In today’s era of female superheroes and powerful leads, it’s easy to forget one of the first real trailblazers in television didn’t wear a cape—she wore a polka-dot dress and a mischievous smile.
Lucille Ball, star of I Love Lucy, wasn’t just a comedic genius. She was a business mogul, a creative force, and a woman who rewrote the rules of Hollywood. At a time when women were rarely in charge, she became the first woman to run a major television studio: Desilu Productions.
She fought for her Cuban husband, Desi Arnaz, to be cast as her on-screen spouse, breaking racial barriers. She embraced slapstick, contorted her face, wore ridiculous costumes—all to make people laugh, regardless of how “ladylike” it looked.
She also greenlit legendary shows like Star Trek and Mission: Impossible.
In other words, without Lucille Ball, the landscape of television might look very different today.
Lucille didn’t need to play a superhero—she was one.
