Lucy And Viv Put In A Shower – The Lucy Show season 1, originally aired January 28, 1963
Disastrous results when Lucy and Viv put in a shower. Of course, their neighbor’s actually paid a professional plumber to do it. But, since the ladies won’t accept a handout, the plumber’s supposed to be a friend of the neighbor’s. But Lucy’s constant watching, and harping, drives the poor man away! So, Viv and Lucy will do it themselves …
Lucy and Viv realize that they need a second bathroom in their house — 5 people sharing one bathroom, especially with one of them being a teenage girl, simple isn’t working. But, they can’t afford it. Then, Lucy gets the idea that, if she buys the parts and has someone donate the labor, it would be much less expensive. And, on cue, her neighbor Harry comes over, to invite the ladies out to lunch. Instead, she offers him his favorite meal — Eggs Benedict. But he knows that a free lunch can be very expensive! But when Viv’s boyfriend Eddie comes over, they’re both “volunteered” for the job.
Plumber in disguise
But, After Harry’s been working on the new shower, Eddie shows up with a “friend”. The friend, Joe, is actually a plumber! Eddie & Joe will split the expense, Joe will install the new shower, and they’ll all be out of there before their entire weekend’s spent installing the shower! Brilliant!
But …. Lucy keeps interrupting Joe — unaware that he’s actually a plumber — and criticizing his work, how slow he his, how he obviously doesn’t know the first thing about plumbing, etc. And eventually Joe has had enough! He tells Lucy off, quits, and storms off in a huff!
We can finish it ourselves!
And, of course, the job’s unfinished. But Lucy’s sure that she & Viv can finish it! Despite not knowing what a “washer” is … or does. And it a classic bit of clown comedy, she and Viv are trapped in the shower, unable to turn off the water, and nearly drown:
[Viv and Lucy are trapped in a rapidly-flooding shower stall]
Vivian Bagley: I just now thought of something.
Lucy Carmichael: What?
Vivian Bagley: Did you pay this month’s water bill?
Lucy Carmichael: Sure I did.
Vivian Bagley: THAT WAS A DUMB THING TO DO!
And in conclusion
Finally, the catastrophe’s averted, the water’s drained, more plumbers are hired. And, it now costs significantly more than it would have in the first place. And, given all of the water that’s leaked out …. As Lucy and Viv are drying out in the kitchen, the ceiling plaster starts falling down on them!
Cast of characters
- Lucille Ball (I Love Lucy; Here’s Lucy) … Lucy Carmichael
- Vivian Vance (The Great Race) … Vivian Bagley
- Dick Martin (Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In) … Harry Conners
- Jimmy Garrett … Jerry Carmichael
- Ralph Hart … Sherman Bagley
- Donald Briggs (The Adventures of Frank Meriwell) … Eddie Collins
- Stafford Repp (Batman season 1) … Joe Melvin
Trivia
- Lucy and Viv are stuck in the shower as the water continually rises. Lucille Ball later stated that she nearly drowned during the filming of this scene, when she went to the bottom and found herself unable turn herself upright. Vivian Vance realized she was in trouble, and pulled Lucy up by her hair. Vance ad-libbed until Lucy could catch her breath and resume her lines. The near-disastrous moment was left in, and is widely considered the funniest of the show.