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The first episode of The Lucy Show's second season (though technically not the first one filmed) is a gentle spoof of the hubbub surrounding the recent Elizabeth Taylor film version of Cleopatra. As the Danville Volunteer Fire Department prepares to put on a variety show--giving us a delightful glance of the lovely legs of fire chief Lucy Carmichael (Lucille Ball)--pretentious director Dr. Gitterman (Hans Conried) announces that he intends to stage an abridged version of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra). Naturally, every member of the all-female brigade wants to play the leading role, but when the show hits the boards, it is Lucy who is decked out as Cleopatra--with her roommate Viv (Vivian Vance) in drag as Marc Antony! The climax finds the two amateur divas outrageously upstaging one another during Cleo's big death scene. This and all subsequent Lucy Shows were filmed in color (though networkcast in black and white until the series' fourth season).