About 30 years before my time yet still easily in my top five comediennes. Maybe top three, I don't know. A lot of her act was built on slapstick and the predictable routines of trying to get on Ricky's show. Couple that with a lot of undertones of spousal abuse and it seems the show would have worn thin real quick. But it somehow managed to stay fresh and her other endeavors remained funny as well. Though admittedly not the same without Ricky.
Indeed, she was an American Icon.

No doubt about it ... she was, is, and always will be the greatest. She loved her work and did it very well. In turn, she gave lots of happiness to millions of people and is often looked upon as a positive role model and an inspiration. She truly was an amazing, extraordinary woman. And no one can take her place ... she made television history throughout her long TV career that can never be duplicated. There will never be another Lucille Ball. God bless her soul.

Boy is she ever a great TV icon! I love her TV show and she always knew how to entertain everyone.

All these years and she is still the queen of comedy and television.

I got so tired of I Love Lucy but since it is still being forced down the publics throats, I have to give Lucy her due.

As a TV icon, might be the easiest 5-star rating ever. . .staying power, talent, and had a lasting effect on the medium. . .certainly doesn't resonate with other generations as much, but seem to have caused ripples in the TV industry that people still remember. . .I still think her picking up the candies from the conveyer belt is hilarious. . .

Very, very deserving of a top 5 slot on this skewed list.