The I Love Lucy episode no one has ever seen.

I Love Lucy defined the television sitcom. Even today, the 1950’s TV show has been analyzed, studied, adored and revered for its fantastic writing, talented acting, and beloved comic moments. I mean, all I have to do is mention “Vitameatavegamin” or utter the phrase “chocolates on a conveyor belt,” and you can already remember those I Love Lucy episodes in an instant.

Well, what if I told you that I’m going to post an episode of I Love Lucy in this blog that no one has ever seen on television?

Yes, I am. It’s down here.

But you’re thinking, “Chuck, all the episodes of I Love Lucy were filmed, so all of them exist. Even that one Christmas episode that was originally taken out of syndication has returned as a broadcast special during the holidays.”

Yeah, you’re right. But that’s not the episode I’m discussing.

Chucky, you got some ‘splainin’ to do…

See, I Love Lucy has its roots in a radio drama called My Favorite Husband, which also starred Lucille Ball. In My Favorite Husband, Lucille’s character of Liz Cooper (early episodes as Liz Cugat) engaged in wacky hijinks with her on-stage husband (played by Richard Denning). The show was extremely popular, and ran for several years. But although there were plans to bring My Favorite Husband to television, Lucille Ball chose instead to revamp the program as I Love Lucy, and cast her real-life husband Desi Arnaz as the “I” of the series.

As you know, the show ran for several years, and became a worldwide phenomenon – so much so that Lucille Ball commanded a Monday night presence with this program, as well as later programs The Lucy Show and Here’s Lucy.

During the show’s first season, there were plans to air a radio-only version of I Love Lucy, with the television cast doing the radio voice work from scripts that were previously television episodes. There was a test pilot for this radio series, which like the television show was sponsored by Phillip Morris cigarettes.

Here’s a clip from the television episode from 1952, a show called “Breaking the Lease” in which Lucy and Ricky Ricardo have a fight with their friends (and landlords) Fred and Ethel Mertz, to the point where Lucy and Ricky try to break out of their ironclad lease contract.

Now this episode was re-written as a radio drama, and used as a pilot. What you have below is the radio-only drama, which has never been seen on television. Which is kinda correct … I mean, how would you SEE a radio drama on a television screen?

Unfortunately, only the radio test was made for this proposed series; the sponsor chose instead to focus on the television episodes of I Love Lucy, and no other radio episodes were produced.

And there you have it. The I Love Lucy episode that was never SEEN on television.