH. MOST OF THE TIME THE GUEST STARS WERE JUST WINDOWDRESSING TO MAKE UP FOR BAD WRITING! ONE EXCEPTION WAS THE EPISODE WITH LIZ TAYLOR AND RICHARD BURTON. THAT EPISODE RANKS UP THERE WITH SOME OF THE CLASSIC I LOVE LUCY EPISODES.

04-17-2004, 05:23 PM	#11
LucyFan Still Loving Lucy! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 23, 2001 Location: In the Wonderful World of Lucy! Posts: 8,198	I think Here's Lucy jumped the shark some when Desi Arnaz, Jr. left the show. Despite that he wasn't the main character, he DID add some things that made the show more real and likeable. Likewise, it was a shame to see him leave Here's Lucy because he was immedaitly missed thereafter. His mark was already made and it never really got filled up after his departure. In other words, when he left Here's Lucy so did a part of show left too.

07-06-2004, 06:47 PM	#12
RoseNylund Back in St. Olaf... Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 19, 2003 Posts: 248	One of the MAJOR reasons that this show was different from past shows is Lucille Ball reading off those cue cards. I don't think she ever did in I LOVE LUCY or even THE LUCY SHOW, but in HERE'S LUCY, practically every episode she is looking off stage to the cue cards. This really took away from the comedy. So much of her brillance was her relationship to the cast, and half the time she was reading off the cards; probably because at that time she really was running the entire show, as producer as well, and just didn't have as much time to learn her lines.

07-07-2004, 03:56 PM	#13
ARealLucyFan Member Occasional Poster Join Date: May 02, 2003 Posts: 14	The show never jumped the shark. It was always great. It definitely improved after Desi Jr. left, although it didn't have anything to do with him. The writing improved and the cast was fantastic.

07-15-2004, 09:44 AM	#14
bb25 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 22, 2002 Posts: 784	Actually, Lucie Arnaz stated that she didn't really start using the the cue cards heavily until the 5th or 6th seasons, and that at the beginning to middle of the show, she memorized everyones line... All I can say is that after 2 decades of constant memorization, anyone would want to give their brain a rest...

07-20-2004, 03:52 AM	#15
That Other Fan Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 27, 2001 Posts: 191	Were Lucie and Desi Jr that talented that the whole show jumped the shark once one of these actors decided to leave? I've always thought of Lucie and Desi were pretty good in HL, but not THAT good,lol. It was LUCILLE's show not LUCIE's (or Desi Jr's).