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who had worked with Ball in "My Favorite Husband," became Mr. Mooney, her very moody boss. Ball's Hollywood connections landed guest appearances by such big names as Frankie Avalon, Dean Martin, Ethel Mermen, Jack Benny and Bob Hope. My favorite episode, "Lucy and Viv Put in a Shower," showed the world that the Ball/Vance duo still had what it took to win over an audience.

After "The Lucy Show" ended in 1968, Ball immediately jumped into another project: "Here's Lucy." In this Sit-com, Lucy was able to show off her two children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz, Jr. "Here's Lucy" was centered on the character of Lucy Carter, who worked for her Uncle Harry's (Gordon) employment agency. While the show was renowned for its vast celebrity appearances, Vivian Vance once again added to its eminence with a few guest spots. The end of "Here's Lucy" marked the end of Ball's 23 continuous years as everybody's favorite redhead.

Ball attempted a T.V. comeback in 1986 again along side Gale Gordon. "Life with Lucy" never reached the echelon of success that America associated with Lucy. Ball's attempt to bring back the old-fashioned values associated with earlier sit-coms flopped. "Life with Lucy" was canceled after only 8 episodes, a distressing end to the comedic career of television's "Queen of Comedy."

More than 50 years after America's introduction to "Lucy," we can still watch her crazy plots on TV Land. Its black and white format and portrayals of traditional ways of life cannot hide the timelessness of the underlying themes in each show. The importance placed on the ideas of family and friendship; along with the ever-popular battle of the sexes are all continuing themes for many people in our day and age. Even today, people find themselves identifying with Lucy and her television friends.

Lucille Ball has not only been making people laugh for the past fifty years, but has paved the way for female actresses and comedians everywhere. She was one of the first women to attempt to make us laugh as an actress. Also, in 1963, Ball bought Desi Arnaz's half of their production company, making her the first woman in history to head a Hollywood Studio.

Her lovable portrayal of "Lucy" and other wild characters started a cult-like following. Ball's likeness has appeared on apparel, clocks, lunchboxes, ornaments, stamps, etc. She was named as one of Time Magazine's top 100 artists and entertainers of all times and has graced their cover many times. Lucille Ball is truly an icon.

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