"The Lost Pilot" was the very first episode of I Love Lucy which was shot, the unaired pilot episode for I Love Lucy. Directed by Ralph Levy, it was shot before a live audience at CBS Columbia Square in Hollywood, California, on March 2, 1951, and sold to CBS-TV in the summer of 1951.

This unaired pilot was considered lost until the widow of actor/comedian Pepito PÃrez, Joanne PÃrez, who guest appeared twice on the series, notified CBS that she owned the sole copy. It had been given to Pepito by Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball as a show of gratitude for his friendship. The opening and first few seconds of the pilot were damaged beyond repair. This scene was reconstructed for DVD in 2002 with a re-recorded narration by Bob LeMond, 50 years after his original performance; this episode was aired in a CBS special, tribute to Lucille Ball on April 30, 1990, hosted by Lucy's daughter, actress/entertainer Lucie Arnaz. It was released on DVD in 2002.




1.Unaired Pilot