Here's Lucy Season Five

Huge Thank You's To MPI for bringing us this Season 5 of Here's Lucy which will be released on February 28th of 2012! For us Lucy Fans, that means we will need only one more last Season 6 to have the entire series of Here's Lucy on DVD! 2012 also promises to have the last Season 6 of The Lucy Show on dvd from CBS as well- leaving us fans beyond happy to own the entire seasons of both Here's Lucy and The Lucy Show! MPI, as always, promises the best remastering/restoration of this Season 5 with plenty of bonus goodies included for us Lucy fans!

Here's Lucy Season 5 was the beginning of the end for Lucy's great television career. Lucy had more than one bad break besides the one from her tragic skiing accident, as the Nielsen ratings dropped Here's Lucy from out of the top ten to #15 this season. In 1970, an almost 60 year old Lucy fell in love with skiing, so much in fact that she purchased 3 condos in the ski resort of Snowmass, Colorado for the entire family. Lucy's natural athletic ability and her love of the crisp, cold air made skiing a perfect fit for her. The beautiful cold snow brought back her childhood memories from New York and the Midwest where she grew up. Sadly, this lovely retreat for Lucy turned into a tragedy, when in early January 1972, Lucy was resting to the side after lunch, as skiers passed her, when a woman came down the trail and plowed right into her. The woman and her skis broke Lucy's right leg into 4 pieces. This put poor Lucy into surgery and a full leg cast right up to her hip.

In the hospital, Lucy constantly kept chipping the cast down to her calf, but the doctors kept replastering it back up. Lucy would never get over the fact that her leg would never be the same being held together with 4 pins. When she was ready to go back to work on this Season 5, her confidence was shattered as she went through this Season's episodes from being in a wheelchair, to hobbling in a cast, to a leg brace worn under boots, long skirts or pants. For the first time, Lucy could not perform her physical comedy, and this would change the show's ratings. When Lucy found out that this Season's ratings dropped out of the top 10, Lucy was so depressed, that she decided not to sign a contract with CBS for a sixth season. At the end of this season 5, Lucy filmed a last show, selling the agency and reminiscing with Gale Gordon on shows past. At this season's last show's end, Lucy puts a sign saying TEMPORARILY over the Going Out Of Business sign and winks to the audience. The head of CBS didn't think the show was that far out of the top 10 and finally talked Lucy into doing a Season 6.

This Season 5 put Lucy out of commission, which gave daughter Lucie Arnaz more television time, and with her singing and dancing with guest stars, she simply shines. Lucie dances and sings as a pickle, a country girl, with Donny Osmond, a stellar performance as a flapper, with John Davidson, but her most notable performance is with Jim Bailey as they do a fantastic rendition of the song FEVER. You will see Gale Gordon as Harry Carter and Mary Jane Croft in most every episode. There are great guest stars as well with Lloyd Bridges, Eva Gabor, Joe Namath, Totie Fields, Petula Clark, Jim Bailey, Bruce Gordon, Donny Osmond, Eve Plumb, Ricardo Montalban, Ruth Buzzi, Reta Shaw, Don Knotts and Bob Cummings. Even without Lucy's physical comedy, there are some great performances by daughter Lucie and the guests. Totie Fields is hilarious as the milkman's jealous wife. Eva Gabor is adorable as Lucy's hospital room mate, who of course gets all the attention, candy and flowers. Ruth Buzzi totally outdoes herself in her singing and dancing. Don Knotts is always funny and must have kept his wardrobe from The Love God movie. Son Desi Jr. makes a rare appearance with Joe Namath and seeing a very young Donny Osmond with Eve Plumb (The Brady Bunch's Jan) is a real treat. The shows are still very entertaining, but Lucy's physical comedy is noticeably missed.

It is totally obvious that Lucy is doing some strange things with her leg cast this season. You will see her in a wheelchair, then hobbling in a cast. When the cast is gone, you will see her in boots, long dresses and pants or standing behind furniture to hide the leg brace. But suddenly, when the cast is gone, it reappears again in later shows. I would guess that Lucy is removing the cast too soon, like in the hospital, and the doctors are putting it on again. You will see Lucy working a pottery wheel really fast with her leg in Episode 21, then in episode 23, the cast is back on. You'll notice the cast on and off during this entire season. Between the wheelchair, leg cast, brace and her natural aging, Lucy was a real trooper to keep going another season. The time it took her make up artist to prepare her for every show with the elaborate bands pulling her skin taught and doing her wigs was a lot for Lucy to go through for her fans. But thank goodness she did go through it, as her television shows will bring laughter and happiness to her fans forever thanks to MPI and CBS putting her beloved shows on dvd sets! One great thing they included in the first show this season is actual film of Lucy really skiing in Snowmass, Colorado, showing her great physical talent even nearing age 60!

Here are the 24 Episodes of Season 5:

01. 09/11/1972 LUCY'S BIG BREAK- Lucy's ski accident leaves her in a full leg cast. (Lloyd Bridges and Mary Wickes guest star)
02. 09/18/1972 LUCY AND EVA GABOR ARE HOSPITAL ROOMIES- After dropping a champagne bottle on her foot, Eva Gabor shares a hospital room with Lucy. (Eva Gabor and Mary Wickes guest star)
03. 09/25/1972 HARRISON CARTER, MALE NURSE- Harry cares for Lucy at her home while she is bed ridden.
04. 10/02/1972 A HOME IS NOT AN OFFICE- The replacement secretary for Lucy is so bad, Harry brings the office work to Lucy's home.
05. 10/09/1972 LUCY AND JOE NAMATH- Desi Jr. wants to play football against Lucy's wishes. (Joe Namath and Desi Arnaz Jr. guest star)
06. 10/16/1972 THE CASE OF THE RECKLESS WHEELCHAIR DRIVER- Lucy gets sued after bumping into a country dancer/singer in her wheelchair.
07. 10/23/1972 LUCY, THE OTHER WOMAN- The milkman's wife thinks she lost her husband to Lucy. (Totie Fields guest stars)
08. 10/30/1972 LUCY AND PETULA CLARK- Lucy becomes a secretary/companion to the pregnant Petula Clark. (Petula Clark guest stars)
09. 11/06/1972 LUCY AND JIM BAILEY- When Phyllis Diller can't perform for a show, impressionist Jim Bailey fills in. (Jim Bailey guest stars)
10. 11/13/1972 DIRTY GERTIE- Lucy plays the Apple Annie character to a gangster. (Bruce Gordon (Frank Nitti from The Untouchables) guest stars)
11. 11/20/1972 LUCY AND DONNY OSMOND- Lucy's little cousin has a crush on Donny Osmond, who has a crush on Lucie. (Donny Osmond and Eve Plumb (Jan on the Brady Bunch) guest star)
12. 11/27/1972 LUCY AND HER PRINCE CHARMING- A Prince wants to marry Lucy. (Ricardo Montalban guest stars)
13. 12/11/1972 MY FAIR BUZZI- Lucie's shy friend Annie needs help coming out of her shell to become a performer. (Ruth Buzzi guest stars)
14. 12/18/1972 LUCY AND THE GROUP ENCOUNTER- Harry and Lucy join a group to help get their hostilities and anger out. (Reta Shaw guest stars)
15. 01/01/1973 LUCY IS REALLY IN PICKLE- Lucy lands a part to do a commercial for Polly Parker's Pickles.
16. 01/08/1973 LUCY GOES ON HER LAST BLIND DATE- Lucy gets stuck on a blind date with Harry's first cousin, who is crazy about her. (Don Knotts guest stars)
17. 01/15/1973 LUCY AND HER GENUINE TWIMBY- Lucy buys a reproduction chair, that turns out to be the real thing, and the store owner must get it back. (Bob Cummings guest stars)
18. 01/22/1973 LUCY GOES TO PRISON- Lucy is a prison plant to find out where a large sum of loot is hidden.
19. 01/29/1973 LUCY AND THE PROFESSOR- A young professor catches Lucie's eye. (John Davidson guest stars)
20. 02/05/1973 LUCY AND THE FRANCHISE FIASCO- Lucy and Mary Jane buy the Proud Penguin, an ice cream stand by the zoo.
21. 02/12/1973 LUCY AND UNCLE HARRY'S POT- Lucy takes a pottery class.
22. 02/19/1973 THE NOT-SO-POPULAR-MECHANICS- Lucy and Mary Jane enroll in a mechanics class.
23. 02/26/1973 GOODBYE MRS. HIPS- Harry cooks a fabulous dinner for a cooking contest and stores it in Lucy's refrigerator, while Lucy and her friends are dieting.
24. 03/05/1973 LUCY AND HARRY'S MEMOIRS- Harry sells the business and reminisces with Lucy about past times.

MPI delivers yet another fantastic "Here's Lucy" release with Season Five. Presentation-wise, everything is just as terrific here as it has been for the last four releases: gorgeous eye-popping colorful prints of the episodes themselves and a treasure trove of extras.

Of course, this is the year that Lucille Ball famously broke her leg and was confined to a wheelchair for several episodes and after it healed she was limited in the physical comedy she was able to perform. Actually at this point, the show benefits from Lucy's misfortune as she's forced to rely on comedic delivery and timing rather than schtick. No chimps, gorillas or Garboonas this season; nor do we have creaky musical numbers of seasons past. The plots this year become more logical (well, logical for Lucyland anyway) and Season 5 becomes the strongest yet of the series.

Most notable among the Bonus Features is a 30-minute collection of Bloopers; many of which fans have only read about up to this point: Jack Benny remarking on a retake that they'll "have to do this G*damn thing all over again" after Lucy breaks the heel of her shoe; and Carole Cook and Lucie Arnaz bumping-and-grinding during the "Mais-Oui" perfume number. There are plenty more and wait 'til you hear the off-color remark Lucy makes about director Jerry Paris!

While the episodes themselves certainly don't rate against the best of "I Love Lucy", when judging them against other "Here's Lucy's", this is the most consistently good season thus far. My favorite segment "Lucy Is Really In a Pickle" features an obvious rip-off of Vitemeatavegamin with Lucy making various sourpuss faces while rehearsing a pickle commercial, but the episode stands on its own merits.

Five stars for this release and only one more season to go. Thanks MPI!

Firstly, there's no logical reason to judge any of Lucille Ball's television work against her
first series, I Love Lucy. Nothing will ever compare to that landmark program. But her later
shows, including Here's Lucy can be enjoyed on their own terms.

Lucy remains a legend and there's plenty still to love on Here's Lucy.