“Life With Lucy”

1986

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“One Good Grandparent Deserves Another” (S1;E1) ~ September 20, 1986

“Lucy Makes a Hit with John Ritter” (S1;E2) ~ September 27, 1986

“Love Among the Two-by-Fours” (S1;E3) ~ October 4, 1986

“Lucy Gets Her Wires Crossed” (S1;E4) ~ October 18, 1986

“Lucy Is a Sax Symbol” (S1;E5) ~ October 25, 1986

“Lucy Makes Curtis Byte the Dust” (S1;E6) ~ November 1, 1986

“Lucy, Legal Eagle” (S1;E7) ~ November 8, 1986

“Mother of the Bride” (S1;E8) ~ November 15, 1986

“Lucy and the Guard Goose” (#102) ~ unaired

“Lucy and Curtis Are Up a Tree” (#107) ~ unaired

“Lucy’s Green Thumb” (#109) ~ unaired

“Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” (#111) ~ unaired

“World’s Greatest Grandma” (#113) ~ unaired

“’Twas the Flight Before Christmas” ~ unproduced script

A fourteenth episode was planned and a first draft of the script exists written by Vic Rauseo and Linda Morris and scheduled to be directed by Bruce Bilson. A summary reads: “The family goes to a friend’s cabin in Colorado, but become stranded on the plane in Denver and discover that Christmas is more than presents.” It was scheduled to air on December 27 1986, but never filmed.

SEASON SUMMARY

Regular Cast: Lucille Ball (Lucy Everett Barker), Gale Gordon (Curtis McGibbon), Ann Dusenberry (Margo Barker McGibbon), Larry Anderson (Ted McGibbon), Jenny Lewis (Becky McGibbon), Philip Amelio (Kevin McGibbon), Donovan Scott (Leonard Stoner)
Recurring Characters: Kellie Martin (Patty), Brandon Call (Max), Tom Williams (off-screen voices)
Celebrity Cast playing Characters: Peter Graves (Peter Marshall), Audrey Meadows (Audrey Everett), Ruth Buzzi (Mrs. Wilcox), Greg Mullavey (Randy)
Celebrity Cast playing Themselves: John Ritter, The Dixie Belles
Guest Cast playing Characters: Ruth Kobart, Sally Kemp, Dave Madden, Dina Dietrich, Allan Rich, Jacque Lynn Colton, Lou Cutell, Charles Levin, Dick Gautier, Billy Van Zandt, Jim Hackett, Phyllis Applegate
Live Animal Cast: Goose (Oliver) in “Lucy and the Guard Goose”
Producers: Lucille Ball Productions, Aaron Spelling, Gary Morton
Episodes Directed by: Peter Baldwin, Marc Daniels, Bruce Bilson
Episodes Written by: Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Davis, Arthur Marx, Robert Fisher, Richard Albrecht, Casey Keller, Linda Morris, Vic Rauseo, Mark Tuttle, Laura Levine, Mel Sherer, Steve Granat
There were 13 episodes produced, but only 8 originally aired. One episode was scripted, but never produced.
The action is set in and around the McGibbon / Barker family home and the M&G Hardware Store in Pasadena, California.
Total Binge Hours: 6.5 hours (with commercials)
Papermoon’s Full Moon Pick: “Mother of the Bride” (E8)
Papermoon’s Half Moon Pick: “Lucy and the Guard Goose” (#102)
Ratings: The series ranked 73rd out of 79 shows of the 1986-87 season (the seventh-lowest-rated show on TV), with a 9.0/16 rating/share.
In July 2002 TV Guide named “Life With Lucy” the 26th-worst TV series of all time. In his book What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History, David Hofstede ranked the series at #21 on the list.
Although the series was never re-run on ABC or syndicated, in 1996 Nick at Night included it as part of a Lucille Ball-themed marathon.
Theme Song: “Every Day Is Better Than Before” sung by Eydie Gorme
“Life With Lucy” was released on DVD on October 8, 2019 on CBS Home Video (despite the fact the series was originally aired on ABC).