In a way, NBC was responsible for I Love Lucy.  In 1950, CBS balked at the thought of Desi Arnaz portraying Lucille Ball's husband on television.  It took NBC's expressing their interest in the couple -- together -- for CBS to see the light.  Ball and CBS had a partnership.  It produced four hit series (I Love Lucy, The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy), specials that won big ratings (Mr. and Mrs., What Now Catherine Curtis?, Lucy Calls the President), and other successful CBS series', under the Desilu production banner (December Bride, Our Miss Brooks, The Untouchables).  So it was incredibly surprising to the entertainment industry to find that Lucille Ball dissolved the long-standing partnership, after nearly thirty years, and switched to NBC.  NBC was willing to allow Lucy to produce new comedy programs starring actors other than herself.  The new agreement looked promising, but it only resulted in this special, and a bunch of Bob Hope guest appearences she probably would have made anyway.  TV Guide described the special as a "musical comedy tailored for the first lady of television.  Lucille Ball plays her comfortably retired self, talked back into show business by NBC president Fred Silverman (satirically played by Gary Imhoff).  Congratulations are proffered in guest spots by Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, Gene Kelly, Jack Klugman -- and Gary Coleman, cast as a network programming VIP.  What Lucy's hired to do is create a new series.  What she and her production assistant Gale Gordon come up with is a variety show a la 'The Partridge Family,' headlined by Donald O'Connor and Gloria DeHaven.  But what evolves is a spoof of TV decision-making as well as long-and-dance numbers highlighted by O'Connor's medley from the movies, an O'Connor-Ball duet set to 'A Real Live Girl' and a rousing banjo solo performed by Scott Plummer."  This special, however, flopped.  Not only did it get awful reviews -- most of Lucy's specials since 1974 had -- but it also garnered low ratings.