39 years ago, a TV star's active career came to an abrupt end

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39 years ago, a TV star's legacy came to an abrupt end

39 years ago, a TV star's legacy of nearly 40 years came to an abrupt end when ABC aired the last episode of "Life With Lucy" starring 75 year old Lucille Ball. It was Ball's fourth TV sitcom since 1951 with her beloved sitcom 'I Love Lucy', and the only one not airing on CBS. The show debuted on September 20, 1986 and filmed 13 episodes by the first week of November, 1986.

ABC was hoping to have a major sitcom hit on a Saturday night with the return of Ball, the same way NBC surged in the ratings by bringing back TV legends Cosby, Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Betty White the previous seasons. The first episode made the Top 25, landing at #23. The ratings dropped swiftly after that - with ABC canceling the show after the eighth episode aired. They never aired the remaining five.

Reportedly, this was a major blow to Ball who was never 'canceled' by CBS in her previous three series. Her movie career ended with the flop musical "Mame" in 1974, and now her TV career was officially over. She took it quite personally and went into a 'deep depression' into the new year. She wasn't taking many visitors to her house over the next few years, and only did a handful of press interviews for the rest of her life. Her next - and final - appearance on TV was at the Oscars as a presenter at the end of March, 1989. Ball died a month later at the age of 77.