The wife of a band leader constantly tries to become a star - in spite of her having no talent, and gets herself (along with her best friend) into the funniest predicaments.
Bandleader Ricky Ricardo would be happy if his wife Lucy would just be a housewife. Instead, she constantly tries to perform at his club, the Tropicana, and make life comically frantic in the apartment building they share with landlord and best friends, Fred and Ethel Mertz.—Ed Stephan <[email protected]>
In October 15, 1951 CBS first airs one of the most famous and world recognized situation comedies the "I Love Lucy," show ever created. Until the last episode June 24, 1957. These 30-minute shows pioneered the three cameras production procedure and was the first to be filmed before a live audience.
I Love Lucy starred real-life husband and wife team Lucille Ball as Lucy and Cuban-born Desi Arnaz, Ricky Ricardo. The characters throughout most of the series lived in a New York apartment that was managed by their best friends, Fred and Ethel Mertz. At the Tropicana Club an upbeat night club that served dinner before live music with Desi Arnez's real band was where the Ricky Ricardo character worked as the bandleader. Lucille Ball's character was the comedic genius behind her character Lucy Ricardo, house wife extraordinary.
Many times, the wacky episode stories revolved around Lucy recruiting Ethel into endless hilarious situations and with their male counter parts Ricky and Fred catching them and exposing how ridiculous their actions really are.
Many of the story synopsis were where redheaded Lucy had always wanted to be in show business and at every opportunity, she heard of would try so enthusiastically to get an audition for the part in any open casting scenario. The premise was that Lucy believed she was a great singer, actress and should be in any production/s available mostly at Ricky's' Tropicana Club. However, the other main characters, Ricky, Ethel and Fred felt contradictory and that she fell short of such talents.
Ethel and Fred characters premise that they both were professional Vaudeville, singers and dancers, before buying their New York red stone that they managed. This assisted in making the I Love Lucy Show regularly a variety show synopsis with entertainment with singing and dancing by all of the main characters. The show was full of episodes with top time period celebrities, John Wayne, Richard Widmark, William Holden, Cornel Wilde, Harpo Marx and so many more.
I Love Lucy was the nation's third highest-rated program in its first season. Then the popularity had increased for the rest of the shows run ranking #1 or very close. It was during the 2nd season where plot synopsis for many episodes revolved around Lucy Ricardo having her first child. Ironically this mimicked her real life as Lucille Ball as she was pregnant also. This group of stories helped create the largest viewership of all time of any single episode up to that time. Lucy Ricardo the character and Lucille Ball the actress gave birth on the very same day (January 19, 1953). The birthing of Little Ricky was so exciting to viewers that it would send the news of the inauguration of President Eisenhower's off the front page.
There were three major and one minor location changes of the I Love Lucy show to keep the stories interesting and fun over their season to season run. First the Ricardo's were in New York City, then in season four the stories would revolve around the Ricardo's and their best friends the Mertze's heading to Hollywood so Ricky could star in a movie musical version of Don Juan. Notable episodes were the two episodes with John Wayne and California's Graumans Chinese Theatre cement foot and hand prints. Also the lovable and great episode with another comedic genius Harpo Marx.
Season Five also saw the four principals heading to Europe, accompanying Ricky's band on tour with hilarious stories from locations like Italy and France.
Finally, in the sixth and final season Ricky left the Tropicana Club to open his own business, the Club Babalulu, which then enable them to move to an expensive ranch house in suburban Connecticut. The Mertze's were kept in the story line by selling their apartment building and buying the house next door. New Characters introducing Ralph (Frank Nelson). and Betty Ramsey (Mary Jane Croft) to the show. The stories for the episodes continued to be funny and enjoyable with one notable when the Mertzs and the Ricardo's chose to go into the egg business with the start of the purchase of the baby chic's needed. Hilarious!
Although Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz divorced in 1960, three years after the cancellation of the I love Lucy Show, the production company they had created Desilu , would create and keep a large presence for the decade to follow with such hits as Mission: Impossible, Star Trek, The Untouchables, The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy. - Martin Snytsheuvel
