Here's Lucy - The Complete First Season
© Lucille Ball Productions, Inc/Desilu, Too LLC
Whether or not you're a fan of her slapstick humour, Lucille Ball was a true comedienne. The only performer in a comedy series to have come close in more recent times, perhaps, is Debra Messing in Will And Grace.
This compilation features all 24 episodes, in colour, and digitally remastered. The quality is excellent.
Lucy is single, and living with her children (played by her actual children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr). Looking back, it was fairly groundbreaking stuff to have a lead female character with children, and no husband, regardless of how the character has found herself single.
Financial necessity forces her to work for her difficult brother-in-law Harry (Gale Gordon), the proprietor of Carter's Unique Employment Agency (I wonder if, as you're reading this, the company's slogan, reiterated with each incoming phone call has already popped into your head: "unusual jobs for unusual people").
As always, the guest appearances are a special part of the show. One of the most hilarious, is in the episode titled Lucy Visits Jack Benny, featuring two brilliant comedians: Jack Benny and Jackie Gleason.
Lucy and her children decide to take a holiday in Palm Springs, and stay at a mansion owned by Jack Benny.
Benny's excessive prices and exploitation of any and every opportunity to make an extra buck are hilarious.
Other guest stars throughout the series include Eva Gabor, Cesar Romero, Shelley Winters, Wayne Newton and Van Johnson. Of course they're no patch on William Holden's guest appearance on the prior series, I Love Lucy.
Still, it's amusing and nostalgic viewing.