Having a 'Ball' on The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy!

Two years after her divorce from Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball returned to TV in 1962 with her own wacky sitcom, “The Lucy Show”. There had never been anything like it on TV, and if it hit, it would bring in money from the merchandise and reruns.

Lucille requested to have her co-star Vivian Vance from “I Love Lucy” as her sidekick on the new show. Lucy Carmichael was a widow and Vivian Bagley was a divorcee, which was very controversial back then. On the show, Lucy’s character had a son and daughter, Jerry and Chris. Vivian’s character had a son named Sherman. After Lucy’s husband passes away and Vivian is a recent divorcee, they all move in together sharing a house. And of course, Gale Gordon played her grumpy boss, banker Mr. Mooney with Lucy as his bumbling personal secretary.