what is i love lucy known for

What made I Love Lucy so memorable is that Lucille Ball

and Desi Arnaz

Desi Arnaz

Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III, better known as Desi Arnaz, was a Cuban-born American actor, musician, and television producer. He is best remembered for his role as Ricky Ricardo on the American television series sitcom I Love Lucy. He co-starred on that show with dramatic and come…

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were married in real life. The intimate sitcom broke records, boundaries, and was unlike anything on TV at the time. While it may not look the part today, I Love Lucy was instrumental for the sitcoms and comedies of today, paving the way for future shows to come.

Full Answer

Why was "I Love Lucy" so popular?

Why was "I Love Lucy" so popular? The rise in popularity of television in the nineteen fifties led to the development of condition comedy . This was a style that got the attention of viewers by introducing a story with an opening, a middle part, and a cheerful ending. I love Lucy was one of the most popular shows that employed this technique.

What is Lucy's real name from I Love Lucy?

Lucy Carmichael (former maiden name, McGilligudy, and formerly, Ricardo) is the titular protagonist of I Love Lucy, the . Lucy Show and Here's Lucy. She is portrayed by Lucille Ball. Background. Lucy McGillicuddy was born and raised in Jamestown, New York (or West Jamestown per episode #138), to an American family of Scottish descent.

What was Lucy's married name on I Love Lucy?

Originally set in an apartment building in New York City, I Love Lucy centers on Lucy Ricardo ( Lucille Ball) and her singer/bandleader husband, Ricky Ricardo ( Desi Arnaz ), along with their best friends and landlords, Fred Mertz ( William Frawley) and Ethel Mertz ( Vivian Vance ).

Did Desi Really Love Lucy?

There was no question that Lucy and Desi were passionately in love with each other while they were married. They couldn’t stand being around each other and couldn’t stop fighting. Even after getting remarried, though, Lucy and Desi never stopped loving each other; those closest to them believed that they never did get over their divorce.

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What was so important about I Love Lucy?

In 1955 I Love Lucy achieved a significant television first―it became the first television series to be broadcast as reruns, a phenomenon made possible because it was produced on film and not the grainier kinescope, as were most other programs of its time.

What was groundbreaking about I Love Lucy?

I Love Lucy was pioneering for its use of multiple, simultaneously filming cameras and a live studio audience. It was also one of the first TV shows to be shot on 35mm film, rather than broadcast live.

How did I Love Lucy influence American culture?

I Love Lucy helped create a culture that revolved around television, sitcoms, and the values they supported. The American values that were marketed by these sitcoms, however, excluded the lower classes of society and created apathetic attitudes to crucial social and political problems of the time.

What was controversial about I Love Lucy?

Ball and Arnaz got a lot of attention because they were an interracial couple on television. I Love Lucy also caused a stir by showing a pregnant woman on TV. The duo almost ended I Love Lucy after they received baby news. During that time, it was considered controversial for a visibly pregnant woman to be on TV.

How did Lucille Ball impact society?

Ball's talent for both verbal and slapstick comedy paved the way for future television women. In addition to opening new doors for women in front of the camera, Ball was also a powerful female figure behind the scenes. As co-owner of Desilu, she became the first woman to head a production studio.

In what ways did I Love Lucy reflect American society and family life of the 1950s?

An aspect of popular culture in the 1950s that is depicted by I Love Lucy is an aspect of gender roles that defined relationships. In which, daily routines of women consisted of cooking and wait for their husbands while they brought home the money.

Why do people love Lucy?

Aside from Lucille Ball's great comedic talents, what made the show so appealing? Added to the fact that the show was enormously funny, I Love Lucy had enormous heart. The Ricardos and their friends the Mertzes really did love each other and that came across. It was something that people wanted in their living rooms.

When was the first sitcom?

1947In 1947, the first American television sitcom, Mary Kay and Johnny, debuted. Since that time, many of the most watched shows in the US have been sitcoms. American sitcoms are generally written to run a total of 22 minutes in length, leaving eight minutes for advertisements in a 30 minute timeslot.

Who invented the three camera system?

Pioneering the Three Camera Setup In the early 1950s, the technical challenge of simultaneously operating three cameras and a studio audience in real time was considered insurmountable… But Desi Arnaz found a way.

Why do Ricky and Lucy sleep in separate beds?

Why the couple's never shared a bed on the sitcom. Although Ball and Arnaz were married in real life, they were still not allowed to share a bed in the show's six seasons. At the time, married TV couples sharing a bed was considered much more scandalous than today.

Is I Love Lucy the most watched show?

It was first known as The Lucille Ball–Desi Arnaz Show, and later, in reruns, as The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour. I Love Lucy became the most-watched show in the United States in four of its six seasons and it was the first to end its run at the top of the Nielsen ratings.

Was Lucy actually pregnant?

In 1952, Lucille Ball and Lucy Ricardo were both pregnant—but only one of them was allowed to actually say that. When Ball was expecting her second child with husband Desi Arnaz, their series was in its second season, and the show incorporated her real-life pregnancy into the plot.

How much did Lucille Ball make from I Love Lucy?

According to Bart Andrews' 1985 book, The I Love Lucy Book, Ball and Arnaz were paid a joint salary of $4,000 per episode ($2,000 each) for I Love Lucy. The book reports that the couple originally asked for $5,000 per episode, but CBS and Arnaz agreed to $4,000 for complete rights to the show.

Did Ricky Ricardo ever say you got some splainin to do?

"Lucy, you've got some 'splaining to do!" Perhaps the most infamous and viciously debated line on the internet, this oft-quoted and memed Ricky Ricardo line is more of a paraphrase, as he never says this exactly. He said things like, "Lucy, 'splain," or "'Splain that if you can," which evolved into this misquote.

Why did Lucy and Desi get divorced?

Why did Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz divorce? Ball first filed for divorce from Arnaz in 1944 after four years of marriage. In her 1989 memoir, Love, Lucy, Ball revealed that she filed for divorce from Arnaz due to his drinking problem and alleged infidelity.

Why was I Love Lucy Cancelled?

One of the biggest reasons that I Love Lucy ended was because the marriage of Lucille and Desi was crumbling. As creators and stars of their show, and owners of the production studio that had made it, the couple's dissolution resulted in a lack of chemistry on screen and a near-impossible working relationship.

Desi Arnaz Almost Wasn't in the Show

Originally, Lucille Ball starred on a radio program called My Favorite Husband alongside Richard Denning. Two years into the program, CBS decided to adapt it into the I Love Lucy television show, but the studio wanted Denning to continue as Lucy’s husband. Lucy, however, insisted that Desi Arnaz, her real-life husband, take the role of Ricky.

The Network Was Very Conservative

In the 1950s, television producers were very conservative, and that showed up in two major ways. First, Ricky and Lucy always slept in separate beds, but throughout the series, the beds slowly moved further and further apart to appease advertisers.

Lucille Ball Nearly Drowned in the Grapes

In a classic scene on the show, Lucy stomped grapes to make Italian wine. However, filming that scene almost ended in a tragedy. At one point, the non-English speaking grape crusher, named Teresa Tirelli, misunderstood a cue and started holding Ball headfirst in the vat of grapes, nearly causing her to drown.

William Frawley Skipped Two Episodes for His Yankees

Multiple episodes depicted Fred as a baseball fan, and that was true in real life too. Frawley even had a clause in his contract that allowed him to skip work whenever the New York Yankees were playing in the World Series. As a result, the writers had to write him out of two episodes so he could attend the games.

I Love Lucy Made Reruns Possible

When filming, Ball and Arnaz insisted that their show use 35mm stock film to record. It was more expensive than normal film, but the higher quality allowed the film to be played over and over. As a result, the concept of reruns was born, and many shows followed in Ball and Arnaz’s footsteps.

Why did I love Lucy last so long?

Part of the reason why audiences have been able to enjoy I Love Lucy for so long is because Lucille did not want her husband being on the road all the time. Fans might remember that Desi was part of a band in real life, and that meant that he was spending lots of time traveling, and Lucille was not a fan of that.

What happened when Lucy did it?

When Lucy did it, the audiences seemed to think it was very funny. But when the series creators attempted to have the other characters do it, things were a bit different. The jokes were not very well-received, so the writers stopped allowing the other characters in the show to poke fun at his accent.

How many children did Lucille and Desi have?

Anyone who loves to watch reruns of their favorite shows are probably very thankful to those who created I Love Lucy. In real life, Lucille and Desi shared two children. Desi thought his wife could use a break from work when she had their second child, so that is when he came up with what audiences now know as a rerun.

Why did Fred and Ethel not like each other in I Love Lucy?

Part of the reason why they did not like one another is because William was so much older than Vivian (there was 22 years between them) and she did not think anyone would believe she was married to a man who was so much older than she was.

What was used to make Lucy's hair color?

Someone brought the hairdresser a unique mixture that involved hair dye and henna, and that is what was used to create the iconic hair color that I Love Lucy fans are so familiar with. The distinct mixture was locked up in a safe spot when the hairdresser was not using it on the actress, since it was such an important part of her character.

What is Kirstie's favorite genre?

While writing has always been her main passion, she loves sitting down to check out a good movie, and her favorite genre is horror. Her favorite directors are Alfred Hitchcock, Ari Aster, and M. Night Shyamalan.

Why did the actress want her husband to play her husband?

The actress wanted her husband to spend more time with her, so that is why she wanted him to play her husband on the series. It’s interesting to think about what the show might have looked like if she did not feel that way.

Who was the director of I Love Lucy?

Desi hired legendary cinematographer Karl Freund to help solve the dilemma, and along with writer-producer Jess Oppenheimer and director Marc Daniels, they built a set, and the necessary filming equipment was strategically placed. CBS balked at the additional expense involved in this undertaking, so Arnaz struck a deal: He and Lucille would take a large cut in their salaries and their company, Desilu Productions, would retain ownership of the films in exchange. The enduring high quality of the 35 millimeter film was part of the reason that I Love Lucy became so popular in rerun syndication, and Desilu’s 100 percent ownership of the series made Lucille and Desi the first millionaire TV stars.

Why did I Love Lucy never air?

I Love Lucy almost never made it to the air because CBS had trouble securing a sponsor for the show. Finally tobacco giant Philip Morris signed on at the 11th hour. As a result, lots of smoking was featured in each episode, and the name “Philip Morris” was worked into the dialogue whenever plausible.

What was Desi Arnaz's dream?

Desi Arnaz was an unabashed believer in the American Dream and was very patriotic when it came to his adopted homeland. Desi was 17 years old when Fulgencio Batista overthrew the Cuban government and the Arnaz family fled to Miami with little more than the clothes they were wearing. The family lived in a warehouse with some other refugees and Desi got a job cleaning birdcages for a man who sold canaries to pet stores. As he said during his acceptance speech on Ed Sullivan’s Toast of the Town in 1954, “From cleaning canary cages to this night in New York is a long ways. And I don’t think there’s any other country in the world that could give you that opportunity.” So when a scene in the original script for the episode “Lucy Tells the Truth” called for Ricky to fudge some numbers on his income tax return, Arnaz refused to play it and asked the writers to remove it. He didn’t want the audience to think that Ricky would cheat the U.S. government.

Why did Lucille and Desi want to take their show on the road?

2. LUCY AND DESI HAD TO TAKE THEIR SHOW ON THE ROAD TO CONVINCE THE NETWORK BRASS. Arnaz had a successful career touring the country with his rhumba band, which was one of the reasons Lucille wanted him to get cast as her TV husband—to keep him off the road and close to home.

What stuff was Lucy pouring onto the spoon?

By the way, that stuff Lucy was pouring onto the spoon was apple pectin.

When did I Love Lucy come out?

BY Kara Kovalchik. August 6, 2018. Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain. When I Love Lucy premiered on October 15, 1951, no one could have predicted that it would become one of television’s most beloved and enduring programs of all time.

Who played Ethel in I Love Lucy?

But Benaderet had just signed on to play Blanche Morton on the TV version of The Burns and Allen Show and was unavailable. Barbara Pepper was a personal friend of Ball’s, and the two had worked in films together, so she was the next serious consideration for the role. Pepper was the right age and body type to play Ethel, but she was also a known alcoholic and the network nixed her after Frawley was hired; two heavy drinkers in the main cast was too risky. I Love Lucy had already gone into early rehearsals by the time director Marc Daniels saw Vivian Vance performing in a play at the La Jolla Playhouse and recommended her to Arnaz. Pepper did play background characters on several I Love Lucy episodes and would go on to land the role of Doris Ziffel on Green Acres.

What is the heart in the opening credits of I Love Lucy?

The opening credits of I Love Lucy famously features a large heart with the words “I Love Lucy” inside. However, these were not the original credits for the show. The original credits were animated versions of Lucy and Ricky doing tricks with a packet of Philip Morris cigarettes, as this company was the show’s sponsor. The credits were not changed to the one featuring a heart until 1958 when CBS began rerunning the series.

What is Lucy's husband's name?

When deciding the name for Lucy’s husband, the producers seriously considered calling him Larry Lopez. However, they did not like the alliteration of Lucy and Larry Lopez. Instead, they choose to call the characters Lucy and Ricky Ricardo.

How many episodes of I Love Lucy were there?

‘I Love Lucy’ is widely regarded as one of the most influential US sitcoms of all-time. It was first aired on CBS on October 15, 1951, and ran for 180 half-hour episodes until May 6, 1957. The show starred Lucille Ball as the title character and Desi Arnaz as Lucy’s husband, Enrique Alberto Fernando y de Acha ‘Ricky’ Ricardo ...

What happened to Lucille in Lucille's Italian movie?

Lucille Once Drowned During Filming. While filming the episode ‘Lucy’s Italian Movie’, Lucille had to stomp on grapes for one of the scenes. During that scene, another actress had to hold down Lucille’s head in the grape juice, says Mental Itch.

Why was Lucille Ball reluctant to work in the movies?

When she was offered the job, she was initially reluctant because she was concerned about the transition to television. However, she had a dream about Carole Lombard, a deceased actress who was also her friend.

Why did I Love Lucy not cause offense?

There Was Careful Planning to Avoid Lucy’s Pregnancy Causing Offence. The producers of I Love Lucy took care not to cause offense because of the storylines or script and they were very politically correct . This was especially the case for the storylines including Lucy’s pregnancy.

What format was I Love Lucy filmed in?

At the time that I Love Lucy was filmed, most television series used a single-camera format and the laugh track was added. The show’s creator, Jess Oppenheimer, wanted I Love Lucy to get rid of the laugh track and to have a live audience.

What made I Love Lucy so memorable?

What made I Love Lucy so memorable is that Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were married in real life. The intimate sitcom broke records, boundaries, and was unlike anything on TV at the time. While it may not look the part today, I Love Lucy was instrumental for the sitcoms and comedies of today, paving the way for future shows to come.

Where was I Love Lucy filmed?

Like many sitcoms before and after it, I Love Lucy was filmed in front of a live audience at CBS's studios in Los Angeles. Most of the laughs heard on the show are from real audience members, not a recorded laugh track. What's worth noting is that diehard fans may recognize one fan's voice more than the others.

How much did Lucy and Desi make?

From the production process to the show itself, they earned over $256 million (in today's economy) while working on the show. What's even more shocking is that the show still brings in millions every ...

How many seasons did I Love Lucy last?

Comment. I Love Lucy lasted for six seasons in the '50s and is still talked about today. Starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, the classic sitcom focused on their relationship, Desi's career as a nightclub owner and bandleader, and the shenanigans Lucy would get herself into with her best friend Ethel.

When did Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball get married?

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz got married in 1940 after meeting at a Broadway musical. The two fell for each other instantly and were married shortly after. It wouldn't be another 11 years before the two started I Love Lucy, which only made their bond on TV stronger.

What season of Lucy's Italian movie was it?

Originally airing in the fifth season, "Lucy’s Italian Movie" quickly became the series' most beloved episodes. Here, Lucy had her dreams answered when an Italian filmmaker wanted her to be in his next Italian film.

Who are Lucy and Desi's besties?

With I Love Lucy detailing Lucy and Desi's relationship in an exaggerated fashion, the same was said for their on-screen besties, Fred and Ethel. As it turns out, Fred and Ethel were based on real-life friends that Lucy and Desi had: Fred Arnaz and Ethel Merman!

Who played Lucille Ball's husband in I Love Lucy?

I Love Lucy was a hilarious sitcom that ran on CBS from 1951 to 1957. It starred Lucille Ball and her husband in real life, Desi Arnaz, who played her husband on the show. It also starred Vivian Vance and William Frawley as their best friends.

What did Lucille dream about?

Lucille wasn’t sure if she should move from movies to television, but she had a dream about her friend and actress who was decea sed named Carole Lombard. In the dream, Carole convinced her to try television. We are so glad she had that dream!

What color hair did Lucille Ball have?

The show was in black and white, but many people know Lucille Ball for her red hair. She was actually a natural brunette! She dyed her hair blonde at first but then dyed it red for a role. Lucille must have realized how much she stood out and kept with it. I can’t imagine her without it!

What Is the Famous Saying of I Love Lucy?

I Love Lucy is a popular saying that is often used to describe someone who is in love. The saying is believed to have originated from the television show I Love Lucy, which was a popular show in the 1950s. The saying is often used to describe someone who is head–over–heels in love and is willing to do anything for their loved one.

What Did Lucy Always Say to Ricky?

Lucy always said, “I love you, Ricky!” She was a loving wife and mother, and she was always there for her family. Ricky was her world, and she was always there for him, no matter what.

Did the Cast of I Love Lucy Get Along?

The cast of I Love Lucy was known for their close relationship both on and off the screen. They were often seen socializing together and were known to be good friends. This close relationship is likely what helped make the show so successful.

Overview

Premise

Cast

Background and development

Episodes

Primetime Emmy Awards and nominations

In other media

After I Love Lucy