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Jamestown

2021/10/12

In a small town in New York, young Lucille Ball becomes enamored with showbiz after watching vaudeville acts and silent movies at the amusement park near her home. As a teenager, she falls for a handsome 21-year-old bootlegger, and is promptly shipped off to drama school in New York City. But Lucy soon returns home as a life-altering tragedy threatens to tear apart her family. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New York City

2021/10/19

Lucy heads back to Broadway where she meets her first girlboss: fashion baroness Hattie Carnegie, who hires Lucy to model coats and dresses for New York high society. But a mysterious ailment sends Lucy home to Jamestown, followed by a bizarre medical treatment. Still determined to make it in the big city, Lucy returns to Manhattan one more and is discovered on the streets, landing the role that would kickstart her career. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hollywood

2021/10/26

For her first movie role, Lucy wears a flesh-toned bodysuit and waist-length blonde wig while chained to a rock. But her clowning on set gets her noticed, and she begins to land larger and larger parts. Soon she signs with RKO Pictures where she's mentored by Ginger Rogers’ demanding and powerful mother, Lela. She also meets a young Cuban musician, the man who would become her closest partner both on and off the screen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Desi

2021/11/02

Forced from his native Cuba by violent revolution, 17-year-old Desi Arnaz is a stranger in a strange land. Armed with an appetite for girls and gambling, Desi sparks a dance craze in the nightclubs of Miami and sweet-talks his way into New York society. After a syphilis scare threatens his Broadway debut, his ambition leads him to Hollywood, where his head is turned by an older actress named Lucy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Desilu

2021/11/09

From the start, Lucy and Desi fight as fiercely as they love. After a spur-of-the-moment elopement, the newlyweds buy a small ranch north of Hollywood and call it “Desilu.” They suffer miscarriages and career setbacks, which causes Desi to take his band on the road – where he frequently cheats on his wife. Lucy considers divorce, but when a TV offer comes in, she uses her stardom to keep Desi by her side. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I Love Lucy

2021/11/16

With a TV deal from CBS, Desi assembles a ragtag team of collaborators to make a new kind of program, one that would rewrite the rules of television. And they do it while hiding Lucy’s newest surprise: after ten years of trying, she’s about to have a baby. The result is the biggest hit in TV history, one that showcases Lucy's fearlessness and comic timing, and she becomes beloved by millions of fans from coast to coast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Red Scare

2021/11/23

At the height of Lucy’s popularity, the government kicks off a political investigation that threatens to ruin her career. Why had Lucy registered as a communist 20 years earlier? On the verge of her being blacklisted, Desi goes on the offensive to save his wife and their livelihood. But his infidelities soon become tabloid fodder, and their love affair begins to crumble in full view of the public. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The End of Desilu

2021/11/30

Lucy and Desi's studio expands as they buy the RKO lot and produce new shows under the Desilu banner. The strain of running an empire takes its toll, and Desi falls further into gambling, drinking and philandering as a refuge from work. Lucy doubles down on her career, but after shooting a tearful final episode of her signature TV show, her marriage reaches its breaking point. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boss Lady

2021/12/07

Escaping Hollywood after her split, Lucy heads east for a chance to star on Broadway. There she meets a new man, a Borscht Belt comedian with a bad toupee and even worse business sense. The new couple returns to Hollywood when Lucy takes on a surprising new role: as the first female head of a major studio. But she still prefers acting, and makes plans to return to the big screen – with disastrous results. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twilight

2021/12/14

Lucy sinks into a depression after the failure of her newest show and becomes a reclusive, fiercely competitive backgammon player. Yet she's still revered, and following a memorable final appearance at the Academy Awards, her heart gives out. As the memorials pour in, the public clamors to learn everything about her life, while those closest to her wonder if they ever really knew her at all. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Season 3 Trailer: Lucy

2021/09/07

From her early years as a model to her triumphant takeover of television, this is the story of Lucille Ball, as never heard before. Join host Ben Mankiewicz as he delves into the private world of America’s funniest redhead and hear for yourself the many triumphs and tragedies, with surprising revelations at every turn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bonus Episode: Lucie Arnaz

2021/12/21

More from Ben Mankiewicz's fascinating interview with Lucie Arnaz, who speaks about working with her mom, growing up on the RKO studio lot, and what made I Love Lucy special. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Read The Plot Thickens podcast reviews

4.6 out of 5

4212 reviews

Roddy_! 2022/06/20

Season 3!!

My goodness this season was so well constructed and articulated!! I shed a number of tears learning so much about a couple I thought I knew (and loved...

tmrc55 2022/06/05

My absolute favorite podcast

Really, really like this podcast. Ben M. is such a great story-teller. Wish the episodes were more often than once a week. 🙂 Love the music too. This...

A big fan of the Classics 2022/05/30

Lucy

Outstanding. No better way to describe the series. A real quality production. Thank you.

Governor Nance 2022/05/13

Wow!

What an incredibly, exceptionally well-done podcast. I REALLY love Lucy, Desi and all they created together even more. Kudos, TCM!

mantelclock 2022/05/07

I Love Lucy and this podcast!

Possibly the best podcast I have ever listened to!!

JP_AMBC 2022/04/27

Movie history at its finest

Blew through all three seasons of this in about a week. So well researched and brilliantly hosted by Ben. Keep ‘em coming!!

shells1319 2022/04/22

Fascinating!

I could not stop listening. There was so much I didn’t know about her but even less about Desi. This is a great story.

historyheather 2022/04/21

Terrific

Well-researched and fascinating.

Germenis 2022/04/15

TCM = Classic.

I stayed away from podcasts for years, partly by choice and partly due to lack of interest. I couldn’t find anything that I really cared about. And th...

MJ in CO 2022/04/17

Julie Salamon aka Peter Fallow

Devil’s Candy is the ultimates hatchet job. The irony here is her complete ruthlessness very similar to the character Peter Fallow in the book and the...

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