It was 57 years ago today: I Love Lucy!

On this date in 1951, I Love Lucy debuted on CBS. It would be another nine years before they would have a son named James Frimmer (that's me!). It would end its run on May 6, 1957, after 194 episodes, which includes the expanded show that was retitled The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show (The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour in reruns).

Some of the honors and records garnered by I Love Lucy:

1. four seasons ranked as the most-watched show
2. first show to go out on top (since matched by The Andy Griffith Show and Seinfeld)
3. ranked #2 (behind Seinfeld) on TV Guide's Top 50 Greatest Shows
4. ranked #2 on the Washington Post's list of best TV reruns, in 2007!
5. the January 19, 1953, episode (Lucy Goes to the Hospital) achieved a 71.7 rating, meaning that 71.7% of households were watching, surpassed only by Elvis Presley's appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show (82.6)
6. Entertainment Weekly ranked the January 19, 1953, episode (Lucy Goes to the Hospital) as the #5 on its list of greatest moments in TV history.
7. Five Emmy Awards and numerous nominations.

The cast:

1. Lucille Ball as Lucy Ricardo
2. Desi Arnaz as Ricky Ricardo
3. Vivian Vance as Ethel Mertz
4. William Frawley as Fred Mertz
5. Joseph Mayer, Michael Mayer, Richard Simmons, Ronald Simmons, and Keith Thibodeaux as Ricky Ricardo, Jr. Joseph and Michael were twins who portrayed baby Ricky in 1953-54, and Richard and Ronald were twins who portrayed baby Ricky in 1954-55. Keith play "Little Ricky" for the remainder of the seasons.
6. Kathryn Card as Lucy's mother, Mrs. McGillicuddy
7. Elizabeth Patterson as Mrs. Trumbull

Some interesting side notes:

1. Gale Gordon and Bea Benaderet were the original choices to play Fred and Ethel Mertz. Readers might remember Gale Gordon as Lucy's boss in Here's Lucy! Both Gale and Bea were best friends with Lucy, having been regulars on Lucy's radio show, My Favorite Husband. Gale played Ricky's boss in a couple of I Love Lucy episodes.
2. Barbara Pepper was also considered to play Ethel Mertz. Barbara played Doris Ziffel in Green Acres.

Readers might also recognize two members of the production team because of their other TV achievements:

1. Jess Oppenheimer—Get Smart, The Debbie Reynolds Show, United States Steel Hour
2. Bob Carroll, Jr.—The Paul Lynde Show, The Mothers-in-law

I've never been able to pick a favorite episode, but here's some that I really like, in no particular order:

1. Harpo Marx—If readers were to force me to pick a favorite, this would probably be it.
2. Lucy's Italian Movie—grape stomping to the max
3. Lucy Does a TV Commercial—the famous Vitameatavegimin commercial.
4. Job switching—the conveyor belt candy-packaging episode
5. Lucy and Bob Hope—at Yankee Stadium
6. L.A. at Last—William Holden and Eve Arden at the Brown Derby restaurant

Happy memories!