In exchange for Bob Hope's appearance on the first "I Love Lucy" episode of the 1956-57 season, Lucy, Desi, Viv, and Bill all appeared on Hope's NBC Chevrolet special a few weeks later, on October 21, 1956. Included in the show was a sketch involving the Ricardos and the Mertzes, with Hope as "Ricky" and Desi as "Fred."