I LOVE LUCY,

I LOVE LUCY, a television program that aired weekly on the CBS network from 1951 to 1957. This half-hour situation comedy was among the most popular shows in television history, ranking first in the Nielsen ratings for four of its six seasons. Reruns have continued to air since the late 1950s, making this one of the best known of American television series. The program was created and produced by Jess Oppenheimer, who also wrote for the show with Madelyn Pugh Davis and Bob Carroll Jr.

Desi Arnaz starred as Cuban American bandleader Ricky Ricardo, who worked in a New York City nightclub. Lucille Ball, Arnaz's wife on the show and off, played

Lucy Ricardo, his childlike and mischievous wife. Vivian Vance and William Frawley portrayed Ethel and Fred Mertz, the Ricardos' neighbors, landlords, and best friends. Lucille Ball emerged as a master of physical comedy; her slapstick routines were well suited to the small television screen.

The extraordinary popularity of I Love Lucy had a dramatic impact on American television. It was shot on film in Los Angeles at a time when most TV shows were broadcast live from New York City. Before long, however, and partially as a result of Lucy's success, most prime-time television production moved from New York City to Hollywood and from a live, theatrical aesthetic to a filmed, Hollywood style. Because I Love Lucy was on film, it could be sold perpetually in reruns. Within a few years, most of the TV industry had moved its productions to film.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Oppenheimer, Jess. Laughs, Luck—and Lucy: How I Came to Create the Most Popular Sitcom of All Time. Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, 1996.

Robert Thompson

See also Television: Programming and Influence.