Desilu Studios History

Desilu Studios History

Founded and co-owned by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Desilu Studios created pop cultural touchstones like I Love Lucy, Mission: Impossible, and Star Trek, and was the production hub for dozens of beloved television shows including The Andy Griffith Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show. Desilu programming boldly pushed social and cultural boundaries, and the studio innovated production processes and technologies that altered the course of entertainment history. During its peak in the late 1950s, Desilu Studios was the largest and most prolific television operation in the world.

In 1962, Lucille Ball bought Desi Arnaz’s interest in the company and became the first woman to preside over a Hollywood studio. Her leadership successfully steered Desilu Studios into the evolving media landscape of the 1960s.

The Lucy Desi Museum in Jamestown, NY celebrates Desilu’s industry-changing approach to television production and the incredible behind-the-scenes story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s visionary leadership. Learn more about the innovators who shaped the Desilu story by exploring the Cast & Crew page.