CBS Announces New ‘I Love Lucy’ Special 

CBS will present a new one-hour special featuring two back-to-back colorized episodes of “I Love Lucy” on Friday, April 19 from 8-9 p.m. ET.  The two episodes, “The Million-Dollar Idea” and “Bonus Bucks,” are newly colorized with a nod to the 1950s period in which they were filmed. As with previous “Lucy” specials, the main titles and end credits are seamlessly combined into one set at the beginning and end of the hour, with no interruption between the episodes.
 
In “The Million-Dollar Idea,” Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Ethel (Vivian Vance) attempt to get rich quick by bottling Lucy’s homemade salad dressing. A commercial pitch on a local TV program results in hundreds of orders, but Ricky (Desi Arnaz) soon determines that the girls are not charging enough to cover the cost of production and distribution. They decide to fill the initial orders and get out of the business fast, but a second TV appearance, designed to discourage additional sales, results in even more orders!
 
In “Bonus Bucks,” it’s the Ricardos vs. the Mertzes when both couples claim ownership of a dollar bill worth three hundred dollars in a newspaper’s “Bonus Bucks” contest. To save their friendship, they decide to split the winnings, each couple keeping half the actual bill until it can be redeemed. Unfortunately, Ricky puts the Ricardos’ half of the dollar in his pajama pocket – and Lucy sends those pajamas to the laundry!
 
“The Million-Dollar Idea” was originally broadcast Jan. 11, 1954, and “Bonus Bucks” on March 8, 1954. Both became immediate viewer favorites.