I'm part of the camp that adores "I Love Lucy", but REALLY dislikes her later shows. I love Lucy really had it all, cast chemistry, fantastic writing, great production values, a Manhattan setting, even some romance (Desi & Lucy are wonderful to watch together). TLS is another matter entirely. Some of it isn't her fault. between the end of ILL and the beginning of TLS she seems to have aged 10 years or more. Her entire demeanor has changed - after the 1st season everyone starts shouting all their lines. It's about as subtle as a truck. Lucy is the worst offender of all - you see the setup for all the gags coming, then their execution with the laugh track turned way up. I'm sure most of it is because Desi Arnaz produced the 1st year of the new show, and left after the last episode. In I Love Lucy, Desi's presence there allows her to show a vulnerable, feminine side to her character that is lovable and appealing. In TLS, that's gone, her makeup looks like it was spooned on with a spatula. The huge false eyelashes, the overly thick blue eye shadow, and red red lipstick make her face look like a mask. Hey, no one wants to hit 50, especially a woman who was as beautiful as Ball was in her youth & early middle age. But the worst is that she shouts her lines and people bodily over react as though they were in a silent film. The worst part is that she is now relying on cue cars, something she would have never done on ILL. Just a shame, and not funny.
Review of The Lucy Show
