<P> The show began with Lucille Ball as Lucy Carmichael , a widow with two children , Chris ( Candy Moore ) and Jerry ( Jimmy Garrett ) , living in the fictional town of Danfield , New York , sharing her home with divorced friend Vivian Bagley ( Vance ) and her son , Sherman ( Ralph Hart ) . In order to get Vance to commit to the series , Arnaz acquiesced to her demands for an increase in salary , co-star billing , a more attractive wardrobe and , finally , that her character 's name be Vivian . After doing I Love Lucy , she was still being called Ethel by people on the street , much to her unhappiness . Although the book on which the show was based , ( Irene Kampen 's Life Without George ) , centered on two divorcées living together in the same house raising their children , it was decided early on that the Lucy Carmichael character should instead be a widow . The consensus was that fans would be offended with a Lucy who was divorced , despite the fact that this was a new character and Ball herself was divorced . The character of Vivian Bagley became the first divorced woman on primetime television . </P>
<P> The show began with Lucille Ball as Lucy Carmichael , a widow with two children , Chris ( Candy Moore ) and Jerry ( Jimmy Garrett ) , living in the fictional town of Danfield , New York , sharing her home with divorced friend Vivian Bagley ( Vance ) and her son , Sherman ( Ralph Hart ) . In order to get Vance to commit to the series , Arnaz acquiesced to her demands for an increase in salary , co-star billing , a more attractive wardrobe and , finally , that her character 's name be Vivian . After doing I Love Lucy , she was still being called Ethel by people on the street , much to her unhappiness . Although the book on which the show was based , ( Irene Kampen 's Life Without George ) , centered on two divorcées living together in the same house raising their children , it was decided early on that the Lucy Carmichael character should instead be a widow . The consensus was that fans would be offended with a Lucy who was divorced , despite the fact that this was a new character and Ball herself was divorced . The character of Vivian Bagley became the first divorced woman on primetime television . </P>
who played lucy 's son on the lucy show
who played lucy 's son on the lucy show
Jimmy Garrett
Jimmy Garrett