How do British people feel about I Love Lucy?

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DameKumquat@reddit

Anyone under 70 won't have seen it. I only know it from US trivia - when we mistakenly got an American Trivial Pursuit set we rapidly learned it was the answer to most Entertainment questions.

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Itsgreg80@reddit

I'm in my 40s and I've seen it. I watched reruns of it in the 80s.

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speedmuppet@reddit

Maybe under 60s. I'm 63 and it was regularly shown until I was 7 or 8. I'm sure I watched a few eps on one of the Freeview nostalgia channels in the last ten years.

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I'm in my mid 40s and I have very vague recollections of seeing a few episodes when I was quite young but no lasting impressions that stayed with me. I think you'll struggle to find anyone even a couple of years younger than me who will have ever seen it. It's not really a classic comedy here in the UK, I don't think you can even watch it on any of the mainstream tv platforms like Sky or Netflix. So most British people are very likely to have no feelings or even thoughts about it whatsoever.

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ResplendentBear@reddit

We mainly know of it from Family Guy cutaway gags. Or Simpsons references. It's not been shown here for decades, if ever.

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No_Doubt_About_That@reddit

Watched many episodes of Family Guy and don’t even recall it being mentioned

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Ok_Shirt983@reddit

It has definitely been shown here but you need to be of a certain age, I don't think it's been on telly for about 50 years or so.

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ResplendentBear@reddit

I'm in my 40s so that works out.

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Occamsfacecloth@reddit

That movie, rat race

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Tumeni1959@reddit

In her early years, Lucille Ball was a jobbing actress at RKO studios, and became typecast for playing a certain style of role. Time came when a role was described in the script as a "Lucille Ball-type character", so she went and auditioned for it. She didn't get the part.

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ARobertNotABob@reddit

I saw a few episodes when I was knee-high, but I'm more familiar with Lucille Ball for her (and husband Desi Arnaz) being instrumental in bringing *Star Trek* to life. I've no awareness of negativity surrounding her, other than potentially eminating through her being a strong businesswoman.

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Plus-One-11@reddit

I'll love anyone female - her name is not really important :)

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ukbot-nicolabot@reddit

A top level comment (one that is not a reply) should be a good faith and genuine attempt to answer the question

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Dangerous-Regret-358@reddit

I haven't seen it for years, although I do have some of the shows on DVD. It was broadcast on TV in the UK in the 1960s and 1070s. I thought she was very funny, and I still laugh at her now. Her sense of comic timing was excellent. One of the all-time greats.

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Chevalitron@reddit

It was a bit hard for Brits in the 1070s to get into though, the dialect was very alien and they found the magic light picture box quite frightening itself.

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NSE-Imports@reddit

While not a fan of the show, I am a fan of Lucille Ball herself. Thanks to her we have Star Trek. 🖖

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Chevalitron@reddit

Ironically the only reason I know this show exists is because one of the Vulcan exiles on Earth in the 50s mentions the show in *Enterprise*.

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spizoil@reddit

Wow, every day’s a school day. Thanks for the Lucille Ball info

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EUskeptik@reddit

British people of a certain age will remember ’I Love Lucy’ starring Lucille Ball, her husband Desi Arnaz and their son Desi Arnaz Junior. I am 71 and remember watching it as a child. I don’t think many people younger than myself would be aware of the show. My mother was a big fan and I think she saw Lucille Ball as some kind of role model. My mother struggled with mental illness for as long as I can remember and I feel her judgement was not always totally reliable. We watched the show on black and white TV. We didn’t get a colour TV until 1968. I have since watched one episode of the show in colour and it was an entirely different experience. Lucille’s shock of red hair was exactly that, a shock! 😂 -oo-

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Pockysocks@reddit

I know it's an old American TV show from being referenced in other American TV shows but I know nothing about it other than that.

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Ronald_Villiers_67@reddit

All the time. What is it?

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RonsonGlitter@reddit

Can't beat a bit of the old I Love Lucy.

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Kapika96@reddit

Who the fuck is Lucy?

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oscarx-ray@reddit

I'm nearly forty and have never seen it on UK TV, nor even referenced in our pop culture. I'm aware of it due to an active interest in American comedy - but most people will have maybe seen a gag or two in other US TV shows like Family Guy or The Simpsons, and have no idea of the show proper, or Dick Van Dyke's show, or Bob Newhart's, or the various tie-ins and spin-offs.

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Herne_KZN@reddit

Not sure it’s ever been broadcast here, tbh. So on average I’d say people don’t think of it at all.

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broken-runner-26@reddit

No, we suffered in the 60's.

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Martipar@reddit

I've never seen it but Lucille Ball is a goddess for producing Star Trek and for that i shall be eternally grateful.

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DisastrousTurnip3553@reddit

Nothing at all. What do Americans feel about Hancock's Half Hour?

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L00ny-T00n@reddit

Do they have volunteer blood donors over there, where the only payment in kind is a cuppa tea and some biccys?

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notthatbluestuff@reddit

We famously hate it, it’s a huge thing here.

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Neviss99@reddit

I went to a “I hate Lucy” party last year

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Used-Ad9589@reddit

Was good, Lucille Ball was a legend both on and off the screen, the reason we have modern Sci-Fi (she financed the original Star Trek via her production studio), the three-camera sitcom, syndication is a lot to do with her, etc, etc. She is responsible for a LOT of the media industries development and filming techniques we have had and continue to have til this day. The show was alright, I was a child when it was fizzling but honestly I can see why it was popular

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quoole@reddit

It's referenced in modern family once and that's all I know of it!

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NessaGuin@reddit

I think it was on TV in the late 80s or 90s but at my age, it just wasn't appealing to watch, so I knew an old show was still getting the occasional repeat, but it is far from a cultural touchstone. I've only in the last two or three years found out she helped get Star Trek on the air, so people might like her for that but think her show is meh or garbage by today's standards.

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Vepps91@reddit

Never heard of it.

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DeapVally@reddit

I know of it, but that's all. It's just some dinosaur show that is occasionally referenced in other American TV shows. I've never seen it broadcast on TV over here.

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2eatflowers@reddit

It’s really not a part of the cultural consciousness here so it’s unusual for people to have a perception of it at all. I’ve never seen it an episode in my life or seen it televised on UK channels. The first time I ever heard of the show was holidaying in the States and seeing I Love Lucy tat in souvenir shops.

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Tumeni1959@reddit

You do mean the American sitcom with Lucille Ball, dontcha? It was on TV regularly in the 1960s and 70s, but has been absent from our screens since then. I'd be surprised if anyone under 40 knows anything about it It always used to annoy me that one of the stars was Desi Arnaz,, but the voice over in the credits read his name as Arnez, with an E in the second syllable. I always thought Lucille's character was a bit overstated and something of a ham part, but apart from that, no strong opinions.

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StatisticianUsual471@reddit

We don't

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Salt-Trade-5210@reddit

I vaguely remember it from my very young years in the 60s and early 70s. My parents thought it was rubbish and would turn over if it came on.

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Thisoneissfwihope@reddit

The only reason I've heard about I Love Lucy is because there are clips in Pretty Woman and Crocdile Dundee.

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TheDawiWhisperer@reddit

I can't say I've thought about it once in my life apart from in the context of this Reddit thread

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exkingzog@reddit

Blissfully unaware.

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PoppySunny@reddit

I'd love to watch it, but on a lot of places I pay for, you have to pay extra to watch it. From what I remember the dvds were pricey too

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