The reason why there were only a few retakes is because every single line on the show was scripted. Lucille Ball revealed later: ”We never ad-libbed. We never ad-libbed on the set when we were putting it together. It was there.“ Even during Ball’s famous Vitameatavegamin scene every single word was scripted and cue cards (just like in a real commercial) were used to make sure Ball didn’t forget a single line. By the way, the “Vitameatavegamin” was actually apple pectin.
The initial plan of the producers was to create a show for Ball and Arnaz that would mirror their real lives. However, the stars did not agree. They thought their celebrity lives wouldn’t be relatable. Instead, they wanted to create something new and unique.
After the show ended and Ball and Vance were making some rounds in the talk show circuit, Lucille revealed she had made “joke contracts” that demanded silly things like, ”Vance must gain five pounds every week and she must never get more laughs than Ball.” Think of all the dessert Vance could have had though?
While some celebrities love to feature their children in episodes or other productions, Lucille Ball was opposed to the idea. That is why her kids — Lucie and Desi, Jr. — never appeared on an episode of I Love Lucy. Years later, the kids had no regrets of not being part of the show, which is something some parents should keep in mind.
Lucy was the first pregnant woman to ever play a pregnant woman on TV. Before the show, the idea of intimacy was often shied away from and Ball definitely did not want to hide her growing belly.
