LUCILLE BALL: A Life on TV

1949-1989

Lucille Ball performed in nearly every aspect of show business, but television was the medium on which she left her mark. From the late 1940s until her death on April 26, 1989, Lucille Ball lit up television screens worldwide with her talent.  Below I’ve selected one program from each calendar year she was on TV with new programming. To be sure there were difficult choices to be made during some years, especially during the height of “I Love Lucy” – but these are my personal selections – sort of a ‘desert island video discs’ of Lucy. Don’t forget to click on the hyperlinks (underlined text) for more information about that particular show. Enjoy! 

“The 61st Annual Academy Awards” ~ 1989

“Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years at NBC” ~ 1988

“Hollywood the Golden Years: The RKO Story – A Woman’s Lot” (S1;E3) ~ 1987

“Mother of the Bride” (LWL S1;E8) ~ 1986

“Stone Pillow” ~1985

“All Star Party for Lucille Ball” ~ 1984

“Happy Birthday, Bob: A Salute to Bob Hope’s 80th Birthday” ~ 1983

“The Best of Three’s Company” (S6;E27 & 28) ~ 1982

“The 33rd Annual Emmy Awards” ~ 1981

“Lucy Moves to NBC” ~ 1980

“The Mary Tyler Moore Hour” (S1;E1) ~ 1979

“CBS on the Air: A Celebration of 50 Years” ~ 1978

“Lucy Calls the President” ~ 1977

“What Now, Catherine Curtis?” ~ 1976

“The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Lucille Ball” ~ 1975

“Lucy Carter Meets Lucille Ball” (HL S6;E22) ~ 1974

“Lucy and Joan Rivers Do Jury Duty” (HL S6;E9) ~ 1973

“Lucy and the Little Old Lady” (HL S4;E17) ~ 1972

 “Ginger Rogers Comes to Tea” (HL S4;E11) ~ 1971

“Lucy Meets the Burtons” (HL S3;E1) ~ 1970

“Lucy and the Great Airport Chase” (HL S1;E18) ~ 1969

“Jack Benny’s Carnival Nights” ~ 1968

“Viv Visits Lucy” (TLS S5;E15) ~ 1967

“Lucy in London” ~ 1966

“Lucy at Marineland” (TLS S4;E1) ~ 1965

“The Lucille Ball Comedy Hour” aka “Mr. & Mrs” ~  1964

“The Greatest Show On Earth: Lady in Limbo” (S1;E13) ~ 1963

“The Danny Kaye Show” ~ 1962

“The Ed Sullivan Show” ~ 1961

“Lucy Meets the Mustache” (LDCH E13) ~ 1960

“Milton Berle Hides Out at The Ricardos” (LDCH E11) ~ 1959

“Lucy Hunts Uranium” (LDCH E3) ~ 1958

“Lucy’s Night in Town” (ILL S6;E22) ~ 1957

“Lucy’s Italian Movie” (ILL S5;E23) ~ 1956

“Lucy and Harpo Marx” (ILL S4;E28) ~ 1955

“Lucy Is Envious” (ILL S3;E23) ~1954

“Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16) ~ 1953

“Lucy Does a TV Commercial” (ILL S1;E30) ~ 1952

“The Séance” (ILL S1;E7) ~ 1951

“Show of the Year: Cerebral Palsy Telethon” ~ 1950

“The Ed Wynn Show” (S1;E14) ~ 1949