These shows have their moments, but all in all, it's true; they're mostly stale and uninspired. Guest stars and "exotic" locales try to give the proceedings a shot in the arm, but most of the time the guest stars look pained and uncomfortable (you're almost embarrassed for Maurice Chevalier getting caught up in Ricky and Lucy's increasingly realistic and unpleasant fighting).
I could only remember two of the shows - Lucy's Summer Vacation and Lucy Hunt for Uranuium. Both of them were classic episodes.
This continuation of I Love Lucy is nowhere near the classic sitcom. The best of the 13 episodes (by far) is The Celebrity Next Door with the incomparable Tallulah Bankhead.
This shows what a hard act "I Love Lucy" is to follow. I caught some of the episodes by happenstance, since they are so rarely shown.
I am a huge Lucy fan.. but I don't know if I'd be if this was my only exposure to her world.
I have to add that Lucille Ball in these one-hour shows is very attractive. The comedy is fresh and almost as enjoyable as the chocolate-eating scene from I Love Lucy.
These episodes, like "I Love Lucy" were priceless. But what I think made these stand out, were its guest stars.
I can't agree with the other comments, I've never found these shows particularly funny. For me, I found that the magic was gone, and since Lucy and Desi's marriage was ending, I think that transferred to the screen.
Lucille Ball is the greatest comic of all time. All of Lucy's shows were fun, light, and campy.
