On the 100th anniversary of her birthday, Lucille Ball is still a front runner for the title of the greatest comedienne in TV history, alongside greats like Mary Tyler Moore, Isabel Sanford, and Betty White. And while I Love Lucy ended its initial run back in the ’50s, Ball’s influence is still obvious in many of today’s top TV comics — from SNL vets Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to sitcom stars like Debra Messing. But do any of these ladies deserve to be called the new Lucy? (Apologies to beloved EW vet Michael Slezak, who begged us back in 2006 never to crown a new Ms. Ball.) Here’s a case for each nominee, along with her Lucy-est moment.

Debra Messing
Sure, there’s the red hair, the old-Hollywood features, the goofy-wide smile. But Messing has more than just a physical resemblance to Lucy. She’s also a top-flight slapstick comedienne who can pratfall and spit-take with the best of them. Her Lucy Moment The writers of Will & Grace had to be thinking of Lucy when they wrote “Das Boob,” the episode where Grace’s water bra springs a leak at an art gallery.

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