Nielsen Ratings
I Love Lucy ranked highly in the Nielsen ratings throughout its entire run.
NOTE: The highest average rating for the series is in bold text.
| Season | Rank | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1) 1951–1952 | 3 | 50.9 |
| 2) 1952–1953 | 1 | 67.3 |
| 3) 1953–1954 | 58.8 | |
| 4) 1954–1955 | 49.3 | |
| 5) 1955–1956 | 2 | 46.1 |
| 6) 1956–1957 | 1 | 43.7 |
The episode "Lucy Goes to the Hospital" first aired on Monday, January 19, 1953. It garnered a record 71.7 rating, meaning 71.7% of all television households at the time were tuned in to view the program. To this day, that record is surpassed only by Elvis Presley's first of three appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, which aired on 9 September 1956 (82.6% rating). I Love Lucy does, however, have the highest average rating for a TV show for any season.
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