 Lucy's Pregnancy - Despite the moral concerns
and the attempts at keeping "pregnancy" in the closet, the subject did
eventually make it onto the television tube. The most memorable pregnancy from
the golden days of television had to be the birth of Ricky, Jr. to Lucy (Lucille
Ball) and Ricky (Desi Arnaz) Ricardo on the Jan 19, 1953 episode "Lucy is
Enceinte" on the sitcom series I LOVE LUCY. That same night Lucille Ball gave birth to her second child, Desiderio
Alberto Arnaz IV. Surprisingly, their real-life baby never was used on the
series.
When the character Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) was pregnant, the censors
would not let the word "pregnant" be used on the air. Instead, they used
"Expecting." But when a priest, a minister and a Rabbi consulted with Desi
Arnaz at Desilu Studios, they agreed that the pregnancy was appropriate for the
sitcom and that people would empathize with, rather that resent or be affronted
by it.
After the episode aired only 207 letters arrived disapproving of the
pregnancy whereas thousands who were pregnant sent letters of support.
TRIVIA NOTE: When Little Ricky Ricardo was born on 1/19/53, 69.2 percent of
TV households viewed the event. When Pebbles Flintstones was born on 2/22/1963,
39% percent of TV households viewed the blessed event.
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