Still in Love with Lucy
by Thomas Watson
Dear Lucy Fans...
Reissued DVDs May Be Delayed
Paramount Home Video's reissue of the Season One I Love Lucy DVDs (originally scheduled to hit the stores May 3) will most likely be delayed -- if only by a few weeks. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.
As for the changes between the original releases and the new discs, producer Gregg Oppenheimer tells us:
EVERY episode is now closed captioned (on the previous release, only 5 of the 9 discs were closed captioned).
Discs 1 and 2 has 6 shows each, and includes all 12 episodes previously included on Paramount's Season One, Volumes 1, 2, and 3. They also have English closed captions and Spanish subtitles, neither of which were on the previous Paramount release. Also added are Production Notes/Script Excerpts, Production Credits menus, and additional Special Footage/Lost Scenes. The Scene Selection menus are also improved, with more scenes (the previous release only showed 5 scenes per episode on the Scene Selection menus).
Disc 3 (4 episodes) is the same as Paramount's previous Season One, Volume 4, except that English Closed Captions have been added.
Discs 4 and 5 have 6 episodes each instead of 4, and contain all 12 episodes previously included on Season One, Vols. 5, 6, and 7. Otherwise they are the same as the previous Paramount releases (which already had English Closed Captions, Spanish Subtitles, Production Notes, etc.).
Disc 6 (4 episodes) is the same as Paramount's previous Season One, Volume 8, except that English Closed Captions have been added.
Disc 7 (4 episodes) is exactly the same as Paramount's previous Season One, Volume 9 (which already had English Closed Captions, Spanish Subtitles, Production Notes, etc.).
The Season One Box Set has only four thinpaks (3 of the 4 thinpaks contain two discs each), which makes it only about 80% of the width of the Season 2, 3, and 4 box sets -- and less than a quarter of the width of the old Season 1 box set.
As reported earlier, Paramount plans to release the Season Five box set in late August.
Lucy's Cousin Cleo to Visit Jamestown
Lucille Ball's cousin Cleo Smith has been added to the line-up of guests attending this year's "Lucy-Desi Days" festival, held over Memorial Day Weekend (May 27-29) in Jamestown, NY.
Ms. Smith, who grew up in the same household as Lucy, will participate in a panel discussion about the famous Redhead, along with Wanda Clark (Lucy's longtime personal secretary) and actress Marilyn Borden.
Cleo is expected to comment on "growing up in Jamestown" with Lucy, and on her own later experiences serving as a production executive of Lucy's 1966 "Lucy in London" special (photo, right), and as producer of the "Here's Lucy" series.
For more information about the May featival, visit the Lucy-Desi Center web site at:
Have a great week everybody!
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