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Brief Summary
This video explores the recovery of missing Doctor Who episodes, detailing various instances where lost episodes were found and returned to the BBC archive. It covers stories from Australia, BBC Canada, private collectors, and even international broadcasters, highlighting the roles of dedicated individuals and chance encounters in preserving Doctor Who's history. The video also touches on controversies, rumors, and the importance of verifying information in the search for missing episodes.
- The return of missing Doctor Who episodes is a thrilling story of lies, scandals, and theft.
- Dedicated individuals and chance encounters played crucial roles in preserving Doctor Who's history.
- Rumors and controversies often surround the search for missing episodes, emphasizing the importance of verifying information.
Recoveries from Down Under and BBC Archives
The recovery of missing Doctor Who episodes began in Australia, where three episodes ("The Chase: Episode 1," "The War Machines: Episode 2," and "The Faceless Ones: Episode 1") were found in a private collection. These episodes were rumored to have been stolen from the ABC but were likely taken before being junked. David G, the owner in 1977, copied them onto videotape and sent them to Jeremy Bentham in England, who then showed them to Ian Levine. Levine noticed that "War Machines: Episode 2" was missing from the BBC archive, leading to a film copy being made and returned to the BBC. Additionally, Sue Molden discovered "The Web of Fear: Episode 1" among returned films from an international broadcaster, prompting a new directive to send all returned material to the film library instead of junking it. BBC Canada also returned their copy of "Death to the Daleks: Episode 1" in 1981.
The Anonymous Projectionist and the Reign of Terror
Roger Stevens, a BBC film editor and Doctor Who fan, learned from a co-worker (an anonymous projectionist) about a collection of seven Doctor Who film prints. Two of these were missing episodes: "The Abominable Snowman: Episode 2" and "Invasion of the Dinosaurs: Episode 1." Stevens facilitated the sale of these prints to Ian Levine for £25. Levine loaned "The Abominable Snowman: Episode 2" to the BBC for copying but kept "Invasion of the Dinosaurs: Episode 1." Separately, Doctor Who Monthly reported the return of "The Reign of Terror: Episode 6." Bruce Campbell, aware of missing episodes, purchased the film print for £50 after verifying its authenticity. The return was described dramatically by Doctor Who Monthly, while Campbell and Levine recalled a less exciting negotiation process.
The Bargaining Chip and the Mormon Church Mystery
Ian Levine's acquisition of Roger Stevens' collection included a black and white version of "Invasion of the Dinosaurs: Episode 1," which he kept as a bargaining chip since it was the only missing Pertwee episode. He eventually returned it to the BBC two years later. In a separate incident, six film cans were found in the basement of a church (possibly a Mormon church) in Wandsworth during a clean-out. These included episodes of "Warship," "Adventure World," two educational programs, and two Doctor Who episodes. The exact details of how they ended up there remain a mystery, with conflicting accounts from Doctor Who Monthly, the Doctor Who Appreciation Society, and the book "Dr Who: 25 Glorious Years."
The Celestial Toymaker and the Cybermat Letter
Episode 4 of "The Celestial Toymaker" was discovered during a routine inspection of the film archive at the ABC's French Forest Studios in Sydney. This copy was sent from Singapore to BBC Sydney but was mistakenly delivered to the ABC studio. The ABC stored it instead of forwarding it to the BBC office. Rumors of a Patrick Troughton story featuring Cybermats surfaced in Doctor Who Monthly issue 87, with an anonymous letter claiming a missing episode was held in the Portsmouth area. It was rumored that David Steed had a copy of a missing Cybermat episode, deduced from an off-screen image. Gary Russell, later editor of Doctor Who Magazine, wrote the anonymous letter, regretting it later. Steed eventually returned "The Wheel in Space: Episode 3" to the BBC after being prompted by the letter.
The Nigerian Episodes and Ian Levine's Holdings
Ian Levine's inquiries led to the discovery of 14 episodes in Nigeria, marking the first time complete stories were found. Six of these episodes were missing from the BBC archive, completing "The Time Meddler" and "The War Machines." However, political issues in Nigeria delayed their return until 1985. The episodes had cuts, which Levine already knew, as he possessed copies of "The Time Meddler: Episode 1" and "Episode 3." Levine had acquired these from a film projectionist at the BBC who witnessed the destruction of 16mm Doctor Who film prints and provided Levine with episodes 1, 2, and 3 of "The Time Meddler." Levine held onto missing episodes like "Invasion of the Dinosaurs: Episode 1," "The Abominable Snowman: Episode 2," and "The Time Meddler: Episodes 1 and 3" for potential trades. After the Nigerian prints were found, he returned his original, unedited versions to the BBC in 1992.
The Cyprus Connection and the Panopticon Screening
Paul Vanezis contacted his aunt and uncle in Cyprus, who remembered watching Doctor Who, leading him to contact the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). They confirmed holding Doctor Who prints. Ian Levine, investigating Cyprus at the time, worked with Roger Bronskill from BBC Enterprises to officially request the episodes' return. The first three episodes of "The Reign of Terror" were returned. Later, Vanezis discovered that episodes four and five were marked as destroyed, supposedly lost in an explosion at the national film archive of Cyprus during a civil war. Episode 3 of "The Reign of Terror" was found again by Bruce Campbell in higher quality than the Cyprus version. In 1985, Syed Mahum proposed a screening of two missing episodes ("The Faceless Ones: Episode 3" and "The Evil of the Daleks: Episode 2") at a cinema after the Panopticon convention. The convention organizers were skeptical and involved Ian Levine. The screening was canceled, and it was revealed that Gordon Hendry, the owner of the episodes, was unaware of their missing status.
Telecon and the Ice Warriors Find
Paul Vanezis contacted Syed Mahum and offered television programs in exchange. In 1987, Vanezis organized Telecon and wanted to screen a missing episode as a tribute to Patrick Troughton. A VHS copy of "The Faceless Ones: Episode 3" appeared two days before the event and was screened, creating a legendary moment among fans. Gordon Hendry then negotiated with the BBC and loaned the episodes in April and May 1987. In the late 1980s, a BBC Enterprises employee found five film cans labeled "Doctor Who" at Vilia's House, containing "The Ice Warriors: Episodes 2, 4, 5, and 6" and "Fury from the Deep: Episode 6." However, "The Ice Warriors: Episode 2" was actually episode 1 mislabeled, and "Fury from the Deep: Episode 6" was a different program.
The Tomb of the Cybermen Discovery
In December 1991, a representative from Asia Television in Hong Kong contacted the BBC about returning old BBC programs, including four Doctor Who episodes. Adam Lee, the BBC archive selector, requested them, but they never arrived. Bruce Campbell followed up, and David Steed, working for BBC Enterprises, found packages labeled "MM" with leaders saying "The Tomb of the Cybermen." Steed faced a dilemma: returning the episodes to the BBC library could delay their release to fans, while holding onto them would allow for a higher-quality VHS release. He chose the latter, reminding Adam Lee that the prints were technically BBC Enterprises' property. By 1999, "The Tomb of the Cybermen" was the 11th highest-selling Doctor Who VHS, with 30,000 sales.
The Crusade and the Dalek Episodes
In 1974, at a New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation film storage unit, episode 1 of "The Crusade" was marked for landfill. A local film collector took 321 dispatched films, including the Doctor Who episode. Bruce Grenville purchased it for five dollars in 1998, unaware it was missing. He included it on his website unnoticed until he showed it to Cornelius Stone, who told Neil Lambis, who realized it was missing. They contacted Paul Scoons to organize a screening and verified its existence. Grenville contacted news stations about his discovery and planned to auction the print, which Steve Roberts at the BBC opposed, citing potential legal action. The BBC later allowed him to sell it, and he eventually sold it for 850 US dollars. In 1972, Francis Watson, a BBC engineer, found "The Daleks: Episode 5" and "The Daleks' Master Plan: Episode 2" in a junk room at Ealing Studios. He kept them and, in 2003, transferred them to digital beta cam. In 2004, he discovered they were missing episodes and contacted Steve Roberts, returning them to the BBC.
Galaxy 4 and the Underwater Menace
Ralph Montague learned that Terry Burnett, a friend of one of his workers, had a Doctor Who episode. Burnett brought the episode, labeled "Doctor Who Airlock," and they discovered it was the missing episode 3 of "Galaxy 4." Burnett had it for over 30 years, having bought it at a school fate. He returned it to the BBC, and it was announced in December 2011. When organizing the return of "Galaxy 4: Episode 3," Terry Burnett remembered he had another Doctor Who episode, which he also got at the same school fate. It turned out to be the missing episode 2 of "The Underwater Menace." This, along with episode 3 of "Galaxy 4," was announced at the Missing Believed Wiped event in December 2011.
The Omni Rumor and the Missing Web of Fear Episode
Rumors circulated about 42 missing episodes found in Africa, leading to speculation about a large stash of recovered episodes. Phillip Morris, director of Television International Enterprises Archive Limited, discovered film cans marked "Doctor Who" in Jos, Nigeria, containing full sets of "The Enemy of the World" and almost all of "The Web of Fear." In 2015, Morris announced finding all six episodes of "The Web of Fear," but episode 3 went missing. A person working at the station took episode 3, and it was never seen again. Despite photographic evidence, the company denied the incident. The investigation into this missing episode continues, with suspicion that it is in the hands of a Doctor Who fan. The video concludes by emphasizing the importance of taking rumors with a grain of salt and celebrating the episodes that have been recovered. As of the recording, 97 episodes of 60s Doctor Who are still missing.
