I Love Lucy(CBS)
Premiere: October 15, 1951
End: May 6, 1957
I Love Lucy was an American television series that ran October 15, 1951 to May 6, 1957. It starred movie and radio actress Lucille Ball and her then-husband, Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz. The series was about a bandleader and his wacky wife. Most of the episodes showcase Lucy's determination to get into show business, and her husband Ricky Ricardo's equal determination to keep her out of the spotlight. Their neighbors the Mertzes(Lucy's partner in crime Ethel and her husband Fred) were portrayed by Vivian Vance and William Frawley. The series continued after its initial 1957 cancellation in the form of a weekly series called The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, a show that concluded just 2 days before Lucille Ball formally divorced from Desi Arnaz, taking custody of her 2 children, Lucie and Desi Jr. The actress was first introduced to Desi during the making of RKO's 1940 production Too Many Girls. They eloped to Connecticut on November 30,1940. Their first child, Lucie Desiree Arnaz, was born on July 17, 1951 after a series of miscarriages. Their second child, Desi Arnaz Jr., was born January 19, 1953 and his birth remains one of the most publicized of all time. Because Lucille was pregnant during the filming of the second season, it was decided that the pregnancy and subsequent birth of her child would be written into the show. The couple also made it clear to the writers that no matter what the actual gender of the child was, the Ricardos would have a boy. The birth of the child was scheduled in order to have it coincide with the delivery of the Ricardo's baby. At 8:15 am on January 19, 1953, Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV came into the world, and at 9:00 that night, "Lucy Goes to the Hospital" introduced the world to Little Ricky. 7 years later, the couple divorced and Lucille continued the sitcom format, starring in such shows as The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy. In 1986, Desi was diagnosed with lung cancer. He passed away on December 2. In 1989, on April 18, Lucille suffered a aortic aneurysm. She died of cardiac arrest on April 26, 1989.
Best Episodes:
Season 1, Episode 30 "Lucy Does A TV Commercial"
Lucy finangles her way into doing a commercial for Ricky's TV special, but while advertising the health tonic Vitameatavegamin(a product that, as it turns out, contains 23% alcohol), she ends up becoming increasingly inebriated with each run-through of the ad.
Lucy finangles her way into doing a commercial for Ricky's TV special, but while advertising the health tonic Vitameatavegamin(a product that, as it turns out, contains 23% alcohol), she ends up becoming increasingly inebriated with each run-through of the ad.
Season 2, Episode 1 "Job Switching"
Lucy and Ethel make a bet with their husbands that their job is just as hard as theirs, so while Ricky and Fred make a disastrous attempt at doing housework, Lucy and Ethel go to work at a chocolate factory. They goes through several departments before finally ending up at the candy-wrapping assembly line, where the girls struggle to keep up with the accelerating belt by stuffing the chocolate in their mouths and clothing.
Lucy and Ethel make a bet with their husbands that their job is just as hard as theirs, so while Ricky and Fred make a disastrous attempt at doing housework, Lucy and Ethel go to work at a chocolate factory. They goes through several departments before finally ending up at the candy-wrapping assembly line, where the girls struggle to keep up with the accelerating belt by stuffing the chocolate in their mouths and clothing.
Season 4, Episode 16 'LA at Last"
In LA, Lucy goes to the Brown Derby restaurant and spots actor William Holden, proceeding to make a fool of herself in attempts to stifle her gawking. Later, when Ricky bring Holden by their apartment for a surprise meeting with Lucy, Lucy disguises herself with a putty nose, which catches fire thanks to a cigarette.
In LA, Lucy goes to the Brown Derby restaurant and spots actor William Holden, proceeding to make a fool of herself in attempts to stifle her gawking. Later, when Ricky bring Holden by their apartment for a surprise meeting with Lucy, Lucy disguises herself with a putty nose, which catches fire thanks to a cigarette.
Season 2, Episode 16 "Lucy Goes to the Hospital"
Ricky, Ethel, and Fred rehearse Lucy's impending departure to the hospital to have the baby-who will call the doctor, carry the suitcase, etc.-but all careful rehearsal goes completely out the window when Lucy announces the big moment in a classic slapstick scene. Things don't improve much at the hospital: Ricky's jangled nerves get the better of him at the front desk, his voodoo makeup for the floor show at his club that night scares a nurse into the middle of next week, and Ricky is almost arrested when the nurse calls the police. But all's well that ends well, and in the final scene, another nurse shows Ricky his new baby boy, Ricky Ricardo Jr., or "Little Ricky".
Ricky, Ethel, and Fred rehearse Lucy's impending departure to the hospital to have the baby-who will call the doctor, carry the suitcase, etc.-but all careful rehearsal goes completely out the window when Lucy announces the big moment in a classic slapstick scene. Things don't improve much at the hospital: Ricky's jangled nerves get the better of him at the front desk, his voodoo makeup for the floor show at his club that night scares a nurse into the middle of next week, and Ricky is almost arrested when the nurse calls the police. But all's well that ends well, and in the final scene, another nurse shows Ricky his new baby boy, Ricky Ricardo Jr., or "Little Ricky".
Season 5, Episode 23 "Lucy's Italian Movie"
Lucy is asked by a Roman film director to appear in his new movie, English translation "Bitter Grapes". Thinking the movie is actually about grapes, Lucy heads off to a local winery to soak up some local color. She ends up stomping grapes and getting into a fight with her co-worker.
Lucy is asked by a Roman film director to appear in his new movie, English translation "Bitter Grapes". Thinking the movie is actually about grapes, Lucy heads off to a local winery to soak up some local color. She ends up stomping grapes and getting into a fight with her co-worker.