GOLD MEDAL AWARDS

December 19, 1952

The pre-national TV Guide (Volume V, #51) for December 19 to 25, 1952, was a special issue dedicated to their Annual Gold Medal Awards. Lucille Ball is at 12 o’clock in the circular collage of heads surrounding the medal. 

• Best Actress: Maria Riva
• Best Actor: John Forsythe

• Best Comedienne – Lucille Ball. Her new baby is scheduled to arrive mid-January. Desi hopes it’ll be a boy. Lucille won’t say. In a blessed event, she’ll go back to cutting up before the telefilm cameras by mid-March. The ‘I Love Lucy’ doll is already big business – joining such fast-moving merchandise as the ‘I Love Lucy’ He and She pajamas.  Runner-up: Imogene Coca.  

• Best Mystery-Crime Show: “Dragnet”
• Best Comedian: Jackie Gleason
• Best Master of Ceremonies: Ed Sullivan
• Most Popular Musical Show: “Your Hit Parade”
• Best Commercial: Arthur Godfrey’s
• Best Dramatic Show: “Robert Montgomery Presents”
• Best Quiz Show: “What’s My Line?” 
• Best Sportscaster: Bill Stern

• Most Glamorous Girl in TV: Roxanne (aka Dolores Rosedale)
• Most Interesting New Personality: Julius LaRosa
• Best Western Show: “Roy Rogers” 
• Best News Show: “John Cameron Swayze”
• Best Educational Show: “Zoo Parade”
• Best Interview Show: “Mike and Buff”
• Best Movie Show: “The Early Show”
• Best Classical Musical Show: “The Voice of Firestone”

The next day (March 20, 1952), Lucille Ball accepted her award for ‘Best Comedienne’ after the filming of “No Children Allowed” (ILL S2;E22). This was Lucille Ball’s first episode back after her pregnancy leave.

The episode that premiered that week and is listed in the Guide – on Monday, December 22, 1952 – was “Lucy’s Show-Biz Swan Song” (ILL S2;E12), which concluded with the ‘Christmas Tag’ first seen in 1951.