The series dropped out of the top 10 Nielsen ratings in its fifth season. This was the first time that a series starring Lucille Ball was not in the top 10. Because of this, Ball wanted to end the series, and a final episode was filmed. But CBS convinced Ball to return for one more season.
Lucille Ball broke her leg shortly before the fifth season began. People worried the show would have to end, but the show continued with Lucy in a leg cast for part of the season.
The show came about because of a business transaction. In 1968, The Lucy Show (1962) had been running for six seasons, and the ratings remained solid. Lucille Ball sold the Desilu studio that year. So, in order to retain ownership of her series, she ceased production on The Lucy Show (1962), and created this show. The new series had a slightly different plot, and new character names (plus roles for Lucy's kids), but continued with the same cast and timeslot.
The season four finale, "Kim Finally Cuts You-Know-Who's Apron Strings", was a pilot for a spin-off, starring Lucie Désirée Arnaz, which never sold.
Originally, Doris Singleton, who played the recurring character of Caroline (originally Lillian) Appleby on I Love Lucy (1951) was supposed to co-star on this show. Her character was supposed to be Harry's efficient morning secretary, opposed to Lucy, his scatterbrained afternoon secretary. Her character was dropped after the first episode, because it was decided to show more of Lucy's family life with the kids, than her job.