I Love Lucy – Unaired Pilot Episode
In March of 1951, a 34-minute pilot episode for a proposed I Love Lucy series was filmed in an attempt to sell the series to CBS and potential sponsors. It worked, but the pilot itself was never broadcast. Instead, its storyline was worked into an episode that was shown on November 19th, 1951 during I Love Lucy‘s first season [1]. Although I Love Lucy would air for six years and reign atop the Nielsen charts, the pilot episode was eventually forgotten.
In the early 1980s, the Museum of Broadcasting (now the Paley Center for Media, formerly the Museum of Television & Radio) began actively searching for the pilot episode. At the time, the curator of museum’s television collection, Ronald C. Simon, explained that during the 1970s all traces of the pilot had disappeared; not even Desi Arnaz or Lucille Ball owned or knew where to find a copy [2].
Then, in December of 1989, a film print was found under the bed of a the late Pepito Pérez, who had appeared in the pilot as a clown way back in 1951. Reportedly, Pepito’s widow, Joanne Pérez, had read about the long-lost pilot in TV Guide, recalled that her husband had been given a copy, and checked under their bed [3]. CBS aired an hour-long special built around the pilot on Monday, April 30th, 1990. It tied for first in the week’s ratings with a 21.2/37 rating. Over 30 million viewers tuned in [4].
Updated Friday, February 20th, 2009
S.A.K. has informed me in the comment section that portions of the above story are incorrect. A print of the unaired pilot was given to Pepito Pérez by Desi Arnez. It was never “lost” and certainly was never kept under anyone’s bed. It was even shown by Pepito and his wife, Joanne, to people taking their dance classes. Television historians and fans of I Love Lucy owe both Pepito and Joanne a debt of gratitude for hanging on to the print and later making it available.
Sources:
1 Shales, Tom. “Love That ‘Lost’ Lucy.” Washington Post. 30 Apr. 1990: B1.
2 “Broadcasting Museum Seeks TV’s Self-History.” 43.
3 Richmond, Ray. “Long-Lost Lucy TV Pilot Airs Tonight.” Toronto Star. 30 Apr. 1990: B4.
4 “Nielsens: NBC Barely Sweeping by CBS.” USA Today. 9 May 1990: 3D.
Related:
February 20th, 2009 at 2:12PM
This article has incorrect facts. I originally read about the search for the pilot episide in the TV guide and called Joanne (a long time dear friend and personal dance instructor). Joanne stated that Desi had said that he wanted Pepito to keep it, not ever give it to anyone. Desi GAVE it to Pepito after he was done with it. It was not under Pepito’s bed. It was on a shelf in Pepito’s closet. Joanne kept a very neat and clean house. She did not store anything under beds. When I first took dancing from Pepito and Joanne, Pepito showed the classes the “pilot” numerous times. It was a fun time. Pepito and Joanne were very special people. Everyone seems to get the “Pilot” story wrong. Amazing that noone prints the truth. I know even more facts about the pilot but you probably do not care.
February 20th, 2009 at 8:04PM
S.A.K.,
I assure you, I am very interested in anything you can share about the original pilot. And I apologize for getting the story wrong; I can only go with the sources I’m able to find.
March 2nd, 2009 at 11:54AM
Because I do not know you, I do not feel it would be fair to the deceased Joanne and Pepito to tell you some of the intimate details regarding the pilot.
I do know a lot about the pilot; however, I just can’t release the info right now. Who are you?
June 6th, 2009 at 1:57PM
The original pilot was “kinescoped” on March 2, 1951, at CBS’ “Columbia Square” radio/TV facilities ["Television City" wouldn't be completed and opened until November 1952]. The idea was, if and when the series was sold to a sponsor, it would be produced as a “live” series on the network, as almost all of CBS’ programs were at the time. It was because Lucy & Desi didn’t want to commute to New York to appear “live”, and sponsor Philip Morris’ insistance they appear “live” because they didn’t want their commercials “kinnied” west of Chicago (the coaxial cable which allowed live TV shows to be telecast from coast-to-coast wasn’t completed until September of ’51) that prompted Desi to suggest film- which was okay with Philip Morris, as they had previously sponsored a weekly filmed version of “TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES” starring Ralph Edwards in the 1950-’51 season. But unlike the network’s filmed “AMOS ‘N’ ANDY” series, which used pre-recorded audience reactions on their soundtracks, CBS wanted Lucy to appear before a live audience. Somehow, Desi got in touch with Al Simon, who produced the filmed “TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES” series before a live audience, using multiple cameras, for Edwards, and discussed the possibilities of using the same technique for “I LOVE LUCY”…and the rest is history.