I Love Lucy
(All quotes unless specified are by Jess Oppenheimer one of the creators of the show).
I Love Lucy is an icon of American television. The show debuted on October 15, 1951 and the final episode was shown on May 6, 1957. But reruns are still on the air even today.
I Love Lucy is perhaps the most memorable television show to come out of the original age of televison. This show was a smashing success and established the sitcom as the dominant televsion genre. Many of the episodes were based upon Lucille Ball's earlier radio show My Favorite Husband.
The actual premise behind the show was the story of Lucy (the meddling housewife), and Ricky (a bandleader) Ricardo. Lucy would cause all sorts of mischief, and Ricky would always have to come bail her out of trouble. Along for the ride were the Mertzs (Fred and Ethel). Who were the best friends, landlords, and later business partners of Ricardo's.
The decision to make the show with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz was made long before anyone could come up with a suitable premise for the show. They kicked around various ideas in smoke filled rooms until they finally came up with something.
Why don’t we do a show about a middle-class working stiff who works very hard at his job as a bandleader, and likes nothing better than to come home at night and relax with his wife, who doesn’t like staying home and is dying to get into show business herself?
The show's format had been decided, but there was the little problem of a name, and the fact that Desi Arnaz wanted top billing as the star of the show. Desi eventually gave in said the logical thing to do would be to use alphabetical order (but he still wasn't happy). Finally the title of "I Love Lucy" was finalized from a stack of cardboard titles (solving another problem as well).
As I thought more about my choice, I realized that I had just solved another problem as well. The 'I' in I Love Lucy was Desi. I had given him first-place billing after all."
Eliot Daniel then composed the I Love Lucy theme song in a matter of days (unattributed at the time, because he would have been breaking his contract with Fox).
Now we come time to film the first episode in front of a live studio audience. But Desi is still arguing with Hal Hudson (from CBS) over his contract. Hal tells him that the show will not be filmed unless he signs. Desi demands to know how much the episode will cost to film. Hal checks some papers and comes back with $19,000. Desi pulls out his checkbook, "I'll pay for it myself, and it will belong to us" he screamed. Hal backed down, and the first episode was shot with Desi Arnaz's contract still unsigned.
After the pilot was sold Vivian Vance and William Frawley were signed as Ethel and Fred Mertz. This completed the regular cast that would do 179 Episodes in front of a live studio audience.
The Cast
Desi Arnaz as
Ricky Ricardo
Lucille Ball as
Lucy Ricardo
Vivian Vance as
Ethel Mertz
William Frawley as
Fred Mertz
and
Desi Arnaz Jr. as
Little Ricky
All of these characters will be fully detailed in nodes of their own (if someone else doesn't do it, then I will).
Episode Guide
I believe there is no other television show in the world that deserves a fully detailed episode guide the this one does. Please help fill in these links.
- Lucy Thinks Ricky Is Trying to Murder Her
- The Girls Want to Go to a Nightclub
- Be a Pal
- The Diet
- The Quiz Show
- The Audition Show
- The Seance
- Men Are Messy
- Drafted
- The Fur Coat
- Jealous of Girl Dancer
- The Adagio
- The Benefit
- The Amateur Hour
- Lucy Plays Cupid
- Lucy Fakes Illness
- Lucy Writes a Play
- Breaking the Lease
- The Ballet
- The Young Fans
- New Neighbors
- Fred and Ethel Fight
- The Mustache
- The Gossip
- Pioneer Women
- The Marriage License
- The Kleptomaniac
- Cuban Pals
- The Freezer
- Lucy Does a TV Commercial
- Publicity Agent
- Lucy Gets Ricky on the Radio
- Lucy's Schedule
- Getting Bald
- Ricky Asks for a Raise
- Anniversary Present
- The Handcuffs
- The Operetta
- Job Switching
- The Saxophone
- Vacation From Marriage
- The Courtroom
- Redecorating
- Ricky Loses His Voice
- Lucy Is Enciente
- Pregnant Women Are Unpredictable
- Lucy's Show Biz Swan Song
- Lucy Hires an English Tutor
- Ricky Has Labor Pains
- Lucy Becomes a Sculptress
- Lucy Goes to the Hospital
- Sales Resistance
- Inferiority Complex
- Club Election
- The Black Eye
- Lucy Changes Her Mind
- No Children Allowed
- Lucy Hires a Maid
- The Indian Show
- Lucy's Last Birthday
- The Ricardos Change Apartments
- Lucy Is Matchmaker
- Lucy Wants New Furniture
- The Camping Trip
- Ricky's Life Story
- Ricky and Fred Are TV Fans
- Never Do Biz With Friends
- The Girls Go Into Business
- Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress
- Equal Rights
- Baby Pictures
- Lucy Tells the Truth
- The French Revue
- Redecorating the Mertzes' Apartment
- Too Many Crooks
- Changing the Boys' Wardrobe
- Lucy Has Her Eyes Examined
- Ricky's Old Girlfriend
- The Million Dollar Idea
- Ricky Minds the Baby
- Charm School
- Sentimental Anniversary
- Fan Magazine Interview
- Oil Wells
- Ricky Loses His Temper
- Home Movies
- Bonus Bucks
- Ricky's Hawaiian Vacation
- Lucy Is Envious
- Lucy Writes a Novel
- Lucy's Club Dance
- The Diner
- The Black Wig
- Tennessee Ernie Visits
- Tennessee Ernie Hangs On
- The Golf Game
- The Sublease
- Lucy Cries Wolf
- The Matchmaker
- Business Manager
- Mr. and Mrs. Television Network
- Mertz and Kurtz
- Ricky's Movie Offer
- Ricky's Screen Test
- Lucy's Mother In Law
- Ethel's Birthday
- Ricky's Contract
- Getting Ready
- Lucy Learns to Drive
- California, Here We Come
- First Stop
- Tennessee Bound
- Ethel's Hometown
- LA at Last
- Don Juan and the Starlets
- Lucy Gets in Pictures
- The Fashion Show
- The Hedda Hopper Show
- Don Juan is Shelved
- Bull Fight Dance
- Hollywood Anniversary
- The Star Upstairs
- In Palm Springs
- Harpo Marx
- Dancing Star
- Ricky Needs an Agent
- The Tour
- Lucy Visits Grauman's
- Lucy and John Wayne
- Lucy and the Dummy
- Ricky Sells the Car
- The Great Train Robbery
- Homecoming
- Person to Person
- Lucy Goes to the Rodeo
- Nursery School
- Ricky's European Booking
- Passports
- Staten Island Ferry
- Bon Voyage
- Lucy's Second Honeymoon
- Lucy Meets the Queen
- The Fox Hunt
- Lucy Goes to Scotland
- Paris at Last
- Lucy Meets Charles Boyer
- Lucy Gets a Paris Gown
- Lucy in the Swiss Alps
- Lucy Gets Homesick
- Lucy's Italian Movie
- Bicycle Trip
- Lucy Goes to Monte Carlo
- Home From Europe
- Lucy Meets Bob Hope
- Lucy Meets Orson Welles
- Little Ricky Gets Stage Fright
- Little Ricky Learns to Play the Drums
- Visitor From Italy
- Off to Florida
- Deep Sea Fishing
- Desert Island
- The Ricardos Visit Cuba
- Little Ricky's School Pageant
- Lucy and the Loving Cup
- Little Ricky Gets a Dog
- Lucy and Superman
- Lucy Wants to Move to the Country
- Lucy Hates to Leave
- Lucy Misses the Mertzes
- Lucy Gets Chummy With the Neighbors
- Lucy Raises Chickens
- Lucy Does the Tango
- Ragtime Band
- Lucy's Night in Town
- Housewarming
- Building a Bar B Q
- Country Club Dance
- Lucy Raises Tulips
- The Ricardos Dedicate a Statue