After 144 episodes of “Here’s Lucy”, here are my favorite and my least favorite episodes of the series. Your level of enjoyment may vary!
THE BEST: FIVE-HEART EPISODES (in order of broadcast)
“Lucy
Visits Jack Benny” (S1;E2 ~ September 30, 1968)
The second episode aired, but possibly the first filmed, features the Arnaz’s neighbor and friend, Jack Benny, capitalizing on his miser persona. The final moment introduces a tour bus driver named Ralph played by “the great one” Jackie Gleason! Three TV comedy legends in one scene! Baby, it’s the greatest!
“Lucy the Fixer” (S1;E14 ~ January 6, 1969)
Although the first act drags a bit, the second half is some of the best prop comedy Lucille Ball has done since “I Love Lucy”. It is also a great example of the comic timing of Gale Gordon. The technical feat of ruining the entire set must have taken some effort for production to pull off. Oh, and there’s a live kitten. What’s not to love?
“Lucy
and the Used Car Dealer” (S2;E9 ~ November 17, 1969)
This is a memorable episode. Lucy, Milton Berle and Gale Gordon all get to play dress-up and take on funny and unusual characters. The writers’ dedication to Cheerful Charlie using as many ‘CH’ words as possible (see above) is silly but a lot of fun. This is one of the few times Berle played a character instead of himself. The period cars are also fun to see!
“Lucy
Meets the Burtons” (S3;E1 ~ September 14, 1970)
It’s no mystery why this episode is so popular with so many. It combines two of Hollywood’s biggest stars, two of Lucy’s best gags, two of Lucy’s finest writers, one red-hot sitcom director, and the biggest bling in La La Land! Lucille Ball knew she had a ratings juggernaut and saved the episode to start her third season.
“With
Viv as a Friend, Who Needs an Enemy?” (S4;E23 ~ February 21, 1972)
Vivian Vance is a breath of fresh air on the series. She allows Lucy and Gale Gordon to relax and be at their best – even when she’s not in the scene. This is about as close to Lucy and Ethel as they have come since the early days of “The Lucy Show.” Sadly, except for a TV movie in which Vivian was impaired by her stroke, this is the last time. Vance looks glorious and her ‘haughty’ voice when angry with Lucy was never funnier. At the end of the episode, Lucy gets into the most convincing old lady get-up she’s yet worn on camera and Viv says she hopes to be around when Lucy really gets old. Sadly, Vance died ten years before Lucy and the two had precious little time together after this episode.
“Lucy
Goes to Prison” (S5;E18 ~ January 22, 1973)
This is a gem of an episode due to the zany comic presence of the inimitable Elsa Lanchester as wacky jailbird Mumsie Westcott. Lucy also surrounds herself with a perfectly cast ensemble of co-stars like reliable Roy Roberts as the Warden and the stone-faced Jody Gilbert as the Matron. Red is the New Black!
“Lucy
Carter Meets Lucille Ball” (S6;E22 ~ March 4, 1974)
Usually, fantasy episodes are some of the worst in the “Lucyverse” but this is one of my favorites. After meeting virtually every star in Hollywood on three different series’, it’s only logical that Lucy should meet Lucy! A wonderful tribute to film and television star Lucille Ball that gets even more sentimental and sweet as time goes on. Saved for (nearly) last, this episode was mostly designed to promote “Mame”.
THE REST: ONE-HEART EPISODES (in order of broadcast)
“Lucy’s
Safari” (S1;E22 ~ March 3, 1969)
This episode is more like a live action Saturday morning kids show than a primetime sitcom. The premise is unbelievable, silly, and (worst of all) rarely funny. With all the show’s musical episodes, it is a shame that Lucille Ball wasted singer Howard Keel’s only appearance in a non-musical episode.
“Lucy
and Ma Parker” (S3;E15 ~ December 21, 1970)
The scene where Lucy visits Ma Parker as part of the neighborhood welcome wagon feels like a satire or a sketch show – something Lucy and company might act out in one of their musical episodes, but lacks any sense of reality. Lucy behaves in a presentational manner as if she’s putting on an act. I suppose that is what she felt necessary to pull off the premise of not recognizing adult little people in costumes. But when she mistakes actual machine gun fire for cork bullets and lifts a big man over her head, well… so much for Lucille Ball’s credo of sticking close to the truth. The final scene when Lucy impersonates Parker is missing one key element – the ‘real’ Ma Parker (Carole Cook)! Additionally, some of the comedy in this episode is derived from insulting remarks and jokes about little people. In 1970 the term ‘midget’ was still socially acceptable. Worse yet, this was the biggest role of Carole Cook’s appearances.
“Lucy
in the Jungle” (S4;E13 ~ December 6, 1971)
Although not quite as bad as “Lucy’s Safari” (S1;E22), this episode is basically just Lucy interacting with live animals (including a real lion!) which was better done in “Lucy, the Helpful Mother” (S2;E15). The lion got another chance in the series finale!
“Lucy is a Bird-Sitter” (S6;E15 ~ January 7, 1974)
I imagine the concept of this show was to get Lucy to imitate a pigeon just as she imitated a chicken on “I Love Lucy.” She does. Gale Gordon does. Arte Johnson does (and does it best). Only Lucie and Mary Jane escape the indignity. A truly bad episode that has Johnson trying too hard, Lucy and Harry at each other’s throats (literally) and pigeons… lots of pigeons. Creating fictional animals hasn’t been this problematic since the dreaded Gorboona… an equally awful episode.
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