Garyandfilm's Replies


Now we disagree. I don't think "Job Switching" or "Lucy's Italian Movie" are one-joke episodes. Both are funny from start to finish for me. The guys in the former are hilarious themselves. That being said, I don't think the first half of "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" is anything more than routine, especially without Ethel. It doesn't really start coming to life until Lucy shows up at the TV station. I've NEVER loved MTM's "Chuckles the Clown." It certainly hasn't aged well. "My Brother's Keeper" is in my top ten. A winner. And as a gay man, I'm personally touched by the bravery of one of the first gay TV episodes. It also concludes with another of Mary's horrible parties. And isn't this Gorgette's first ep? In my opinion, what you've described is "The Lucy Show"/"Here's Lucy." Another reason why the Harpo Marx ep is still so famous. Like you, PJ, I prefer the Widmark show and, to a lesser extent, the Cornell Wilde offering. But Marx is STILL legendary, while the other men are only remembered by the TCM audience. The Hollywood arc is so smartly conceived and written. Not a bad apple in the bunch, in my opinion. I do see how people prefer their New York daily lifestyle, but Desi and Jess Oppenheimer needed to expand the series. I don't think the European arc is quite as strong as the Hollywood shows, but they're still good. 100% agree. But undeniably hilarious. Lucy gets her just desserts after humiliating Ricky, Fred and Ethel. A great episode from start to finish. Yeah, I don't like that one either, although Fred and Ethel are hilarious as the dragon (I love it when she sings her "other head" a lullaby). Can't say I agree. I think all the European eps are strong, although there's some I enjoy more than others. I LOVE the fox hunt. Tenants come and go all the time. Besides, maybe he had a few studio apartments to rent. It all boils down to opinion, but the first year creaks and groans in many early eps, while season four plays like fresh paint with the writing and cast at their apex. The two I've always loved are the tutor ep and the the baby shower show. Both are staples in my ILL lineup. The two I'm still not crazy about are "Lucy is Enciente" and "Lucy Goes to the Hospital" (Lucy is only in the first half of the latter, and her lasts scene before she goes in the Christmas ep). Fraternal twins, to be sure. Other than their clothes, hats and glasses, they look nothing alike. PJ, I think you posted some time back that you now enjoy "Lucy Plays Cupid " I caught that one over the weekend and enjoyed it, even if I still don't love it. Edward Everette Horton is a hoot! It's main issue for me is no Fred and Ethel. I also caught "The Amateur Hour." Those twin boys make the kids in "Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory" look like angels! A fun offering. My first thought is...are you capable of EVER composing a positive thread??? You've stated that you're not a huge fan of the series, which is cool (why should only diehards post observations and opinions?). But damn, Corry, really! Anyway, this ep is a favorite of mine from the Eropean arc. Yes, Lucy is selfish and childish, but that is part of the nature of the character. The joke here is to show that severe high fashion is (and remains) so utterly absurd that it's easily believable that Lucy and Ethel would believe those outfits are legit. A very funny episode. Great to hear. Let us know what you think of the third season!! Happy new year!! 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. Can't say I would go that far, but he did possess a healthy ego. He was definitely sexist, but this was the 1950s. I wouldn't expect much. Eddie was fine thinking he was gonna bed Lucy (not cool, then or now) and Sylvia had no problem flirting with married men. These two characters didn't seem mature enough for marriage. 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." Steven, as you may know, I'm not, like you, an admirer of Ball's post ILL TV shows, as I consider them majorly inferior to her breakout series. That being said, there are a few occasions where, say, The Lucy Show is equal to, or even greater than ILL in a single episode. For instance, the Christmas offering from the first season of The Lucy Show is hilarious (Viv wants a white tree, Lucy wants a green one, etc.). It is vastly funnier than the sixth season Christmas ep of ILL, which only gets laughs during the "memory" clips.