“Lucy, You’ve Got Some ’Splainin’ to Do”: Paramount Responds to I Love Lucy Blu-ray Backlash
It’s hard to miss — but somehow, someone did. Late last month, screenshots from a newly released Blu-ray box set of I Love Lucy went viral, drawing widespread attention for a moment that looked less like high-definition nostalgia and more like a digital horror show.
The controversy began when fans noticed a brief but unsettling scene in the 1957 Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour episode, “Lucy Takes a Cruise to Havana.” As Paramount’s restoration team upscaled the footage to high definition, it appears the process accidentally over-enhanced background characters — making them look distorted, unnervingly sharp, and oddly lifeless.
In one viral image, a woman in the background appears more masculine, with bulging eyes and an eerie smile. Another character nearby sports a glossy, unnatural face — far removed from the original intention of leaving these figures softly out of focus. The surreal effect is momentary, but jarring, distracting from the actual scene and actors in the foreground — particularly Desi Arnaz as Ricky Ricardo.
While only a brief hiccup in a years-long restoration effort, fans across forums like Reddit quickly criticized the mistake. Many even speculated that artificial intelligence had been used to enhance the footage, sparking debate about how older media should be restored for modern audiences.
However, a Paramount representative clarified that generative AI was not used in the remastering process. “A few faces in the background were accidentally over-enhanced,” the source said, attributing the incident to an isolated glitch in a human-led process. The studio confirmed that a corrected version of the episode will soon be made available.
It’s a shame, given how otherwise impressive the full box set is. Released November 5, the 32-disc collection features a 1080p remaster of all six seasons of I Love Lucy and the 13 Comedy Hour specials. The restoration used a combination of original 35mm negatives, 16mm prints sent to TV stations, and even some video transfers — a massive effort spanning four years.
Some episodes even required the recovery of up to four minutes of lost material, with editors repairing damaged frames and cleaning up decades-old film. The remaster aimed to preserve the crispness and warmth of the original Desilu production, updating the visuals while respecting the show’s legacy.
Though the first two seasons had been restored previously, this box set marked the first comprehensive remastering of the full series and its specials. Fans can see before-and-after comparisons online — showcasing scenes that, aside from the now-notorious mishap, have been brought back to life in striking detail.
Given I Love Lucy’s lasting popularity and influence, expectations for the Blu-ray release were understandably high. And while the restoration misstep was small in context, it became a big talking point in a world increasingly skeptical of how studios use digital tools to update classic media.
For now, Paramount is working to make things right. And hopefully — this time — Lucy won’t have any more ‘splainin’ to do.
