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To: NavyCanDo
Compared to TV shows from today, or even the 80s and 90s you still think I love Lucy had mindless over the top scripts? I'll have to disagree with you there.

I understand where you are coming from, but...yes - I still think the scripts were mindless and over the top on her shows. You do have a great point regarding garbage produced on TV today. Compared next to "The Jersey Shore" and "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" shows produced today, then "I Love Lucy" was Shakespeare. But if watch the Lucy shows, I still cringe and sit there expressionless (or worse).

The whole 'situation comedy' formula is as stale then as it is now. The writers have never improved upon it very much, although some shows are better than others.

In the "I Love Lucy" construct, every episode was the same ingredients: Lucy gets herself into trouble, makes things worse trying to get out of the predicament, the audience laughs at her suffering, and Ricky gets angry.

I could only take so much of that.

Her show ending cry of "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" (which elicited howls from the audience) was insufferable.

It was akin to Fonzy delivering his ever so stale "Ayyyyyeeee.!!!" The audience laughs and cheers on cue, for the 9,621st time. And again for the 9,622nd time.

There were some great shows in the 50's, with excellent writing and production. The "Twilight Zone" for example. From a comedic standpoint, "Monty Python's Flying Circus" flies rings around "I Love Lucy." So do productions such as "Second City Television", the early "SNL" episodes, and even clever shows of more recent years such as "The Office."

32 posted on 08/04/2011 10:50:23 AM PDT by SkyPilot
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To: SkyPilot

To compare Monty Python - a show that came out of the 1950s-60s Oxbridge University scene - to a Hollywood show created by a Cuban immigrant and a beautiful showgirl and actress is ridiculous.

Both are wonderful and bear no relation to each other. Of course, I must admit that Ms. Ball did steal many routines from Red Skelton, but she did manage to pay homage to that particular master of the art of comedy.


38 posted on 08/04/2011 2:45:56 PM PDT by miss marmelstein (Casey Anthony is guilty as hell)
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