Trivia for
"Life with Lucy" (1986) More at IMDbPro »

• There were 13 filmed episodes but only eight aired. The last, "Mother of the Bride", featured Audrey Meadows, who was going to be cast as a regular to give the show a new direction and Lucille's character someone else to play off of.
  
  
• On the day of the last filmed (but unaired) episode, producer Aaron Spelling learned of the show's cancellation by ABC; he decided to tell Lucille's husband Gary Morton, who decided not to reveal the news to her until after filming had ended.
  
  
• Its premiere episode made the Nielsen's Top 20 for its week; however, following episodes dropped steadily in viewership, ultimately turning this show into one of the biggest flops in television history. Reportedly, its failure so deeply hurt Lucille Ball that she never completely recovered from it, convinced that the public no longer wanted her.
  
  
• The success of "The Cosby Show" (1984) in the previous season was one of the inspirations for the show. Producers felt that Ball, a past TV star like Cosby was, could revive her career with a family sitcom, like Cosby did.
  
  
• The exterior of the hardware store featured in the show was actually a vacant storefront located directly across the street from the studios.
  
  
• The second episode "Lucy Makes a Hit with John Ritter" was actually the first one filmed.
  
  

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