Big Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour Episode Poll

[SalParadise]

Start the new year off with a poll. What was your favorite episode of the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour? The books, and many comments here, point to one or two as the best. But, let the fans decide. At least here. Vote early!

[Marvo301]

I voted for the Danny Thomas episode.

[OH Nuts!]

I voted for the Tallulah Bankhead one, dahhhling lol

[Tap Dancer]

"Lucy Hunts Uranium" is hilarious!

[Cincy Guy]

I voted for "Lucy Meets The Mustache". It's certainly a treat to see her paired with Ernie Kovacs. Lucy and Ernie may certainly be considered the greatest female and male comic genius in the history of TV. I also understand it is the last I Love Lucy episode ever made. It was about that time that Desi and she were headed for divorce.

[1960'sTVfan]

Have to go with the Uranium episode as well. In fact, it is the only episode of the 13 in the series that I feel is worth watching.

[LittleRickyII]

Originally Posted by Cincy Guy

I voted for "Lucy Meets The Mustache".

[rjt100]

Danny Thomas episode. Bankhead episode is a very close second followed by Lucy Wants A Career.

[Benno123]

Danny Thomas, Tallulah Bankhead, "Lucy Wants A Career," and the Havana episodes are the ones I tend to watch the most. The others not so much.

[Fontaine]

Without a doubt, the Danny Thomas episode. Lucy vs. Danny was comedy heaven, and the courtroom scene was a field day for everyone involved. My favorite line was when (during the snowball fight) Lucy barks at sweet-as-pie Marjorie Lord, "Oh, don't you EVER get mad?".

I wasn't a big fan of the Ernie Kovacs episode, but since it was the last I Love Lucy ever, it bears watching. Because of the circumstances of the looming divorce, the scene where Edie Adams sings "That's All" is very sad.

[SalParadise]

Been awhile since we put this poll out for there all to enjoy. Been fun seeing how people respond to it. We plan on leaving it in place for now, as a 5 year window is a good amount of time. My personal favorite episode 'Lucy Wants A Career' has just 2 votes so far.

'Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour' started as a follow-up series to 'I Love Lucy'. It ran a total of 13 unique episodes from 1957-1960. It wasn't a weekly series like 'ILL' but instead 60 minute 'specials' broadcast by itself with Ford as the sponsor (its first season) or as part of Westinghouse Desilu Presents (1958-1960) an anthology series of which 'Comedy Hour' was a semi-regular feature.

Desi Arnaz, as President of Desilu Productions, decided to adjust formats and change 'ILL' to 'Comedy Hour' in 1954. CBS talked him out of the change but finally gave in to Arnaz in 1957, mostly due to his poor health (he'd manage to live until 1986, or nearly 30 more years). The other cast members weren't pleased with the change, especially Lucy and William Frawley, who needed the pay (estimated at around $7500 per week). Vivian Vance, Ethel Mertz on the series, was pleased with the change as she had come to loathe working with Frawley. Arnaz offered her a raise to stay on, up to $12500 a week (he said it was more than he made) but she was steadfast and refused. Later, she flopped as the star of her own series. The 'Hour' still featured the same cast but did not follow the pattern of 'ILL' with its well known episode continuity. Episodes were 'stand alone' with literally no reference to each other. For example, episode 2 (season 1) is never mentioned again, and so on. 'ILL' had a great deal of continuity, for example, Ricky's job, trips to Florida, Hollywood and Europe, Little Ricky growing up, etc. 'Hour' featured travel in several and major guest stars in most episodes. And, Fred Mertz did return as Ricky's Band Manager. However, part of the 'Lucy' Urban Legends are the whereabouts of all season 6 'ILL' Connecticut friends and neighbors. Well cast, their new neighbors and their son soon were all best buds. Even Ethel got in the act coming from the same hometown of the wife. After the last season 6 episode, which they were not in, they were discharged from the series and not included in 'Hour'. They were mentioned, however, several times as a babysitter for Little Ricky, who, along with Fred Mertz, had his screen time cut down so much he became a minor character. In fact the new series was more of a show about Lucy and Ethel's interaction with the celebrity guest star while Ricky and Fred came and went. And, of course, who could forget the season 6 addition, 'Fred' or Little Ricky's dog, who must have run away or something else and was gone by the time 'Hour' aired.

Most viewers and critics at the time were put off by the series. Going to an hour would was a big deal, but spreading the episodes out to just 5 or even 3 and changing its airing time and date several times made it hard to schedule and watch. Starting with high ratings in 1957 by the last new episode in 1960 ratings had dropped a great deal. Instead of at least 5 new episodes a season it dropped off and by season 3 produced only 3 new episodes were made. And, for the first time, 'Hour' resorted to using re-runs from the earlier 2 seasons. The last episode was not promoted as a finale. Instead, it was 'just broadcast' as a regular episode. No one was sure if it would return in the fall, 1960 for another season.

What's little mentioned is the fact that the 'Hour' episodes were attached to the 'Westinghouse' series by contract. Arnaz contracted with the company to provide a certain number 'Lucy' format episodes per season. However, 'Westinghouse' anthology was down in the ratings, and except for the infrequent 'Comedy Hour' episodes was failing big time. Arnaz had committed a great deal of Desilu assets on the series, spending $350,000 per episode and producing over 40 per season. Arnaz leveraged the series to the sponsor by saying he had commitments from major stars to appear, suggesting that he had lined up stars who did guest spots on the 'ILL' Hollywood episodes such as William Holden and John Wayne to name a few. Although many had verbally agreed to guest shots none actually appeared on the show, being forced to cancel out due to the major film studios refusal to let their stars go on TV. He was hoping, thru the new series, to lend Desilu Studios some class with their own 'anthology' series, such as the CBS 'Playhouse 90'. Anthology series had been very popular in the mid-50s and in great demand by viewers who wanted TV to provide a wide-range of programs. Without the big name stars Arnaz was forced to use less popular or known actors. Many were unknown or starting out in the business. This included writers. A couple of gems came out of the series and led to the first 'spin-offs with the 'Twilight Zone' and 'The Untouchables' becoming series. However, those programs were basically 'accidents' that couldn't be held down and had been rejected by the networks as too violent of 'weird' for network TV. The main thing the Arnaz anthology series did was give new actors or writers a chance, out of desperation, to get on TV. They weren't planned even though Arnaz was to take credit for their success until people had stopped listening to him by the 70s. Arnaz seemed to have been plagued by poor professional judgement and had failed to recognize and produce new pilots, often rejecting pilots that went on to fame made by other studios. In fact the anthology format was on the way out just as he entered it. By 1961 there were none on the air, although a few would return as specials from time to time. NBC, for example, continued to use the format in specials until dropping them in 1993. ABC was never a player in the format and instead featured major stars in their own series or specials, such as the deal they had with singer/actor Frank Sinatra.

Arnaz had pitched the program to reluctant sponsors by attaching the 'Lucy' episodes and getting them to take a major chance with the series. His efforts were a success with the sale to Westhinghouse. Even with all the money and effort involved in production the show hit the skids in season two and was gone after season three. Arnaz had lost a great deal of credibility with his sale of the series to Westinghouse as many leaders in the field believed he had lied to the sponsor telling them the Lucy episodes could continue for a long time, 3-5 seasons as start. However, after the show tanked in 1960 and with his divorce from Ball most figured he had lied by not letting them know his marriage was all but over. He hadn't told them that he no longer lived with Ball and that they planned to divorce eventually. This misrepresentation ended up finishing him in the business as no one trusted his word anymore. As someone noted in a book at the time provides and example of that as CBS President Bill Paley personally negotiated with Arnaz for the series. 'The ILL series was ranked number one when it went off in 1957. If anything its ratings were getting better and better as the medium grew and grew. CBS wanted it on the air and was willing to do just about anything to do so. It wanted a weekly series and had an option to force Desilu to produce it. Paley, however, took Arnaz word that he was seriously ill and couldn't run the studio and star on the series anymore. Not long after Paley signed the new contract he began to receive reports of Arnaz out drinking, gambling and chasing women and not behaving like a sick man. Had it not been Arnaz, but mostly out of respect for Ball, Paley didn't sue him.

Not many anthology series were around when 'Hour' went off the air in 1960. The 'Lucy' format/series was done as well. As Lucy and Desi shared a kiss to finish episode 13 in April 1960 they may have been the only people who knew the format was done. 'ILL' was over with. The 2 never worked together again. And, of course, neither did the famous cast.

Too bad.