Ethel (Vivian Vance) and Lucy (Lucille Ball) celebrate Christmas… in color!
Tomorrow, December 25, is Christmas, but there was an early present on television December 20 for all who love I Love Lucy and classic comedy (and is there anyone who doesn’t?!): The series’ Christmas episode, previously seen only in a not-so-great black-and-white transfer, was colorized and given high-def clarity, along with Lucy’s popular grape-stomping episode from the Ricardo’s and Mertz’s Europe trip aired on CBS at 8 p.m. The high-def transfer made me tingle in anticipation for the initial Blu-Ray I Love Lucy release in spring 2014. Note that only the holiday scenes were in color in the Xmas episode. It’s essentially a series of flashbacks, and those are in black and white, which actually adds to the nostalgic feeling of the episode. I had predicted a typical Lucy ratings win for this one, and sure enough, the one-hour special topped the ratings in TV’s most coveted category, adults aged 18-49. Total viewers numbered close to nine million, third highest viewership of the night — not bad for a sitcom that took the nation by storm more than 62 years ago!
I hope you enjoyed the special presentation and have a safe, happy holiday and a fabulous new year!
