An amazing series of events changes Stu’s life forever when TV Legend Lucille Ball asks him to work for her personally.
Award-winning filmmaker CJ Wallis’ latest documentary STU’S SHOW premieres on digital May 2, 2022 from Upstream Flix.
The story of TV historian and archivist Stu Shostak, the documentary features Tony Dow (“Leave it to Beaver”), the late Ed Asner (“Lou Grant”), Butch Patrick (“The Munsters”), Margaret O’Brien, Geri Jewell and many, many more.
Shostak got his start handing out tickets to Norman Lear sitcom tapings to people in Hollywood and parlaying that into doing audience warm-ups prior to tapings for show’s such as All In The Family and One Day At A Time.
The film also indirectly tells the story of television legend Lucille Ball who, contrast to popular belief, was an extremely kind and generous person who treated those around her like family. Ball is hired to hold Q&A’s at UCLA that provides a window of opportunity that alters the course of Stu’s life forever. Shostak’s encyclopedic knowledge of Ball’s career earns his way into becoming an essential part of her small inner circle as her archivist and Gary Morton’s assistant.
After Ball passes away, Shostak pioneers what we know now as “podcasting”, hosting internet shows interviewing celebrity cast and crew of the golden age of television. He also co-produces the widely successful LOVING LUCY conventions which welcomed prior cast, crew and superfans from around the world to come together for a few days to celebrate their love of I Love Lucy.
The first person to buy tickets each year was Jeanine Kasun, a music teacher and Lucy super-fan, who noticed Shostak hosting game shows, events and trivia contests. The two speak on the phone at length and eventually begin dating until Jeanine suffers a brain aneurism and the two, alongside the legends of television, enter into a war with the medical industry to keep her alive.
STU’S SHOW will be available on major digital platforms May 2.