Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Pros: 1. The price - Even if this set was sold at its SRP (suggested retail price) of $80, it would be a steal, but the fact that it's being sold (as I write this) for around $45 is insane! That's less than $1.50 per disc. It's an amazing deal for the complete series. 2. Uncut episodes - OK, this is a pro for any of the DVD releases, but it's important to list this here anyway. TV networks today butcher episodes - especially classic shows - to make room for more and more commercials. These are uncut and in some cases, contain over 3 minutes of footage per episode not shown in syndication repeats. 3. Space saving - This set is significantly smaller than the previous release. It's not as elaborate, but it will fit on your shelf with the rest of your DVDs and it won't take up too much space. It's a little bit wider than 5 standard DVD cases. 4. The discs are packaged better - There are issues with the way the discs are packaged (see below) - BUT, they are packaged a lot better than the previous set, which had them loose in cardboard sleeve books. This set is a definite improvement. Cons: 1. The missing disc(s) - Unlike the original complete series set, this one doesn't contain the exclusive bonus disc with the colorized Lucy Goes to Scotland episode or the I Love Lucy movie (along with several other special features). Fortunately though, you can buy that disc by itself. Just search for I Love Lucy: The Movie and Other Great Rarities. This set also doesn't contain the special Colorized Christmas disc that was released two years ago (which you can also buy by itself). True, that particular release was never included with the original complete series set, but it would have been a nice addition with this set, even though it's a bit out of date already, not having three of the six episodes (so far?) that have been colorized by CBS - Job Switching (the chocolate factory episode, aired in 2014) and Lucy and Superman and L.A. at Last (aired in 2015). 2. The packaging - As you can see from the pictures I've posted of the set, the packaging is very cheap and prone to issues. Full disclosure: I didn't buy mine from Amazon; I purchased mine at Walmart, in store, but that doesn't mean you won't encounter similar issues from other retailers including Amazon. If you do, though, it won't be their fault. The box itself (which was torn a bit for me, I don't know why) that houses the disc cases appears to be a little too big for the cases. I can imagine some dents could become an issue for some people, especially on the side where the cases come out. There is almost a quarter of an inch of wiggle room in there, which could also lead to cracks in the disc cases themselves (as mine was, on both the spine and the side that opens). The discs come in two cases, one larger (and wider) than the other, which makes them look a bit odd together. There are 25 discs in the larger case and 8 in the smaller one. As you can see with the larger case, the disc holders themselves aren't attached to the case. Mine was already broken on one of the hinges. It makes it a little awkward going through the discs when the holder isn't firmly in place, too. The discs overlap in the larger case as well unlike in the smaller case (which is more in the style of those 6-disc, clear amaray cases that have become so popular now, for good reason) leaving the discs in the larger case prone to scratches (several of mine had small scratches). The hubs in the larger case were very flimsy as well, only containing two "prongs" on each side to hold the discs in place, which leaves the discs moving around more than they would on a normal hub, making the possibility for scratches even higher. One of my discs was loose inside because one of the prongs broke. There were also a couple discs that had a speck or two of glue or something on the play side of them. I don't know where it came from, but luckily it was very easy to rub off and may have only been an issue with my set in particular, something that would be found rarely if at all. But, having said all of that, at the end of the day, this set is very, very cheap - unbelieveably cheap - and you can't complain too much. 3. The missing "The Celebrity Next Door" scene - OK, so, the set isn't COMPLETELY uncut. There is one instance where a scene is missing - the scene in the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour with Tallulah Bankhead where she first mentions her strawberry allergy to Lucy while at dinner. This wasn't included in any of the other releases either. How it ended up on the cutting room floor from the original masters, I have no idea. It's only a brief moment that is missing, though, certainly not enough of an issue where it would make this set not worth getting. 4. No episode guide/booklet - The original complete series set came with a nice episode guide/booklet, but this only has the episode titles listed on the inside of the cases and on the discs themselves. Anyone who's a huge I Love Lucy fan will know the episodes by their titles, but a more casual fan - you know, one who wouldn't recognize an episode called Job Switching as the chocolate factory episode - may have a hard time finding a particular episode. There are the pros and cons to help you decide whether to get this new set or not. I recommend it a great deal, even with the (possible) issues. It's worth the money and any I Love Lucy fan will love this. If you have any questions about the set, post them in the comments and I'll try to answer them for you.