1962
By the fall of 1962, Lucille Ball agrees to return to network television in a new show. It is planned for one season in order to help both CBS and Desilu, who are in financial trouble. It would be called “The Lucy Show” and last six seasons.
“The Good Years” ~ January 12, 1962
Based on a best-selling 1960 book by Walter Lord about the years leading up to World War One, the special was a hodge-podge of sketches and musical numbers about the time period 1900 through 1920. Henry Fonda co-starred.
The 90-minute CBS special was a critical failure and has largely been forgotten.
“The 14th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards” ~ May 22, 1962
Lucille Ball was a presenter. Above photo shows nominee Milton Berle giving her a smooch. Carol Burnett (”The Garry Moore Show”) wins her first Emmy. Lucy’s good friend Mary Wickes (”The Gertrude Berg Show”) was also nominated. The event was held at the Hollywood Palladium and broadcast on NBC.
“The Ed Sullivan Show: 14th Anniversary Show” (S14;E41) ~ June 24, 1962
Lucille Ball makes a cameo appearances to wish Ed Sullivan a happy anniversary – riding atop an elephant! Teresa Brewer sings a “Smile” medley with a backup group wearing Ed Sullivan masks.
“CBS’s Opening Night” ~ September 24, 1962
Jack Webb (above) introduces the Fall 1962 CBS line-up and makes the announcement that Lucille Ball will be returning to television in a new series. In a brief sketch, Lucille is found in her dressing room and introduces a clip of the first episode “Lucy Waits Up For Chris” (TLS S1;E1) starring Candy Moore and Vivian Vance.
“Lucy Waits Up For Chris” (TLS S1;E1) ~ October 1, 1962
The series premiere is directed by Jack Donohue and features some specially lit medium shots of the star. Vivian Vance is back as Ball’s sidekick. The highlight: Lucy Carmichael tries to get access to her second story window by bouncing on a trampoline.
“Lucy Digs Up a Date”
(TLS S1;E2) ~ October 8, 1962
Lucy Carmichael was a widower and Vivian Bagley a divorcee.
The episode introduces Dick Martin as Lucy’s boyfriend Harry and Don Briggs as Viv’s boyfriend Eddie. Character actor William Windom also appears.
“Lucy Is a Referee” (TLS S1;E3) ~ October 15, 1962
Lucille’s real children Lucie and Desi Jr. appear as background characters at the football game. Both will have larger roles in future episodes. Lucille’s directors chair (stenciled with her name) is caught on camera in the background.
“Lucy Misplaces $2,000” (TLS S1;E4) ~ October 22, 1962
Lucy and Viv must track down four $500 bills – at a carnival! In the process, they contend with a girthy granny (Reta Shaw) and Sonita the circus elephant. Because Gale Gordon is not available to play Lucy’s banker (he is doing “Dennis the Menace”), “I Love Lucy” favorite Charles Lane takes the role of banker Barnsdahl.
“The
Bob Hope Show” ~ October 24, 1962
Bing Crosby and Juliet Prowse joined Hope and Lucy. In a sketch, Lucille plays a District Attorney and Bob a gangster named Bugsy. The scene features a bit that was frighteningly prescient: a spray of gunfire comes through the window and DA Lucy remarks “Just what I wanted, a Jackie Kennedy hairdo.” A year later, President Kennedy was shot in the head with his wife sitting beside him in an open car. Future broadcasts of the sketch edit out the moment.
"Lucy Buys a Sheep” (TLS S1;E5) ~ October 29, 1962
The opening scene from this episode was used as the audition material for the children. The episode actually employs a dozen sheep, including a black one, which Viv analogizes to her ex-husband, Ralph (a character we never meet).
“Lucy Becomes an Astronaut”
(TLS S1;E6) ~ November 5, 1962
Lucy and Viv spend 24 hours in a simulated space ship as part of a ‘Women in Space’ experiment.
Just eight months after this episode aired, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. Nancy Kulp (”The Beverly Hillbillies”) appears. This episode was captured on Viewmaster slides by GAF.
“The
Danny Kaye Show” ~ November 11, 1962
Danny Kaye and Lucille Ball play a couple visiting restaurants of different cuisines: Japanese, French, and Tahitian. This is Lucille Ball’s first TV appearance in color.
This program was nominated for three 1963 Emmy Awards as well as a Director’s Guild Award.
“Lucy Is a Kangaroo for a Day”
(TLS S1;E7) ~ November 12, 1962
Sid Gould (right) makes the first of his many appearances on “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy.” Gould was Lucille Ball’s cousin by marriage to Gary Morton. The ‘First Lady of Star Trek’ Majel Barrett and character actor John McGiver also appear.
“Lucy the Music Lover”
(TLS S1;E8) ~ November 19, 1962
This is the first series appearance for Mary Jane Croft, who previously played Betty Ramsey during season six of “I Love Lucy.” She would eventually become a regular character on the series.
“Lucy Puts Up a TV Antenna”
(TLS S1;E9) ~ November 26, 1962
The rooftop of Lucy’s home was only three feet off the studio floor. A matte painting gave it the appearance of being a two-story home for long shots. A colorized image of Lucy on the roof was used in a “Lucy Show” Gold Key comic book and in the season two opening credits.
“Vivian Sues Lucy” (TLS S1;E10) ~ December 3, 1962
The plot of this episode is similar to the Kaufman and Hart play (and subsequent film) The Man Who Came to Dinner. Charles Lane (Mr. Barnsdahl) makes the last of his four appearances. This is the last time Lane will work with Lucille Ball, giving credence to the theory that he was fired to make way for Gale Gordon as Lucy’s banker.
“Lucy Builds a Rumpus Room” (TLS S1;E11) ~ December 10, 1962
Episode #11 was originally meant to be a show titled “Lucy and Viv Fight Over Harry,” but it was shut down during rehearsal, the only episode to be abandoned after rehearsals began. Lucille Ball wanted to keep Lucy Carmichael single and not pursue a romantic plotline. This replacement episode capitalizes on physical comedy when Lucy and Viv get stuck to the cellar wall and then trapped by a coal delivery.
“Lucy and Her Electric Mattress”
(TLS S1;E12) ~ December 17, 1962
Probably one of the series most memorable episodes of the series has Lucy on stilts in order to gain access to an upper bunk after her new electric bed runs amok. This image above was a promotional still and the episode was filmed and aired in black and white.
“Together for Christmas”
(TLS S1;E13) ~ December 24, 1962
One of two Christmas episodes “The Lucy Show” will produce. Like Lucille Ball and Lucy Ricardo, we learn that Lucy Carmichael is from Jamestown, New York, and has a living mother. While Vivian Vance and Ethel Mertz were both raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Viv Bagley hales from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
“Chris’s New Year’s Eve Party” (TLS S1;E14) ~ December 31, 1962
The first time Lucille does her Charlie Chaplin imitation on the series. The only New Year’s Eve show of any Lucille Ball sitcom.
Also in 1962…
“The
Victor Borge Comedy Theater” ~ filmed January 1962
This was an unaired pilot for a Desilu anthology series that CBS passed on. The sketch featured Lucille Ball as a nervous flyer on an airplane seated next to a calm businessman played by Gale Gordon. The script was later adapted for a 1966 episode of “The Lucy Show” called “Lucy Flies to London” (TLS S5;E6). The sketch was later made available on video.
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