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<blockquote data-quote="Crimson" data-source="post: 240318" data-attributes="member: 5079">I can&#039;t think of any show that declined in quality year-over-year as consistently as THE LUCY SHOW and with corresponding behind-the-scenes changes to explain the decline.The first season is very good; not quite as good as I LOVE LUCY at its best but about on par with its average.&nbsp; The season has a focus and the comedy starts from plausible characters and relationships.&nbsp; Much of this is to the credit of Desi Arnaz.&nbsp; Although divorced for 2 years, Desi was still running Desilu and was the executive producer of the first 8 episodes of THE LUCY SHOW.&nbsp; Even after he left, the writers maintained the focus he established for the remainder of the season.&nbsp; This season is the last truly great work Lucy would do in her career.Despite being a big hit, CBS executives were derisive about the series due to its lack of male stars -- one apparently called it &quot;The Dyke Sans Dick Show&quot;.&nbsp; This is the reason Gale Gordon was brought in during season two.&nbsp; Without Desi, the writers didn&#039;t bother ironing out a good relationship between Mr. Mooney and the rest of the characters; any concept the show had became nebulous.&nbsp;&nbsp; During the same season, Lucy&#039;s belligerence towards her longtime writers caused them to quit. From that point on, her series would never again have consistent staff writers.&nbsp; The quality became erratic and any sense of continuity went out the window.&nbsp;&nbsp; Vivian was miffed about the declining quality and feeling sidelined, so she&nbsp; left at the end of the third season.&nbsp; The change in direction between seasons three and four are so extreme, it feels like two different shows.&nbsp; Lucy, in her mid-50s, started being written has if she was a young lady and even the slightest pretense of believability was gone.&nbsp; As kinky as 60s TV could be, nothing is more perverse than the sight of Lucy in male drag -- a common motif in the series -- while still wearing fake eye lashes, blue eye shadow and red lipstick. As grating and tacky as THE LUCY SHOW became, I would still take it over HERE&#039;S LUCY which I find just about the stalest show ever made.&nbsp; Even the &quot;good&quot; episodes (the Burtons) I find to be unwatchable.&nbsp; I almost think I&#039;d rather watch LIFE WITH LUCY, which at least has a kind of doomed valiance to it.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Crimson, post: 240318, member: 5079"] I can't think of any show that declined in quality year-over-year as consistently as THE LUCY SHOW and with corresponding behind-the-scenes changes to explain the decline. The first season is very good; not quite as good as I LOVE LUCY at its best but about on par with its average. The season has a focus and the comedy starts from plausible characters and relationships. Much of this is to the credit of Desi Arnaz. Although divorced for 2 years, Desi was still running Desilu and was the executive producer of the first 8 episodes of THE LUCY SHOW. Even after he left, the writers maintained the focus he established for the remainder of the season. This season is the last truly great work Lucy would do in her career. Despite being a big hit, CBS executives were derisive about the series due to its lack of male stars -- one apparently called it "The Dyke Sans Dick Show". This is the reason Gale Gordon was brought in during season two. Without Desi, the writers didn't bother ironing out a good relationship between Mr. Mooney and the rest of the characters; any concept the show had became nebulous. During the same season, Lucy's belligerence towards her longtime writers caused them to quit. From that point on, her series would never again have consistent staff writers. The quality became erratic and any sense of continuity went out the window. Vivian was miffed about the declining quality and feeling sidelined, so she left at the end of the third season. The change in direction between seasons three and four are so extreme, it feels like two different shows. Lucy, in her mid-50s, started being written has if she was a young lady and even the slightest pretense of believability was gone. As kinky as 60s TV could be, nothing is more perverse than the sight of Lucy in male drag -- a common motif in the series -- while still wearing fake eye lashes, blue eye shadow and red lipstick. As grating and tacky as THE LUCY SHOW became, I would still take it over HERE'S LUCY which I find just about the stalest show ever made. Even the "good" episodes (the Burtons) I find to be unwatchable. I almost think I'd rather watch LIFE WITH LUCY, which at least has a kind of doomed valiance to it. [/QUOTE]

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Who played JR Ewing?