How 'I Love Lucy' Influenced Modern Media

Before the popularity of I Love Lucy, television shows had been produced in New York rather than California.  Up until 1951, (the debut of I Love Lucy) there had been a clear separation between television media and Hollywood's motion picture productions.  This great divide existed in part due to the easy accessibility of programs available on television sets.  With audiences inclined to stay home for entertainment rather than going to movie houses and purchasing tickets; production companies were beginning to note a decline in their revenue.  Consequently television and film productions viewed one another as rivals rather than recognizing the potential for a partnership which would mutually benefit both parties.
             I Love Lucy proved that the co existence between television and film media was a successful partnership.  The deciding factor in submersing a television program into the traditional Hollywood film environment was solely based on Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz' insistence on remaining in California.  Up until 1951 television had modeled itself on radio broadcast formats and had headquartered their productions in New York.  Previously television productions were treated similarly to stage productions.  Actors performed in front of a live audience while the program was being transmitted.  As these transmissions and recording were done live, the television productions lacked the leisure of longer shoot schedules and editing which would have provided a more polished look.
             I Love Lucy not only changed the localization of television production, but also introduced a "Hollywood" approach in how television programs were shot and presented.  Three cameras had been employed in recording in order to allow for choices between multiple film sets and angles which maximized the quality of the exhibition.  Changes influenced by Hollywood presentation greatly benefitted the way programs were produced by integrating the filming techniques employed for features.  Modern television shows, although no longer filmed before a live audience, still receive the same post production attention provided to major films.  With the exception of distribution methods and budget, today's shows aren't much different from motion pictures.  Perhaps none of these changes would have been possible had it not been foe Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz' insistence in keeping I Love Lucy's production in California which had become a ground breaking move for the show.
             Today most film companies such as Disney and Columbia Tri-Star also own broadcast networks in which original shows are produced and distributed.  Ball and Arnaz opened the door for television more widely than they may have realized when they broke tradition and chose to keep their show California based.