I don't know if the negatives exist, but as of 2014, they were not in the Paramount vaults. I know because I checked when I was working on another project. But they could easily be somewhere else. That said, my opinion is that they are not extant.
I authored classic TV on DVD discs for years and it seemed like with each new project, my mouth dropped at all the expenses I'd never thought about--most of them to do with rights issues and legal clearances.
After I was given permission to publicly post FIXING THE FUGITIVE, I got steady work...
That's a great question. I can't speak for I LOVE LUCY, but mastering season one of THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW in HD cost a ton of money. The source material was a little soft to start with, which made it even worse. And there were other things: the cost of the rights to getting the theme music to...
If this was happening, I likely would have heard something by now, and I haven't. Of course, if it was happening, I couldn't say anything, because people who spill the beans in forums don't get hired.
I think Ethan Riley is correct, however. They don't have the elements to do it even if they...