I Love Lucy
The five-time Primetime Emmy Award-winning sitcom I Love Lucy is an iconic and beloved TV show. It became an immediate hit when it debuted in 1951 on CBS. The show follows an ambitious American redhead and her serious Cuban bandleader husband through hilarious misadventures and misunderstandings in New York City.
Co-stars and real-life spouses Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz launched to fame upon the series debut. Playing married couple Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, Ball displays her gift for physical comedy as a housewife determined to become a star despite lacking talent, and Arnaz is the perfect straight man who injects further entertainment through song and dance. Neighbors Ethel and Fred Mertz, played by actors Vivan Vance and Willian Frawley, join the antics.
With all six seasons streaming on Hulu and Paramount+, I Love Lucy continues to attract audiences decades after its final episode aired in 1957.
- Main cast: Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, William Frawley
- Creator: Desi Arnaz
- TV genres: Sitcom, comedy
- Original release: October 15, 1951-May 6, 1957
- Network: CBS
- Streaming: Hulu, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Vudu, more
- Seasons: 6
- Episodes: 181
- Most famous episodes: “Job Switching,” “Lucy Does a Commercial,” “Lucy’s Italian Movie”
- Behind the scenes: Lucille Ball almost drowned while filming the iconic grape-stomping scene.
- Fun fact: Lucy and Ricky never shared a bed or a blanket because it was taboo at the time.
- If you like I Love Lucy, you might also like: Bewitched, The Brady Bunch, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Gilligan’s Island, I Dream of Jeannie, Laverne & Shirley
Featured Articles:
‘I Love Lucy’: Lucille Ball’s First Choice for the Mertzes Was Not William Frawley and Vivian Vance
‘WandaVision’: Was It Actually Inspired by Lucille Ball and ‘I Love Lucy’?
‘I Love Lucy’ Was the First Major Television Show to Feature Pregnancy in a Storyline
Visit the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum website.
