Changes

'''Lucille Désirée Ball Morton''' (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an [[United States|American]] [[actress]] best known for five situation comedy [[television]] series which aired, primarily on [[CBS]], produced by her former Desilu Studios which had been created in partnership with her first husband, the [[Cuba]]n-born Desi Arnaz, Sr. (1917-1986).

'''Lucille Désirée Ball Morton''' (August 6, 1911in Jamestown, [[New York]] – April 26, 1989, in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]) was an [[United States|American]] [[actress]] best known for five situation comedy [[television]] series which aired, primarily on [[CBS]]. The first two series were produced by her former Desilu Studios which had been created in partnership with her first husband, the [[Cuba]]n-born bandleader Desi Arnaz, Sr. (1917-1986).

In ''I Love Lucy'', set primarily in a [[New York City]] apartment building and airing with high ratings from 1951 to 1957, Ball played a zany redhead, Lucy Ricardo, often an arritant to her husband, played by Arnaz, Sr., in the role of Ricky Ricardo. ''I Love Lucy'' has been seen for years in syndicated re-runs; CBS has colorized a select number of episodes for airing at the [[Christmas]] season. Lucy and Ricky continued with a series of hour-long episodes, ''The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour'', which aired between 1957 and 1960, when the couple divorced.

In ''I Love Lucy'', set primarily in a [[New York City]] apartment building and airing with high ratings from 1951 to 1957, Ball played a zany redhead, Lucy Ricardo, often an exasperating irritant to her husband, played by Arnaz, Sr., in the role of Ricky Ricardo. ''I Love Lucy'' has been seen for years in syndicated re-runs; CBS has colorized a select number of episodes for airing at the [[Christmas]] season. Lucy and Ricky continued with a series of hour-long episodes, ''The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour'', which aired between 1957 and 1960, when the couple divorced.

   

   

In 1962, Ball returned to television in ''The Lucy Show'', which ran for six successful seasons. From 1968 to 1974, her series was revamped as ''Here's Lucy'', with daughter Luci Arnaz and son, Desi, Jr., playing her children on screen. In both ''The Lucy Show'' and ''Here's Lucy'', her supporting cast focused on Gale Gordon, a popular character actor of primarily comedy. Gordon played the banker Theodore J. Mooney on ''The Lucy Show'' and Harrison Carter, Ball's screen brother-in-law, on ''Here's Lucy.''

In 1962, Ball returned to television in ''The Lucy Show'', which ran for six successful seasons. From 1968 to 1974, her series was revamped as ''Here's Lucy'', with daughter Luci Arnaz and son, Desi, Jr., playing her children on screen. In both ''The Lucy Show'' and ''Here's Lucy'', her supporting cast focused on Gale Gordon (1906-1994), a popular character actor of primarily comedy. Gordon played the banker Theodore J. Mooney on ''The Lucy Show'' and Harrison Carter, Ball's screen brother-in-law and the owner of an employment agency, on ''Here's Lucy.''

In 1986, after an absence of twelve years from a regular series, Ball returned to television with ''Life with Lucy'' on [[ABC]], again with Gale Gordon in the supporting role. It lasted for eight episodes before it was cancelled; five other episodes never aired at the time.

In 1986, after an absence of twelve years from a regular series, Ball returned to television with ''Life with Lucy'' on [[ABC]], again with Gale Gordon, at the age of eighty, in the supporting role, this time as co-owner of Lucy's hardware store, which she inherited from her late husband. ''Life with Lucy'' lasted for only eight episodes before it was cancelled because of low ratings; five other episodes never aired on ABC.

Ball had a long-term television relationship with Vivian Vance (1909-1979), who played the role of Ethel Mertz on "I Love Lucy" and also was her sidekick on ''The Lucy Show''. Guest stars on ''The Lucy Show'' included [[Elizabeth Taylor]] and her then husband Richard Burton, Mary Jane Croft, and [[Ann Sothern]], who earlier had the starring role in two CBS comedies.

Ball had a long-term television relationship with Vivian Vance (1909-1979), who played the role of her landlady Ethel Mertz on "I Love Lucy" (with William Frawley as Ethel's husband, Fred Mertz). Vance was also her sidekick on ''The Lucy Show'', which had prominent guest stars, including [[Joan Crawford]], Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Mary Jane Croft, and [[Ann Sothern]].