For four of its legendary six seasons, "I Love Lucy" was the most-watched show on American television. The real-life husband–and-wife combination of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz was a sitcom match made in heaven from jump, and the series continues to air in (what remains of) syndication to this day.
It didn't take long for "I Love Lucy" to find a massive, devoted audience, but the interracial pairing of the very Caucasian Ball with the Cuban-born Arnaz turned off most potential advertisers. The CBS show desperately needed a major sponsor, so when the tobacco giant Philip Morris stepped up, they gladly took the corporation's money. In fact, they were so grateful for the support, that the stars personally, and eagerly, plugged the company's cigarettes in extended commercials before and during each episode.
These ads didn't stick with the show when it moved to syndication (televised cigarette ads were banned...
It didn't take long for "I Love Lucy" to find a massive, devoted audience, but the interracial pairing of the very Caucasian Ball with the Cuban-born Arnaz turned off most potential advertisers. The CBS show desperately needed a major sponsor, so when the tobacco giant Philip Morris stepped up, they gladly took the corporation's money. In fact, they were so grateful for the support, that the stars personally, and eagerly, plugged the company's cigarettes in extended commercials before and during each episode.
These ads didn't stick with the show when it moved to syndication (televised cigarette ads were banned...
- 9/3/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
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