Series Information

"I Love Lucy" was based on the CBS radio show "My Favorite Husband," starring Lucille Ball and Richard Denning. "My Favorite Husband" had become so popular that CBS wanted to make a television series based on it, with Lucille Ball being the star. Lucille Ball agreed to star in the new series but wanted her real-life husband, Desi Arnaz, a Cuban bandleader to play her husband in the series. CBS did not want Desi because they did not think that the television public would accept or believe that the interracial couple could actually be married, although they really were. They had married November 30, 1940 at the Byram River Beagle Club in Greenwich, Connecticut. Therefore, Lucille refused to do the series without her husband Desi.

To prove to CBS that people would like the series with the Arnazes being the lead characters, they went on tour, performing their old vaudeville act. The public loved the show, so the Arnazes kinescoped a pilot on March 2, 1951. Throughout the pilot, Lucille was usually dressed in a bathrobe and pajamas to conceal her pregnancy. CBS loved the pilot and decided to buy the series. While creating the series the title of the series arouse, "I Love Lucy." CBS was shocked when they found out that the Arnazes had decided to kinescope the series from Los Angles. This was a problem because most of the entire East Coast would not be able to see the series. Therefore, Desi decided to film the series from the West Coast and edit it like a movie. CBS was then worried that the budget of $20,000 to $25,000 would go far over budget. Lucille and Desi decided to take a weekly $1,000 salary cut between them, for the first season to pay for the film. Desi, Lucille and Jess Oppenheimer were given one hundred percent control of the "I Love Lucy" series. Desi and Lucille formed Desilu, their very own production company.

While Lucille was preparing for the birth of their first child at the Arnazes ranch, Desilu Ranch, William Frawley telephoned her and asked for a role on her new series. Lucille, Desi, and Jess Oppenheimer all agreed that he could portray Fred Mertz. Although CBS and "I Love Lucy" sponsor Phillip Morris, did not want William Frawley, because he had a reputation of missing stage calls, from being an alcoholic. Before signing the contract, Desi had a talk with William, telling him that if he were late for any calls without having a legitimate excuse of being ill, he would be fired immediately. William agreed that he would not be late for any calls and during the entire six year run of "I Love Lucy," he never was.

"I Love Lucy" director Marc Daniels suggested to Desi that Vivian Vance play the role of Ethel Mertz. Desi and Marc went to see the performance "The Voice of the Turtle," starring Vivian Vance and by the end of the first act, Desi said, "I think we found our Ethel Mertz!" Vivian signed on to the series to play the role of Ethel Mertz even though she had to gain weight and become "frumpy," which was what she disliked the most out of the role.

In the summer of 1951, while production was being prepared for the series, Lucille Ball gave birth to the Arnazes first child, Lucie Desiree Arnaz at 8:15 a.m. on July 17, 1951.

On September 8, 1951 the first episode "Lucy Thinks That Ricky Is Trying To Murder Her" was filmed, but did not air until November 5, 1951, the fourth week into the season. For that season, the writers wrote forty episodes. "I Love Lucy" was an immediate success. Most of the popularity was gained from Lucille Ball's great comic genius.

The 1952 season started with some new changes, Lucille Ball's pregnancy. Jess Oppenheimer decided to bring Lucille's pregnancy into the show, Lucy Ricardo would also have a child. Half the season was filmed with a non-pregnant Lucy, and half with a pregnant Lucy. The media publicized the episode in which Lucy Ricardo would tell Ricky that she was going to have a baby. This was something new to the television world, because Lucy Ricardo was the first woman to go through a pregnancy in a series. On January 19, 1953, Lucille Ball gave birth by cesarean, to the Arnazes second child, Desi Arnaz, Jr. at 8:15 a.m. That same night "I Love Lucy" aired "Lucy Goes To The Hospital" the episode where Lucy Ricardo goes to the hospital and Ricky "Little Ricky" Ricardo, Jr. is born. Forty-four million people tuned in to watch this episode, which topped the Dwight D. Eisenhower inauguration coverage. The births of Desi Arnaz, Jr. and Ricky Ricardo, Jr. were specially planned, they wanted Lucy Ricardo to give birth the same day as Lucille Ball.

By 1952 Desilu had became one of the most powerful production companies in Hollywood, which was also producing "Our Miss Brooks." While filming "Ricky and Fred Are TV Fans," Desi found out that Harry Ackerman, head of CBS, had given Jess Oppenheimer twenty percent of Lucille and Desi's one hundred percent control of the series. Desi became very upset because Ackerman had not told him about this. This caused production difficulties between Jess and Desi.

Shortly after the second season's final episode was produced, Lucille Ball told that her political party was the Communist Party. Because of this, Lucille had to go to a court meeting where she explained that her grandfather Hunt was communist and that he wanted everyone in the family to be communist. Lucille Ball was cleared, but still the public might resent her. Before filming "The Girls Go Into Business" Desi informed the studio audience that Lucille is not communist, and that she is still Lucy Ricardo. The audience accepted this and the show went on as scheduled.

At the start of the fourth season, the writers felt the show needed something new, so they sent the Ricardos and Mertzes to California. After returning to New York at the start of the fifth season, the writers then sent the Ricardos and Mertzes to Europe. Sense the second season, "I Love Lucy" had been one in the ratings but had now dropped to two. By the end of the fifth season the Ricardos and Mertzes return home to New York and "I Love Lucy" producer, Jess Oppenheimer left the series.

At the start of the sixth season, Keith Thibodeaux "The Worlds Tinniest Drummer" joined the cast playing Little Ricky. Lucille and Desi hired him after seeing him perform in his drumming act. Half way into the sixth season, the Ricardos move to Westport Connecticut, with the Mertzes following and moving into the Ricardo's guesthouse.

Desi sold CBS 179 episodes of "I Love Lucy" for reruns, for four and a half million dollars in cash, this consisted of every "I Love Lucy" episode with the exception of episode #167 " 'I Love Lucy' Christmas Show." Although Desi hosted the 1957 Emmy Awards, "I Love Lucy" was not acknowledged. By this time, Desi wanted to quit the half-hour weekly format of "I Love Lucy" and have Desilu produce hour specials in the future. The hour version was called "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" which first aired November 6, 1957. The series was still the same format, with the Ricardos and Mertzes still living in Connecticut but traveling around the world. "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" had no set time slot and aired only occasionally. On March 2, 1960, the Arnazes, Vivian Vance, William Frawley, and Keith Thibodeaux, filmed their last episode together, making a total of thirteen episodes of "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour." The next day, March 3, 1960, Lucille Ball filed for divorce from Desi Arnaz and the couple was divorced on May 4, 1960.

Although both "I Love Lucy" and "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" have ended their primetime runs, the Ricardos and Mertzes will forever live on in the world of reruns.

I Love Lucy's competition on other channels was:

1951

ABC: Curtain Up

DUMONT: Wrestling from Columbia Park

1952

ABC: All-Star News

NBC: Lights Out

DUMONT: Guide Right

1953

ABC: Junior Press Conference

NBC: Hollywood Opening Night

DUMONT: Boxing from Eastern Parkway

1954

ABC: Junior Press Conference

NBC: RCA Victor Show

DUMONT: Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena

1955

ABC: The Dotty Mack Show

NBC: Medic

1956

ABC: Life is Worth Living

NBC: Medic

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