Today in Television History (October 15th, 1951): The First Episode of "I Love Lucy" Airs on CBS!
Jay B
On October 15th, 1951, the first episode of the classic 1950's sitcom, "I Love Lucy" aired on CBS. The series starred comedic great Lucille Ball, and her husband Desi Arnaz, as a middle-class husband and wife duo. The show ran for six seasons, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes being produced before the final episode aired on May 6th, 1957. "I Love Lucy" was the most-watched television show in the United States for four out of its six seasons, and was the first show to end its run on the top of the Nielsen ratings. A color version of its Christmas episode, which was the first clip-show-style television episode in history, attracted eight million viewers when CBS aired it in 2013. The show was the first scripted television program to be filmed on 35mm film in front of a live studio audience. It won five Emmy Awards, and was the first show to feature an ensemble cast. To this day, "I Love Lucy" remains highly popular, attracting an American audience of around 40 million each year.