Howie0331 Reviews

The Lucy Show (1962–1968)

Not Much There without Vivian Vance

[26 May 2004]

Although this show was weaker than "I Love Lucy" it was still pretty funny in its original form. The chemistry of Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance, as single mothers raising their children, made "The Lucy Show" work, especially its first season on the air. Despite some of the bizarre plotlines the two women were believable as two friends struggling in a largely manless environment. But with Vance's departure in 1965 it fell apart at the seams...Lucy became more of a cartoon character as the show became more shallow and relied too heavily on "guest stars," and Gale Gordon and Mary Jane Croft were weak substitutes.

Lucy probably should have pulled the plug on this one in '65.

Turn-on (1969– )

Dreadful Rip-off of "Laugh-In"

[28 April 2004]

Yes, this one definately aired on ABC...I remember watching that one episode broadcasting out of New York in 1969. I was only ten years old at the time, so I wouldn't have understood much, if any, of the sexual innuendo. Although I wasn't completely green, having managed to view part of Jane Fonda's Barbarella a few months earlier, after the kiddie classic The Christmas that Almost Wasn't.

From all the commercial hype leading up to the show I was expecting--no, hoping for--another "Laugh-In," which was the most talked-about series on TV during the 1968-69 season and Goldie Hawn the most talked-about new star. "Laugh-In" was my favorite show at that time, and figured two of the same was better than one.

Which was what nobody got. I remember this being one of the most lame excuses for a prime-time show I had ever seen. My older sisters and I weren't horrified by the content so much as bored and disappointed.

When it didn't come back the following week, I was surprised yet not surprised. I never saw a show disappear that quickly, no matter how bad. And yet I wouldn't mind seeing this again...if only to re-confirm what I thought then.