Little Ricky Learns to Play the Drums

You are here: I Love Lucy season 6 >Little Ricky Learns to Play the Drums

I Love Lucy—Little Ricky Learns to Play the Drums - season 6, originally aired October 8, 1956

Little Ricky Learns to Play the Drums is a very good “Ricardo vs. Mertzes” I Love Lucy episode, The episode begins with Little Ricky drumming a beat on his glass with a spoon. After Little Ricky leaves, Ricky and Lucy begin to have a “discussion” about Little Ricky’s future occupation. Ricky thinks that the boy has natural talent as a drummer, and thinks that he’ll walk in his father’s footsteps. Lucy, however, wants her little boy to grow up to be a doctor. The discussion grows a little heated, until Fred and Ethel walk in. Ethel has the wise suggestion that neither parent push Little Ricky, and just let him choose his own future. Ricky and Lucy agree to this common sense suggestion ... outwardly.

Later, Ricky asks Fred to keep a present that he’s bought for Little Ricky in Fred and Ethel’s apartment—a drum, of course, just in case the little boy would happen to want one. Ricky goes home, only to find Little Ricky playing in the ‘little doctor’ outfit that Lucy has bought for him. Both parents are caught red-handed, and Little Ricky takes to the drums like a duck to water, and he begins playing for hours ... and hours ... and hours ...

Very shortly, everyone is fed up with the situation, but when Ricky and Lucy are offended by the way that Fred and Ethel mention the constant drumming that irritate the proud parents, who now refuse to ask the boy to stop. The Mertzes, in turn, threaten to evict the Ricardos, but they have a 99-year lease from the last time that they threatened to leave! Eventually, the cute little boy who caused all of the commotion accidently resolves it, and all is well. A sweet episode, that anyone with children and noisy toys will appreciate all the more. Well worth watching.

Little Ricky Learns to Play the Drums is available as part of the I Love Lucy season 6 DVD collection.

Funny quotes from I Love Lucy - Little Ricky Learns to Play the Drums

Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) Little Ricky, what do we say when someone gives you something?
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz) Come on, son, what did Daddy teach you to say?
Little Ricky (Keith Thibodeaux): Gracias!

Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) I think he should be a doctor.
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz) A drummer.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) Doctor.
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz) Drummer.
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) Doctor!
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz) Drummer!
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) Drummer!
Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz) Doctor!
Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) There! You agree with me, I win!

Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) We’re not fighting! (Lucy and Ricky resume fighting)
Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance) Could you two stop not fighting for a moment?