Somewhere there may be primitive tribes who have not seen an episode of I Love Lucy, but I doubt it. Paramount and CBS are putting the show out four shows at a pop. This third instalment of the series has four typical episodes from the first year, with some halfway interesting extras.

At this early stage of The B&W series wisely shot before a live audience with film cameras, a pioneering scheme worked out by Desi Arnaz in conjunction with legendary film director and cameraman Karl Freund (The Mummy, Mad Love). Its significance hasn't been forgotten, as the filmed shows were much more suitable for re-broadcast than crude kinescopes. Just about the only kinescoped tv series from the same time that shows as regularly as Lucy, is Jackie Gleason's The Honeymooners.

Episodes 8 - 11 are foundation shows, any of which could be a template for hundreds of later sitcoms. MEN ARE MESSY has Lucy and Ricky dividing up the house because he's such a slob. The misunderstanding that leads to Lucy making an idiot of herself (her schtick is particularly broad in these early episodes) is when she and Ethel purposely act like hillbillies to make Ricky look bad for a photographer from an obscure musician's magazine - only Ricky's agent has sent a LIFE cameraman instead.

Two more of the shows are based on misunderstandings and resulting humiliations. THE FUR COAT is one that Ricky has hidden, and Lucy assumes is a secret gift for her. LUCY IS JEALOUS OF GIRL SINGER is about a dancer (the title is a mistake!) in Ricky's show that Lucy obsesses over.

DRAFTED is a Korean war-era skit where both Ethel and Lucy think their husbands are going off to war, with most of the humor coming from the antiquated uniforms they wear.

Viewers looking for a proto- Lucy in these early episodes are going to be disappointed. Perhaps the pilot had some anomalies, but by #8 the entire Lucy universe, pre-Desi Jr., is firmly established. Fred and Ethel are already stalwart support, providing all of the best double-takes and providing most of the exposition to make the less-likely plot turns work.

Paramount's DVD of I Love Lucy Season One Volume Three is a good disc that collectors will enjoy. The inclusion of only four episodes is a bit chintzy, but the low sticker prices may make it seem a bargain compared to old VHS prices. The design is attractive and utilizes some vintage pub photos. The shows and extra content also carry Spanish soundtracks, which is very thoughtful as Desi Arnaz was and still is a favorite of Latin viewers.

The extras are short and cute. 'Flubs' is not an outtake, but a trivial mistake in a show. 'Guest Cast Information' gives a minimal bio on some of the co-actors, mostly letting us know that the majority aren't noteworthy, except for the relatives and Desilu staff that were given bit parts. The 'Series Original Opening' is an amusing alternate animation opening used the first season, where cartoon Ricky and Lucy climb down from a pack of the sponsors' cigarettes. 'Special Footage' contains a once-only screened Christmas epilogue to the DRAFTED episode, and a harmless extended kissing shot that was ixnayed by the CBS censors.

The best extra are two episodes of Lucille Ball's radio show just prior to I Love Lucy, a similar setup with anglo actor Richard Denning, he of many 50's monster movies, as Lucy's husband. The shows are in great audio shape, with Lucy idiotically saying, "Jello, everyone!" to key into the show sponsor. TV and radio back then were just as stupid, only in a different way.