Your Top 5 60s Sitcoms (When I Saw #4, I Got Chills)*

[KeithE4]

The Lucy Show was filmed in color, which it immediately made go to the top of my list.

You sure about that? I thought the first couple of seasons aired in black & white, and still did when the show went into syndication.

 

[seatownmedia]

To clarify: (from Wiki)

"Under Ball's supervision, episodes were filmed in color beginning with the 1963-64 season, although they would continue to be broadcast in black and white up until September 1965. Ball realized that when the series ended its prime-time run, color episodes would command more money when sold to syndication. CBS was equipped for color but would only use color transmission equipment for feature films. They stated that turning on color equipment was too tough to do for short periods.[citation needed] At the time most color equipment and color TV sets were made by RCA, parent company of rival network NBC. CBS was reported[by whom?] to have felt that using color would be promoting a rival's product and would not be beneficial to CBS. Fewer than 5% of the population owned a color TV set in 1963."[citation needed]

 

[KeithE4]

To clarify: (from Wiki)

"Under Ball's supervision, episodes were filmed in color beginning with the 1963-64 season, although they would continue to be broadcast in black and white up until September 1965. Ball realized that when the series ended its prime-time run, color episodes would command more money when sold to syndication. CBS was equipped for color but would only use color transmission equipment for feature films. They stated that turning on color equipment was too tough to do for short periods.[citation needed] At the time most color equipment and color TV sets were made by RCA, parent company of rival network NBC. CBS was reported[by whom?] to have felt that using color would be promoting a rival's product and would not be beneficial to CBS. Fewer than 5% of the population owned a color TV set in 1963."[citation needed]

According to TV.com, the first season was filmed in black & white, but it continued to air that way even after the show began filming in color, starting with Season 2. I knew I saw syndicated reruns of the show in B&W, but I thought it was more than just the first season.

Season two also marked the beginning of the series being filmed in color. Oddly, CBS was still transmitting its programming in black and white. It wasn't until later reruns that these episodes were ever seen in color. (Desilu knew that color was inevitable and having shows shot in color would improve their value later in syndication.)

http://www.tv.com/shows/the-lucy-show/