Who wouldn’t love Lucy?
More than 50 years after its last episode, “I Love Lucy” rings up $20 million a year for CBS from still-hilarious reruns on the cable channel TV Land.
The legendary sitcom, which aired from 1951 to 1957, starred Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, both her real-life and TV hubby, as Ricky Ricardo. The couple was married 20 years and together owned Desilu Productions
While TV networks make most revenue through advertising and current series, they keep a healthy bottom line by selling old shows to other outlets and online.
“Syndication is still the big dog here,’’ CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves told a business conference.
“I Love Lucy” was voted the best TV show of all time, beating out “Seinfeld,” “M*A*S*H,” “All in the Family” and “Cheers,” in a survey last week conducted by ABC News and People magazine.