Mattel will be producing a limited edition "I Love Lucy" Ricky Ricardo doll for release later this year!
This limited edition will feature Ricky dressed as Santa from the memorable "I Love Lucy" Christmas Special which aired on Christmas Eve in 1956. It is expected to be available this Fall, 2008.
This is in addition to another Lucille Ball exclusive due out shortly by Summer.
This will make the 3rd "Santa" doll that featured Lucy, Ethel and now Ricky. All that is left is one for Fred, which now will be expected.
My only thoughts are that there are so many outfits of so many characters from the "I Love Lucy" show for Lucy that I wonder why Mattel is focusing on one episode. As for costs, this is a cheap way of making a profit for Mattel on this series as the outfit is the same for all characters. But I personally would like to see just Lucy in various outfits from other characters she has played during the "I Love Lucy" show.
Let's not get into the discussion of DVDs from her other series - especially when they release "That Girl" series from the 60s on DVD and even today's shows that are still being shown on TV! As soon as a season is done, they produce DVDs from today's shows - Where's "The Lucy Show", "Here's Lucy" and "Life With Lucy" DVD Series?
Oh, well, we Lucy fans will still wait and take what we can get for now, but we should demand for more from the studios and from Mattel.
Ricky Santa is up for pre-order at every lucy collectible website so it's not AS "limited" as the Ethel Santa was. That makes me wonder if we'll see Fred Santa THIS year, too and maybe IT will be a "platinum edition" like Ethel (with only 999 made). They had such a huge reaction with the Ethel Platinum Santa; I don't see them waiting until next year for such a collectible Fred doll when we'd be expecting it anyway. (I have no proof - that's just my opinion)
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with you on how they shouldn't be focusing on one episode when there are dozens more they haven't done. I kind of understand the Santa dolls (since that is such a rarely seen episode and isn't included in syndication) but what I don't understand is the upcoming Lucy/Ethel set of "Job Switching." Sure, the dolls look a lot better (and include the voice chip) but that's an episode that's already been done (doll #2, minus Ethel of course).
I wonder who's choosing the episodes they are making into dolls. It's certainly not the fans. As much as I like the recent "Audition" doll with her playing the cello, was I the only one who after hearing the doll was going to be a "doll based on a classic season one episode that's sure to sell out quickly" assumed they were making a doll based on "The Freezer?"
Don't get me wrong; I LOVE the Mattel dolls. I've been collecting them from the very beginning and I have every one of them so far (only after spending almost $300 on the Ethel Santa), but there are a couple I expected to have been done already (it HAS been 10 years after all). I mean, couldn't they have saved the very plain Lucy-in-her-polka-dot-dress "Sales Resistance" doll for later and done a better, more classic episode instead?
The top 5 I'm waiting for:
"The Freezer" (Lucy all stiff, her head covered in ice with frozen tears on her face)
"Mr. and Mrs. TV Show" (Lucy coming out in her get-up, wearing a burlap sack with fake teeth in and her hair all over the place)
"Lucy Wants New Furniture" (Lucy wearing the dress she made and her hair after giving herself a home permanent)
"Bonus Bucks" (Lucy coming out of the starch vat)
"The Indian Show" (Lucy dressed as an Indian with Little Ricky strapped to her back, wearing a feather on his head)
I also agree. I Love Lucy and have collected all the dolls and was lucky enough to get Santa Ethel for $130.00 on ebay after the release since I knew it was going to jump extremely high. I am hoping Santa Ricky is NOT a Platinum Label. But I do agree I too was hoping for the Freezer. I agree again on the new Lucy/Ethel Job Switching set. I would have love to have seen Lucy and Ethel in "The Million Dollas Idea" with Lucy all snaggletoothed and Ethel holding a card upside down. OR Lucy and Ethel learning to Golf would be awesome. I am a HUGE Vivian Vance fan and was SO upset when they released Santa Ethel with the same head mold and not for nothing- aside from the mold the face paint resembles Lucy. The promo pic for the doll looks just like Vivian. I am also concerned about the new "Job Switching" set. The promo pics I love! I love the stuffed comical faces that are true to the scene in the show- HOWEVER_ pics are poppoing up of the actual doll set boxed that are the same heads of last years Lucy/Ethel Buy the Same Dress!! I would love for Mattel to hire ME! I have a million Lucy doll Ideas!! A standard Ethel/Fred set would be great with Ethel in her bathrobe (that Vivian hated), Lucy from Scotland, Lucy with Little Ricky would be awesome! I just think Mattel could do better and more creative....
ReplyDelete(I'm the first anonymous, replying again)
ReplyDeleteI doubt Ricky Santa is going to be Platinum because for one thing, the Lucy Santa wasn't and also the lucy collectible websites are offering pre-orders. Last year, we didn't even know about Ethel Santa until it was out in the stores and were practically gone already. The only place you could get them brand new online was from the Lucy-Desi museum, and they only had a limited number of them and sold them exclusively to members of their fan club (which costs money). I think Fred Santa will be the Platinum because the Ethel Santa was.
One thing I think they should change if they decide to do another Platinum doll is the price. It was so stupid offering Ethel Santa - such a rare doll with only 999 of them made - for less than $40. OF COURSE collectors are going to buy every one they find and THEY CAN since the price is so low. I would have felt a lot better about paying close to $300 for mine had I known it was brand new and not "second hand."
Can you point me to some of the pictures popping up of the actual Lucy/Ethel "Job Switching" set in their box? I've been searching - ebay, tv.com forums, imdb, etc... - and haven't found any. I'm supposed to be getting mine either late next week or early the week after that and I can't wait that long to see what the real dolls - in their box - look like.
I so agree with you that Mattel could be more creative with the dolls and their choices in what episodes they turn into dolls. They certainly aren't making these dolls with the intention of only doing the classic episodes since they made one for "Sales Resistance"; so, based on that fact, I assume they plan to do one for every episode. What bothers me is I'm only going to be 23 next month and even if they keep up with their new schedule of releasing 3 different dolls a year (technically we're only getting one new one this year since they've already done the Lucy and Ethel dolls for "The Christmas Show" so the Ricky Santa won't knock the episode count they have left to do down and the "Job Switching" set is a total doubledip), I'll be 79 by the time they do them all - and that's not even counting the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hours. By the time they release them all, I probably won't even remember who I am let alone what I Love Lucy is. They should be focusing on the classic episodes and save the easier ones for later.
I think they should shoot for AT LEAST 4 dolls a year - one classic, one set, one simple one (based on episodes that don't have a "Lucy character" in them), and one Platinum. And I think the first "simple one" they should do is "Lucy Goes to Scotland." It would be the easiest since it's one of the only episodes they have color footage and color photographs of (eliminating the need to search for what color the outfit would be or what color they should make it).
I found a picture of the ACTUAL dolls:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.marlbe.com/barbie_dolls.cfm?prodid=08-L9585
Ok, this just sucks. I can't believe they would create such wonderful looking prototypes, tease us by sending photos of them to every retailer on the internet and deliver THOSE. What the hell? That is total FALSE ADVERTISING if I've ever seen it and I'm totally pissed.
Its me again- the second poster about the concern over the "Job Switching" set. I recieved mine today!!! YAY! I bought it directly off of barbiecollector.com.. I actually pre-ordered it from toysrus.com first and they said it was backordered and then completely removed the listing... Anyway- about the new Lucy/Ethel Job Switching set...I am happy to announce that the head molds are indeed the stuffed faces!!! Someone added a link about the boxed doll set with last years Lucy/Ethel head set instead.. The new set is great. I actually love the Ethel doll. Her head mold and paint is great!! Much better than Santa Ethel since this new doll looks like Vivian!! The Lucy doll is great too- 100 times better then the first Job Switching doll!! The new Lucy's face is more detailed!! I love it!!! If you search ebay and type Lucy Ethel Doll - the boxed doll set with last years heads is on the site alot! Very very misleading! I am so glad Mattel didnt switch it! I still wish they would have used the head mold for Santa Ethel as in the promo pic. I am hoping they will use that head mold for a solo regular dressed Ethel doll. Is there anyword on the single Lucy for 2008? Hope its the Freezer or Lucy Goes to Scotland!!! Great job Mattel on the new set!! Great detail!
ReplyDelete(1st, 3rd and 4th anonymous again)
ReplyDeleteI am SO GLAD and RELIEVED the dolls are like the prototypes. Where did the picture of those other dolls come from then? They look so real with the exact outfits worn by the prototypes and everything. I mean, even the box is exactly like the actual box. I wonder if there are 2 versions of the set or if that photo with regular headed Lucy and Ethel was just a temporary model or "preview" of some kind. It's worth looking into. I hate to admit it, but if there are a very limited number of them floating around, as plain as they are, I'd love to have one of those, too, because they'd probably be more valuable than Ethel Santa.
I found a picture on ebay of the REAL set (which is SO GORGEOUS):
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-RELEASE-JOB-SWITCHING-I-LOVE-LUCY-AND-ETHEL-MINT_W0QQitemZ330243465264QQihZ014QQcategoryZ36532QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
And no, I haven't heard anything about the solo Lucy coming out - which is weird. You would think we'd know the identity of the doll by now, especially since we know about Ricky Santa (which is coming out after it). I pre-ordered mine from the Lucy-Desi museum anyway when I pre-ordered Ricky Santa.
Its me again! Glad you found the pic of the actual doll set but trust me that photo does not do it justice. Its sitting on my computer desk right now and I cant stop looking and admiring it. I think its fantastic. I love how both dolls are holding a piece of wax paper with a chocolate in it (cardboard chocolate). I compared my first Job Switching Lucy to the new Lucy and again the new Lucy hands down is so much better. Right down to the indents in her chin from being stuffed with chocolate. Her eye paint is stronger - it actually makes the 1st Lucy look ill LOL. As for Ethel I am thrilled with her! I watched the "Job Switching" episode last night to celebrate the arrival! And these two dolls look exactly like that part in the episode. I am thrilled that the doll strongly resembles Vivian Vance in that moment of time. They even padded the Ethel doll to giver her more bulk LOL. Its fantastic.
ReplyDeleteAs for the pic floating around I know when Mattel is done with the box art and if the dolls are available they release a photo to show off their new "window box display" where the dolls never have to be removed and can be seen from every angle. I am really thinking Mattel may have toyed with the idea of a last minute head mold change then realized placing the same heads from last years set on this years would cause poor sales... even though I would still buy it - I would throw a fit everytime I looked at them.
I hope you enjoy your set as much as I am enjoying mine. Place a posting once the girls arrive- I would love to know your thoughs on the new Lucy Ethel!!!! Enjoy
I have just found out that the 2008 Special edition Lucy barbie (not to be confused with the Limited Ricky Santa) will be a departure from the I Love Lucy series and may in fact be the beginning of a new one. It will simply be called Lucille Ball and will feature Lucille wearing an elegant black evening dress. I really think this is going to be a new series, which is nice but I hope they don't end the other one right away as I feel there are quite a few already mentioned episodes that HAVE to be done!! Thoughts anyone?
ReplyDeleteYes, it will be entitled Lucille Ball (First Ever) and will be sold at Walmart for $39.99 in the Fall of 2008. I hope this isn't the single I Love Lucy doll that we have been expecting. I mean we already got a repeat (granted it was much better and included ethel) but I wanted a new I Love Lucy episode doll, waaahhhh!! In all honesty it does sound beautiful and interesting so I will wait til I see it.
ReplyDeleteI dont think we will see the Christmas Show Fred Santa until next year. I bet he will be Platinum though.
ReplyDeleteI WOULD LOVE TO SEE SEVERAL LUCY BARBIES AS I HAVE THEM ALL.. I WOULD LIKE "THE CHARM SCHOOL, SALLY SWEET, THE MARTIAN, QUEEN OF FRACKASHAN, LUCY COWGIRL, CHARLES BOYER DRESS, LUCY SCHEMES IN PICTURES WITH THE WHITE DRESS, WITH LIKE A BURGUNDY DESIGN, AND SO MUCH MORE.. I WOULD REALLY LOVE LUCY AND ETHEL FROM CHARM SCHOOL!
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