I Love Lucy. Did you like or dislike.? There were a couple of episodes I liked--the candy one and the homemade bread

[debm55]

coming out of the oven, pinning Lucy to the cabinet. I only saw in reruns as I was born after it went off of the air. On average I did not like it. It made Lucy out to be a child, under the thumb of Ricky. I am not talking about the Desilu Studios . So what say you about I Lucy show? or

[Raven123]

1. Loved it. Vitameatavegamin!

Also the episode where Lucy goes into labor and the rehearsed procedure for getting her to the hospital implodes over panic. Just good physical comedy.

[debm55]

5. Yes, I have to admit that was funny. Thank you Raven123

[badhair77]

22. I got on to mention that one.

Haven’t seen it in years but remember it as funny.

[Ritabert]

2. It was innovative for those times

Lucy usually got around Ricky one way or the other. And you never knew what she was going to get up to like stomping the grapes or the Vitameatavegemin ad.

[debm55]

3. Thank you Ritabert, I forgot about those two classic episodes. thank you for jogging my memory.

[markodochartaigh]

4. I liked the ones where they drove to California and

stayed in California. All of our relatives either had moved or were moving to California and those episodes seemed more interesting to me.

Of course I love that Lucy, in real life, was vital to the success of Star Trek.

[debm55]

37. Thank you for sharing your opinion with us.. markodochartaigh. I appreciate it.

[Ocelot II]

6. Not that much. Lucy was too screechy, and Desi was a pompous jerk

who disrespected her. Maybe that's why she was always screeching.

[debm55]

40. HAHAHAHAHAHHA. Thank you Ocelot II, I think in the show that they both disrespected each other. Watching my parents

disrespect each other was not funny. But it was just a show and not real life, still to me the funny parts were few and far between.

[rurallib]

7. I was only a kid of about six or seven and I hated it

Not sure I could give you a reason that I can recall from so far back. but I would usually get a book while everybody else watched.

I sort of remember not liking it because Lucy acted like a child and Desi would punish her like a child. It seemed so stupid

[buzzycrumbhunger]

28. Seconded!

I always hated her—the weirdly childish maneuvering around her husband, the off-the-charts stupidity, and that grating “WAHHHHH” thing when she got caught. Apparently, women were foolish children and men were controlling grumps.

Even as a child in the ‘50s and early ‘60s, I couldn’t imagine that this was how adult women acted. My mum’s friends were mostly boring housewives who played bridge once a week, except for her best friend, who painted portraits for a living and dressed like a beatnik, very Mary Tyler Moore-ish. Thank dog for good role models in a backward time… *eyeroll*

Oddest part is that she was apparently not a dummy IRL. Have to give her credit for giving us Star Trek after what she’s portrayed herself as.

[rurallib]

35. She was also quite the feminist in the 60s and 70s

I saw some video about a year ago where she would really get on people who treated women as second class. Really surprised me.

[debm55]

41. Thank you, rurallib, for stating your opinion. I know why I didn't think it was funny. In did come from a different time

But today they would be in marriage therapy.

[The Blue Flower]

46. Exactly

Even as a child, I didn't like watching her act like a stupid child. The screeching and crying were just annoying. The storylines were so predictable. I don't remember ever laughing at it. I think that's because comedy has to have an element of surprise that makes you laugh.

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

8. My favorite episode was the one about gossiping.

Lucy’s physical description of a juicy story for Ethel, Ricky and Fred with a piece of tape over her mouth is hilarious even today. Ball was one of the all-time best at physical comedy.

I agree that the depiction of Lucy as completely helpless at times was demeaning as was poking fun at Ricky’s accent. I feel at the time the episodes were made it was meant to be good-natured fun.

And yes, the episode where Lucy and Ethel were candy wrappers was an absolute classic. I can hear that supervisor right now in my mind yelling “SPEED IT UP”!

RIP to the four main characters.

[debm55]

43. Thank you very much for stating yourself so well, Prof. Toru Tankaka. Oh i agree there were some classic episodes , but

on the whole , to me, there were some dudes.

[johnp3907]

9. Hated it.

Painfully unfunny. And that voice!😖

[debm55]

13. "But Ricky" Agree with you johnp3907

[KT2000]

10. Did not like it

but her character captured the angst of women striving to please their husbands and husbands being long suffering. What made it intolerable for me were the Mertz's, especially Fred Mertz.

[debm55]

44. HAHAHHAH. I Agree with you KT000. I did not like Fred.

[SheltieLover]

11. As a child, I thought it was funny, but couldn't stand Ricky

Prick.

[debm55]

45. Thank you SheltieLover for sharing your opinion with us. Me--I think both were disrespectful to the other.

[Keepthesoulalive]

12. It was of its time

When you only have 2 or 3 channels to choose from you take what you can get. The bread making episode and the delivery of little Ricky were hilarious.

[debm55]

54. That's true. Keepthesoulalive. I would just play with my dolls.I agree with your choice of classic episodes.

[EmmaLee E]

14. I hated that disciplining one's wife was OK

How many times did Ricky put Lucy over his knee and swat her?

Funny? Or making domestic violence seem OK (in it's sanitized version}?

[Jeebo]

15. Deb, were you born after 1957?

I've always been under the impression that you are about the same age as me? I was born in 1949 and used to watch I Love Lucy often in the 1950s and 1960s. IMDB says that show ran from 1951 to 1957, and we got our first TV in the summer of 1955, so apparently I watched it live for a couple of years and then watched reruns after that. Am I that much older than you are?

To answer the question posed in your post, I Love Lucy is one of those shows that I kinda sorta liked, but I never understood why. It was just on, and so I watched it. Don't know how to explain it better than that.

Of course, in the 1950s we didn't have many options. There were only three networks — NBC, ABC and CBS — and with rabbit ears or a roof antenna, we were not able to get more than one or two of them. Still, with so few options, there always seemed to be something on that we wanted to watch.

— Ron

[debm55]

18. Jeebo. I was born in 1955. I watched the reruns in the morning before I went to Kindergarten. Actually, I watched what

my grandmother wanted to watch.

[sdfernando]

16. There are quite a few to be sure!

In no particular order...
Vitameatavegamin
The grape stomping episode while in Italy
The axe-murder trip to Florida with Elsa Lancaster

just to name a few

[stopdiggin]

17. pretty decent - and let's remember 'in the context of the times'

with the Three Stooges considered hilarious and 'high entertainment' for a while.

Personally - special pace in my heart for Carol Burnett - now here was a gal ! - put me in stitches in no time ...

[Diamond_Dog]

20. My mother forbade me and my sister to watch The Stooges.

She did not consider it fitting entertainment for two little girls. When she left the room, my sister would change the channel and put it right back on. I was the baby sister so I just went along with it.

[stopdiggin]

23. forbidden pleasures ...

your sister was a smart one! (well .... at least knew what she wanted ! and that has to count for something ! yeah?)

[Diamond_Dog]

19. I mostly liked. Lucy was a pioneer in TV at that time.

Of course some of the episodes didn’t age well, but you have to take into account the times they were made in. Lucy was really a great physical comedian. And she and Desi equally owned the studio. That was unheard of back then.

My father did not like her. He called her “Jelly Lips.”

[Wuddles440]

21. My mother was a fan and I so became one by default.

For those fans of Lucy, I'd recommend a visit to her hometown of Jamestown, NY and the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum. While there another worthwhile attraction is the National Comedy Center.

[Polly Hennessey]

24. Liked. I especially remember the episode where she

put too much rice in the pot and rice 🍚 and more 🍚 rice kept coming out of the pot. No criticism of the show - it was mid 20th century. No decade is perfect.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

25. Been an ILL fan all my life.

When I was a kid I didn't realize how sexist it was - sexism was the norm then. When times changed, I did realize it, but feminist though I became and am, I still loved ILL because so much of it still makes me LOL. I have the complete series on DVD but I usually just watch the show on the ILL channel on the Pluto steaming channel.

[choie]

26. LOVED!

Yes it has it's issues looking at it through a 2025 perspective, but it was funny as hell and Lucille Ball was brilliant.

[CanonRay]

27. I never much liked it personally

[no_hypocrisy]

29. I Love Lucy was the WASP equivalent of The Goldbergs.

[ms liberty]

30. Lucille Ball was one of the great comedians and ILL was great for it's time

I grew up watching her in her shows, reruns, guest appearances and movies. As an independent woman and power figure in Hollywood, she is unparalleled.

All that said, my Comedy Goddess is Carol Bunett. Her show still doesn't seem dated when you watch it, and I still laugh til I cry every time!

[AllaN01Bear]

31. i liked the 1 where lucy met harpo

what ever happened to the mercers ? they seemed to dissapear.

[AllaN01Bear]

32. i liked golden girls more.

[Coolgoober]

33. Me and my brother's

Watched it (reruns 60s and 70s) we thought it was funny but if there was something better to do like outside stuff, then we did that. But I gotta tell ya, when my wife and I have had a couple sets of grandkids and it's raining out they request I love Lucy on DVD. They love it and laugh allot. Ages 6 to 14.

[mwmisses4289]

34. Hated it.

But enjoyed the other things she did.

[AloeVera]

36. So..ummm...I learned English watching it.

It's ridiculous of course, looking back now but back then, as a new immigrant child in the late 60's I loved that show! So much so that I convinced my Mom to name my baby brother Ricky... I don't think he ever forgave me.

[Mike Nelson]

38. Here a Like...

... but I have heard the Lucy shows put down. Her "crybaby" act and "unequal" housewife role. Not funny, to some... When she got jobs, she wasn't exactly competent. The "ditzy" redhead was a "dumb" woman. Still, I thought of the character as naturally bright, getting the best of situations through a cunning she didn't know she had. As far as her "abusive" marriage, I never saw "Ricky" hit her... maybe I missed an episode? She did, as an actress, "play" that he might - but was it a part of her act? Over at the Honeymooners "Ralph" would threaten to punch "Alice" often... "BANG, ZOOM!" (making a fist). But we knew he wasn't going to... and Audrey Meadows did not flinch. She showed no fear... just stared him down. These '50s marriages were perhaps more progressive then than now. "Lucy" had an Hispanic husband. CBS said they would rather not... not "believable" they thought! Lucille Ball said no show, then. Later, the character reappeared as a widow. Lucy thought she and Vivian Vance should both play divorcees. CBS said viewers will still associate them with "Ricky" and "Fred" - this time, Lucy agreed. The viewers might not want Lucy divorced (even though she did, in real life), but could see "Ethel" and Bill Frawley divorcing. A widow and a divorced woman sharing a home and kids was also very progressive for the times. Only Lucille Ball could have got a show on with that situation. I thought she was very funny... sitcoms are supposed to make you laugh. Most of them... I never laughed, for real, even as the "laugh track" played, for so many. A Lucy show could really make me laugh!

[doc03]

39. Never cared for her show even as kid. I never thought John Ritter as Jack Tripper

was funny either, I call it over acting. It was more passing for a photo than acting, just seemed fake.

[LogDog75]

42. For the time period when the show aired it was funny

Humor changes over time. What was funny in the 50s isn't as funny today. I remember watching I Love Lucy in the 50s as a id and thought it was funny. But as an adult, my tastes changed and it wasn't as funny as I remember it.

There are comedies from the 90s I like such as Seinfeld and The Drew Carey Show. They still make me laugh.

[Upthevibe]

47. debm55 ..

Great discussion question!

I LOVED the I Love Lucy Show! While I was growing we watched it whenever it was on. I was born in '57 and was the youngest of four.

All of us kids watched it together. Obviously, the context of the times needs to be taken into consideration. Having said that, I can see where people would think Lucy was whiney and scheming but she had to be! I mean back then women and no power. I also loved Ricky.

I really, really enjoy good physical comedy. IMHO, what Lucille Ball displayed during that show can not be beat!

I also think most of the shows plots were hilarious. I now want to go to one of my streaming channels and have myself an afternoon marathon.

[debm55]

52. HAHAHHAHAHA. Thank you Upthevibe for sharing your opinion with us.

[CTyankee]

48. whhich one was the assembly line where Lucy started stuffing the cookies (??) in her mouth?

[debm55]

49. Thank you CTyankee. It was the one where Lucy and Ethel were working at the chocolate candy line, wrapping the candy

I liked that one.

[PittBlue]

50. I absolutely loved her and the show.❤️

[debm55]

51. Thank you, for sharing your opinion, PittBlue.

Last edited Mon Dec 1, 2025, 11:54 PM - Edit history (1)

[GP6971]

53. My parents really didn't care for it but the grandparents loved it.

[3catwoman3]

55. Never liked it. Born in 1951.

Even as a little girl, I disliked it that the character of Lucy had to be sneaky and manipulative to get what she wanted. Even more, as I got older, I detested women having to act stupid in order to be employed/successful - The Lucy shows, Suzanne Somers on Three's Company, Laverne and Shirley, etc, etc.

As mentioned in several other replies, the wide-open mouth bawling was particularly irritating.

I do thank Lucille Ball for Star Trek.

[Cirsium]

56. I admire her

I admire her, but was never a fan of the show.