In the earlier years of TV, there were some mega-hits. Shows that everybody watched, with huge ratings. Shows like Gunsmoke, MASH, Get Smart, Dallas, Ozzie and Harriet, and Bonanza. But the very first mega-show was I Love Lucy with Lucille Ball, Desi Arnez, Vivian Vance and William Frawley.
Lucile Ball was a glamour actress in her early years and played dramatic parts. Then she married Desi, and Desi, a producer and director, knew talent when he saw it. Comedic talent, and Lucy had it in spades.
I Love Lucy was not a “chuckle, chuckle” comedy. It was a belly laugh show that had the audience laughing so loud they gasped for air. Lucy had impeccable timing and the air of innocence that got her into trouble on a weekly basis.
Two of the funniest shows that I recall were The Chocolate Factory and Lucy Does a Commercial.
In the Chocolate Factory episode, Lucy and Ethel are assigned to a production line where they are to sort the chocolates as they came through. But they weren’t fast enough to handle the speed of the assembly line. They began stuffing the runaway chocolates in their aprons, pockets and mouths and it was hilarious.
A second episode that stands out was Lucy Does a Commercial.
Lucy somehow finagles her way to do the commercial without knowing the product. It was called Vitameatavegamin, a vitamin supplement with a 23 percent alcohol content. She had to do multiple takes and got snockered. Another gut buster.
Premiering in 1951, I Love Lucy was at the top of the ratings for the 6 years it ran. Today, the show is syndicated and draws around 40 million viewers per year.
It was wonderful family entertainment and one of the funniest comedies ever aired.
