Everybody with a
television in the last sixty years is sure to know the television show “I Love
Lucy,” because it has remained in syndication with very few series before color
television. Despite being in full color and far more recent in production, only
those who remember it when it originally aired are likely to be familiar with
“Here’s Lucy,” although it was CBS’s number one show in the early 1970s.
Lucille Ball had several shows that followed the success of “I Love Lucy,” and
continued to utilize the slapstick humor she became known for. “Here’s Lucy”
followed “The Lucy Show,” and in the 1980s there was “Life With Lucy.”
This series
included Lucy’s children in the casting, playing her kids in the series Lucie
Arnaz and Desi Arnaz, Jr. play Kim and Craig Carter, two hip young teenagers
into surfing and attempting to garner younger audience demographics. Lucy
raises her two kids alone, employed to her constantly irritated brother-in-law,
Harry (Gale Gordon). They work at a place called Unique Employment Agency,
which is essentially free license for the writers to have original situations
for Lucy to get into trouble. There are also opportunities for an assortment of
fantastic cameos from film and television legends. Everybody loved Lucy.
The series
lasted six seasons, though the ratings began to drop after the first four. This
collection includes all 144 uncut episodes, all digitally remastered and
gathered in one set for the first time. Each individual four-disc season
included in this box set is essentially the same as it would be purchased
individually, though this allows for them all to be bought in one lump sum.
Each season also comes with plenty of individual special features to stack this
set with perks beyond the episodes, including introductions to them.
The special
features also include an award-winning featurette about the series, appearances
and interviews, personal home movies from Lucy, and various marketing and
promotional material. There are even some lost radio shows included in the
extras. Though nothing can compare to the treatment of “I Love Lucy” on DVD,
this set certainly makes an effort to match them.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 6.5/10
Special Features: 9/10
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