My Favorite Redhead

This week, Lucy is so exhausted from spending all her time taking care of the baby that Ricky decides to let her hire a maid to lighten her load. Unfortunately, the maid she ends up with kinda sucks. Discussions include Downton Abbey and the art of making a sandwich.

This week, Lucy's neighbor, Mrs. Trumbull, grows frustrated with Little Ricky's crying. This eventually leads to a rift between the Ricardos and Mertzes. Don't worry though... I have a feeling things will work out. Discussions include sports ball and hypothetical future babysitting arrangements.

This week, Lucy struggles to make, and stick with, decisions and Ricky challenges her to finish what she starts. Of course things take an unexpected turn because this is I Love Lucy! Discussions this week include musical theater in general and Mame specifically. Apologies for forgetting to say the year the episode aired! The airdate was March 30, 1953. You guys probably know this is from 1953, but in case this is anyone's first episode, we don't often forget things like that! Thanks for understanding!

This week, Lucy accidentally gets a black eye and the Mertzes jump to the wrong conclusions. Naturally this leads to more misunderstandings... and more black eyes. Discussions this week include Rudolph Valentino and Perry Mason.

This week, Ricky and Ethel think back to the time that she and Lucy ran for president of their women's club -- and how they were both obviously totally mature and cool and respectful throughout the process. Ricky and Fred got involved too, of course, and were equally mature, cool, and respectful. Discussions this week include our experience with club elections and leadership, the Halloween franchise, and dog drama. Also apologies to our headphone listeners for some sudden loud laughter around 26:44! Hope our silliness doesn't hurt your ears too much!

This one is a doozy, folks! When Ricky and the Mertzes are extra critical of Lucy, she begins to feel pretty down on herself... so her friends have to figure out how to cheer her up again. Results are mixed! Discussions this week include The Wizard of Oz and the legend that precedes Milton Berle.

Surprise! We decided to do something special for the holidays and take a look at a couple of episodes from The Lucy Show: S1E13 Together for Christmas and S1E18 Lucy and Viv Put in a Shower. We'll return to I Love Lucy next week! Thank you for supporting us and we wish you a lovely, happy, and blessed holiday season and a fantastic weekend!

This week, the gang think back to a time pre baby when Lucy bought a very expensive vacuum from a very slick salesman and Ricky is not chill about it at all. Discussions include sports ball and our old friends Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor.

It's go time! As the Ricardos prepare to welcome their baby, typical chaos erupts... but don't worry listeners. We have a feeling everything will work out just fine. Discussions this week include fun subjects like Days of Our Lives and unfun subjects like racism. Philip Morris Congratulates Lucy and Ricky on Their Baby

When Lucy decides she wants to make sure her future child is surrounded by culture and art, she worries that she won't be able to guide the kid's creative development. Naturally, she realizes she simply must become a master of fine arts in the few weeks before the baby is born and she takes up sculpting. Obviously things go smoothly! Discussions this week include Fundie Fridays, Father of the Bride, and gurning.

This week, Ricky starts to feel jealous because he's not getting enough attention now that they're getting closer to the baby being born. When he gets sick, Lucy has to figure out a way to cheer him up. Discussions in this episode include historical costuming and fashion dolls.

This week, Lucy starts to worry about the education of her future baby and decides that she should get a tutor for Ricky, the Mertzes, and herself to better prepare them all for having enlightening conversations with the child to be. Our grammar nerd hearts had a lot of fun with this one. Discussions include Dole whip, American Girl Samantha, and Mudd Jeans.

This week, Ricky needs some new entertainers for his show and Lucy decides this is her last chance to steal the spotlight before motherhood. A few spectacularly silly performances follow. Discussions include Nailed It, RuPaul's Drag Race, and Irish accents.

Expectant mother Lucy begins to worry that Ricky doesn't actually love her. Discussions this week include dolls and The Simpsons. You Belong to Me by Jo Stafford

Exciting news in the Ricardo household this week! Lucy is going to have a baby, and everyone is very excited. Everyone, that is, but Ricky... since he doesn't know about it yet! Every time Lucy tries to tell him, something gets in the way, but he's gotta find out eventually, right? Discussions this week include childhood softball adventures and lost media. Mary Kay Stearns Dies: Pioneering Star Of 1940s Sitcom Was 93

This week, Ricky is in bed with a cold and laryngitis and Lucy must fill in for him at the Tropicana by arranging everything for the new show. Naturally she goes a different direction with things than he might have, and she and the Mertzes coincidentally end up in the spotlight... Discussions this episode include Singin' In the Rain, old time radio, and Elmer Fudd.

Thank you all for coming on this journey with us, and happy anniversary to I Love Lucy! Eternal gratitude with everyone involved in making this show something so special!

This week, Lucy and Ethel enter a giveaway to win some new furniture and decide not to leave home (and their phones) until one of them wins. Complications arise when Ricky gets the foursome tickets for a Broadway show at the same time. More importantly, the girls attempt to hang wallpaper. Discussions this week include musical theater, The Sims, and Nancy Drew. Phone History: All About Party Lines

When the Ricardos buy the Mertzes a new TV set, the happiness quickly sours as immaturity and pettiness lead to two broken TV sets and matching lawsuits. Discussions this week include Ted Bundy, The Phantom of the Opera, and The Three Musketeers. Apologies for background noise and fluctuating audio levels... we're doing our best! How Much Did a Television Cost in 1950s? Sophomore Lit: The Bell Jar Shout out to the Stuck in Stoneybrook Podcast... we love you guys!

When Lucy and Ethel decide their respective marriages are in a rut, everyone decides to take a break and hang out with their bestie instead. Discussions this week include World War II, going to the library, and lying about your age.

Lucy and Ethel's women's club decides to put on an operetta, and club treasurer Lucy has to somehow make an entire production come together with a budget of like -$2. Naturally the entire gang gets involved, and things go about like you expect them to. This is one of Breanna's personal favorite episodes, so we have a fun time discussing it! Side convos include our pets and the general greatness of one Ethel Mae Roberta Louise Potter Mertz. Apologies for background noise and a few audio glitches... thanks for sticking this out with us!

This week, Lucy is annoyed that she and Ricky haven't been spending much time together recently, so she handcuffs herself to him as a joke. But the cuffs turn out to be the real deal, and obviously the Ricardos handle this well... Discussions this week include Feud: Bette and Joan and Dexter's Laboratory.

The Ricardos have a wedding anniversary coming up, and Ricky wants to surprise Lucy with pearls he hopes to obtain at a discount from a friend who works at a jewelry store. Because this friend happens to be a beautiful woman, Lucy gets the wrong idea... Discussions include Daisy Duck and Eddie Fisher. Joseff of Hollywood

This week, Ricky needs a new saxophone player to join his band for an upcoming tour. The stars collide when Lucy finds her old saxophone just in time to audition! Unfortunately Lucy is a terrible sax player, and Ricky also doesn't want her along. Lucy tries to trick Ricky into thinking it isn't smart to leave her behind... what could possibly go wrong? Discussions include John Gilbert and enough high school band memories to fill a steamer trunk.

We're back, baby! And we've got another legendary episode! This week, the men and the women don't see eye to eye on who has it tougher... so naturally they decide to switch places. Ricky and Fred run the households while Lucy and Ethel get jobs in a chocolate factory. Things go as well as you'd expect. Discussions include Disney animation and Bewitched. Clarification: Verna Felton has not yet appeared on I Love Lucy, but we'll see her soon in memorable guest roles. Her son Lee Millar did appear in episode 5, The Quiz Show, and we did mention her at that time.

We're back with a bonus episode on Lucy and Desi's 1954 movie The Long, Long Trailer. Our favorite couple play newlyweds who start their life together in a massive trailer, traveling around the country. This was originally recorded in August of 2021. "Lucy and Desi Tackle the Movies" TV Guide feature on PapermoonLovesLucy

Just when you thought we couldn't drop a sillier episode, here's one with chaos baked right into the premise. Thanks for listening to us this season!

We're back to discuss our thoughts and feelings about the season as a whole, and we touch a bit on what we have planned for season two and the hiatus. Thanks for joining us on this journey!

Believe it or not, we've reached our season finale! This week, Ricky decides to try for a raise at work and, at Lucy's urging, he implies he's in heavy demand. When his boss Mr. Littlefield lets him go to pursue these other imaginary opportunities, Lucy and the Mertzes decide to prove to Mr. Littlefield that he really needs Ricky. Shenanigans, accents, and drag ensue! Discussions this week include Hamilton, silent film, and generous editing. "The Spider and the Fly" (poem) by Mary Howitt Lucy and the real Hal King

Ricky is concerned that he might be losing his hair and worries that this may affect his career. It has nothing to do with vanity! But at any rate, Lucy decides to use some elaborate Lucy type plots to make get past this little insecurity. Discussions include the enigmatic George Glass and our experiences with hair treatments. Apologies for any background noise.

When Lucy makes herself and Rick late one too many times, Ricky decides to put her on a strict schedule in an attempt to impress his new boss. Results vary. Discussions this week include Sherlock Holmes, John Wayne, and McCarthyism. "Did John Wayne Try To Pull Sacheen Littlefeather Offstage at 1973 Oscars?" (spoiler: yes, he did) Edith Meiser: Sherlockian Extraordinaire

When Ricky tricks Lucy into thinking he knew all the answers to a radio trivia show, Lucy, as the title suggests, gets him on the show. Things get funky when Lucy tries to come up with answers for the show's questions. Discussions this week include the Oscars, our mother's barnacles, and pub quizzes. Apologies for fluctuating audio quality/sound levels. The History of Popcorn: How One Grain Became a Staple Snack British Scandal Podcast: The Coughing Major Movin' Right Along

When Ricky needs some publicity, Lucy decides to pose as a foreign princess who is in love with him. Things go interestingly. Discussions this week include the long ago year of 2004 and good old fashioned 1950s racism. Benny Goodman "Body and Soul"

We finally made it! On this week's episode, Ricky needs someone to do a commercial on a TV show he's starring in, and Lucy connives to get the job. While practicing her bit as the Vitameataegamin girl, she gets a little tipsy and things go just as well as you'd expect. Discussions today include kombucha and Star Wars. Video: clip of the Vitameatavegamin bit (because no one does it like Lucy) Article: Lucy's iconic 'Vitameatavegamin' dress has a famous home Video: Red Skelton performing Guzzler's Gin routine

"Speaking of that meat..." This week, Lucy and Ethel want to economize and get a home freezer. When an oppurtunity to get a free walk in freezer presents itself, the girls jump at it, and immediately order a couple of sides of beef to celebrate. Anyone else see the problem here? Discussions this week mostly center around the fact that we both need a good freezer. Mama Ines Quantum Realm Podcast

When Ricky's old friends from Cuba visit, Ricky ends up agreeing to do a performance with an old friend, who is now a gorgeous young woman. Lucy gets terribly jealous, and things spiral as they tend to do. Discussions this week include Peggy Lee, the Muppets (yes, again), and John Dillinger. BTW, Miss Piggy rollerskates in The Muppets Take Manhattan. Here's a clip! The Mambo Kings Desi Arnaz Jr as Desi Arnaz The Mambo Kings/I Love Lucy clip Peggy Lee Discography Peggy Lee's "Similau"

After a series of misunderstandings and coincidences, Ricky and Fred become convinced that Lucy is suffering from kleptomania. Naturally, she and Ethel take revenge at them for jumping to conclusions by pretending to be embroiled in a life of crime. Discussions this week include Aunt Jemima and racism, Love Never Dies, and bananas. Slight correction: Tess Gardella performed in minstrel and vaudeville shows as Aunt Jemima, but she named herself this after the song "Old Aunt Jemima, written in 1875. The pancake flour mascot is also named after the song, but some of her image and mannerisms were inspired by Gardella's performance. Aunt Jemima's Pancake House in Disneyland The History Chicks Podcast Aunt Jemima episode Still Processing Podcast Aunt Jemima episode The Liberation of Aunt Jemima art piece by Betye Saar The Major and the Minor trailer

When Lucy discovers a spelling error on the Ricardo marriage license, she fears their marriage is invalid. Ricky decides to pull a joke on her, and they end up attempting to get remarried. Discussions this week include Charo and Bacardi Rum. Apologies for the level of background noise! Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts so we can get the podcast out to a wider audience! Tailwaggers Society

After Ricky and Fred refuse Lucy and Ethel's demands for dishwashers, the men and women make a bet to see who can last longer without modern conveniences. Unfortunately this bet happens just as Lucy and Ethel are trying to join a new club. Somehow, this leads to the largest loaf of bread ever. Discussions include Muhammad Ali and James Brown, The Muppets, and our high school band and choir. "That time ‘I Love Lucy' confronted antisemitism in front of millions of Americans" by Vctoria Myers "While Strolling Through the Park" on Muppets Tonight I couldn't find a clip of James Brown as Annie, but here's James Brown's Celebrity Hot Tub Party lol

This week, the girls and the guys make a bet to see who can go without gossiping the longest. It goes about as well as you'd expect. Discussions today include Joan Crawford, Marion Davies, the rivalry between Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons, and Lucy and Ethel's friendship manifesting in matching china. You Must Remember This podcast "Gossip Girls" series on Hedda and Lolly Gold Dust Twins Unique Vintage Lucy line with "starlet duster" Marion Davies showing her comedy chops

When Ricky decides to grow a mustache for a possible movie role, Lucy decides to get back at him by gluing on a false mustache and beard. Naturally, she ends up unable to get it off -- and this proves inconvenient when a talent scout comes to dinner. Discussions this week include mustache cups, certain boy bands, My Friend Irma, and the importance of bodily autonomy. Also the Honeymooners/Magnificent Montague actress Breanna mentioned was Pert Kelton! Magnificent Montague episodes

This week, the Mertzes are having a big fight, and helping them get back together causes the Ricardos to have a big fight. Discussions this week include the principles of muscular Christianity, the mysterious Donald Glass, and Fred's possible experience with arson. We recorded this the same week we watched and reviewed Being the Ricardos, so we mention that film a few times -- spoilers for it, if you haven't seen it yet, lol. Nothing major, just comments in passing.

We sat down and watched Amy Poehler's documentary Lucy and Desi, then had a quick casual chat about it.

When a new couple move into the apartment building, the gang are very curious about them. Lucy happens to overhear some concerning things from them, and the Ricardos and Mertzes end up in a fight for their life... or... so they think. For a while. Discussions today include Smokey the Bear, The Flintstones (again), and all the Mortons. Apologies once again for any background noise. How Stereotypes of the Irish Evolved from Criminals to Cops TV Tropes: Officer O'Hara

This week, a teenaged neighbor of the Ricardos has a massive crush on Ricky, and when Lucy offers to teach a boy from her school to dance, the "dreamy" young man falls for Lucy! What follows is a bunch of chaos and shenanigans. Apologies for the background noise. It seemed off topic to bring this up in the episode, but here's an interesting article about when Janet Waldo was replaced as the voice of Judy Jetson in The Jetsons Movie by the 80s singer Tiffany

Outtakes from the recording of our episode on "The Ballet," featuring guest appearances from Diana's parents lol. Shout out to dancers' thighs!

This week, Lucy tries to get into Ricky's new show -- he needs ballet dancers and burlesque comedians, and Lucy is willing to do either... so of course she manages to do both! This one's a classic, guys! DIscussions this week include Tchaikovsky, shopping with chimpanzees, and (interestingly enough) the episode Lucy Plays Cupid. Warning, there's a tapping noise around the 30 minute mark. Apologies for that and any other weirdness in the sound quality. Lucille Ball and Phil Silvers "Slowly I Turn" on CBS Opening Night, 1963 Lucille Ball in Life Magazine "Beauty into Buffoon" WTF Lucy blog

After a fun evening together, the Ricardos and Mertzes end up in an argument that escalates to the point that the Ricardos plan to move out of the apartment building, but first they have to figure out how to get out of their lease. An exercise in pettiness (and, of course, the highest order silliness) ensues. DIscussions include a party at the Arnaz home and Anna Pavlova. Apologies for the noise from the laptop fan... this little computer is really going through it lol. I Love Lucy radio pilot "The Lease Breakers" Take Me Out to the Ballgame (Cracker Jack theme song)

This one is pretty much what it says on the tin -- Lucy writes a play for her women's club, and the gang get into all kinds of shenanigans while staging it! We get a bunch of costumes, one liners, and super nerdy references... so we both have a blast with this underrated gem of an episode. Discussions include Looney Tunes, Elizabeth Taylor, and (of course) the Bard.

Diana obtained the Bubbaloo gum, and we decided to do a quick recording of us trying it just for fun -- but also in honor of our boy Ricky (and Desi, of course). Apologies to any listeners with misophonia... there are some gum chewing and bubble popping sounds in this one, so we won't blame you if you choose to skip it! Listen to our episode on "The Audition" to hear us discuss Babalu and the first mention of Bubbaloo. The pic of the Bubbaloo package on Instagram

Lucy decides that she will develop some interesting symptoms as a result of being held back from becoming the star she feels she was meant to be. She ends up thnking she's dying from a rare tropical illness. We spend a lot of time giggling and even more time fawning over Tallulah Bankhead. Apologies for background noise... spirit of chaos and all that. This episode is dedicated to Diana's grandma, one of the most fabulous dames we ever knew. Golden by Avon Van Hassel Louis Armstrong's version of "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead, You Rascal You" For more on Tallulah Bankhead, check out Be Kind Rewind's video "Why Tallulah Bankhead Never Became a Movie Star"