Desilu

Desilu Productions, Inc.

Company type	Private
Industry	Television production
Founded	1950
Founder	Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball
Defunct	1968
Fate	Sold to Gulf and Western Industries; merged into Paramount Television
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California , United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Desi Arnaz (co-owner until 1962), Lucille Ball (co-owner until 1962; sole owner 1962–1968)
Products	Television series (I Love Lucy, The Lucy Show, Mannix, The Untouchables, Mission: Impossible, Star Trek)

Desilu Productions, Inc. () was a prominent American television production firm established and co-owned by the married duo Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. Renowned for producing landmark series such as I Love Lucy, The Lucy Show, Mannix, The Untouchables, Mission: Impossible, and Star Trek, Desilu played a significant role in shaping the television landscape. Up until 1962, it ranked as the second-largest independent TV production company in the United States, trailing only MCA's Revue Studios. Following MCA's acquisition of Universal Pictures, Desilu emerged as the foremost independent producer until Lucille Ball sold the company to Gulf and Western Industries, then the parent corporation of Paramount Pictures, in 1968.

Ownership was initially shared equally between Ball and Arnaz until 1962, when Ball purchased Arnaz’s stake and assumed full control. Under her guidance, Desilu regained profitability by 1968, culminating in its $17 million sale to Gulf+Western (equivalent to roughly $). Gulf+Western subsequently merged Desilu into Paramount Pictures, transforming it into the original incarnation of Paramount Television as its television production arm.

Today, Desilu’s vast catalog is held by Paramount Global through various subsidiaries: CBS manages rights to productions made before 1960 that were sold by Desilu, while CBS Studios oversees post-1960 content as the successor to Paramount Television.

Reflecting its cultural and industry legacy, a street in San Antonio, Texas bears the Desilu name.

History

Desilu Productions was launched in 1950 by husband-and-wife partners Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball with the intent to produce their vaudeville act as a television program, which ultimately became I Love Lucy. The company initially leased facilities at General Service Studios (presently Sunset Las Palmas Studios) in Los Angeles, utilizing Stage Two—later renamed Desilu Playhouse—with a separate entrance established at 6633 Romaine Street.

Ball's role in the company

Lucille Ball primarily influenced the creative direction of Desilu, drawing on her background in B movies and radio to select projects with mass appeal and strong syndication prospects. She sanctioned pivotal series concepts such as The Untouchables and Star Trek, evaluating their market potential and profitability over time. Her strategic involvement ensured steady income from reruns that helped balance high production expenses. Many of these programs eventually grew into successful franchises, highlighting Desilu’s enduring impact on the industry.

Arnaz's role in the company

Desilu’s early achievements owed much to Arnaz’s innovative business tactics as producer of I Love Lucy. Lacking formal business education, he structured production costs by concentrating expenses in the initial episode, allowing subsequent episodes within the season to be produced at minimal additional cost.

At a period when most television shows were broadcast live from New York, Arnaz collaborated with cameraman Karl Freund to pioneer a multi-camera filming technique on adjoining sets before a live audience. This approach set a new standard for sitcom production by enabling high-quality filmed broadcasts nationwide. Although networks were initially hesitant about the higher filming costs, Arnaz secured an agreement for Desilu to absorb those costs in exchange for retaining all film rights—a move that guaranteed long-term revenue from reruns and demonstrated forward-thinking leadership in content ownership.

Early years

By 1954, Desilu had established its own production facility—the Motion Picture Center located on Cahuenga Boulevard (presently known as Red Studios Hollywood)—where the majority of I Love Lucy episodes were filmed.

In 1957, Desilu purchased the production assets of RKO Pictures for $6 million, which included the Gower Street studios and the RKO-Pathé lot in Culver City (now Culver Studios). This deal also brought the Forty Acres backlot, renowned for its use as Mayberry exteriors, expanding Desilu’s inventory to 33 sound stages. This number exceeded those held by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Twentieth Century-Fox at that time, greatly increasing Desilu’s production capabilities and industry standing.

Desilu's early ventures into filmmaking began with Forever, Darling (1956), produced by Zanra Productions (Arnaz spelled backward), which unfortunately did not perform well at the box office. Film production remained minimal until the profitable 1968 release of Yours, Mine and Ours, featuring Ball and Henry Fonda, marking a successful entry into feature films.

In 1960, Arnaz sold the rights to shows produced before 1960 to CBS; however, Desilu maintained ownership of post-1960 productions that were still underway, preserving control over valuable programming.

Ball as sole owner

Following her divorce from Arnaz in 1960, Ball became the sole proprietor of Desilu in November 1962 after purchasing Arnaz's shares and assuming the roles of president and CEO. This achievement made her the first woman to head a major film studio, establishing her as a trailblazer in Hollywood’s business landscape. She also created Desilu Sales, Inc., a syndication division responsible for distributing programs such as Jay Ward Productions' Fractured Flickers in 1964; this division eventually became part of CBS Media Ventures.

Under Ball’s stewardship, Desilu produced groundbreaking series including Mission: Impossible, Mannix, and Star Trek. Contrary to popular belief, Carol Burnett was not lost to Desilu; she declined an offer for a sitcom in favor of pursuing her own successful variety show while maintaining a close relationship with Ball.

In 1967, Ball sold Desilu to Gulf and Western Industries, which had recently acquired Paramount Pictures. The company was subsequently renamed Paramount Television, incorporating the former RKO lot into Paramount’s neighboring studio complex. This entity is currently known as CBS Studios. Meanwhile, in 1968, Perfect Film acquired Desilu’s Culver City property.

Independent Arnaz

After stepping away from television production briefly, Arnaz returned in 1966 by founding Desi Arnaz Productions at the former Desilu facilities. The company co-produced The Mothers-in-Law alongside United Artists Television for NBC. Arnaz also attempted to market pilots such as a comedy starring Carol Channing and an adventure series featuring Rory Calhoun, but neither project was picked up. A planned legal drama titled Without Consent, intended to star Spencer Tracy, was canceled due to script complications and insurance issues related to Tracy’s health.

Independent Ball and Desilu Too

Following the sale of Desilu, Lucille Ball established Lucille Ball Productions (LBP) in 1968. LBP produced Here's Lucy, which aired successfully until 1974 with strong audience ratings. Ball made a comeback in 1986 with Life with Lucy, which was canceled after eight episodes due to low viewership. LBP continues operations primarily managing residual licensing for Here's Lucy.

Paramount Global holds ownership of Desilu-Paramount TV’s pre-1960 catalog. Paramount Pictures reincorporated Desilu Productions Inc. in 1967; it remains an active legal entity. Desilu Too LLC, founded by Lucie Arnaz, manages licensing for I Love Lucy merchandise and collaborates with MPI Home Video and LBP on releases of works independently produced by Ball and Arnaz. MPI also managed the home video re-release of The Mothers-In-Law. DVD rights for the CBS library are retained by Paramount Home Entertainment. In 2019, CBS Studios renewed registration of the DESILU trademark to safeguard its interests. Syndication rights for Here's Lucy were sold to Telepictures, which later merged into Warner Bros. Television—the current distributor—while MPI holds home video rights under license.

Technological advancements

Desilu utilized traditional film studio resources and methods, creating 35 mm negatives that provided superior quality master copies for syndication purposes, eliminating the need for lost episodes or kinescope copies. This methodology established a benchmark for production quality in the television industry during the 1950s and 1960s, allowing for flexible programming that could span comedy, drama, special effects, and diverse environments.

Produced by Desilu

Title	Genre	Years	Network	Notes
I Love Lucy	Sitcom	1951–57	CBS	distributed through CBS Television Film Sales
Our Miss Brooks		1952–56		distributed by CBS Television Film Sales
Willy		1954–55
Shower of Stars	Variety	1954–58
December Bride	Sitcom	1954–59		distributed by CBS Television Film Sales (later CBS Films from 1958)
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp	Western	1955–61	ABC	produced jointly with Wyatt Earp Enterprises
The Adventures of Jim Bowie		1956–58		co-produced with Jim Bowie Enterprises
The Sheriff of Cochise		1956–60	Syndication	collaboration with National Telefilm Associates
Whirlybirds	Adventure	1957–60		distributed by CBS Films/Viacom
Official Detective	Anthology	1957–58		co-produced with National Telefilm Associates
The Walter Winchell File			ABC	partnership with National Telefilm Associates
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour	Variety	1957–60	CBS	distributed via CBS Television Film Sales (renamed CBS Films in 1958)
The Texan	Western	1958–60		co-production with Rorvic Productions
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse	Anthology
The Ann Sothern Show	Sitcom	1958–61		co-produced with Anso Productions currently under 20th Television
This Is Alice	1958–59	NTA Film Network	collaboration with National Telefilm Associates
The Untouchables	Police drama	1959–63	rowspan="2"| ABC	co-produced with Langford Productions Inc.
Guestward, Ho!	Sitcom	1960–61
Angel	Sitcom	1960–61	CBS	joint production with Burlingame Productions and CBS Films
Harrigan and Son	Sitcom	1960–61	ABC
Fair Exchange	Sitcom	1962–63	rowspan="2"| CBS	co-produced alongside Cy Howard Productions
The Lucy Show	Sitcom	1962–68	Produced by Desilu until acquisition by Gulf and Western Industries#Gulf+Western, mid-season six
You Don't Say!	Game show	1963–69	NBC	co-production with Ralph Andrews-Bill Yagemann Productions; Desilu’s involvement lasted until Gulf+Western takeover in season five
The Greatest Show on Earth	Drama	1963–64	ABC	jointly produced with Ringling Bros., Barnum and Bailey Television, and Cody Productions
Glynis	Sitcom	1963	CBS
Star Trek: The Original Series	Science fiction	1966–68	NBC	co-produced with Norway Corporation; Desilu managed production until Gulf+Western acquisition during season two
Mission: Impossible	Secret agent drama	rowspan="2"| CBS	Produced by Desilu before sale to Gulf+Western in season two
Mannix	Crime drama	1967–68	Desilu produced until Gulf+Western purchase in season one

Produced at Desilu

Desilu Productions played a pivotal role as a major television production center, producing and occasionally owning numerous influential series. Some of the prominent programs created there include:

• The Jack Benny Program (CBS/NBC; 1950–1965)
• Make Room for Daddy/The Danny Thomas Show (ABC/CBS; 1953–1964)
• Private Secretary (CBS; 1953–1957)
• The Lineup (CBS; 1954–1960)
• The Adventures of Jim Bowie (ABC; 1956–1958)
• The Real McCoys (ABC/CBS; 1957–1963)
• The Andy Griffith Show (CBS; 1960–1968)
• My Three Sons (ABC/CBS; 1960–1972)
• The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS; 1961–1966)
• My Favorite Martian (CBS; 1963–1966)
• Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (CBS; 1964–1969)
• I Spy (NBC; 1965–1968)
• Hogan's Heroes (CBS; 1965–1971)
• Family Affair (CBS; 1966–1971)
• That Girl (ABC; 1966–1971)