October 12 The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show premieres on CBS’ Thursday night schedule, as a live, biweekly broadcast.
October 15 I Love Lucy, starring Lucille Ball, premieres on CBS’ Monday night schedule. It is TV’s first sitcom filmed before a live audience, and will soon become the first show of any kind to be watched by 10 million viewers.
May Betty White’s Life with Elizabeth premieres as a local show on Los Angeles’ KLAC-TV.
June 16 My Little Margie, starring Gale Storm, premieres on CBS’ Monday night schedule, as a summer replacement for I Love Lucy. It returns for a second season on NBC in October, then moves to CBS in early 1953.
October 3 Our Miss Brooks, starring Eve Arden, premieres on CBS’ Friday night schedule.
October 9 The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show begins its run as a weekly, filmed show, after two years of biweekly live broadcasts.
October 15 I Married Joan, starring Joan Davis, premieres on NBC’s Wednesday night schedule.
February 1 Private Secretary, starring Ann Sothern, premieres on CBS’ Sunday night schedule.
February 5 Lucille Ball wins an Emmy as Best Comedienne of 1952. I Love Lucy is named Best Situation Comedy.
October Life with Elizabeth makes its debut in first-run syndication, on film, after a successful run on local TV in Los Angeles. It is soon seen on more than 70 stations around the U.S.
October NBC pairs I Married Joan and My Little Margie on its Wednesday night lineup.
October 9 Topper, starring Anne Jeffreys, premieres on CBS’ Friday night schedule.
February 11 Eve Arden wins an Emmy as Best Female Star of Regular Series in 1953. I Love Lucy is again named Best Situation Comedy.
October 4 December Bride premieres on CBS’ Monday night schedule, following I Love Lucy.
April 6 I Married Joan has its final prime time broadcast on NBC.
Spring Guild Films ceases production of new Life with Elizabeth episodes.
August 24 My Little Margie has its final prime time broadcast on NBC.
Fall Reruns from Private Secretary’s first three seasons are sold in syndication, under the title Susie, while new episodes continue to air Sunday nights on CBS.
September Topper has its final prime time broadcast on CBS, but returns with prime time reruns on ABC’s Monday night schedule in October.
March 17 Lucille Ball receives an Emmy as Best Actress of 1955 (Continuing Performance).
September 21 Our Miss Brooks has its final prime time broadcast, but will continue in CBS daytime reruns until 1957.
September 29 The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna premieres on CBS’ Saturday night schedule.
May 10 Date with the Angels, Betty White’s first network sitcom, premieres on ABC’s Friday night lineup.
June 24 I Love Lucy concludes its sixth and final season. Lucille Ball will return to prime time in September with an occasional series of hour-long Lucy specials. CBS will show prime time reruns of the original series until 1961, and daytime reruns until 1967.
September 10 Private Secretary has its final prime time telecast. Ann Sothern is embroiled in a lawsuit with the production company over the terms of her contract.
September 17 The Eve Arden Show premieres on CBS’ Tuesday night schedule.
November 6 The Ford Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show premieres on CBS, with Ann Sothern guest starring as her Private Secretary character.
January 20 Love That Jill, starring Anne Jeffreys, premieres on ABC’s Monday night schedule. Low ratings will kill the show by April, after only 13 broadcasts.
February 5 Disappointed with the ratings of Date with the Angels, ABC and the sponsor agree to convert it into The Betty White Show, a live sketch comedy program. The new series is not a success, and comes to an end in April.
March 25 The Eve Arden Show has its final prime time telecast.
September The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show has its final prime time telecast on CBS. The George Burns Show, without Gracie Allen, premieres on NBC in October, but will be canceled in 1959.
September 24 The Donna Reed Show premieres on ABC’s Wednesday night schedule. The show will continue in prime time until 1966, and in ABC daytime reruns until 1968.
October 6 The Ann Sothern Show, a Desilu product, premieres on CBS’ Monday night schedule, in the time slot previously allotted to December Bride. It will survive in prime time until 1961.
October 13 Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, which includes occasional hour-long Lucy episodes, premieres on CBS’ Monday night schedule, following The Ann Sothern Show.
September December Bride concludes its fifth and final season. CBS will revive the show for prime-time reruns in 1960 and 1961, and will air its spin-off Pete and Gladys from 1960 to 1962.
October The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna moves to ABC after a three-year run on CBS. The show will continue in prime time until 1960.