The Best Of...I Love Lucy

Originally broadcast on 5 May 1952, Lucy Does a TV Commercial is not just one of the greatest episodes of I Love Lucy – it's one of the finest half-hours of television comedy ever made. Decades later, the word "Vitameatavegamin" is still enough to make fans smile, having become shorthand for an episode that remains an enduring part of television history.

The central routine wasn't even created specifically for the series. It originated as part of Red Skelton's vaudeville act during the 1930s, and Skelton generously gave Lucille Ball permission to adapt it. That proved to be an inspired decision, as Ball transformed an already funny sketch into something truly legendary.

As always, Lucy Ricardo is determined to break into show business, despite Ricky's constant insistence that she has no place on his television programme. When she overhears Ricky discussing a live commercial for a new health tonic called Vitameatavegamin, she learns he needs a local actress to promote the miracle elixir, a nutritional supplement promising "vim and vigour, pep and popularity... everything that's good." Naturally, Lucy immediately decides she's perfect for the job, but Ricky dismisses the idea without a second thought.

Refusing to accept defeat, Lucy convinces herself she's more than qualified because she's watched enough television commercials to know how they're done. Her confidence leads to one of the episode's funniest early sequences, as she dismantles the family's television set piece by piece to demonstrate her own mock commercial when Ricky gets home. Rather than impressing him, she succeeds only in irritating him and, quite possibly, destroying their television in the process.

Before heading off to rehearse, Ricky mentions to their friend and neighbour Fred that the actress hired for the commercial will be calling to confirm arrangements. With her best friend Ethel away visiting her mother, Lucy sees the perfect opportunity. She sends Fred on his way, intercepts the phone call herself, and calmly informs the unsuspecting actress that she has been replaced. Moments later, Lucy celebrates her victory before confidently heading to the television studio.

Introducing herself under her maiden name, Lucille McGillicuddy, Lucy successfully convinces the production team that she is Ricky's chosen performer. She is handed the script and a bottle of Vitameatavegamin, blissfully unaware that the tonic contains 23% alcohol. From that moment onwards, the episode shifts into comedy gold.

During rehearsals, Lucy dutifully follows the script, taking a spoonful of the tonic each time she's instructed to sample it. Unfortunately, the stuff tastes absolutely dreadful. Lucille Ball's priceless expressions of revulsion are a masterclass in comedic acting, conveying everything without needing a single extra line of dialogue. The director repeatedly asks her to perform the scene again until she can look genuinely pleased after swallowing the tonic, forcing Lucy to consume more and more of the alcohol-laden mixture.

By the time Ricky discovers what she's done, Lucy has finally perfected the commercial. Although furious at the lengths she has gone to in order to land the part, Ricky reluctantly allows her to continue because there simply isn't enough time to recall the original actress before the live broadcast begins.

While waiting backstage, Lucy decides to keep rehearsing. By now she's convinced the tonic tastes "just like candy" and begins taking increasingly generous swigs, abandoning the spoon altogether and eventually drinking directly from the bottle. Her speech becomes delightfully slurred as she mangles the carefully memorised script, invents ad-libs on the spot, stumbles over the already tongue-twisting word "Vitameatavegamin", and steadily descends into complete intoxication.

The director desperately tries to sober her up in Ricky's dressing room, but by the time the programme goes live it's already far too late. Instead of waiting for her cue, Lucy wanders drunkenly onto the stage during Ricky's performance of "El Relicario", staggering around in full view of the audience before attempting an impromptu duet with her horrified husband. She then launches into fragments of the commercial, making a spectacular fool of herself while Ricky frantically escorts her offstage. Lucy's cheerful wave goodbye as she's dragged away is the perfect finishing touch.

Lucille Ball's performance throughout is nothing short of extraordinary. Every glance, stumble, pause and increasingly exaggerated attempt to remain composed is timed to perfection. Her transformation from eager amateur into hilariously sozzled television spokeswoman ranks among the finest comedy performances ever committed to film. It's physical comedy, facial expression, vocal delivery and impeccable timing all working in complete harmony.

The episode has long since become a cornerstone of American popular culture and a defining moment of the Golden Age of Television. It regularly tops lists of the greatest I Love Lucy episodes ever produced, and its influence continues to be celebrated. On what would have been Lucille Ball's 100th birthday in 2011, more than 900 Lucy lookalikes gathered beneath a Vitameatavegamin sign in tribute, while a talking Lucy doll was released using the original soundtrack from the episode.

More than seventy years after its first broadcast, Lucy Does a TV Commercial remains as funny as ever. It's the daffy New York housewife and frustrated nightclub performer at her absolute best, and a perfect showcase for why Lucille Ball is still regarded as one of television's greatest comedians. Some classic sitcoms show their age, but this one simply doesn't. It remains a flawless piece of comic storytelling and an unforgettable reminder that true comedy never goes out of style.