Leading up to the TV Guide cover!

"You're in for a pleasant surprise next week."

 Born on January 19, 1953

The first issue of TV Guide (April 3, 1953) 

featuring Desi Alberto Arnaz, Jr.

.. the youngest child of Lucille Ball ..

The back cover also included a mini version of the issue.

On April 17, 1953 just two weeks after the first edition was published, Lucy and Little Ricky were on the cover of TV Guide in a drawing by Jack Weaver.  Lucy was depicted at the top of a TV totem pole featuring Arthur Godfrey holding a ukuele, Milton Berle holding a Texaco gas pump plus Cid Caesar and Imogene Coca .. all TV pioneers.  Lucy is holding a pack of Philip Morris cigarettes and Little Ricky's rattle has a TV antenna on it!  

TV Guide magazine, a pioneer in television programming weekly guides, began as local listings magazines in the late 1940s eventually becoming a national publication in 1953. The magazine was founded in 1948 by Lee Wagner (1910-1993), circulation director for MacFadden Publications, who developed the prototype for TV Guide.  It was first based in a small office in downtown Philadelphia before moving to more spacious national headquarters in Radnor, PA in the late 1950s.

TV Guide was published in digest size which remained its printed format for 52 years. The launch as a national magazine with local listings in April 1953 became an almost instant success with TV Guide.  It became the most read and circulated magazine in the United States by the 1960s.  The initial cost of each issue was 15 cents (equivalent to $1.76 in 2024).  TV Guide was sold at the checkout counters of grocery stores, nationwide. Each week it was fun to see who made the cover of TV Guide.

Lucille Ball is the TV Guide Cover Queen with a record 39 covers to her credit!  More than any other celebrity in history!