Ep 30. Lucy Does a TV Commercial

Lucy Does a TV Commercial is the 30th episode of the first season of the classic sitcom I Love Lucy. It originally aired on May 5, 1952, and features Lucy trying her hand at television advertising.

In this episode, Lucy finds herself at loose ends when Ricky needs to work late at the club and she has nothing to do. Ethel suggests that she join a women's club that is sponsoring a contest for a chance to appear in a television commercial.

As luck would have it, Lucy is chosen as the winner of the contest and is offered the chance to promote a health tonic called "Vitameatavegamin" on a live TV show. However, things don't go quite as planned when Lucy discovers that the tonic contains a high alcohol content, leading to a series of hilarious mishaps on live television.

Lucy's attempts to promote the tonic lead her to become increasingly drunk, with her slurred speech and clumsy movements causing chaos on set. Despite her disastrous performance, her trademark comic timing and physical humor make for a classic episode of I Love Lucy.

The episode also features the iconic scene in which Lucy struggles to keep up with the rapidly accelerating pace at which the product needs to be promoted, downing more and more of the tonic with each take, until she can barely stand.

As always, Lucy's antics are balanced by the more level-headed interventions of her husband Ricky and best friend Ethel. While Ricky tries to help her out by feeding her lines, Ethel tries to cover for her mistakes by repeatedly pouring out the contents of the Vitameatavegamin bottle into a nearby plant.

Despite the chaos and confusion that ensues, Lucy eventually manages to make it through the commercial, albeit with a few bumps and bruises along the way. The episode ends with a classic moment in which the studio audience gives Lucy a standing ovation, completely unaware of the disasters that had unfolded behind the scenes.

Overall, Lucy Does a TV Commercial is a classic episode of I Love Lucy that showcases Lucille Ball's undeniable talent and charm as a comedic actress. It remains a beloved and often-quoted example of the show's enduring popularity and lasting influence on the world of television.