Series synopsis
I Love Lucy is an American comedy family television series that premiered on CBS on October 15, 1951. It ended on May 6, 1957. It was created by Bob Carroll Jr., Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh. It stars Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance and William Frawley.
Cuban Bandleader Ricky Ricardo would be happy if his wife Lucy would just be a housewife. Instead she tries constantly to perform at the Tropicana where he works, and make life comically frantic in the apartment building they share with landlords Fred and Ethel Mertz, who also happen to be their best friends.
Premise
Cuban Bandleader Ricky Ricardo would be happy if his wife Lucy would just be a housewife. Instead she tries constantly to perform at the Tropicana where he works, and make life comically frantic in the apartment building they share with landlords Fred and Ethel Mertz, who also happen to be their best friends.
Premise: Vitameatavegamin - Spoon Your Way To Health!
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Lucille Ball as Lucy Ricardo
- Desi Arnaz as Ricky Ricardo
- Vivian Vance as Ethel Mertz
- William Frawley as Fred Mertz
- Harpo Marx as Harpo Marx
- Mabel Paige as Mrs. Hansen
- Milton Frome as Sam Carter
- Cornel Wilde as Cornel Wilde
Supporting cast
- Nancy Kulp as Maid
- John Frank as Newspaperman
- Richard Widmark as Richard Widmark
- Howard McNear as Mr. Crawford (uncredited)
- Charles Boyer as Charles Boyer
- Stephen Wootton as Little Barney
- Philip Ober as Arnold (uncredited)
- Claude Akins as Claude Akins (uncredited)
- John Litel as Harvey Cromwell
- Elsa Lanchester as Edna Grundy
- Gale Gordon as Mr. Littlefield
- Hedda Hopper as Hedda Hopper
Guest cast
- Harpo Marx as Harpo Marx
- Mabel Paige as Mrs. Hansen
- Milton Frome as Sam Carter
- Cornel Wilde as Cornel Wilde
- Nancy Kulp as Maid
- John Frank as Newspaperman
- Richard Widmark as Richard Widmark
- Howard McNear as Mr. Crawford (uncredited)
- Charles Boyer as Charles Boyer
- Stephen Wootton as Little Barney
- Philip Ober as Arnold (uncredited)
- Claude Akins as Claude Akins (uncredited)
Episodes
This series spans 7 seasons with 198 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 18 | April 30, 1990 | May 18, 2017 |
| Season 1 | 35 | October 15, 1951 | June 9, 1952 |
| Season 2 | 31 | September 15, 1952 | June 29, 1953 |
| Season 3 | 31 | October 5, 1953 | May 24, 1954 |
| Season 4 | 30 | October 4, 1954 | May 30, 1955 |
| Season 5 | 26 | October 3, 1955 | May 14, 1956 |
| Season 6 | 27 | October 1, 1956 | May 6, 1957 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Lost Pilot The Original pilot for the series long thought to have been lost until 1990 when it was found and restored. In this we meet the Ricardos and learn of Lucy's desires to be in Ricky's act. Lucy's original announcer Bob LeMond also steps back into the role of Narrator after a break of 50 years. |
April 30, 1990 |
| 2 |
Colorized Christmas Show Colorized version of the Christmas show |
December 24, 1956 |
| 3 |
Lucy Goes To Scotland Lucy wants to investigate her family history in Scotland. |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Girls Want to Go to a Nightclub An argument ensues among the couples when Ethel wants to celebrate the Mertzes's anniversary at the Copacabana while Fred wants to attend the fights. Ethel and Lucy decide that they will go to the club with dates. |
October 15, 1951 |
| 2 |
Be a Pal Thinking Ricky is losing interest in her, Lucy follows the advice of a book Ethel gave her and takes up Ricky's hobbies. |
October 22, 1951 |
| 3 |
The Diet To her dismay, Lucy finds out that she's put on twenty-two pounds since marrying Ricky. When one of the girls in Ricky's new show quits, she tricks him into promising, she can be in the show if she fits into the dancer's size twelve costume. |
October 29, 1951 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Job Switching Ricky wants Lucy to try working for a week, so she and Ethel get jobs at a candy factory, where they are totally inept-especially at wrapping chocolates-due to a speeding conveyor belt that has them stuffing chocolates in their mouths, blouses, and hats. |
September 15, 1952 |
| 2 |
The Saxophone When Lucy fails her saxophone audition for Ricky's band, she tries to stop him from going on the road by pretending there's another man in her life. Ricky gets back at her by hiring several "lovers," and hiding them in Lucy's closet. But Lucy gets the last laugh in the end! |
September 22, 1952 |
| 3 |
The Anniversary Present Lucy thinks that Ricky is pitching woo with a sophisticated neighbor. The woman is actually a jeweler who Ricky has commissioned to fashion a pearl necklace to surprise Lucy with on their anniversary. Lucy takes to spying before the deal can go down and almost loses out on her big surprise. |
September 29, 1952 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Ricky's 'Life' Story Lucy is upset because a 'Life' magazine feature on Ricky's home life didn't include a picture of her. |
October 5, 1953 |
| 2 |
The Girls Go Into Business Lucy and Ethel are all set to go into business when they buy a new dress shop. But what to call it? Ethelu's? Lucyeth's? Unfortunately, naming the shop isn't their only problem when they are unable to sell any dresses and must sell the shop. |
October 12, 1953 |
| 3 |
Lucy and Ethel Buy the Same Dress Lucy and Ethel buy the same dress for the upcoming talent show for the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League. True, they'll be doing a duet, and their number is Cole Porter's corny "Friendship" but wearing the same dress isn't exactly what they had in mind. Meanwhile, Lucy needs to persuade Ricky to host the show, so she decides to use a little reverse psychology. |
October 19, 1953 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Business Manager Ricky hires a business manager, and Lucy finds him tighter with money than Ricky. |
October 4, 1954 |
| 2 |
Mertz and Kurtz Fred's globetrotting old vaudeville partner, Barney Kurtz, shows up, so Fred says he's a real-estate tycoon (with a red-headed maid to prove it). Actually, Barney's a cook in the Bronx, but his grandson is coming for a visit, so it's on with the show. |
October 11, 1954 |
| 3 |
Lucy Cries Wolf Lucy cries wolf once too often when she decides to see whether Ricky would come to her aid in an emergency. He assures her that he'd rush home from the club "between the 'baba' and the 'lu' " if she were in danger, but that's not enough reassurance for her, and soon she's in a precarious position. |
October 18, 1954 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Lucy Visits Grauman's With only a week left in Hollywood, Lucy weeps about her lack of souvenirs. Her collection already includes a tin can run over by Cary Grant's rear tire, a napkin boasting Lana Turner's lip-prints, and a few other goodies. But when Lucy discovers that John Wayne's concrete block at Grauman's Chinese Theatre is loose, she decides to take home a souvenir to end all souvenirs. |
October 3, 1955 |
| 2 |
Lucy and John Wayne Lucy is spotted while attempting to "collect" a cement block with John Wayne's footprints from Grauman's Chinese Theater. To avoid publicity and keep Lucy out of jail, Ricky enlists John Wayne's help in replacing the block. One mishap leads to another, and the plot thickens -- as does the cement. John Wayne guest-stars. |
October 10, 1955 |
| 3 |
Lucy and the Dummy Lucy thinks she may have finally gotten her big break in Hollywood. It all centers on a posh party attended by studio execs. Ricky was invited to attend but begged off. But Lucy will fool ’em. She has a lifelike rubber replica of Ricky’s head, which she’ll attach to a dummy body — and she’ll dance her way to stardom with “Raggedy Ricky.” |
October 17, 1955 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Lucy and Bob Hope Ricky is opening a new club, and he wants Bob Hope to appear at the grand opening. Lucy fears Hope won't appear because of her widespread reputation for monkey-wrench throwing, and wants to reassure him that this time she's butting out. |
October 1, 1956 |
| 2 |
Little Ricky Learns to Play the Drums Little Ricky gets drums and the Mertzes get headaches. So do Lucy and Ricky, but they're not about to evict themselves. |
October 8, 1956 |
| 3 |
Lucy Meets Orson Welles Lucy tries to get in a skit with Orson Welles at Ricky's club, thinking it is a Shakespearean play that he will be doing. When Orson Welles tells Lucy she can be in the show, she calls her old high school drama teacher to tell her the news. Lucy's old teacher sends her whole drama class to Club Babalu to see Lucy perform. But poor Lucy! It turns out Welles only wanted her to be his assistant for a magic trick. |
October 15, 1956 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | CBS |
|---|---|
| First aired | October 15, 1951 |
| Last aired | May 6, 1957 |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Friday |