Customer Reviews

I Love Lucy - The Complete Fourth Season

5 star:		(172)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Over 50 years ago during the early years of broadcast television, the very inspired talents of Lucille Ball (1911-1989) and her then husband Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) were showcased on their hilarious television show "I Love Lucy". TV execs had initially rejected the plausibility of the show because of Desi and because they intended to tape the shows. However, thanks to the tireless efforts of Lucille Ball and Desi's obvious talents, the show first aired in 1951 and quickly became one of the most successful TV shows during all six of its regular seasons. As Lucy and Ricky Ricardo on "I Love Lucy", Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were joined by William Frawley (1877-1966) and Viviane Vance (1909-1979) as their best-friends/apartment landlords of Fred and Ethel Mertz.

The second season of "I Love Lucy" that aired between 1952 and 1953 has 32 memorable episodes:

1. "Job Switching": Lucy & Ethel get jobs at a chocolate factory, while Ricky & Fred try their hands at being "house-husbands" and cook up a large mess; a famous & very popular all-time favorite episode.

2. "The Saxophone": Lucy's talent (or lack thereof) of playing the saxophone is showcased when she wants to join Ricky on a band tour.

3. "The Anniversary Present": Lucy thinks Ricky is having an affair when he's really just trying to buy her a set of pearls.

4. "The Handcuffs": Lucy & Ricky get handcuffed in what they thought were fake handcuffs.

5. "The Operetta": Lucy writes an operetta for her woman's club to perform to raise money. Unfortunately, Lucy hasn't been very good managing the club's finances.

6. "Vacation from Marriage": Lucy & Ethel take a vacation from Ricky & Fred.

7. "The Courtroom": Ricky & Lucy purchase a new TV for Fred & Ethel's anniversary, but things go awry when the TV appears to need to be adjusted.

8. "Redecorating": Lucy thinks that she's won new furniture and decides to give their apartment a wallpaper makeover.

9. "Ricky Loses His Voice": Lucy takes advantage of Ricky's laryngitis to write a new show for Ricky's club.

10. "Lucy is Enciente": Lucy tries to find the right way to tell Ricky that she's pregnant.

11. "Pregnant Women are Unpredictable": Ricky tries to help Lucy in the house so that she can stay in bed.

12. "Lucy's Show Biz Swan Song": Lucy 'says farewell' to show business during a "gay-90's" review.

13. "Lucy Hires an English Tutor": Wanting their child to learn proper English, Lucy hires a tutor with the promise that Ricky will let him perform.

14. "Ricky Has Labor Pains": Ricky feels neglected.

15. "Lucy Becomes a Sculptress": Lucy takes up sculpting to provide an artistic environment for their coming child.

16. "Lucy Goes to the Hospital": Ricky, Fred & Ethel practice to make sure they get Lucy to the hospital calmly and efficiently, and Ricky also has a voodoo show to do.

17. "Sales Resistance": A salesman talks Lucy into buying a vacuum cleaner and Ricky is not very pleased. Lucy tries to resell it to "Mrs. Simpson" (Verna Felton, 1890-1966).

18. "The Inferiority Complex": Lucy develops an inferiority complex, so Ricky hires a psychiatrist for help.

19. "The Club Election": Lucy bribes a fellow club-member to be nominated for a coveted club position and ends up running against Ethel.

20. "The Black Eye": Ricky accidentally gives Lucy a black eye, but Fred & Ethel don't believe the real story.

21. "Lucy Changes Her Mind": Lucy has trouble making up her mind, including when dining out.

22. "No Children Allowed": A frequent "I Love Lucy" recurring character is introduced: Mrs. Trumble (Elizabeth Patterson, 1875-1966).

23. "Lucy Hires a Maid": Having difficulty taking care of the home & baby, Ricky tells Lucy to hire a maid, but who is really in charge: Lucy or the maid ("Mrs. Porter", played by Verna Felton again)?

24. "The Indian Show": Lucy wants to be in Ricky's Native American show.

25. "Lucy's Last Birthday": Lucy gets upset when she doesn't want anything special for her birthday and gets exactly that.

26. "The Ricardos Change Apartments": Ricky & Lucy move into a larger apartment to have a separate nursery.

27. "Lucy the Matchmaker": Lucy wants to help a friend find a mate, but Ricky doesn't want her to get involved.

28. "Lucy Wants New Furniture": Lucy gets a new sofa & coffee table without Ricky's permission, so she tries to economize to pay for it.

29. "The Camping Trip": Lucy goes camping with Ricky with Ethel's help.

30. "Ricky's Life Story": An article in "Life" magazine about Ricky makes Lucy want to resurrect her own show business career desires.

31. "Ricky & Fred Are TV Fans": Ricky & Fred are engrossed with a boxing match on TV and nothing that Lucy & Ethel do can change it; not even nearly getting arrested.

32. "Never Do Business With Friends": Ricky gets Lucy a new washing machine. so Fred & Ethel purchase their old one, but it doesn't work as well as expected. (One of my favorite all-time episodes.)

Paramount Home Video did a superb packaging job of putting all 32 second season episodes on 5 DVD's, thus shrinking the overall packaging size and reducing the price from the first season set. Overall, I rate the "I Love Lucy: The Complete Second Season" DVD box set with 5 out of 5 stars!

Over 50 years ago during the early years of broadcast television, the very inspired talents of Lucille Ball (1911-1989) and her then husband Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) were showcased on their hilarious television show "I Love Lucy". TV execs had initially rejected the plausibility of the show because of Desi and because they intended to tape the shows. However, thanks to the tireless efforts of Lucille Ball and Desi's obvious talents, the show first aired in 1951 and quickly became one of the most successful TV shows during all six of its regular seasons. As Lucy and Ricky Ricardo on "I Love Lucy", Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were joined by William Frawley (1877-1966) and Viviane Vance (1909-1979) as their best-friends/apartment landlords of Fred and Ethel Mertz.

The fourth season of "I Love Lucy" that aired between 1954 and 1955 has 30 memorable episodes:

1. "The Business Manager": Ricky's hired business manager (Charles Lane) for Lucy's household budget only allows her $5/month to spend.

2. "Mertz and Kurtz": When Fred poses as a real-estate tycoon to impress an old vaudeville partner (Charles Winninger, 1884-1969), Lucy helps by posing as the Mertz' maid.

3. "Lucy Cries Wolf": Lucy's multiple phony attempts to see if Ricky will rush home to save her finally backfires.

4. "The Matchmaker": In spite of Ricky's objections, Lucy tries to get two singles to propose to one another.

5. "Mr. and Mrs. TV Show": Ricky's reluctance to do a live morning TV show with Lucy from their apartment backfires for Lucy when she tries to get back at him by sabotaging what she believes is only a dress rehearsal.

6. "Ricky's Movie Offer": When a talent scout comes to audition Ricky at the Ricardo's apartment, Lucy isn't about to give up her big chance.

7. "Ricky's Screen Test": Lucy wants more than a bit part in Ricky's audition for "Don Juan".

8. "Lucy's Mother-in-Law": Lucy tries to impress Ricky's mother on visit from Cuba by having a Spanish-speaking translator on an earphone.

9. "Ethel's Birthday": Fred asks Lucy to pick out Ethel's birthday gift, Ethel's reaction angers Lucy with hilarious results at a play.

10. "Ricky's Contract": Overly anxious to hear back from Hollywood, Fred leaves a phony message that Ricky got the part, but Ethel can't get there fast enough to prevent Lucy from telling Ricky the "good" news.

11. "Getting Ready": When the gang decides to drive to Hollywood, Fred purchases an old used car.

12. "Lucy Learns to Drive": When Ricky gets a new convertible, Lucy insists that she learn to drive; but when Lucy wants to teach Ethel, uh oh!

13. "California, Here We Come": Confusion ensues when Lucy's mother (Kathryn Card, 1892-1964) decides to join the car trip to California, but a better decision is made as Lucy, Ricky, Fred & Ethel head west!

14. "First Stop": With everyone tired of riding in the car, Lucy pulls over to a run-down restaurant/hotel.

15. "Tennessee Bound": When Ricky is arrested for driving too fast, it's up to good ol' Cousin Tennessee Ernie Ford (himself, 1919-1991) to save the day.

16. "Ethel's Home Town": When the gang stops in Albuquerque to visit Ethel's family, Ricky, Lucy & Fred aren't happy when the whole city thinks that Ethel is the star.

17. "L.A. at Last": Lucy, Fred & Ethel eat the famous Brown Derby where Lucy makes a mess of William Holden (himself, 1918-1981) in a nearby booth.

18. "Don Juan and the Starlets": Lucy wants a divorce when it appears that Ricky stayed out all night with five starlets.

19. "Lucy Gets in Pictures": Lucy finally gets her big chance to appear in a film thanks to Ricky, but the headdress is too much to handle.

20. "The Fashion Show": Lucy finds a way to get a free original Don Loper (himself, 1906-1972) dress; but she quickly learns that sunburns and wool don't mix.

21. "The Hedda Hopper Story": Lucy tries to further Ricky's career by trying to impress the rumored hotel guest Hedda Harper (herself, 1885-1966).

22. "Don Juan is Shelved": When Ricky's movie is shelved, Lucy tries too hard to make Ricky popular and get him another role.

23. "Bull Fight Dance": When Ricky lets Lucy appear with him on a TV show, she's not too happy about being a bull.

24. "Hollywood Anniversary": Ricky frantically attempts to find out his forgotten anniversary date and plans a huge surprise nightclub party for Lucy, who is miserable thinking that he's forgotten it.

25. "The Star Upstairs": Desperately wanting to see Cornel Wilde (himself, 1915-1989) whose hotel room is directly above the Ricardos, Lucy will do anything to see him and ends up trying to climb back down using bedsheets.

26. "In Palm Springs": With Lucy, Ricky, Fred & Ethel bored with other, Lucy & Ethel travel to Palm Springs and meet Rock Hudson (himself, 1925-1985).

27. "The Dancing Star": To impress the visiting Carolyn Appleby (Doris Singleton), Lucy convinces Van Johnson (himself) to let her dance with him.

28. "Harpo Marx": Again to impress the visiting Carolyn Appleby, Lucy pretends to be Harpo Marx, but the real Harpo (himself, 1888-1964) shows up!

29. "Ricky Needs an Agent": When Lucy poses as Ricky's agent, she accidentally has his movie contract cancelled.

30. "The Tour": Lucy & Ethel leave their Hollywood tour bus so that Lucy can pick a grapefruit from Richard Widmark's (himself) garden.

Paramount Home Video's superb job of packaging all 31 episodes of the third season of "I Love Lucy" onto 5 DVD's is a good indication as to how they will similarly package the fourth season. Overall, for superb packaging and a great price, I rate the "I Love Lucy: The Complete Fourth Season" DVD box set with an anticipatory 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it!

Over 50 years ago during the early years of broadcast television, the very inspired talents of Lucille Ball (1911-1989) and her then husband Desi Arnaz (1917-1986) were showcased on their hilarious television show "I Love Lucy". TV execs had initially rejected the plausibility of the show because of Desi and because they intended to tape the shows. However, thanks to the tireless efforts of Lucille Ball and Desi's obvious talents, the show first aired in 1951 and quickly became one of the most successful TV shows during all six of its regular seasons. As Lucy and Ricky Ricardo on "I Love Lucy", Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were joined by William Frawley (1877-1966) and Viviane Vance (1909-1979) as their best-friends/apartment landlords of Fred and Ethel Mertz.

The third season of "I Love Lucy" that aired between 1953 and 1954 has 31 memorable episodes:

1. "Ricky's 'Life' Story": Not happy about being ignored in Ricky's magazine interview, Lucy gets back at Ricky.

2. "The Girls Go Into Business": Lucy & Ethel purchase a dress shop, but things don't turn out as profitably as they had imagined.

3. "Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress": Getting a rare opportunity to perform on TV for their women's club, Lucy & Ethel purchase the same dress.

4. "Equal Rights": When Lucy & Ethel demand equal rights from Ricky & Fred, the men only think that they are getting back at them at a restaurant.

5. "Baby Pictures": Lucy's jealousy over Carolyn Appleby's (Doris Singleton) baby as compared with Little Ricky is not advantageous to Ricky's upcoming appearance on a TV show hosted by Carolyn's husband.

6. "Lucy Tells the Truth": Lucy bets Ricky that she can tell the truth for 24 hours and drives everyone crazy.

7. "The French Revue": Ricky bets Lucy $50 that she won't be able to sneak into his new French review club act.

8. "Redecorating the Mertzes' Apartment": Lucy helps Ethel & Fred redecorate their apartment, including new paint and new upholstery with obvious results.

9. "Too Many Crooks": Ricky thinks Lucy is the notorious "Madame X" that has been robbing nearby apartments; she's really been collecting objects for a club bazaar.

10. "Changing the Boys' Wardrobe": Disgusted by Ricky & Fred's aging wardrobe, Lucy & Ethel sell their husband's old clothes to a second-hand man.

11. "Lucy Has Her Eyes Examined": A visit to an eye doctor doesn't help Lucy audition for a jitterbug number that she has practiced for.

12. "Ricky's Old Girlfriend": Lucy's worried about Ricky's reaction to a visit in NY by one of his old Cuban girlfriends: Carlotta Romero.

13. "The Million-Dollar Idea": Lucy & Ethel's TV commercial to sell Lucy's salad dressing ends up doing much better than expected.

14. "Ricky Minds the Baby": Ricky doesn't do as good a job as Lucy of taking care of Little Ricky.

15. "The Charm School": Lucy & Ethel go to charm school to keep Ricky & Fred interested in them.

16. "Sentimental Anniversary": Lucy & Ricky want to have a quiet wedding anniversary, but Fred & Ethel have other ideas.

17. "Fan Magazine Interview": Lucy & Ricky prepare for a fan magazine interview, but a quarrel between them could change the interview outcome.

18. "Oil Wells": The Ricardos' new neighbors want them to invest in oil wells.

19. "Ricky Loses His Temper": Lucy bets Ricky that he can't keep his temper and that she won't buy any new hats.

20. "Home Movies": When Ricky gets the opportunity to do a film audition, Lucy, Ethel & Fred create their own film that Lucy edits with Ricky's home movies of Little Ricky.

21. "Bonus Bucks": Lucy & Ethel become obsessed with trying to win money with 'bonus bucks'.

22. "Ricky's Hawaiian Vacation": Lucy & Ethel go on a game show to try and win a trip to Hawaii to be with Ricky.

23. "Lucy Is Envious": Lucy is too ashamed to admit that she can't afford a $500 donation to a rich friend's charity.

24. "Lucy Writes a Novel": Lucy decides to write a novel, but doesn't like the response that she gets from an interested publisher.

25. "Lucy's Club Dance": When Lucy & Ethel's 'all-girl' orchestra rehearse horribly for a club dance, Ricky has to think fast since Lucy put his name as their orchestra leader.

26. "The Black Wig": To test Ricky's fidelity, Lucy dons a black wig to tempt him; but Fred knows all about the scheme.

27. "The Diner": When Ricky decides to quit show business, he & Fred purchase a diner; but everyone isn't too happy with their new duties.

28. "Tennessee Ernie Visits": When Cousin Ernie (Tennessee Ernie Ford, 1919-1991) pays the Ricardos an unexpected visit, Lucy tries to scare him away.

29. "Tennessee Ernie Hangs On": Still staying with the Ricardos, Lucy once again tries to get him to leave by pretending that she & Ricky are impoverished.

30. "The Golf Game": Wanting to spend more time with Ricky & Fred, Lucy & Ethel get the men to teach them how to play golf; but it isn't how most people play the game.

31. "The Sublease": Planning to be gone for a while, Lucy & Ricky sublet their apartment; but Lucy (per usual) changes her mind and wants to get their apartment back from the timid Mr. Beecher (Jay Novello, 1904-1982).

Paramount Home Video's superb job of packaging all 32 episodes of the second season of "I Love Lucy" onto 5 DVD's is a good indication as to how they will similarly package the third season. Overall, for superb packaging and a great price, I rate the "I Love Lucy: The Complete Third Season" DVD box set with an anticipatory 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it!

One must note that this is the first time that the "I Love Lucy" episodes have been digitally cleaned up: both the sound and the picture have been put through rigorous computer programs to clean up the look and sound of the original. No longer will you hear hissing or bad audio edits. No more will you see patched film breaks or projector scratches or film splotches. This new batch of "Lucy" episodes looks almost like it was produced yesterday instead of over 50 years ago!

This is the season that "I Love Lucy" fans have been waiting for on DVD. California, here we come! The Ricardos and the Mertzs travel to the sunny town of Hollywood to persue Ricky's film star dream. The end result is some of Lucy's most hilarious and memorable moments.

In order to star in the upcoming mvie "Don Juan", Ricky is whisked off to California to set his sights on the silver screen, and of course, in tow, brings Lucy, Fred and Ethel. The writer, sensing a goldmine ahead, didn't rush the foursome out to the Golden State right away, but let the momentum build up. The pre-traveling episodes are as rich as the rest of them. A particular favorite is when Ricky buys the car they plan to drive out in and Lucy needs to learn to drive it. Another, Fred packing the car a little too full. Once on the road, the foursome experience many adventures along the way, including a revisit of the hilarious Tennesse Ernie Ford and a visit to Ethel's home town.

Once they land in Hollywood, though, watch out. Viewed together, these episodes are the some of the best in the series. The acting and comedic timing of all four leads is impeccable. The writing is high quality and without fault. The plethora of guest stars that dance through the episodes are some of the brightest in the mid 50's, including a classic episode with Harpo Marx.

Were I to tell someone who hadn't ever seen one episode of this amazing show, I'd plug them into this season first. Certainly, its a great introduction to one of the greatest series ever.

In season two Lucy had little Ricky. Most of the season dealt with the pregnancy and the joys of a newborn. In season three Little Ricky is now a toddler. The 31 episodes are on five discs.

Disc One:
Ricky's "LIFE" Story - A pictorial spread on Ricky appears in LIFE magazine but Lucy is nowhere to be scene (well her elbow can be scene). Lucy blames Ricky for this. Fred comes up with a scheme to quite Lucy forever. Ricky gives Lucy a starring role in a dance number. The plan is to make it so strenuous that Lucy will quit. It works until Fred blurts out the plan to Lucy. This creates a great revenge scene.

The Girls Go Into Business - Lucy and Ethel's favorite dress shop is up for sale and the girls decide to buy it. What they find out is it appears that they are the shop's only customers.

Lucy and Ethel buy the Same Dress - When the girls Ladies' Club is given 30 minutes on television for a show, Lucy promises the club Ricky so she can take control of the show. Lucy and Ethel decide to perform Cole Porter's Friendship for the finale. But when they show up in the same dress, the number goes from friendship to fiendship!

Equal Rights - Lucy demands that Ricky and Fred treat Ethel and her as equals. The catch is Ricky and Fred decide to enforce this at dinner and have the maitre d' give the girls separate checks. When they can't pay, they are forced to clean dishes. The girls play a phone prank to get the boys back to the restaurant but the boys find out and turn the tables on the girls but have the girls get the last laugh.

Baby Pictures - Lucy and Ricky make a vow not to bore everyone with pictures of Little Ricky. But when Caroline and Charlie Appleby start showing pictures of their son, Stevie, and putting down Little Ricky, Lucy pulls the gloves off and almost costs Ricky a job on Charlie's show.

Lucy Tells the Truth - This is one of the classic shows. Lucy bets the others that she can tell the absolute truth for 24 hours but forgets that she has a bridge game with the girls the next afternoon. Ethel prods Lucy but to everyone's amazement and disdain, Lucy tells them exactly what she is thinking.

The French Revue - The gang goes to a posh French restaurant but cannot read the menu. Lucy and Ethel get the waiter to give them lessons. That is if he gets an audition with Ricky. After resisting it, Ricky decides to do a French Revue but tells Lucy to stay out of it. But Lucy bets Ricky that she will get in the show!

Disc Two:
Redecorating the Mertz's Apartment - Ricky is going to buy Lucy a mink stole. Lucy wants to wear it to the Lady's Club meeting but Ethel doesn't want to have the meeting at her apartment because it is shabby. Lucy decides that all it needs is a coat of paint and the furniture reupholstered. All goes well until the feather chair!

Too Many Crooks - There is a cat burglar working the area and the police think that it is a woman. When Mrs. Trumball sees Lucy taking one of Fred's suits from Ethel's apartment, Ethel thinks that Lucy is the crook. Ethel decides to stake out Lucy but when she gets cold, Fred gives her his coat and hat. Lucy sees Ethel on the fire escape and assumes that Ethel is Madame X.

Changing the Boys' Wardrobe - When the boys insist on wearing "comfortable" clothes to the movies, the girls decide to sell the guys old clothes. But the store owner makes his living from selling the old clothes back to the husbands. So when Ricky invites Lucy and Ethel to have dinner at the club, the girls decide to get even by showing up in the boys old clothes. What they didn't know is Ricky was receiving an award and photographers are at the club.

Lucy Has Her Eyes Examined - An old friend of Ricky's is casting a new musical. When Ricky invites him for dinner, the gang decides to audition. Fred and Ethel are asked to perform a Charleston and Lucy a jitterbug. Lucy hires a partner who is a gas / way gone....(He is hilarious). The substory is Ricky is having headaches and Lucy takes him to the optometrist but it turns out she needs to have her eyes tested. Unfortunately, her eyes are dilated and she can't see her dance partner.

Ricky's Old Girlfriend - Lucy becomes obsessed with an old flame of Ricky. And when Carlotta makes an appearance at a New York nightclub, Lucy thinks the worst (with one of her great over the top dream sequences.) To resolve this Ricky invites Carlota over and she doesn't turn out to be what either Ricky remembers or Lucy expects.

The Million Dollar Idea - When Fred tells Lucy that her salad dressing is great, Lucy and Ethel decide to go into business selling it. To advertise it they use Charlie Appleby's TV station - this is of course is one of the classic scenes. But when Ricky finds out, he figures out what is costing to make and the girls are losing money. The problem is Fred arrives with three bags of orders. Lucy comes up with the idea to do another commercial saying the salad dressing is bad but this only generates more orders!

Disc Three:
Ricky Minds the Baby - Ricky has the week off and offers to mind Little Ricky while he is at home. Lucy has separation pains and when Little Ricky toddles off, Lucy decides to teach the boys a lesson.

The Charm School - When the boys pay too much attention to a beautiful woman, the girls decide to attend charm school to improve their allure. (Note: the head of the charm school is played by Natalie Schaeffer better known as Mrs. Thurston Howell III). But when they unveil their new models, the boys are less than complimentary.

Sentimental Anniversary - Ricky gets his anniversary off but Lucy wants a quite dinner at home. But Ethel and Fred are planning a surprise party.

Fan Magazine Interview - Ricky and Lucy become the subject of a magazine photo essay.

Oil Wells - The new tenants, Mr. & Mrs. Johnson are oil investors and the gang buy the final shares for the field. After the initial giddiness from the expected wealth, they begin to ask the question, is this a scam?

Ricky Loses His Temper - Lucy bets Ricky that she can go longer not buying a hat than he can hold his temper. The problem is that the hat shop is having a sale and she cannot resist. Therefore, she must get Ricky to lose his temper before the shop delivers the new hat.

DISC FOUR:
Home Movies - Everyone, including Lucy, is sick of Ricky's home movies. But when Ricky makes one for a TV special and he excludes the gang, Lucy creates one of her own. The end result is truly unique!

Bonus Bucks - The local newspaper has a contest where if you have a dollar bill with the winning serial number you win up to $300. When Ricky finds one, he puts it in Lucy's purse so she will think she found it. But Lucy gives it to the grocery boy, who gives it to Ethel. This starts a feud on who owns it that ends at the laundry.

Ricky's Hawaiian Vacation - Ricky gets an offer to bring the show to Honolulu but can't bring the gang. So Lucy comes up with a plan to win the trip on a radio show and gets herself in a sticky mess.

Lucy is Envious - A successfully married school chum is in town and is raising funds for one of her charities. Lucy cannot let her know her financial circumstances and accidentally pledges $500. When Ethel also pledges the same, the girls get a job doing a publicity stunt to raise the money.

Lucy Writes a Novel - The title describes the episode. But this is a hack novel about the gang. Lucy gets an offer to publish it by accident.

Lucy's Club Dance - The club is broke and decides to have a dance. But they can't afford a band, so they start one with the members. In a great scene, Lucy gets Ricky to help out. But even Ricky can't help this group. This episodes end in a variation of Some Like it Hot.

DISC FIVE:
The Black Wig - Ricky won't let Lucy cut her hair, so when she has her hair cut she tries on a brunette wig. Then gets the idea to test Ricky but he gets tipped off and decides to "take her for a ride."

The Diner - This is another get rich scheme which involves the whole gang this time. The gang buys a diner. But when Fred and Ethel get tired of being behind the counter and quit, Ricky and Lucy cannot fend for themselves.

Tennessee Ernie Visits - The middle son of one of Lucy's mother's friends is coming to NYC and the Ricardo's are asked to host him. The difference between city life and country life becomes evident. Singer / celebrity Tennessee Ernie Ford makes his first of three appearances.

Tennessee Ernie Hangs On - Lucy devises a plan to get rid of Cousin Ernie by pretending to be broke. It worked at first but Ernie decides he can't leave until they are back on their feet. It ends with an appearance on Milikin's Chicken-Mash Hour with Ernie Ford and His Four Hot Chicken Pickers.

The Golf Game - Since Lucy gave Ricky the golf clubs for their anniversary, the boys spend all their time talking or practicing. So Lucy decides if she can't beat them join them. But the guys don't like that idea and decide to make the game so difficult the girls will quit. But Lucy gets her revenge in spades. Special Guest Appearance by then three time Masters Champion Jimmy Demaret

The Sublease - Ricky's band gets an out of town booking and they decide to sublease the apartment. This causes a rift between the couples but of course it is resolved. But worse things happen the gig gets cancelled and now Lucy has to figure how to get the new tenant out.

The interesting thing with larger TV's and digital images is that background scenery that looked fine on old sets now really looks fake (See The Golf Game). But for shows like this it adds a bit of nostalgic charm.

DVD EXTRAS:
Each disc has FLUBS which shows flubs made by the actors or an error made in shooting a scene. Each flub has a written explanation of what went wrong. This is needed because most are not obvious.

Each disc has GUEST CAST which lists each episode's cast other than the four stars. You can get a brief history on each guest by clicking on their name.

Each disc has SPECIAL FOOTAGE which might be a promo spot for the show, the annual Christmas tag or

Each disc has the ORIGINAL animated OPENINGs used when the episodes were first aired. (The satin heart was used for syndication only.)

Each disc has an LUCY ON THE RADIO which is and episode of the Lucille Ball radio series My Favorite Husband which inspire an episode of I Love Lucy.

Each disc has PRODUCTION NOTES on an episode of the series.

Disc 1 has BEHIND THE SCENES a book excerpt from Laughs, Luck...and Lucy by Jess Oppenheimer read by Larry Dobkin.

Disc 5 has SLIDE SHOW with one still from each episode.

Adding to what the previous reviewer said about picture quality, I too just watched "The Fashion Show" episode, and there is indeed a jerkiness to the picture quality in this episode. I thought I was seeing things at first, but I am glad it was not just my imagination. I don't think it necessary to put this season of 30 episodes on 6 discs, when the previous two seasons (containing more episodes) fit on 5 discs with excellent quality.

My BIG gripe with this set, though, is that at least four of the episodes were not restored to their original uncut length. Both "Tennessee Bound" and "L.A. at Last" had some dialogue in them, which remain missing in this set, even though the original middle break, and end logos of those episodes have been restored. Additionally, "Lucy Gets in Pictures" is missing a shot of Lucy and Ricky driving the Pontiac through the gates of M.G. M., while "First Stop" is missing a good minute of footage (an extra scene in the car, and a scene when they arrive at the motel, before they actually enter). These pieces of footage remain unrestored and missing on this set, when it would appear that original prints were available to be used. What remains here, on this set, are the same 'uncut' syndication prints that have been around for decades.

I realize that many fans have probably never even seen this missing footage, since it's not been shown since the '50s (and so, may not miss it), but having seen the wonderful degree of care that was put into the previous three season sets, I find it inexcusable that the same care was not taken for this set. This is my favorite season, and I really looked forward to this set. Now, however, I feel (a la Lucy in "Mr. and Mrs. TV Show") gypped.

It's amazing that back in the early 1950's, when TV was still young, that a nearly perfect sitcom could already emerge. No one has ever really done it better than Lucy, Ricky and company. There are certainly shows with more unusual settings (MASH) or more political/social bite (ALL IN THE FAMILY). Some feature more solid acting all around (MARY TYLER MOORE), and some are just brilliantly unpredictable (SEINFELD, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT). But when you boil them all down, you've got characters we know and like, getting into wacky situations that make us laugh. I LOVE LUCY delivers that in spades!!

I'm always amazed at how tremendously FUNNY the show is. My young kids laugh at it...and they NEVER want to watch anything in black and white! Just look at the classic CHOCOLATE FACTORY episode. It's not just that the situation of the chocolates flying by on the conveyor belt is funny (it is), but the priceless BUILDING of humor that makes it memorable. The chocolate gets every faster, Lucy gets ever more frantic, and the play of panic on her face gets more and more priceless. That someone thought of the scene is admirable...that it is executed with flawless timing (particularly given the constraints in 1950's TV production) is a testament to the skill of the performers. I've seen that scene a dozen or more times...it never ceases to make me laugh and leave a smile of admiration and nostalgia on my face.

Granted, it's not always super entertainment to watch Desi Arnaz perform his act, but I have to give the guy a lot of credit. He always caught flack for being a poor second to Lucy. While not the genius Lucy was...he is an excellent foil for her. They have good chemistry (particularly this early in the show's history), and Ricky Ricardo looks great. Who else sits around the house reading the paper in a nice suit and perfect hair? His affection for Lucy is palpable. Vivian Vance and Walter Farley are pretty much perfect in their roles...no one looks more exasperated than Fred Mertz! And, of course, even if you don't like Ricky, Ethel & Fred...you can't help but love Lucille Ball, easily the greatest comedienne to appear in any sitcom ever. The show pops with life when she's on screen, and now, more than 50 years later, she is as fresh, funny and NEW as ever.

I have SO enjoyed these DVDs. There is actually a progression to the show that is great to watch when you see the shows in chronological order. The restoration is GREAT...they shows look and sound the best I've ever experienced (first time I saw any of these shows was in the early `70s, and they were already showing their age). The bonus materials are fairly brief and often pointless...mostly to provide completion. Some "restored scenes" literally add back about 2 seconds or so. The radio shows are actually quite fun to listen to...if you kids haven't ever heard "radio drama," you couldn't beat these light, fluffy offerings for an introduction. I also find the show to be a wonderful way of showing domestic life (at least in an idealized form) in the early `50s.

But the best thing of all is to put in a DVD when you have a spare 25 minutes, and know that watching one episode WILL put you in a better mood. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Lucy and the gang head for Hollywood in their best season.

Disc One:
The Business Manager - Ricky is fed up with Lucy's mismanagement of the household funds and hires a business manager. But when Lucy has only $5 to spend for the month, she goes to the market to make big bucks.

Mertz and Kurtz - Fred and Ethel want to impress his old vaudeville partner and ask Lucy to pose as their maid. The gang decides to surprise Barney by bringing his grandson up to visit. That's when Barney admits that he is not a success and does not have any money. So the gang stages a show to impress the youngster.

Lucy Cries Wolf - This is Lucy's version of the Little Boy Who Cried Wolf. Lucy reads an article about a woman who called her husband at work to tell him about a prowler and he did nothing. The rest of the episode, Lucy tests Ricky. That is until it really happens.

The Matchmaker - When a friend's longtime boyfriend is moving to California, Lucy decides to hold a dinner party to show him how pleasant married life can be but when Ricky figures it out, he tells him about the harried life. Lucy becomes infuriated with Ricky and shows him what his picture of married life really is like.

Mr. and Mrs. TV Show - Lucy meets an ad exec while lunching at 21 and gets Ricky an audition. But of course, she wants to be part of the show and Ricky says NO! But when the producer decided to have a morning husband and wife show, Ricky must find a way con Lucy into doing the show. When Lucy finds out she decides to teach Ricky a lesson and botch the rehearsal. And as we all know, this never works out.

Ricky's Movie Offer - This starts the Hollywood story. A talent scout comes to town to see Ricky and everyone wants to get in the act.

Disc Two:
Ricky's Screen Test - This is another Lucy gets in the act episode. Ricky has his screen test but when the girl he is to audition with gets sick, Ricky suggests Lucy. Of course, Lucy gets the idea that she will be discovered too and tries to hog the screen test. (The funny thing is when Lucy does the rehearsal straight we get to see how good a dramatic actress she really is!)

Lucy's Mother in Law - Ricky's mamasita comes from Cuba but when she arrives, Lucy finds out that she does not speak any English and Lucy of course does not speak Spanish.

Ethel's Birthday - or better Lucy buys Ethel a pair of hideous pants. Lucy and Ethel have their annual fight and wind up not talking to each other. But they make up during the middle of a play.

Ricky's Contract - Well it's been two episodes since the screen test and Ricky is so anxious that he cannot leave the phone. Lucy finally gets Ricky to go to work and her to the beauty parlor with Ethel taking messages. But when Fred puts a fake message from Hollywood, Lucy accidentally tells Ricky that it is a go.

Getting Ready - Now that Ricky has been cast, Lucy and Ricky have to figure out how they are getting to Hollywood. After deciding on every means of travel then not, they decide to go by car. But that means the Mertzes can come along. Fred has a friend who has a used car dealership and he gets a Cadillac convertible! Well a 34 Cadillac convertible.

Lucy Learns to Drive - Ricky buy a dependable car but now Lucy wants to learn to drive. And after on harrowing lesson (She made a U-turn in the Holland Tunnel!), Lucy decides she can teach Ethel. But of course, this goes worse and they rear end Fred's klunker. And Lucy decides to drive both cars to the shop to be fixed!

Disc Three:
California, Here We Come! - Lucy gets a letter from her mother and she has invited herself to Hollywood with the rest of them. This results in a fight with everyone. But everything comes out fine including Lucy's mother deciding to fly out with Little Ricky. There is a great scene where they try to load the car with all the luggage.

First Stop - After driving all day, the gang stops off at a road side diner. And this is the diner from hell. And when Lucy falls for a road sign that brings the gang back to the diner, they now are at the motel from hell. This is one of the classic scenes.

Tennessee Bound - Lucy drives and the gang winds up lost in Tennessee. And worse news is that they have to drive through the town were Ernie Ford (see Season 2) lives. And to complicate things Ricky gets arrested for speeding. But Ernie jilted the Sheriff's daughter.

Ethel's Home Town - In Albuquerque, Ethel is the star and the rest are her supporting cast. The town is having a gala, a solo gala for Ethel. But Lucy does to Ethel what she usually reserves for Ricky's show.

L.A. at Last - or Lucy dumps pie on William Holden. The gang arrives in Hollywood and when Ricky goes to the studio, Lucy goes to the Brown Derby to star gaze. But when Ricky brings William Holden to the hotel, Lucy panics and creates her famous disguise including the burning nose!

Don Juan and the Starlets - The studio is playing down that Ricky is married and Lucy is none too happy. When Ricky gets back late and leaves before Lucy awakens, Lucy thinks he was out all night. And to make things worse, the maid makes up the room before she sees Lucy on the couch.

Disc Four:
Lucy Gets in Pictures - After Fred and Ethel get a part in a picture, then Bobby the Bellboy gets a part, Lucy decides to get discovered. Ricky feels sorry for her and gets her a bit part in a picture. The problem is Lucy has to wear a heavy headdress which has a life of its own.

The Fashion Show - Lucy wants two things, a tan and a Don Loper dress. While at the Loper salon, Lucy finagles her way into a celebrity fashion show. But the dress Lucy buys is five times what Ricky told her she could spend. Lucy decides to get a sunburn (don't ask) and then gets the news that she can't wear her dress but a tweed suit in the fashion show.

The Hedda Hopper Story - Ricky is upset that he is not getting mentioned in the columns and his publicist sets up a stunt to get him mentioned in Hedda Hopper's column. Lucy's mother finally arrives in Hollywood with the baby and has a friend she wants to meet Mickey.

"Don Juan" is Shelved - Ricky's movie is shelved and Lucy decides to get impress Dore Schary. First by writing fan letters about Ricky, then hiring an actor to pretend to be another producer but the actor is Dore Schary.

Bull Fight Dance - Lucy is asked to write an article about being married to Ricky. But when he is asked to host a charity show and refuses to let Lucy perform, she uses the article to blackmail him. But when Ricky thinks he has the last laugh, Lucy turns the situation around - Ricky, when will you learn!

Hollywood Anniversary - Ricky fakes knowing their wedding anniversary and everything, as usual, spirals out of control until the two are not talking to each other.

Disc Five:
The Star Upstairs - Lucy has "met" 99 stars and wants to make it an even 100 when she learns that Cornel Wilde is hiding out in the hotel. Even though Ricky forbids her to pester him, she sneaks into his room but then can't get out.

In Palm Springs - The gang has had enough of each other's "annoying habits" and the girls go Palm Springs to get away but they realize it's no fun without the boys. The boys realize the same and sneak out and enlist Rock Hudson to soften them up. If there had been a guest actor Emmy in those days Rock would have won.

The Dancing Star - Carolyn Appleby springs a visit on Lucy and is expecting to see all the stars that Lucy has been writing about. When Carolyn arrives and Lucy finds out that she cannot see without her glasses, Lucy tells Carolyn that she will be practicing with Van Johnson (his dance partner is a red head.) But when Carolyn shows up to see the practice with her glasses, Lucy must find a way to make her lie truth.

Harpo Marx - After the near miss with Carolyn, Lucy opens her big mouth again and tells Carolyn about a party she is hosting with a lot of big stars. When Carolyn postpones her flight, Lucy must figure a way out to fool her again. In the end, Ricky sends Harpo Marx up to impress Carolyn. This winds up with a classic scene where Lucy (dressed as Harpo) and Harpo perform a mirror act that is a true classic. (One of Lucy's first films was the Marx Brother's Room Service.)

Ricky Needs an Agent - Lucy is tired of Ricky not making a movie and decides to take things in her own hands. Do I need to say more.

The Tour - Ricky is having lunch with Richard Widmark but Lucy is not invited. So she and Ethel go on a tour of Hollywood star's homes. When they come to Widmark's home, Lucy goes over the wall the get a Richard Widmark grapefruit to go with her Robert Taylor orange. But how is she going to get out!

DVD EXTRAS: Each disc has the following extras -
Flubs - Since the show did not do retakes, there were often misread lines, adlibs or set mistakes. Sometimes it was continuity errors with things like names changing (Ethel had three different middle names during the show.)

Guest Cast - A listing of each actor on the episode with a brief bio of the actor.

Original Openings - We all think that the satin heart is the original opening for the show but it is the syndicated opening. Each disc has the original stick figure openings for the episodes.

Special Footage - Each disc contains either music cues that were edited for syndication and special scenes filmed for special occasions or charity promotions.

Lucy's Radio Show - Each disc has an episode of Lucy's radio show My Favorite Husband. Many of these radio episodes inspired I Love Lucy episodes.

Script Excerpts - Discs 1, 2 & 4 have script excerpts

Production Notes - Discs 1, 2 & 4 have production notes

Disc 3 - Behind the scenes featurette

Disc 5 - Behind the scenes slide show

I'm sixteen but I absolutly love I love Lucy. I started watching them when the DVD's for the first season came out. I am so excited to be getting the next season all at once and at half the price of season one. Season Two has some of my favorite episodes like Job Switching, Lucy is Enceinte, and Lucy Goes to the Hospital