"I Love Lucy" (1951)TV series 1951-1957

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

15 October 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Plot:

A daffy woman constantly strives to become a star along with her bandleader husband and gets herself in the strangest situations.

Plot Keywords:

Friendship Between Women | Product Placement | Friendship Between Men | Bandleader | Sitcom

Awards:

Won 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 wins & 24 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. July 27	10:00 AM	TVLAND	The Business Manager	#4.1
Sun. July 27	10:30 AM	TVLAND	Mertz and Kurtz	#4.2

Cast

Lucille Ball	...	Lucy Ricardo / ... (181 episodes, 1951-1957)
Desi Arnaz	...	Ricky Ricardo / ... (181 episodes, 1951-1957)
Vivian Vance	...	Ethel Mertz (176 episodes, 1951-1957)
William Frawley	...	Fred Mertz (175 episodes, 1951-1957)

Also Known As:

Lucy (USA) (working title)
Lucy & Ricky (USA) (working title)
Lucy in Connecticut (USA) (rerun title)
The Sunday Lucy Show (USA) (rerun title)
The Top Ten Lucy Show (USA) (rerun title)
I Love Lucy (Greece) [el]
I Love Lucy (France) [fr]
Te quiero, Lucy (Spain) [es]
Yo amo a Lucy (Argentina) [es]

Runtime:

30 min (179 episodes) | Argentina:30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Argentina:Atp | Canada:G

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

CBS Television

Trivia:

Ethel was from Albuquerque, New Mexico and her father ran the candy store. Also, one of her neighbors was Betty Ramsey, who would later become a neighbor of Ethel's and Lucy's when they moved to Connecticut in the final season.

Goofs:

Factual errors: For an entire season, the closing credits list Wilbur Hatch conducting the "Dezi" Arnaz orchestra. He spelled it Desi.

Quotes:

Ethel Mertz: Three!
Lucy Ricardo: Two!
Ethel Mertz: One! One cent hamburgers.
Fred Mertz: Ethel, are you out of your mind?
Ethel Mertz: Well I thought this could get'em.
Fred Mertz: One cent hamburgers.
Customer: [Gives Ethel one dollar] I'd like a 100 hamburgers.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Golden Girls: Son-in-Law Dearest (#2.23)" (1987)

Soundtrack:

Jingle Bells

Fifty years later and still one of the best

First of all, just about every aspect of this show's premise was implausible: that Lucy and Ricky would even be married to each other and that they would be best friends with the much older Mertzes. (Although William Frawley was 64 when the show started, Vivian Vance was 42, close to Lucille Ball's age, but Ethel was supposed to be much older). Anyway, the show worked in spite of, or maybe even because of this.

Almost every episode was good, except for some weak ones during the first season. And even though the show is over 50 years old, it doesn't seem dated like other old shows. It's still fresh and entertaining, even after repeated viewings.

There are many well-known stories that have to do with Lucille Ball's vanity. She didn't want Ethel to wear nice clothes, so as not to overshadow Lucy. Vivian Vance's wardrobe was purchased off-the-rack in department stores, and Lucille Ball's was designed especially for her. And then there's the rumor that Vivian Vance was contractually obligated to be at least 25 pounds heavier than Lucille Ball. When Vivian Vance returned from summer hiatus one season having lost weight, Lucille Ball said, "You're looking a little too good there, Viv, we're going to have to fatten you up real quick."

Not enough credit goes to the underrated Desi Arnaz. He was a brilliant, talented, and very, very funny man, but not in the same exaggerated over-the-top style of Lucille Ball. His facial expressions are priceless, especially when his eyes literally pop out of his head. It's too bad that he was overshadowed by his more famous wife. Even his daughter, Lucie Arnaz has been known to say that "my mother gets all the credit, but my father was the brains behind the show."