MovieChat Forums > I Love Lucy (1951) Discussion > HOW Do You Watch ILL?

HOW Do You Watch ILL?

posted a year ago by Garyandfilm (530)
17 replies | jump to latest

I've asked this before, but since there seems to be younger posters, how many of you actually "own" the series on DVD? Do most posters just catch it on Hulu?

If you have the DVDs, what other series do you have?

I have the following full series:

The Honeymooners (Blu Ray)
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (five seasons only)
Dennis the Menace (first three seasons)
Stoney Burke
The Outer Limits (Blu Ray)
Bewitched
Get Smart
Mary Tyler Moore

In the new year, I think I'll cave in and get The Twilight Zone on Blu Ray.

[–] steven1660 (144) a year ago

I'm a younger viewer and I love physical media and always have. So I own the series on DVD.

Here are the other series I own:

Dick Van Dyke show
Mary Tyler Moore show
Bewitched
Three's company
Laverne & Shirley
Alice
The Lucy Show
Here's Lucy
Friends (blu ray)
Seinfeld

[–] Garyandfilm (530) a year ago

Interesting and diverse. There's a lot of press lately about the return in popularity of DVDs. I haven't gone 4K yet, as I'm not a particular collector of newer films and shows. Eventually though.

[–] steven1660 (144) a year ago

Yes, I haven't gotten a 4K tv yet, even though I work on many 4k shows at work(I work in tv production). But my TV is starting to go so hopefully getting one next year. Other than TV shows I have a huge horror movie collection, I'm a big horror fan. But like you, I find myself not collecting as many DVDs or Blu rays as I used to, just because there aren't a ton of Movies and TV shows that currently stand out.

[–] [email protected] (5854) a year ago

Gary, I have a lot of the series that you have. As far as Hitchcock, I don't have any of the half hour episodes. But I do have a bunch of the hour long ones.

I have Bewitched, MTM, Dick van Dyke, Get Smart(four seasons) and The Honeymooners. I have one season of the new Outer Limits. I'd like to get more seasons and the original series. I also have Charmed.

I have the first two seasons of The Lucy Show. I have The Odd Couple, Barney Miller and a (recent purchase) Coach. Very funny show. I haven't seen it in years. I have Seinfeld and a few seasons of ALF.

As far as sci fi, I have about six seasons of Stargate, the complete Stargate: Atlantis and Stargate Universe. I also have Andromeda.

Crime shows? I have NYPD Blue, Homicide, and most of Criminal Minds.

I'm sure I have other shows which are slipping my mind at the moment! Oh yes, Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon and Modern Family, etc.

[–] Garyandfilm (530) a year ago

Wow. Your taste is much more varied than mine, and includes much newer series. I enjoy "Seinfeld" and "Will and Grace", but not to the point where I want to own them.

Why no season five of "Get Smart?" Yes, it's the weakest, but there are still some fun episodes.

The half-hour eps of AHP are much stronger than the hour shows in my opinion.

I ignore the fourth and final season of "Dennis the Menace", as Gale Gordon wasn't nearly as effective as Joseph Kearns. And Jay North had become too long in the tooth to play a pesky "little kid."

[–] [email protected] (5854) a year ago

Yeah Gary, my taste is all over the place! I plan on getting season five of Get Smart.

Other shows I forgot to include are Rhoda, The Big Valley, the first two seasons of The High Chaparral (I want to get the other seasons eventually), the first two seasons of The Six Million Dollar Man, one season of The Bionic Woman, two seasons of Hogan's Heroes and the first four seasons of Two and a Half Men. I have the first three seasons of The Larry Sanders Show.

You may notice a pattern here! Unless I buy the entire series, I often buy a couple of seasons of a show and then lose interest in it for a while.

I don't have Dennis the Menace even though I liked the show when I was a kid. I know what you mean about child actors "outgrowing" a part. I think that happened on The Wonder Years. Kevin was a cute, innocent child when the show started but it lost its charm when he and his friends became teen-agers.

I have the first four seasons of The Andy Griffith Show. I plan on ignoring the seasons after Barney left. Andy and Barney had such great chemistry that could never be duplicated. And the COLOR episodes! Yikes! It looks like all the interiors were painted with the same garish green paint.

[–] ReyRo (61) a year ago

I'm in my mid 30s so not that young anymore but I've always loved black and white movies and I want my kids to appreciate them as well. I hadn't watched ILL since I was a preteen at my grandma's house and had forgotten how funny and wholesome the series is. My kids(9 and 11) have been wanting to watch comedy together and I honestly can't stand a lot of the new stuff so I bought season 1 and 2 and we've been binge watching all the episodes and laughing our butts off! They adore ILL. I'll probably buy season 3 soon, but I'm not sure when the show starts to "drop off" and I hate the feeling of sensing the seasons are starting to decline so let me know if it's worth getting season 4-6.

I also own the full Twilight Zone dvd collection and we've watched and rewatched that series since my kids were very little and we all love it and know all the episodes by heart.
I have several Hitchcock movies: Rear Window, Vertigo, Dial M for Murder, The Birds(my kids' favorite Hitchcock so far), as well as a few 40s noir films like Double Indemnity and Night and the City. I'm working on building my classic dvd collection up slowly.

[–] OnanTheBarbarian (11952) a year ago

Haha. Great to hear little kids these days enjoy ILL. I watched the old reruns as a child since I didn't exist when it was originally on tv!

I've been wondering if anybody under 30 knows ILL anymore.

[–] ReyRo (61) a year ago

Haha yes, my kids are definite fans now! At first I didn't remember the show that much and didn't know if my kids would get this kind of humor, especially since it's black and white and there's a lot of dated references but took a chance buying the first season and they were pretty soon begging me to show them more and laughing hysterically throughout. So I just ordered season 3!
Last winter we went through the whole Little House on the Prairie series and they loved that too. I'm so exhausted with the new stuff these days and honestly I pine for the "good ol' days" where things were more wholesome and less cynical.

[–] OnanTheBarbarian (11952) a year ago

Yeah, I grew up on ILL reruns. Sure, the husband wife relationship is dated. But there is a sort of "feminist" strength about Lucy Ricardo.

Another thing which surprises me is that this was somewhat an interracial relationship, Anglo and Latino. I'm wondering if there was much blowback in the 50's over this?

[–] ReyRo (61) a year ago

Yes I'm really curious if their relationship was the first of its kind on TV, what with the husband and wife being from different ethnicities. It's hard for me to see them as interracial, though technically maybe they are? I just see Ricky as someone who speaks Spanish from a different country, but I have to admit I dont know much about Cuba's history or genetic makeup. One thing for sure though is it offers a lot of material for the show. It just wouldnt be the same without the slight language barrier. I always Crack up when Ricky gets so exasperated he starts ranting in Spanish, and Lucy jabs at his pronunciation of words like "experience" "expensive" and "dont".
I've been searching for a good documentary on Lucy and Desi online for a deep dive but haven't found much. Maybe I'll eventually find a good book that will give me better insight into their life and times.

[–] OnanTheBarbarian (11952) a year ago

Living in California, Latino is usually mixed race, Spanish and indigenous. I suppose it's the same in Cuba. I'm not sure of Arnaz's ethnic make-up - but he looks like he might be mixed with indigenous. In the 1950's I would think this would be controversial in an America where everyone on tv was always white.

I remember seeing comments that there was only one black actor ever on ILL - he played a porter.

I'm just wondering if it was controversial at the time.

[–] ReyRo (61) a year ago

I remember in one of the documentaries I watched about Desi and Lucy that the studio execs were very against casting Desi as Lucy's husband because he wasn't white. But Lucy stuck to her guns and wouldn't accept anyone else. So as far as the studio it must've been pretty controversial but I'm not sure about the audience on the whole. Seems the show was an immediate hit though, so Lucy and Desi showed that it really couldn't have ever been anyone else but Desi. I truly can't imagine enjoying the show so much with a different casting choice.

[–] ReyRo (61) a year ago

BTW, as much as I've always loved Hitchcock and seen just about every movie by him, I don't think I've ever seen Alfred Hitchcock Presents. I used to own several books that were collections by him of short stories titled "Stories not for the nervous" and "Stories to stay awake by" and so on that I loved as a teen. But I'll have to check out AFP, since my family loves Twilight Zone, that sounds very promising.

[–] Garyandfilm (530) a year ago

ILL does NOT drop off in quality, as many posters would agree. And several of us feel season three is a stand-out season, my personal fave anyway. I believe season four is the technically the most creative, as the gang travels west to Hollywood for Ricky's movie contract.

I feel if there are any clunkers, they are in the first half of the first season. It's a matter of opinion, but some of these eps are a bit arch and too silly.

[–] ReyRo (61) a year ago

Great to hear it only gets better after season 1! I'm used to series' going downhill after so many seasons or just getting milked to death when it should've ended a season or two before. Season 1 and 2 have a few episodes that i noticed were a little lackluster but we've still enjoyed every one of them. I just ordered the third season of ILL and looking forward to spending the rest of the cold, grey, Midwest winter with a new series to get us through.

[–] Garyandfilm (530) a year ago

Great to hear. Let us know what you think of the third season!!

Happy new year!!