THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Part 2 ~ Lucy’s Colorful Outdoor Adventures

“The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy” were basically indoor sitcoms, with most of the action set at home or the office. But when Lucy communed with nature, things got quite colorful! 

THE LUCY SHOW

“Lucy Goes Duck Hunting” (1963) ~ To impress her new boyfriend (Keith Andes), Lucy lies that she’s an experienced duck hunter. In the woods and marshes, her fib proves she’s all wet!

“Lucy’s Scout Trip” (1964) ~ When one of the den dads can’t make the scout camping trip, Lucy and Viv volunteer to chaperone.  

Naturally, they lose the canoe, topple the tee-pee, and get lost in the wilderness!  

“Lucy Becomes a Father” (1964) ~ When Jerry is going on a father / son camping trip, Lucy insists on going along. Mr. Mooney, however, has a plan to make it so tough for Lucy that she’ll go home.  

Lucy encounters Brownie the bear, who is played by an actor in a bear suit in some scens and an actual bear in others! 

HERE’S LUCY

“Lucy and the Gold Rush” (1968) ~ One of Kim and Craig’s rock specimens turns out to be gold, so Lucy and Harry go prospecting to make their fortune. 

To get to the gold, they take the freeway to the Calabasas Ridge turnoff, take the Old Tapanga Canyon Road, and walk 3 miles!

“Lucy’s Safari” (1969) ~ Lucy again visits the Topanga Canyon (which looks more like the African jungle), to track down the rare Gorboona, escaped from the Los Angeles Zoo. Topanga Canyon is located in western Los Angeles County, California, in the Santa Monica Mountains, between Malibu and the city of Los Angeles.

“Lucy Goes to the Airforce Academy ~ Parts 1 and 2″ (1969) ~ Season two of “Here’s Lucy” kicks off with four-episode storyline shot completely on location. 

The first two episodes have the Carters visiting the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. 

“Lucy and the Indian Chief” (1969) ~ When their camper runs off the road, Lucy wanders off to find water and is discovered by a Native American chief who makes her his bride. 

This episode was filmed with the cooperation of the Navajo Nation Council and the state of Arizona. 

It was the first and only situation comedy allowed to be filmed on Navajo land using actual tribe members.

“Lucy Runs the Rapids” (1969) ~ Looking for a pleasant place for a picnic, Lucy camps out on the banks of the Colorado River.  

Borrowing a raft to do some sightseeing, they are soon being swept down the rapids.  

“Lucy and Viv in Tijuana” (1970) ~ Doing some sightseeing in Mexico, Lucy, Viv and Harry get caught up in a smuggling ring. Filmed entirely in the studio, the episode closely resembled a 1958 trip to Mexico by the Ricardos and Mertzes. 

“Lucy, the Skydiver” (1970) ~ When Harry sees an opportunity to get publicity for Carter’s Unique Employment Agency, Lucy takes a daring leap. Lucille Ball usually did her own stunts, but the location footage of the sky diving was done by a stunt double. It was combined with studio-shot footage of Lucy and the plane.      

“Lucy Goes Hawaiian ~ Parts 1 and 2″ ~ Season three ends with a two-part cruise to Hawaii, a working vacation for Lucy, who volunteers as cruise director.  

Although the bulk of the episodes were shot in studio (reminiscent of when “I Love Lucy” recreated the S.S. Constitution on their soundstage), there were a few establishing shots of the S.S. Lurline cating off. Despite the title, the episode never shows the ship arriving in Hawaii!

“Lucy and the Mountain Climber” (1972) ~ Tony Randall plays a health nut who insists that Harry and Lucy join him scaling a mountain! 

“Someone’s on the Ski Lift with Dinah” (1972) ~ Lucy crashes Dinah Shore’s ski vacation – to disastrous results. 

When the ski lift stalls – Lucy and Dinah have a songfest before jumping to safety in a snowbank. The entire episode was filmed in studio. 

“Lucy in the Jungle” (1971) ~ Harry’s doctor says he’s in danger of a nervous breakdown, so Lucy suggests a house swap vacation. Unfortunately, the only home left is a hut in the jungles of Kenya. 

The cast includes a donkey, a parrot, two chimps, and a live lion! 

“Harry Catches Gold Fever” (1973) ~ Harry figures out that a stream is littered with gold so he and Lucy set out to find it. Despite the outdoor location, the episode was filmed entirely in the studio. 

THE END