The Television Shows That Desilu Production Was Responsible for Getting on the Air

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s marriage was volatile, but the pair still managed to turn the seemingly impossible into reality. They not only managed to star in I Love Lucy together when network executives wanted anyone but Arnaz as Lucy’s husband, but they also built a production company together. Do you remember some of the most important shows that came out of Desilu Productions? 

Desilu Productions was responsible for ‘I Love Lucy’ 

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz ended their marriage in 1960 after several tumultuous years. However, their years together gave rise to I Love Lucy, the sitcom classic that still amasses fans today. 

The sitcom, which ran from 1951 until 1957, was the first in a long line of projects attributed to Desilu Productions. It was among the production company’s biggest successes, but it wasn’t the only one. Not by a longshot. Even after Arnaz and Ball called it quits, they continued to work together, at least for a while. 

Eventually, Ball took over the company entirely. While she allegedly “hated” the entire experience, she was incredibly skilled at it. Ball managed to somehow know a television series was going to be successful, even when everyone else thought she was wrong. Ball’s persistence, in some cases, is the only reason some shows got on the air.

Lucille Ball was directly responsible for bringing several successful franchises to the small-screen 

While Arnaz often acted in a business role for the production company, Ball spent much of her time in a creative capacity. According to several sources, Ball had a deep understanding of television and what audiences would find appealing. Her natural inclination helped bring several well-known franchises into existence. 

Ball was directly responsible for getting Star Trek made. The sci-fi concept was pretty much hated by Desilu’s board of directors, most of whom believed production would simply be too expensive. Ball believed in the project and pushed for it to be made. According to Entertainment Weekly, her interest in the show was so strong that she even financed a second pilot. 

Ball also helped bring The Untouchables and Mission: Impossible to the small-screen. The Untouchables ran from 1959 until 1963. In the 1980s, the series was adapted into a film by the same name. Mission: Impossible was produced by Desilu Productions for two seasons before Ball sold the production company. Mission: Impossible ran for nine seasons before cancelation. Thirty years later, it was turned into a feature film franchise. 

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