‘I Love Lucy’ Gets Star-Studded 75th Anniversary Special: See Who’s Appearing

Seventy-five years after I Love Lucy premiered and introduced the world to the First Lady of Television, CBS is celebrating one of TV’s most beloved sitcoms with a special night of programming honoring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, and the comedy that forever changed the small screen.

On Thursday, December 17, CBS will air I Love Lucy: 75 Years of Laughter, a one-hour Entertainment Tonight special featuring archival footage, memorable moments, and new interviews with Carol Burnett, Amy Poehler, Andy Garcia, Carrie Preston, Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello, and more. The special will air from 8 to 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Following the retrospective, CBS will air two newly colorized episodes of the classic comedy. At 9 p.m., “The Christmas Show” revisits memorable moments surrounding the birth of Little Ricky (Keith Thibodeaux), including Lucy’s pregnancy announcement and the family’s preparations for his arrival.

At 9:30 p.m., “Never Do Business with Friends” finds the Ricardos selling their old washing machine to the Mertzes, only for the deal to go south when the appliance breaks down before Fred and Ethel have paid for it.

The anniversary celebration will also stream. Paramount+ currently offers all six seasons of I Love Lucy, along with a collection of fan-favorite episodes, including “Lucy Does a TV Commercial” and “Lucy’s Italian Movie.” Pluto TV also features a dedicated I Love Lucy channel.

Premiering on October 15, 1951, I Love Lucy ran for six seasons and 180 episodes, becoming the first sitcom to top the Nielsen ratings and helping establish the multi-camera format still used in television comedy today. The series, starring Ball, Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley, earned four Emmy Awards and 20 nominations.

The anniversary special and colorized episodes will air on CBS and stream live on Paramount+ Premium, with next-day streaming also available.

I Love Lucy: 75 Years of Laughter, Thursday, December 17, CBS