CTVA US Comedy - "I Love Lucy" (Desilu/CBS) Season 6 (1956-57)

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The Classic TV Archive - US Comedy Series

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Starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, William Frawley
Season 6 (CBS) (1956-57)
Episode Guide compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by:
references:
TV Guide /   Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (https://us.imdb.com)
UCLA Film and Television Archive


################# I Love Lucy ################
############## season 6 1956-57 ##############
###############
(final season) ###############
A. C. Nielsen Rank: #1
Monday Nights 9:00 ET, CBS

6.1 [154] I Love Lucy: LUCY AND BOB HOPE
Prod. no. 154 / 01-Oct-56 CBS
Ricky is opening a new club, and he wants Bob Hope to appear at the grand opening.
Lucy fears Hope won't appear because of her widespread reputation for monkey-
wrench throwing, and wants to reassure him that this time she's butting out.

6.2 [155] I Love Lucy: LITTLE RICKY LEARNS TO PLAY THE DRUMS
Prod. no.157 / 08-Oct-56 CBS
Lucy suddenly decides her son is going to be a doctor, but Ricky wants him to be
a band leader like himself. They agree to resolve the question by giving him a toy
doctor's uniform and a drum and seeing which he prefers. The fact that the boy
chooses the drum changes nothing as far as Lucy is concerned.
(Historical note: Before taking on the acting role of Little Ricky, Keith
Thibodeaux was known as "The World's Tiniest Professional Drummer.")

6.3 [156] I Love Lucy: LUCY MEETS ORSON WELLES
Prod. no. 155  /   15-Oct-56 CBS 
guest-star: Orson Welles as himself,
with Ellen Corby (from "The Waltons.")
Synopsis:
Orson Welles is going to
perform his magic act in Ricky's club. He asks Ricky if Lucy will help him.
Ricky has had one too many of Lucy's screwball antics and is only too happy
to push her off to Florida. When Lucy meets Welles and accidentally learns of
the chance she is missing, she cancels her trip and gets a drama class to come
and watch her do Shakespeare with Welles.

6.4 [157] I Love Lucy: LITTLE RICKY GETS STAGE FRIGHT
Prod. no. 156  / 22-Oct-66 CBS
guest-star: Howard McNear (Floyd the barber in "The Andy Griffith Show")
Synopsis:
Little Ricky is scheduled to play the drums in a children's orchestra. Although
his parents and their friends the Mertzes are overcome with nervousness, Little
Ricky seems calm until his big moment arrives; then he goes to pieces. His next
performance is six months away, but Lucy feels she must do something about his
stage fright now.

6.5 [158] I Love Lucy: VISITOR FROM ITALY
Prod. no. 158 /  29-Oct-56  CBS
 Mario, the Ricardos and Mertzes' gondolier in Venice, comes to New York to
surprise his brother Dominic, but turns up at the Ricardos' apartment when
he can't find him. Lucy is sure Dominic is in San Francisco and sets out to
help Mario raise the bus fare. Her earnest efforts pay off in a surprising way.
Look for Lucy's classic pizza-making scene in this episode.

6.6 [159] I Love Lucy: OFF TO FLORIDA
Prod. no. 159 /  12-Nov-56 CBS
When Lucy misplaces two train tickets to Florida, she and Ethel consult the
classified section, hoping to share a ride with someone driving south. They
team up with a peculiar middle-aged woman, Mrs. Grundy, who's bent on
getting to Florida in record time. Elsa Lanchester, who played the original
"Bride of Frankenstein," guest-stars as Mrs. Grundy in this episode.

6.7 [160] I Love Lucy: DEEP-SEA FISHING
Prod. no.160  /   19-Nov-56 CBS
 When the Mertzes and the Ricardos vacation in Florida, women's shopping habits
versus men's fishing prowess becomes an issue.

6.8 [161] I Love Lucy: DESERT ISLAND
Pros. no. 161 /  26-Nov-56 CBS
Guest Star: Claude Akins)
On a pleasure cruise, Lucy manages to have the boat run out of gas to keep
Fred and Ricky from judging a "Miss Miami Beach" beauty contest. The Ricardos
and the Mertzes find themselves adrift on the Atlantic. Eventually they land
on a desert island, where Lucy promptly runs into trouble. Claude Akins, who
later went on to play TV's Sheriff Lobo, guest-stars as himself in this episode.

6.9 [162] I Love Lucy: THE RICARDOS VISIT CUBA
Prod. no. 162  /  3-Dec-56 CBS
Still on their vacation, the Ricardos go to Cuba, where Ricky wants to introduce
his relatives to Lucy and Little Ricky.

6.10 [163]  I Love Lucy: LITTLE RICKY'S SCHOOL PAGEANT
Prod. no. 163  /  17-Dec-56 CBS
 Little Ricky makes his acting debut in a school play. This lavish children's pageant
in the Enchanted Forest is complete with elves, owls, bunnies, and Lucy as a broom
-riding witch. The episode includes a special cameo by Fred Mertz as Hippity Hoppity,
the friendly frog.

6.11 [---]
THE  "I Love Lucy" CHRISTMAS SHOW
NO Prod number: 24Dec56 CBS
Lucy, Ricky, Ethel, and Fred reminisce about their time as friends while trimming the tree.
In the morning, miscommunication leads to five Santa Clauses, there's an extra one!

(Note: This episode is NOT included in the syndicated package. After its initial
airing, it was not broadcast again in full until CBS aired it in December 1989
and again in December 1990. It is now available for sale through CBS Video.)

6.12 [--] I Love Lucy: LUCY AND THE LOVING CUP
Prod. no. 164  /    7-Jan-57 CBS
 Ricky's disapproval of Lucy's new hat leads to her trying on a loving cup which
Ricky has planned to present to jockey Johnny Longden at a National Turf Association
dinner. The problem is that Lucy can't get the trophy off her head. Look for Lucy's
classic ride on the Lexington Avenue subway in this episode.

6.13 [--] I Love Lucy: LUCY AND SUPERMAN
Prod. no 166 / 14-Jan-57 CBS
Guest Star: George Reeves (Superman)
When another boy has a birthday party the same day as Little Ricky's, Lucy looks for
unusual entertainment to lure the children. Ricky remembers that Superman is in town,
and he invites him. When Ricky is unable to corral Superman, Lucy is left with no
choice but to dress as the Man of Steel herself.

6.14 [--] I Love Lucy: LITTLE RICKY GETS A DOG
Prod. no. 165 / 21-Jan-57 CBS
The Ricardos' apartment begins to resemble a pet shop when Little Ricky gets a puppy.
Lucy and Ricky are both determined to get rid of the puppy after their son brings
it home -- as are their landlords, Fred and Ethel. They have a hard time overcoming
Little Ricky's arguments that a puppy would be a welcome addition to a home that
already boasts a canary, a frog, a lizard, a turtle, and some goldfish.

6.15 [--] I Love Lucy: LUCY WANTS TO MOVE TO THE COUNTRY
Prod. no. 167  /   28-Jan-57 CBS
 Lucy decides that it would be nice to move to the country and prevails on
Ricky to place a comfortable deposit on a big house. Ricky agrees and puts
a down payment on a house in Westport, Connecticut. It is not long before
Lucy changes her mind. Lucy, Ethel, and Fred put on disguises to try and
help poor Ricky get his deposit back.

6.16 [--] I Love Lucy: LUCY HATES TO LEAVE
Prod. no.168 / 4-Feb-57 CBS
Lucy hates to leave behind her old friends Fred and Ethel, who also happen
to be her landlords. But Ricky has told her to sell all their furniture.
Lucy hates to part with her furniture almost as badly as she hates to part
with the Mertzes. She persuades them to keep the furniture in their
apartment, promising that it's "just until we can move."

6.17 [--] I Love Lucy: LUCY MISSES THE MERTZES
Prod. no. 169 / 11-Feb-57 CBS
As the Ricardos get settled in their new country home, they immediately
wind up in a mix-up with their old friends Fred and Ethel Mertz. Missing
their old friends already, Lucy and Ricky decide to visit the Mertzes.
At the same time, the Mertzes decide to trek to the country to visit the
Ricardos, and what began simply becomes complicated.

6.18 [--] I Love Lucy: LUCY GETS CHUMMY WITH THE NEIGHBORS
Prod. no. 170 / 18-Feb-57 CBS
With the best intentions in the world, Lucy somehow causes a misunderstanding with her
neighbors, the Ramseys. It all starts when Betty Ramsey offers Lucy some
advice and a wholesale deal on furniture. For a time, the Ricardos' whole
future at their Connecticut home seems threatened. In this episode, Frank
Nelson and Mary Jane Croft make their debut as the Ramseys.

6.19  [--] I Love Lucy: LUCY RAISES CHICKENS
Prod. no. 171  /    4-Mar-57  CBS
 The Mertzes find a way to stay with the Ricardos: chicken farming. But
the scheme puts Lucy over her head in chickens when she and Ethel bring
home 500 baby chicks before the hen house is ready.

6.20 [--] I Love Lucy: LUCY DOES THE TANGO
Prod. no. 172 / 11-Mar-57 CBS
Chicken-raising and practicing a tango for Little Ricky's school PTA
meeting combine to get the Ricardos and the Mertzes in a verbal battle.
It's up to Ricky, Jr. and his neighborhood pal Bruce Ramsey to straighten
things out.
(The scene where Lucy and Ricky do the tango resulted in the longest
recorded studio audience laugh in the history of the show.)
(Note: This episode featured the longest continuous laugh ever recorded on "I
Love Lucy" -- 65 seconds in duration.)

6.21 [--] I Love Lucy: RAGTIME BAND
Prod. no. 173  /   18-Mar-57 CBS
 Lucy decides to take part in the fundraising campaign of the Westport
Historical Society, and offers to get her husband and his band to perform
for their kickoff function. There's only one hitch -- Ricky won't do it.
So Lucy decides to form her own band featuring herself, Little Ricky,
and Fred and Ethel Mertz. Look for the classic song, "Man Smart, Woman
Smarter," sung by Ricky.

6.22 [--] I Love Lucy: LUCY'S NIGHT IN TOWN
Prod. no. 174 / 25-Mar-57 CBS
 After spending six whole weeks in their new Connecticut home, Lucy dreams
of a night in New York City and it turns into a nightmare. Four carefully
hoarded tickets to the Broadway musical hit "The Most Happy Fella" are
supposed to get the Ricardos and the Mertzes in to see the sold-out show.
But difficulties arise when Fred Mertz gets nervous about pickpockets
because he's carrying $500 in cash in his pockets.

6.23 [--] I Love Lucy: HOUSEWARMING
Prod. no. 175 / 01-Apr-57 CBS
 Fred Mertz installs an intercom system between the Mertz guest-house and
the Ricardo main house. The intercom causes some confusion when Lucy and
Ricky overhear what they believe to be plans for a housewarming party
given for them. Look for a classic bout of jealousy in this episode as
Lucy and Ethel make new friends.

6.24 [--] I Love Lucy: BUILDING A BAR-B-Q
Prod. no. 176  /  8-Apr-57 CBS
 Lucy has a problem deciding what to do to get her vacationing husband,
Ricky, out of her hair so she can do her housework. She and Ethel solve
the problem by putting their husbands to work building a barbecue. In
this episode Lucy loses her wedding ring and Ricky tries to teach her a lesson.

6.25 [--]  I Love Lucy: COUNTRY CLUB DANCE
Prod. no. 177  /  22-Apr-57  CBS
 guest-star: Barbara Eden
Synopsis:
The Ricardos and the Mertzes go with their neighbors, Ralph and Betty Ramsey,
to the country club dance. A pretty visitor quickly convinces the men they
are Romeos in disguise. This development forces the women into glamorous
clothing and beauty treatments to prove that they, too, can be glamorous.

6.26 [--] I Love Lucy: LUCY RAISES TULIPS
Prod. no. 178 /   29-Apr-57 CBS
 Suburban living gets Lucy into a flower-show competition, and she raises
tulips with a vengeance as she tries to beat out her neighbor, Betty Ramsey,
for first prize. Lucy asks Ricky to mow the lawn so that her garden will look
just right. But he only mows half before taking off for a baseball game,
leaving Lucy and Ethel to tiptoe through the tulips -- with the lawnmower.

6.27 [--] I Love Lucy: THE RICARDOS DEDICATE A STATUE  
 (final episode)
Prod. no 179   /   6-May-57 CBS
 Lucy joins a community effort to establish a Revolutionary War
monument. She manages to shatter any dreams she may have had of
becoming a community leader when the statue is broken. Her efforts
to undo the damage put her in a unique position when the time comes
to unveil the statue.
Note: This is the only episode where the Arnazes'
real children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz, Jr., make a cameo
appearance. They are seen at the beginning of the closing scene.)

The Christmas Special in this final season had no prod .no.
therefore the last prod. no. is #179 + the special = 180 episodes

################# I Love Lucy ################
################## the end #################
##############################################

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