Profile of the Day: Lucille Ball

Lucille Ball

Do you remember watching I Love Lucy? 63 years ago today, the classic sitcom starring Lucille Ball premiered on television. The comedy originally ran from October 15, 1951 to May 6, 1957, and spawned several specials after the series ended.

The show also starred Ball’s real-life husband Desi Arnaz as husband Ricky Ricardo and the Ricardo’s best friends and neighbors, Fred and Ethel Mertz, played by William Frawley and Vivian Vance. It was the first television show to be shot on film in front of a live studio audience and pioneered the use of three cameras, which became the standard technique for sitcoms.

An instant hit, I Love Lucy was the number one watched show in the country during its entire run and continues to live on in syndication, decades after its last episode. Unlike most television shows, which often rerun after a brief hiatus, I Love Lucy has never stopped airing on television since its initial broadcast.

Today I Love Lucy continues to be one of the funniest and most beloved television shows in entertainment history. What’s your favorite episode?

View Lucille Ball’s Geni Profile