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19 Messages

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336 Points

Friday, October 11th, 2024 11:21 PM

Solved

Spurious "I Love Lucy" executive producer credit

Some overzealous Lucy/Desi fan has added Lucille Ball as "executive producer (uncredited)" to every episode of "I Love Lucy," and Desi Arnaz as "executive producer (uncredited)" to every episode on which he does not have an onscreen producer credit (episodes 1-28).

This violates IMDb's own rules, which state: "For films that credit producers on the screen, we will not accept uncredited producers. Exceptions are made for older titles that do not necessarily list all producers in the credits." I Love Lucy does not fall under the exception, because it lists all producers in the credits. The vast majority of episodes (the first five seasons) credit either (1) both a producer and an associate producer, or (2) both an executive producer and a producer. 

I know of no factual support for these executive producer credits in any TV history reference book, online reference material, or "I Love Lucy" documentary.

I submitted a correction to IMDb (via Edit Page) for Episode 1, and it was approved: #241008-182609-251000. I submitted the same correction for Episode 2, and it was declined: #241009-162339-567000.

How can I get these spurious executive producer credits removed from all I Love Lucy episodes? 

Employee

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2.5K Messages

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26K Points

1 month ago

Hello Gregg_O,

You will need valid evidence for us to delete the credits, the deletions were accepted as mistake, therefore we have reinstated the credits deleted from episode 1. 

This is an old title, to remove the credits you will need to give us a valid source to confirm. You can re submit the deletions with proper evidence.

Champion

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7.4K Messages

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276K Points

Fran: What kind of sourcing would you need to confirm that someone who didn't have an on-screen credit as a producer was not actually a producer? 

I think that the question should be, "Did the person who submitted these uncredited producer jobs provide valid evidence that the people really were producers?"

19 Messages

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336 Points

@Fran​ I agree with gromit82. Because it's practically impossible to prove a negative, can you please give me an example of the type of evidence you would accept? 

More to the point, in the entire history of IMDb, do you know of ANY case in which IMDb accepted "proper evidence", as to an individual with NO onscreen production credit on the title in question, to prove that such individual was NOT an uncredited "executive producer"?

If not, then I would respectfully submit that IMDb should look up the Edit Page submission that added these production credits (which happened fairly recently) and determine whether these credits were, in your words, "accepted as a mistake"? Wouldn't you agree?

(edited)

Employee

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17.5K Messages

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313.2K Points

30 days ago

Hi @Gregg_O & @gromit82 -

I have now removed these credits from the Episodes, as they are ineligible as per our guidelines.  The changes should be live on our site shortly.

Cheers!

19 Messages

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336 Points

Thanks, Michelle.  You've restored my faith in IMDb!  I'm sorry to bother you with this, since you've done so much already, but after my previous post I noticed that the same spurious "Lucille Ball - executive producer (uncredited)" credit has been added to the listing for the "I Love Lucy movie" (comprised of three regular I Love Lucy episodes, edited together) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0445461/reference/ 

Thanks again!

Employee

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17.5K Messages

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313.2K Points

Hi @Gregg_O​ -

You're welcome!  This additional credit has now been removed.  Cheers!

19 Messages

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336 Points

Thanks again!

19 Messages

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336 Points

@Michelle​ Thank you again for your help in removing the spurious "I Love Lucy" credits. I'm writing to you again because I noticed that the spurious additional production credit on the "I Love Lucy movie" was promptly removed, but after a week the spurious credits on the series itself remain unchanged.

Employee

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17.5K Messages

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313.2K Points

Hi @Gregg_O​ -

The remaining invalid producer credits for the show have now been removed.  Cheers!

19 Messages

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336 Points

@Michelle​ Indeed they have, with one exception. There's still a spurious executive producer credit on Season 1, Episode 1. Thank you again for your continued assistance.

Employee

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17.5K Messages

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313.2K Points

Hi @Gregg_O​ -

This was the credit listed for "Desi Arnaz" correct?  I have now removed it and the change should be live shortly.

19 Messages

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336 Points

@Michelle​ Exactly right. Thank you again!

(edited)

Employee

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17.5K Messages

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313.2K Points

@Gregg_O​  - Great, all resolved now it seems!

19 Messages

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336 Points

@Michelle​ Yes. Thanks to you. 

Cheers!