Plot: What’s it about?
Lucy Carter (Lucille Ball) is a widow, but she has her two teens to keep her company and she never has a dull moment. In the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, she tries to raise her two teens, Craig (Desi Arnaz, Jr.) and Kim (Lucie Arnaz). In order to make ends meet in her new lifestyle, she is hired on at an employment office. The office is run by her brother-in-law Harris (Gale Gordon), a no nonsense stuffshirt who isn’t keen on Lucy’s presence. After all, he expects his business to be run in serious, professional fashion. Of course, Lucy finds herself in all kinds of outlandish situations thanks to her curious nature, situations which tick off Harris to no end. But even when she makes a mistake, she always seems able to not only right the situation, but have it turn out to be humorous to all those involved. Here’s Lucy ran from 1968-1974 to solid audiences and now, a new generation of viewers can experience the show. Shout Factory has packaged twenty-four episodes into this four disc collection, then tossed in a generous assortment of extras.
I’ve seen most of the episodes of I Love Lucy and without question, the series had an endless parade of hilarious moments. Lucille Ball was magical in almost every episode, while her costars were ideal to surround her. The show cemented Ball’s place in television history, not to mention made her a virtual comedic legend. After that show and several of her others closed shop, Ball returned with Here’s Lucy. As good as I Love Lucy was, this series takes a serious dive and comes off as one last desperation effort. Ball gives a valiant effort throughout these episodes, but the laughs are scarce and often forced. When a sitcom isn’t funny, you don’t have much reason to tune in, even if a television legend is involved. The guest stars, such as Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Gleason, Wayne Newton, and Milton Berle, often add in some spice, but when guest stars are a show’s highlight, you know you’re in trouble. I do think the series has some moments, but not many and in the end, stands as another mediocre sitcom. Shout Factory has given Here’s Lucy a solid treatment however, with numerous audio commentary tracks, behind the scenes material, promotional tools, and even scenes cut from the original broadcast. Unless you’re a diehard Lucy devotee however, Here’s Lucy is best suited as a rental.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in full frame, as intended. The elements here look incredible, as if time hasn’t touched the original materials. The prints are clean and free from debris, so the image is as bright and bold as ever. I’ve never seen reruns on this show, but I have to think the episodes look superior in this edition. The colors are bright, with no errors in the least, so the hues stream across the screen in flawless fashion. No real issues with contrast either, as black levels look refined and no overly dark scenes can be found. So this show looks brand new in most respects, an impressive treatment from Shout Factory.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is a situation comedy, so the audio has no real duties outside of the show’s main element, dialogue. So the theme music sounds good and the basic sound effects come through, but the sole spotlight here shines down on the vocals. From Harris’s outlandish tantrums to Lucy’s barbs, all the vocal work is in excellent form here. The whispers even sound clear as a bell in this release, so you won’t miss a single one-liner. This release doesn’t include any alternate language options or subtitles however, which is a disappointment.
Supplements: What are the extras?
A total of fourteen episodes have audio commentary tracks, with such participants as Desi Arnaz, Jr., Lucie Arnaz, Carol Burnett, and Wayne Newton. The tracks are decent, but have a ton of dead space to contend with. When comments are offered, the information is worthwhile, but too little insight dooms these sessions. This release also includes several television specials, original promo materials, blooper reels, deleted scenes, and some great behind the scenes footage, a more than solid array of supplements.
