NEW TV SHOW

August 14, 1962

HOLLYWOOD (UPI) – There is something ludicrous in the sight of a man trying to do a woman’s work. A man looks about as silly wielding a dust mop as a woman does trying to throw a baseball overhand.  

But even funnier, I think is a woman trying to do a man’s work. I don’t mean in the professions or trades — I mean around the house. Certain household functions like climbing ladders and fixing light switches have a built in logic that is completely foreign to the feminine mind.  (1)

I think this has a universally comedic element in it. It had better have —  because that’s the premise of the new television show I’ll be doing on the CBS Television Network this fall under the title “The Lucille Ball Show.” 

Maybe it should be named “The Lucy Show" (2) — because that’s the character I’ll be playing: The same improbable kook I had so much practice at playing on “I Love Lucy.“ She’s a widow with two children trying to be both the lady of the house and the man of the house. As you might suspect, if you knew Lucy, she approaches her problems in a kind of inside-out way. (3)

Like Most Women 

Actually, Lucy is like most women, only more so. 

After 11 years of playing Lucy it may be that I’ve acquired some of her characteristics, or maybe she has acquired some of mine. This question, if it must he answered, will have to be answered by someone else. But whatever the answer, I’d like to say that I love Lucy, too — and whatever changes in her situation, I’m going to do my best to day her the way she’s always been. 

In this, I’m happy to report, I’ll have expert assistance. Vivian Vance will be with me for one thing. (4) Bob Carroll Jr., Madelyn Martin, Bob Weiskopf and Bob Schiller will be writing the new show (5) — and they are the ones who as writers of “I Love Lucy” made Lucy what she is as much as I did.  

Desi Is Producer 

And of course, Desi Arnaz will be the executive producer of the new series. (6)

A decade without a vacation can make you pretty tired and when we stopped filming “I Live Lucy” I was just that. But I didn’t take a vacation. I went into Broadway musical ‘“Wildcat,“ and by time I’d been in that show for a year (7), I was exhausted. So I took a year off — a sort of sabbatical — from work. It was a wonderful vacation and I finally had time to do a lot id things I’d never had time for before. I enjoyed it so much I didn’t get excited about the new series until Vivian and I started getting down to specific discussions with the writers and Elliott Lewis, our producer. 

Then I suddenly realized how much I had missed Lucy.

I just hope everyone else has missed her as much.

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FOOTNOTES FROM THE FUTURE

(1) This opening paragraph seems extremely sexist in the present day. Bear in mind that in 1961, America had not gone through the women’s liberation movement, and the culmination of the Equal Rights Amendment was still more than a decade away.  Lucy’s gender role thoughts reflect a very 1950s ideal. The very first image of Lucy and Ethel in 1951 (above) was of them washing dishes.  As the Lucy character ages, comedy based on these type of domestic stereotypes will wear thin. 

(2) The working title of the show was “The Lucille Ball Show” but it was eventually changed to “The Lucy Show” before the first broadcast in October 1962.  Lucille is not being entirely truthful with the public.  In reality, when “I Love Lucy” / “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” ended in April 1960, they were without their iconic star and ratings dipped.  Similarly, Desilu was also facing financial trouble.  The creation of a new show for Lucille was the natural answer to these problems, and Ball agreed to do it for one – possibly two seasons – but no more.  As with “I Love Lucy”, however, syndication is where the real money was – and “The Lucy Show” would need more than two seasons to be successfully syndicated.  So at the end of 1964, Ball re-upped, although the series changed greatly from its original premise.  

(3) The premise of the show was borrowed from the book “Life Without George” by Irene Kampen, who got screen credit on every episode.  In the book, Viv’s character was also a widow, but for TV was changed to a divorcee. Vivian played the first divorced female leading character on a TV sitcom.    

(4) Vance agreed to return to Desilu, despite having moved East to live with her new husband. The rigorous schedule and great distance finally proved to much, and she left the series after season 3.  She made guest appearances on “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy.” 

(5) Writers Madelyn Martin (formerly Pugh), Bob Carroll Jr., Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf stayed with the series through the end of season two in spring 1964.  They still received screen credits for all 156 episodes as ‘creators’.  They left the show after being with Lucille since “My Favorite Husband” in 1948, claiming they were out of ideas! 

(6) Desi Arnaz stayed as Executive Producer for 13 episodes. He had sold his shares in Desilu to Lucille, and wanted to usher in the new series.  Once the show was on his feet, he resigned, but mutual agreement. 

(7) Lucille began doing “Wildcat” on October 29, 1960 (out of town tryouts), and had undergone several weeks rehearsal prior to that.  The show opened on Broadway on December 16, 1960.  Eight performances a week singing and dancing proved taxing for the nearly 50 year old star, and she had to withdraw from the show due to exhaustion at the end of May 1961.  Ball’s understudy assumed the role, and the show closed shortly afterwards.  There were plans to bring it back in the fall (with or without Ball, no one knows), but they never materialized. All tolled, Ball was in the show for seven months, a few months shorter than the year she claims here.  Preparations for such an endeavor, however, likely began months earlier than rehearsals, so it was likely close to a year all said and done.