Lucille Ball Ran a TV Studio, and She Said Yes to Star Trek
America's favorite redhead became the first woman to head a major television studio.
Most people remember Lucille Ball as the zany star of I Love Lucy. Fewer know she was also one of the most powerful executives in Hollywood.
Lucy and Desi
Ball and her husband, Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz, founded Desilu Productions in 1950. Network executives doubted audiences would accept them as a couple on TV. I Love Lucy proved them wrong, becoming the most-watched show in America.
Little Ricky arrives
On January 19, 1953, the episode in which Lucy gives birth aired on the same day Ball gave birth to Desi Arnaz Jr. Around 44 million people tuned in, more than watched President Eisenhower's inauguration the next day.
The boss
Ball and Arnaz divorced in 1960. In 1962 she bought out his share of Desilu, becoming the first woman to run a major television studio. She approved costly pilots for two shows other executives doubted: Star Trek and Mission: Impossible.
Despite the divorce, Lucy and Desi stayed friends until his death in 1986. Star Trek, meanwhile, became one of the biggest franchises in entertainment history.
This story is based on the stars' own interviews and memoirs and on widely reported history. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.
