In Praise Of “lucy”

In regard to Karen Hornick’s choice of overrated sitcoms (“Over & Under Rated,” October 2003), there is a distinction between the words overrated and overexposed . “I Love Lucy” could never be overrated, but it is definitely overexposed.

And yet, everyone has a right to hate a program. One of my closest friends hated “Lucy” because of the degrading way Ricky treated her and the fact that she was just as despicable when retaliating against him. Even a well-known and respected comedian disliked the chicanery and lack of trust he saw in the Ricardo marriage, so he decided to write a show that was more realistic.

That show, written by Carl Reiner, is a neglected gem. “The Dick Van Dyke Show” not only launched the career of Mary Tyler Moore, it portrayed a loving, adult couple going through life’s ups and downs while never debasing each other. “Gilligan’s Island” was a two-note show centered on how the castaways would get off the island and how Gilligan would screw things up. But many people liked this show for its mindless fun. It seems that today mindless fun wins out against adult comedy because (I believe) all the episodes of “Gilligan’s Island” are found on video, but those of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” are not. I hope an underappreciated show like this one will reach the status of both “Lucy” and “Gilligan” and see the release of all its superb episodes on video or DVD.