‘Lost’ Doctor Who episodes found
As two Doctor Who episodes lost by the BBC are unearthed by a collector, a Doctor Who archivist tells Channel 4 News it is a find of “cultural significance”.
The two episodes from 1965 and 1967, which star William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton, have been unearthed three decades after they were purchased at a village fête.
Former TV engineer Terry Burnett says he bought them at a school in Hampshire in the 1980s but did not realise they were officially “lost”.
The announcement was made on Sunday at Missing Believed Wiped, an event held at the British Film Institute (BFI), which has been working to recover missing recordings from many different television series.
The two episodes are believed to be among 106 original instalments missing because the BBC did not start routinely archiving shows until 1978.
Since that time 30 episodes have been recoveredbut since 1999 only four have been found.
Other missing films discovered at the BFI event included a comedy sketch starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore and a Dennis Potter play, Emergency Ward 9
A ‘crazy decision’
Paul Vanezis, a BBC producer and member of the Dr Who Restoration Team, said the BBC’s decision to throw episodes away may seem “crazy” by today’s standards, but at the time the interest was about making new programmes.
“The films were sold to ABC in Australia, they pretty much bought all the episodes, they were then returned to the BBC in 1975 but because the BBC lost some of the rights to screen them, and didn’t have a remit to maintain an archive, many reels were dumped in skips,” Mr Vanezis said.
“It’s regrettable, but it’s happened thirty years ago, and the people who made those decisions don’t work at the BBC anymore,” he continued.
In the 1970s, the BBC commissioned a report by the historian Lord Briggs. His findings prompted efforts to improve the archiving of television programmes.
Mr Vanezis said the improvements to the process of archiving are of great importance to Britain’s cultural identity.
“This isn’t about value, it is about cultural significance, what we can learn about how television was made and what informed and entertained us a generation ago.
“It’s not just about Dr Who, there’s so much material lost from the BBC, so hopefully finds like this can inspire people to look in their collections for lost films.”
TV treasures?
So two missing Dr Who episodes have been unearthed. But what other TV treasures would you like to stumble upon? Get in touch via Twitter @channel4news and read the suggestions so far below…
@arthurascii Shakespeare’s Cardenio? The pilot Dan Dare story where he’s a Space Vicar? Either would do.
@glassstanley William Hartnell’s final episode as Doctor Who.
@duncanrennie Jossie’s Giants!
@coffeewithkate I’m sure I watched a series called 7 Little Australians when I was very young. Would like to find it again.
@manx_maid Not that old – what happened to Il Trovatore fm @RoyalOperaHouse that was in RTimes for Ch 4 in 1989 but not shown (Domingo)
@pablono1 the lost 6 series of firefly!
@jillhill99 unseen unknown episodes of the original Yes Minister
@GeoffLloyd The time Richard M leaned too far back in his chair on ‘This Morning’ & it toppled over backwards. Crew laughed, R humourless
@JPG476 Six Five Special BBC late 50s. BBC program The Edge of the 60s from Dec 59. Full of predictions