How many seasons did the original 'I Love Lucy' run? The original 'I Love Lucy' ran for six seasons. CBS broadcast the sitcom from October 15, 1951, through May 6, 1957, for a total of 180 half-hour episodes.
The six-season count refers specifically to the original black-and-white weekly sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. It became one of television's most successful programs, ranking as the most-watched show in the United States during four of its six seasons.
A common source of confusion is that later hour-long specials were sometimes packaged in syndication as seasons 7, 8, and 9 of I Love Lucy. Those programs were originally produced under another title, The Lucille Ball–Desi Arnaz Show, later known as The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour. They are connected to the series, but the original I Love Lucy run itself lasted six seasons.