Some of your favorite sitcom gags used over the decades most likely stem from Lucille Ball‘s masterpiece. You know the one.
I Love Lucy premiered nearly 75 years ago, and in honor of the whopping milestone, the Television Academy is about to bestow its inaugural Legacy Award on the legendary comedy series.
On Tuesday, August 25, the coveted organization announced that its new honor is presented to a TV program “that’s made a profound and generational impact on audiences and remains relevant to society, culture and the industry today.”
A special Emmys tribute to I Love Lucy is scheduled for the second night of the 78th Emmy Awards, on Sunday, September 6, according to the TV Academy’s recent news release.
“I Love Lucy truly helped define what television could be,” Cris Abrego, chair of the TV Academy, said in a statement on Tuesday. “Beyond its place in television and cultural history as one of the medium’s most beloved shows, its creative ambition, technical innovation and groundbreaking approach to the business of television established a blueprint that continues to influence our industry 75 years later.”
Premiering on CBS in 1951, I Love Lucy became a ratings juggernaut and the first sitcom to top the Nielsen charts, the academy reports. The show’s popularity helped revolutionize TV through its undisputed modernization of the sitcom format, including those groundbreaking technical innovations fans can recall.
The show also transformed Ball and Desi Arnaz into one of Hollywood’s most powerful couples, giving them unprecedented creative and business control over their work through their company, Desilu Productions.
TV’s Biggest Night Is Fast Approaching
And as a refresher for all the small-screen viewers, the 78th Emmy Awards will be held over three nights: Sept. 5, 6 and 14. The Sept. 14 ceremony, hosted by Mariska Hargitay, will be broadcast live on NBC from the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE and will stream live and on demand on Peacock.
Nights one and two will be edited into a single broadcast, airing Saturday, Sept. 12.