I Love Lucy!
I have seen every episode of I Love Lucy about 65 times, or maybe even more. This show never seems to get old, even after all of these decades. I sometimes wonder how it has such an ageless, timeless quality to it. Despite the parts about the series that date the series back to the 50's, it still holds its edge as a funny, relevant series of today.
First and foremost, Lucy was cutting edge for its time. It was filmed in front of a studio audience on a sound stage, with 3 cameras as opposed to just 1. If you watch The Honeymooners, you will notice it was filmed on a theatrical stage with only one camera and had a very grainy appearance to it. Lucy used technology that only movies were using at the time, giving it its clear black and white appearance and up to date sets. It was able to film scenes in more than one room at a time (filming from the kitchen to the living room to the bedroom, for example), compared to only one set (the living room/kitchen of The Honeymooners). This particular technique has allowed Lucy to be fresh looking and added a high visible quality to the show for the viewer.
I Love Lucy was not only entertaining but it also allowed audiences to relate to the characters on the screen. Although not all situations Lucy got into were realistic, you could find something honest and endearing about the way Lucy and Ricky's marriage worked. She had her quarks but he loved her anyway. She got into trouble all the time, costing him money and embarrassment, but it didn't matter because he loved her despite it all. The friendship between the Ricardos and the Mertzes was realistic as well. They had their fights and disagreements, but their friendship stood the test of time. Ethel was a great friend to Lucy and Fred to Ricky, and when Little Ricky came along, they accepted him and played the parts of aunt and uncle with love and affection. I believe these relationships, throughout all of their imperfections, allowed audiences to feel a sense of realism and relatibility.
This show was also the first to ever include an on screen pregnancy (even though sensors said they were not allowed to use the term "pregnant"). Once the baby came, Little Ricky was made a part of the story as much as they could and did not stick him in a room "napping" never to be seen again. Watching Lucy go through a pregnancy, with all of the mood changes and pregnancy symptoms allowed mothers to connect to her on a whole new level. As producers, Lucy and Desi made a very smart choice to include her real life pregancy in the show, as it certainly added to the value of the show and raised the show to a whole new level.
But the cornerstone of the show was Lucy's comedic timing. She was willing to go anywhere for the audience to laugh. Dressing up in ridiculous costumes, using physical comedy, using voices, and making herself the punchline...this is how Lucy remained true to her comedic strengths. As a chorus girl in Hollywood before the success of I Love Lucy, she was never a stand out. But as a role of zany housewife and by Desi and the writers giving her all the license to do what she wanted to do for the show, she could be exactly the comedic genius she was meant to be and the world was all the better for it. What would the world be like without Lucy?
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