Number 1 Programs: I LOVE LUCY

What can be said about I LOVE LUCY that hasn't either already been said or is already known. It was TV's first Mega hit series, becoming the first series to be the #1 show of a season, for multiple seasons. The sitcom was leading in the innovation of television, while the industry was still trying to figure out the medium. It was the first multiple time #1 program. To this day, reruns are still airing even 60+ years after it original series premiere. So, let get to it.

THE RATINGS:
The series never ranked lower than 3rd in the Nielsen ratings. It was the most watched show in the United States in four of its six seasons. Starting in 1951-52 season, its freshman season, it was the #3 series of the season. It followed that up with three strait seasons at #1. So, in the first five season that the Nielsen Company starting tracking TV ratings, I LOVE LUCY was #1 for three of those years.

In the show's 5th season (1955-56), it was bumped down to 2nd place by THE $64,000 QUESTION. In 1956-57, the shows sixth and final season, I LOVE LUCY took its 4th season title and became the first TV series to end at #1.

SCHEDULING HISTORY:
I LOVE LUCY aired Mondays from 9 to 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS during its entire run.

ABOUT THE SHOW
I LOVE LUCY starred Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on CBS. The show was the first scripted television program to be shot on 35 mm film in front of a studio audience, and won five Emmy Awards

I Love Lucy's pioneering use of three cameras led to it becoming the standard technique for the production of most sitcoms filmed in front of an audience. The process resulted in a much sharper quality of show in contrast to blurry kinescopes. This led to an unexpected benefit for Desilu during the series's second season when it was discovered that Lucy was pregnant. Not being able to fulfill the show's 39-episode commitment, both Desi and Jess Oppenheimer decided to rebroadcast popular episodes of the series's first season to help give Lucy the necessary rest she needed after she gave birth, effectively allowing fewer episodes to be filmed that season. Unexpectedly the rebroadcasts proved to be ratings winners, effectively giving birth to the rerun, which would later lead to the profitable development of the rerun syndication market.