This is hard but.. - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

BundyBoy10 · 04-30-2003, 04:46 PM

Whats one thing you hated about ILL?

dawsongirl · 04-30-2003, 05:20 PM

Just one?

1. Some of Lucy's friends were really annoying.

2. The move to the country.

3. Spanking

4. Little Ricky was there...then he wasn't. He was at Mrs. Trumble's...again.

5. Some of the situations Lucy got into were just so unbelieveable that willing suspension of disbelief didn't work.

~LadyJess~ · 04-30-2003, 07:50 PM

I don't think there was anything I hated but I did not like when they moved out of New York and into the country.

tdr · 04-30-2003, 10:35 PM

"Hated" is not the word I would use, but I will answer this in terms of "did not care for."

The top of the list, by far, would be that so many of the schemes-- usually Lucy's, of course-- are too outlandish, especially many of them from the first season. Imagine the cost and difficulty to adorn a small apartment with palms, fruit, decor like Cuba, and even a burro. And trashing the place with junk, live chickens, and ridiculous looking old longjohns and nightshirts on a clothesline. And Lucy probably would have landed in jail the time she got the girl who was to a dance number all tied up and gagged in the broom closet at the club.

Another thing that bugs me is how so often hyporcrisy is taken to be funny. We can probably all agree that hyporcrisy is a fact of life-- we all sometimes try to 'put our best foot forward' or go out of the way to keep from hurting someone's feelings. But I don't think it is really funny to be selfishly, viciously hypocritical, or to put an image before the public that is completely surreal... like when the reporter comes to do a story on Ricky and they are all dressed up and can't compliment each other enough; when the day before they were ungroomed and grouchy and zilching each other when the call came about the interview, which they insisted on having the next day. And the time Lucy is calling "Sylvia" to arrange a date for her, telling Ethel she is an ugly showoff, then on the phone she suddenly says, "Sylvia!--darling!" Or one of the worst was Lucy "crying wolf," getting Ricky home from business on a gross deception, just to feed her ego.

Related to the above paragraph is that the characters are sometimes just childish. Childishness is part of Lucy's makeup; to that extent it's OK. It seems ridiculous to me for Lucy and Ethel to start ripping each other's clothes apart on the TV show because they bought the same dress and each said she would take it back. And the Ricardos and the Mertzes sometimes try to outdo each other with spite; making more noise, turning off the water, refusing to approve a tenant to sublease the apartment... "Have a nice hot sticky summer!" The washing machine fiasco was funny, but it shows them all in a bad light.

Finally, and I'm sure this is the rule about sticoms, the characterizations and continuity change according to whatever the plot requires. Ethel drives a station wagon to be on hand in the ep where Ricky takes Lucy camping, then later she is supposed to have never driven before. After they get back from Hollywood, Ricky is a "big star," and people crowd around him and outside their apartment; then immediately he can go out in public and do normal things without fans bothering him after it's no longer a major plot element.

With all this said, I am aware (really) that ILL is a comedy and not supposed to be a soap opera. But the good character comedy and the reasonably believable setting are what I find most appealing about the show. I would still like it and laugh with it if they never went over the top with some of these things.

Mickey · 05-01-2003, 05:26 AM

The thing I dislike most about the show isn't really about the show all exactly. It annoys me that everybody - documentaries, 'experts', publicity - make it seem that Lucille Ball was the only star - that she was the whole show. It's the same for certain other programmes too of course - People talk about how 'John Cleese was Monty Python' - despite the fact that he didn't like the format or the nuttiness of it, and couldn't leave quickly enough, but I digress! ILL was a group show, and wouldn't have been as good without Desi, or without William Frawley and Vivien Vance. Or without Jess Oppenheimer and all those other creative talents. It was not just Lucy. Not even close.

SPLAIN · 05-01-2003, 10:44 AM

Let's quote Desi on that, Lucy was 90% of the show, split the rest among cast crew director writers everybody else.

*ShortCake* · 05-01-2003, 10:48 AM

I liked all the ridiculous stunts they pulled, especially getting the burro into that apartment. I dont know, it was creative, I liked it.. maybe I am just weird. But tv doesnt have to have reality to it all the time does it? I mean it is entertainment after all and sometimes it doesnt have to make sense.

Mickey · 05-01-2003, 11:18 AM

Originally posted by SPLAIN

Quote:

Let's quote Desi on that, Lucy was 90% of the show, split the rest among cast crew director writers everybody else.

I always thought Desi was being too generous with that! Lucy's abilities with physical comedy gave the show its unique appeal, I think, but where would she have been without the writers? They must deserve more than a share of 10% of the credit!

dawsongirl · 05-01-2003, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mickey
I always thought Desi was being too generous with that! Lucy's abilities with physical comedy gave the show its unique appeal, I think, but where would she have been without the writers? They must deserve more than a share of 10% of the credit!

I'm with you. ILL was NOT a one-woman show. If it weren't for the guys, there would have been no sanity at all.

And w/o the writers...Lucy'd be sitting on the stage doing nothing.

Ricardos4ever · 05-01-2003, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mickey
Originally posted by SPLAIN

I always thought Desi was being too generous with that! Lucy's abilities with physical comedy gave the show its unique appeal, I think, but where would she have been without the writers? They must deserve more than a share of 10% of the credit!

I'd have to agree with you, too. Lucille was the star and the show would have flopped if anyone had even attempted to take the role of Lucy Ricardo, but look at her other shows. I never liked "The Lucy Show" nearly as much as ILL. It just wasn't the same without the guys, especially Desi. He brought so much to the show as Ricky and as executive producer.

SPLAIN · 05-02-2003, 01:09 PM

I know, i know, but The Lucy show was good and so was Here's Lucy, i am getting copies from people and had really forgotten how great they were because of that old song,"nothing she ever did was as good as I Love Lucy". How could it be? It was the perfect meshing of the best writing, the best actress comedienne, the best straight man and supporting cast , yes, he was far too generous by giving her 90%, but he was also realistic enough to know it wasn't that far off as a comment.

dawsongirl · 05-02-2003, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SPLAIN
but The Lucy show was good

Not in my opinion it wasn't.

ARealLucyFan · 05-02-2003, 03:44 PM

Dawsongirl, do you like anything Lucy is in? I haven't heard you say anything positive about her!

Mickey · 05-02-2003, 04:20 PM

Only two more days, dawsongirl? Doesn't that mean you'll be graduating on a Sunday?

We'll have to have a party for you!

dawsongirl · 05-02-2003, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mickey
Only two more days, dawsongirl? Doesn't that mean you'll be graduating on a Sunday?

We'll have to have a party for you!

Nah...I have two days next week. I graduate Saturday the 10th.

04-30-2003, 04:46 PM	#1
BundyBoy10 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 24, 2002 Posts: 311	This is hard but.. Whats one thing you hated about ILL?

04-30-2003, 07:50 PM	#3
~LadyJess~ Football Chick Forum Fanatic Join Date: Mar 15, 2002 Location: At the Shamrock doing shots with Mo Posts: 8,260	I don't think there was anything I hated but I did not like when they moved out of New York and into the country.
	__________________ 8/26/05 Jessica & Anthony

05-01-2003, 10:48 AM	#7
ShortCake Blair Warner fan. Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 01, 2000 Location: Florida Posts: 3,761	I liked all the ridiculous stunts they pulled, especially getting the burro into that apartment. I dont know, it was creative, I liked it.. maybe I am just weird. But tv doesnt have to have reality to it all the time does it? I mean it is entertainment after all and sometimes it doesnt have to make sense.
	__________________ Ashley "Nice girls don't throw tree's"- Jo Polniaczek.

04-30-2003, 05:20 PM	#2
dawsongirl Member Forum Icon Join Date: Jan 04, 2001 Posts: 53,128	Just one? 1. Some of Lucy's friends were really annoying. 2. The move to the country. 3. Spanking 4. Little Ricky was there...then he wasn't. He was at Mrs. Trumble's...again. 5. Some of the situations Lucy got into were just so unbelieveable that willing suspension of disbelief didn't work.

04-30-2003, 10:35 PM	#4
tdr Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 23, 2001 Posts: 1,454	"Hated" is not the word I would use, but I will answer this in terms of "did not care for." The top of the list, by far, would be that so many of the schemes-- usually Lucy's, of course-- are too outlandish, especially many of them from the first season. Imagine the cost and difficulty to adorn a small apartment with palms, fruit, decor like Cuba, and even a burro. And trashing the place with junk, live chickens, and ridiculous looking old longjohns and nightshirts on a clothesline. And Lucy probably would have landed in jail the time she got the girl who was to a dance number all tied up and gagged in the broom closet at the club. Another thing that bugs me is how so often hyporcrisy is taken to be funny. We can probably all agree that hyporcrisy is a fact of life-- we all sometimes try to 'put our best foot forward' or go out of the way to keep from hurting someone's feelings. But I don't think it is really funny to be selfishly, viciously hypocritical, or to put an image before the public that is completely surreal... like when the reporter comes to do a story on Ricky and they are all dressed up and can't compliment each other enough; when the day before they were ungroomed and grouchy and zilching each other when the call came about the interview, which they insisted on having the next day. And the time Lucy is calling "Sylvia" to arrange a date for her, telling Ethel she is an ugly showoff, then on the phone she suddenly says, "Sylvia!--darling!" Or one of the worst was Lucy "crying wolf," getting Ricky home from business on a gross deception, just to feed her ego. Related to the above paragraph is that the characters are sometimes just childish. Childishness is part of Lucy's makeup; to that extent it's OK. It seems ridiculous to me for Lucy and Ethel to start ripping each other's clothes apart on the TV show because they bought the same dress and each said she would take it back. And the Ricardos and the Mertzes sometimes try to outdo each other with spite; making more noise, turning off the water, refusing to approve a tenant to sublease the apartment... "Have a nice hot sticky summer!" The washing machine fiasco was funny, but it shows them all in a bad light. Finally, and I'm sure this is the rule about sticoms, the characterizations and continuity change according to whatever the plot requires. Ethel drives a station wagon to be on hand in the ep where Ricky takes Lucy camping, then later she is supposed to have never driven before. After they get back from Hollywood, Ricky is a "big star," and people crowd around him and outside their apartment; then immediately he can go out in public and do normal things without fans bothering him after it's no longer a major plot element. With all this said, I am aware (really) that ILL is a comedy and not supposed to be a soap opera. But the good character comedy and the reasonably believable setting are what I find most appealing about the show. I would still like it and laugh with it if they never went over the top with some of these things.

05-01-2003, 05:26 AM	#5
Mickey Ranger Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 12, 2002 Location: The UK, and still finding Desi funnier than Lucy Posts: 960	The thing I dislike most about the show isn't really about the show all exactly. It annoys me that everybody - documentaries, 'experts', publicity - make it seem that Lucille Ball was the only star - that she was the whole show. It's the same for certain other programmes too of course - People talk about how 'John Cleese was Monty Python' - despite the fact that he didn't like the format or the nuttiness of it, and couldn't leave quickly enough, but I digress! ILL was a group show, and wouldn't have been as good without Desi, or without William Frawley and Vivien Vance. Or without Jess Oppenheimer and all those other creative talents. It was not just Lucy. Not even close.

05-01-2003, 10:44 AM	#6
SPLAIN I Love Lucy Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 04, 2002 Location: MONTREAL, CANADA Posts: 4,563	Let's quote Desi on that, Lucy was 90% of the show, split the rest among cast crew director writers everybody else.

05-02-2003, 01:09 PM	#11
SPLAIN I Love Lucy Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 04, 2002 Location: MONTREAL, CANADA Posts: 4,563	I know, i know, but The Lucy show was good and so was Here's Lucy, i am getting copies from people and had really forgotten how great they were because of that old song,"nothing she ever did was as good as I Love Lucy". How could it be? It was the perfect meshing of the best writing, the best actress comedienne, the best straight man and supporting cast , yes, he was far too generous by giving her 90%, but he was also realistic enough to know it wasn't that far off as a comment.

05-02-2003, 03:44 PM	#13
ARealLucyFan Member Occasional Poster Join Date: May 02, 2003 Posts: 14	Dawsongirl, do you like anything Lucy is in? I haven't heard you say anything positive about her!

05-02-2003, 04:20 PM	#14
Mickey Ranger Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 12, 2002 Location: The UK, and still finding Desi funnier than Lucy Posts: 960	Only two more days, dawsongirl? Doesn't that mean you'll be graduating on a Sunday? We'll have to have a party for you!