I Love Lucy

The great female comedian Lucille Ball performed Lucy Ricardo who got herself in some strange situations in this comedy show that ran from 1951 to 1957.Desi Arnaz played her husband Ricky and the neighbors Fred and Ethel Mertz were played by William Frawley and Vivian Vance.I Love Lucy may be nearly fifty years old but the humor in it is timeless.It works no matter how old the show was.The actors were great and everything else was also great in this show.Everybody should watch I Love Lucy no matter how old or young you were.

Everyone who has already commented has said just about all one can about this extraordinary accomplishment in TV entertainment. I would just like to add this. Some years ago, I saw a comic strip panel that showed the following. We see two gas pumps, one labeled Fred and the other Ethyl. That's it. Evokes a little chuckle. How many shows made the names of their characters so much part of our culture, that 50 years later, a pun like that would be immediately understood by young and old alike? You teenagers out there, do you remember Conklin and Boynton? Or Lily Ruskin and Hilda Crocker? How about Cosmo and Henrietta Topper? Seems to me it is just I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners that have stood the test of time and appealed to all generations. The Bach and Beethoven of TV. Real classics. I am so happy Lucy is finally available on DVD, with plenty of entertaining and fascinating extras.

I've watched the show since I was in kindergarten. It never crossed my mind that it's black and white. It is the best show. It's got so much history. Lucy was the reason I got into comedy. She's an inspiration. Desi is an inspiration for me as well. It never gets old. It'll never go away and we're not gonna let it.

First of all, just about every aspect of this show's premise was implausible: that Lucy and Ricky would even be married to each other and that they would be best friends with the much older Mertzes. (Although William Frawley was 64 when the show started, Vivian Vance was 42, close to Lucille Ball's age, but Ethel was supposed to be much older). Anyway, the show worked in spite of, or maybe even because of this.

Almost every episode was good, except for some weak ones during the first season. And even though the show is over 50 years old, it doesn't seem dated like other old shows. It's still fresh and entertaining, even after repeated viewings.

There are many well-known stories that have to do with Lucille Ball's vanity. She didn't want Ethel to wear nice clothes, so as not to overshadow Lucy. Vivian Vance's wardrobe was purchased off-the-rack in department stores, and Lucille Ball's was designed especially for her. And then there's the rumor that Vivian Vance was contractually obligated to be at least 25 pounds heavier than Lucille Ball. When Vivian Vance returned from summer hiatus one season having lost weight, Lucille Ball said, "You're looking a little too good there, Viv, we're going to have to fatten you up real quick."

Not enough credit goes to the underrated Desi Arnaz. He was a brilliant, talented, and very, very funny man, but not in the same exaggerated over-the-top style of Lucille Ball. His facial expressions are priceless, especially when his eyes literally pop out of his head. It's too bad that he was overshadowed by his more famous wife. Even his daughter, Lucie Arnaz has been known to say that "my mother gets all the credit, but my father was the brains behind the show."

"I Love Lucy" is one of my faves guaranteed to elicit a constant belly laugh from me. Great way to start any day! Ball's comic timing in her scenes has NEVER been surpassed. Since I was born in 1945 this is also somewhat of an opportunity to see what life in America was like when I was a mischievous child. Today, of course, we know more than we want to about the real-life personality conflicts behind the scenes and Desi's constant insensitivity toward Lucille. Ms Ball was a great role model for young ladies, esp. in the industry, because of her managerial/financial/directorial brilliance. I don't think that the later "Lucy" sitcoms were even as good as the "I love Lucy" series.