Iconic ‘I Love Lucy' Episode, Ranked Among the ‘Greatest TV Episodes' of All Time, First Aired on This Day in 1952
I Love Lucy produced many iconic episodes during its six-season run, but one of its most memorable aired 74 years ago today. The 30th episode of the classic CBSsitcom, titled "Lucy Does a TV Commercial," originally aired on May 5, 1952.
Vulture and CBS News ranked it as one of the best-ever I Love Lucy episodes, with the latter noting that every fan "knows this episode from season one." "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" was once ranked one of the greatest episodes of all time by TV Guide, and it's no wonder. The script featured a classic scene that showcased series star Lucille Ball's gift for physical comedy at its finest.
In the episode, Lucy Ricardo (Ball) gets a job as a pitchwoman for a new liquid vitamin product called "Vitameatavegamin." As she touts the health tonic's vitamins, minerals, meat, and vegetables, she's in the dark over the fact that it also contains 23 percent alcohol.
For the commercial, Lucy is required to take a sip of the concoction and announce, "It's so tasty, too!" As the rehearsal goes on and on, she drinks enough of the product to become visibly intoxicated. She later crashes husband Ricky's (Desi Arnaz) live television performance and sings along with him while still in a drunken state.
Ball taped the famous scene in one take
While Ball's character required many takes for her commercial, the actress herself breezed through the scene. In an interview with the Television Academy Foundation, show writer Bob Carroll Jr. recalled, "The TV commercial was scripted. It took us a day and a half to get that name Vitameatavegamin, too. That was a tough one."
Co-writer Madelyn Pugh Davis added, "The most amazing thing is that she didn't use any cue cards. She did that whole thing in one take. Which she did a lot."
Ball's daughter, Lucie Arnaz, also shared insight into the iconic episode. "I asked my mother what was in that bottle, and it was apple pectin," Arnaz once told the Today show about the liquid her mother drank in the famous scene.
"If you ever tasted it, you'd know why she made that face. And she didn't want to taste it until they did the scene!" Arnaz shared. "Talk about method acting. But she did it in one shot, no pickup (shots) and it's brilliant."
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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 10:25 AM.