I Love Lucy

I Love Lucy
Logo from the syndicated edition
GenreSitcom
Based onMy Favorite Husband
Starring
Theme music composer
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languages
  • English
  • Spanish
No. of seasons6
No. of episodes180[a] (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerDesi Arnaz
ProducerJess Oppenheimer
Production locationsDesilu Studios, Los Angeles
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time23–26 minutes
Production companyDesilu Productions
Original release
NetworkCBS[1]
ReleaseOctober 15, 1951 (1951-10-15) –
May 6, 1957 (1957-05-06)
Related
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes spanning six seasons.[2] The series starred Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz, along with Vivian Vance and William Frawley, and follows the life of Lucy Ricardo (Ball), a young, middle-class housewife living in New York City, who often concocts plans with her best friends and landlords, Ethel and Fred Mertz (Vance and Frawley), to appear alongside her bandleader husband, Ricky Ricardo (Arnaz), in his nightclub. Lucy is depicted trying numerous schemes to mingle with and be a part of show business. After the series ended in 1957, a modified version of the show continued for three more seasons, with 13 one-hour specials, which ran from 1957 to 1960. It was first known as The Lucille Ball–Desi Arnaz Show, and later, in reruns, as The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour.

I Love Lucy became the most-watched show in the United States in four of its six seasons and it was the first to end its run at the top of the Nielsen ratings.[3] As of 2011, episodes of the show have been syndicated in dozens of languages across the world and remain popular with an American audience of 40 million each year.[4][5][6] A colorized version of its Christmas episode attracted more than eight million viewers when CBS aired it in prime time in 2013, 62 years after the show premiered.[7]

The show – which was the first scripted television program to be filmed on 35 mm film in front of a studio audience, by cinematographer Karl Freund – won five Emmy Awards and received many nominations and honors. It was the first show to feature an ensemble cast.[8] As such, it is often regarded as one of the most influential television programs in history. In 2012, it was voted the 'Best TV Show of All Time' in a survey conducted by ABC News and People magazine.[9] In 2013, the Writers Guild of America ranked it #12 on their list of the 101 Best Written TV Series.[10]


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  1. ^ de Moraes, Lisa (April 16, 2015). "CBS Dusts Off And Colorizes 'I Love Lucy' Episodes For May Sweep Tryout". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 17, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  2. ^ "BBC - Comedy Guide - I Love Lucy". Archived from the original on December 5, 2004.
  3. ^ DOSTIS, MELANIE (October 15, 2015). "Looking back at 'I Love Lucy' 64 years later". nydailynews.com. Archived from the original on May 22, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  4. ^ "I love Lucy – 100 Years and Going Strong". Videomaker. August 5, 2011. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  5. ^ Elber, Lynn (August 5, 2011). "Legacy of 'I Love Lucy' a force in comedy". The Durango Herald. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  6. ^ "I Love Lucy Goes Live! – Today's News: Our Take". TVGuide.com. September 14, 2011. Archived from the original on September 15, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2012. [...]which owns the rights to the series still seen on TV by 40 million Americans each year.
  7. ^ Kozinn, Allan (December 23, 2013). "Viewers Found Much to Love in 'Lucy' Christmas Show". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  8. ^ "I Love Lucy". oldtimecooking.com. 2014. Archived from the original on April 5, 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  9. ^ "I Love Lucy Voted the Best TV Show of All Time". ABC News. Disney-ABC Television Group. September 18, 2012. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  10. ^ "101 Best Written TV Series". Writers Guild of America West. June 2, 2013.