Lucille Ball in "TV Land Legends" Book

A new coffee table book, "TV Land Legends", produced by TV Land includes photos of Lucille Ball and "I Love Lucy". Extraordinary images from Lucille Ball to the cast of Friends are showcased in this oversized collectable book which also features photographs by Annie Liebovitz, Mark Seliger, Herb Ritts, David LaChappelle, and more. Essays by Billy Crystal, Mary Tyler Moore and Toure are also featured!

What qualities define a television legend? Everything from the endlessly inventive physical comedy of Lucille Ball as “Lucy Ricardo” to the homespun warmth of Michael Landon as “Pa Ingalls” tugging at our heartstrings. A television legend captivates us, warms our hearts, and makes us tune in to see them again and again. Andy Griffith, Johnny Carson, Oprah Winfrey -- these icons have become our extended family as their quirks and expressions are part of our cultural vernacular.

TV Land Legends toasts these icons in a dazzling volume that will enchant fans of all ages. The images will surprise and delight television buffs. Whether its Carol Burnett channeling Norma Desmond, Carl Reiner caught dead serious (except for the pencil in his ear), Will Smith as a cowboy, or the cast of Friends mugging as a circus act, here are our most cherished stars seen in photographs that capture their essence. TV Land Legends brings them all together, making this collection one of unparalleled content and rarity.

With essays by Billy Crystal on Sid Caesar, Mary Tyler Moore on “Group Therapy” and the benefits of working within an ensemble, and Touré on Bill Cosby, plus quotes from one celebrity on another—including David Letterman on Johnny Carson, Jon Stewart on Bob Newhart, and Megan Mullally on Carol Burnett, and many, many more, TV Land Legends is the ultimate in living room reading!

The world’s top photographers meet television’s biggest stars when TV Land Legends hits bookstores on Wednesday, November 1. TV Land, America’s premier classic TV network, celebrates America’s greatest television characters -- and the performers who made them “legendary” -- with TV Land Legends (Pocket Books; November 2006; $35.00). TV Land Legends showcases the men and women who make us laugh, move us to tears, or simply captivate us with their mysterious charms, all gathered into one gorgeous hardcover volume and presented in full color by some of the world's top photographers. The unique and often surprising photos make TV Land Legends a true collector’s item.

A slideshow of images from TV Legends as well as other content surrounding a selection of the classic television performers honored in the book is available at TVLand.com. Additionally, fans will be able to purchase the book through TVLand.com as well as major national and local book retailers and websites.

Now seen in over 87 million U.S. homes, TV Land’s program mix features popular dramas, sitcoms, westerns, Retromercials and a TV-referential interstitial environment, all programmed with a specific audience in mind – the first generation of Americans to grow up watching television and features all-time Classic hits like All in the Family, I Love Lucy, The Andy Griffith Show, and Bonanza.

Viacom is a leading global entertainment content company, with prominent and respected brands in focused demographics. Offering programming and content for television, motion pictures and digital platforms, Viacom’s world-class brands include MTV Networks (MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Comedy Central, CMT: Country Music Television, Spike TV, TV Land, Logo and more than 130 networks around the world), BET Networks, Paramount Pictures, Paramount Home Entertainment, DreamWorks and Famous Music.