1968-69 Television Season 50th Anniversary: Here's Lucy (promo)

Описание: Lucille Ball was a very important part of the CBS primetime lineup throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and the first half of the 1970s. No one like her, before or since. Ms. Ball had just completed a successful six year run on CBS with The Lucy Show, and it appeared she would take some much deserved time off. But, she had one more hit series to come.

Here's Lucy was a new CBS series that debuted on Monday night, September 23, 1968. The show was a bit like her prior show, The Lucy Show 'version II', which itself had two formats: the first was her and Vivien and their children (1962-1965), and the second version (w/kaleidoscope opening credits) was more with her as career woman in Southern California with Mr. Mooney/Gale Gordon (1965-1968).

This new series gave Lucille a chance to work with her two children, and legend has it that CBS chairman Bill Paley was delighted to have Ms. Ball back on the Monday night primetime lineup, after initially telling Mr. Paley that she would stop working on television series in the spring of 1968. Lucille had just completed the arduous and challenging task of selling Desilu Studios and Production Company to Paramount (Gulf Western), so at that point in time, winter/spring 1968, it is certainly understandable that Lucille Ball was ready to take a break and recharge.

There is an outstanding book, we think one of the very best on Lucille Ball -

The Lucy Book
by Geoffrey Mark Fidelman
c. 1999
and authorized by Desilu Too, LLC (Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr)

The book is a complete guide to literally every single television appearance Ms. Ball ever made, and we here at Television Vanguard find ourselves referencing this book more often than any of the other many Lucy-Desi books in our extensive library.

Here are two quotes from Lucille's children regarding the start of the Here's Lucy Show (first episode: " Mod, Mod Lucy") that are included in Mr. Fidelman's book:

Lucie Arnaz: "Our appearance on the show was a joint decision. We picked the names Kim and Craig because we liked the way they sounded. We had absolutely no input on the storylines. I was there to learn, not to tell them how to do it. My mother was in control. She did not lighten up after she sold the studios. That term did not apply to my mother. She always had a steady focus on the work that was in front of her. The only thing that got lightened up was her hair."

Desi Arnaz Jr.: "In a way, the domestic scenes were just a backdrop to the main plots with Mom and Gale. At least in the beginning. The main relationship on the show was between Lucy and Harry, not Lucy and her kids."

The Here's Lucy show would go on to run six seasons, ending in the spring of 1974. Ironically, her prior series, The Lucy Show, also ran for six seasons, from 1962 to 1968, as did I Love Lucy (in its half hour format), from 1951 to 1956.

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Enjoy!

Tomorrow... more from Here's Lucy.