Can't believe that but I love this show I know hasn't the same magic of "I love lucy" but it's good comfortable and warm thanks Lucille for many years of joyful
I just love these life with lucy episodes .....they have all the trademark Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carrol humourous writing and lucy with her unforgettable comic timing ,I wish we could see them on reruns on some channels....they are sweet ,simple with an old world charm
Gale Gordon still had it! 80 years old and his energy and comedic timing were still spot on. Good to see him and Lucy having one last moment. Thanks for posting!
he was 80! Wow!!! I had no idea.....he was such a great actor!!!!!!! So funny and also just adorable in some ways too! I feel like few people have his timing to ability to not even appear to be acting, like they are they're role as well as he does that!
I agree. I think that the casting of Gale Gordon, Lucy’s long time sidekick, was on of the few redeeming qualities of the show. Even though he was 80 during this time period, his comedic timing was still intact and he was still as sharp as a tack. However, Gordon’s lack of faith in the series did not bode well for it, as he made his presence on it conditional that he be paid for an entire season, whether or not it was cancelled early.
I think the biggest criticism you could launch at this show is that it constantly reminds you that a better version already exists. Just watch any of Lucy’s other shows. At best, Life with Lucy is a curiosity.
Mixed feelings about this show. Yes, Lucy still had it, so did Gale Gordon. That said, the plots were just too stale by 1986. The Lucy of 1962 to 1974 had already been there, done that. Coming as it did after All In The Family, Mary Tyler Moore Show, etc. Life With Lucy was just too "light" to survive IMO. Still, had the critics not been so savage and had they brought in another comedic actress to play off Lucy, it might have worked. Audrey Meadows, as Lucy's sister might have made a difference, she was offered a co-starring part but declined. I just feel the persona of Gale Gordon being driven nuts by "nutty" Lucy had played itself out. Really sad about the demise of this show.
@@studentoflife9163 I found out that she did filmed five more episodes but, they were shelved and never aired. In other words they were filmed before the show was cancelled. She didn't know that the show was going to be cancelled, so she finished her week of filming and then she was out of a job. Now that's sad. 😢
They only aired 4 episodes originally back in 1986 and the remaining sat for years unseen. This why Lucy was so upset with the network, the show never got a fair chance to build up and find an audience.. At the time Aaron Spelling was bleeding money via Dynasty and the Colby tv series which both were failing in the ratings. Spelling and ABC needed Life With Lucy to be a hit out the gate.
@@billgreen1861 Not true.. They did not film a full season of shows and at that time it was 22 episodes, they only filmed about 8 episodes and they started in July/August of 1986 and the series was cancelled in October/November of 1986.. In order to film 22 episodes, they would have been filming until April of 1987.. Only 4 episodes actually aired..
This series could have survived had they just moved it to first run syndication after ABC cancelled it. Vicki Lawrence moved Mama's Family to first run syndication after NBC axed it in 1984. I think Life With Lucy would have had at least 2 to 3 seasons in syndication, they probably would have needed to trim the cast and tighten up the writing to just include the hardware store and have celebrities guests as customers.
It's a bit hard to get rid of kids once you introduce them, but they did it on The Lucy Show. One season, they were just gone. But to give the young couple room to develop would change the whole dynamic, and the episodes would have to be longer or some focused on them and not the store.
@@nonenoneonenonenone The Lucy Show went through 3 different formats. The 3rd format is when Lucy got rid of son (her daughter was gone by 1965) and moved to California to become Mr Mooney's secretary
@@mamadouaziza2536 All *13* episodes are on YT! Can you not read? The title of this video says, "Ep. 11". You are posting on the page where you can watch the 11th episode!
It might not be as bad as Lucy's version of Mame but it's pretty awful. Everybody shouts. The children are BAD actors. It's a chaotic, frantic, and abrasive attempt at humor. I wanted it to succeed because it was Lucy, the queen of comedy unfortunately the crown was tarnished beyond repair
It pisses me off that people are commenting on her appearance. She had her eyebrows shaved for a movie back in the ‘30s & they never grew back. If she’d been a man there wouldn’t be any comments. She would’ve been beautiful with a shaved head & a mustache. But the really important thing is her comedic genius that nobody can take away. She had 3 successful shows which I doubt anybody today can duplicate.
The thing about all the "Lucy" shows, is that they were always a copy of a copy of a copy. "I Love Lucy" being the original copy, and then the other ones to follow. And all getting a bit inferior as they went along, and "Life With Lucy" being the absolute worst. I think at this point, Lucy needed to become more of a supportive character, instead of having the plot centered around her. She was at an age here where people aren't really interested in what an old lady is doing during the day. Each show got worse as time went on, relying on old/played-out jokes and gags that couldn't keep up with the times. She never really outgrew her original character or stretched her acting chops: she was forever "Lucy Ricardo", trapped in 1951. "Life With Lucy" was an idea that should've been left on the cutting-room floor: her heart wasn't in it, anyway, because Desi was dying at the time. At some point as a Hollywood actor, you have to hang it up and realize you've had your time already: you're too old and/or washed-up. LET IT GO!
But, her shows in the 60's-70's were successful. She won some awards and the audience was still with her.....This 80's show might have worked IF some issues were changed, actors dropped and a new angle brought in. But... Hollywood is Ageist and didn't support her.
No wonder this show was cancelled. It was not funny, the script was terrible, the supporting cast was weak, and the show relied on slapstick and cornball humor that went out of date thirty years before the show debuted. Also I personally do not find Lucille Ball funny. She was, in reality, a very "not nice" person to anyone she found socially inferior. Also her makeup was atrocious in this show, adequate for a clown but not an actress. Her time had passed, too bad she didn't realize it.
Watching these videos, it is easy to see why Life with Lucy was a flop. Quite frankly, Lucy looks grotesque with the trademark red hair and age-wrinkled face. She looks like someone who simply won't accept she is growing older. And it is quite clear that Gale Gordon was simply not up to doing a weekly show. You can see him physically getting exhausted even if all he is doing is standing around.
Completely disagree. This show was cancelled because it wasn't at all raunchy and it had traditional family values. Did not meet the agenda. What's grotesque is what tries to pass for entertainment now, 2022, everything now is heavily politicized. Lucy and Gale Gordon are as energetic as ever and completely adorable. Too bad the networks robbed us of more of this gem. Would have been a treasure. There is NO talent like this anymore, sorry folks.
@@lastdayschapel7427 I agree more with this comment and that's terrible if that's why... Wholesome tv should never go out of style... I don't know what happened but I keep wanting to put in somewhere, Lucy was and always be one of the most talent, funny and also beautiful people/actresses to ever exist... and Gale was very handsome and talented and funny too! and for all the critics, as someone whose really into art in general and makeup/ fashion- even complimented on it... I do think the makeup should have been tweaked and made a little fresher, even more peach/purple tones like on the The Lucy Show often... the eyeshadow is too dark I think for the lighting and makes it hard to see her eyes, but I don't think she looks "old".. she was in her 70s though, she's not going to look 35 or something... it's not listed if Hal King did her makeup for this as with many of her other work, so far as I can see... He really knew how to bring out her beauty. Her eyebrows were often a work of art/if not a masterpiece even in architecture, so stunning just alone.. anyway, I've even see my younger self look not right with the wrong eye shadow shade.... and nothing wrong with dying your hair if you want to... just for lighting purposes I think they should have at least darkened Gale's eyebrows for the lighting too and even his hair a little bit just to stand out more ... nothing wrong with white or grey, but the sets were making him recede a bit...but we should all be so lucky to even be doing all they are at all or past 70 plus! even 50/60.... I think it's great they made this show ... even the 80s was a gentler time than today and more wholesome which they're work still translated too.. even now, a classic never dies.. just I think the show needed a little tweaking to really come together- as times were changing and finding the right niche with their work and that time period. I think they're adorable too.. it still feels just as about the same as The Lucy Show... I wish they had brought back the kids from that show too... Jerry was so cute! the way he talked. I love the New Years Eve Episode where they stay out late, have three desserts and he's like, how long has this been going on ? awww There is talent today I think, and still some stars from the Golden Age around...but Lucy and Gale were true professionals and had a really tried and true work ethic I think which is hard to come by these days. I can see why people think it's not still here... I will say there is Maggie Smith and the cast of Downton Abbey are amazing, if in a different light.. but true comedic legends like this are a bit far and few between in ways and from another time... thank God we have reruns! I often thought it was interesting Lucy did leave us in 1989... as if the world she knew kind of went out when she did, things changed so much in the 90s... but she probably would have enjoyed it perhaps... and we'd have been happy to have her... what if she had been on "Absolutely Fabulous" somehow with the over top ness - somehow that would have been great I think- playing a parody of herself maybe- those two ladies are very funny and beautiful too- which is often hard to come by - though the antics on that show were a little different than Lucy and Vivian... anyway, to great acting!
@@user-ou2wk7cg1g Lucy wore wigs since 1957. Her eyebrows appear to be penciled. Her facial makeup was poorly done in this final series. I thought the darkened eyes with her signature red lipstick was deliberate to make her appear "clown" like. I am speculating but have always wondered why her eyes were darkened. The facial makeup seemed too heavy in her later years after the series. She was a beautiful woman and the greatest of comedians. If someone were to ask me, "Who do you remember giving you the most laughs as a comedic actor?" My first answer would be Lucy, then Carol Burnett, Betty White, Robin Williams. So many characters are long forgotten, but the four mentioned are unforgettable and legendary.
@@lax1194 I didn't know she wore wigs....I agree about the makeup. Sometimes on "The Lucy Show" she had lighter makeup and lipstick that I thought was really pretty. I left a comment before that it doesn't look like her usual makeup artist was the one for this show. They should have hired Francois Nars or someone else big to at least design the makeup look..... he would have had Lucy looking fabulous in no time- for she was a very beautiful woman!!! I met him once at a book signing and immediately felt un nervous even though he's famous! Lucy had a very grounded air about her too despite all her fame as well. anyway, She was still funny... as with those listed for sure.. I also always remember lines from Albert Brook's movies I've seen... especially "Mother".... oh my goodness...and Cary Grant was actually really funny too with such great comedic timing! Like "Bringing Up Baby" running around in the negligee... ! As far as I know he and Lucy were never teamed up - but that would have been something!!!!!!!!!!! or with Katherine Hepburn too- I think all three were such hard working talented people! And with Gale Gordon too- he's amazing at really seeming to be his role! Your forget that's it's not him.
Her eyelashes are so thick, it is a wonder she can keep her eyes open. Maybe that's why she opens them so widely! Not the best possible make-up. But, that's her character! And Lucy characters always have exaggerated make-up. They are clowns. And her hair is carrot orange, never actually red.
