For devotees of Doctor Who, the missing episodes from its initial run in the 1960s represent a tantalizing void in television history. These lost installments of the iconic sci-fi drama, particularly those featuring the very first Doctor, William Hartnell, are akin to fabled treasures, sparking endless searches and fervent hopes for rediscovery. Now, astonishingly, it appears that not just one, but two early BBC adventures have resurfaced, unearthed by diligent amateur enthusiasts right in Britain.
These rediscovered episodes, including one thrilling encounter with the infamous Daleks, promise viewers an unparalleled opportunity to journey back to the genesis of Doctor Who, no TARDIS required. However, despite the rapidly approaching 60th anniversary of the show’s premiere, The Observer has learned that the current custodians of this rare footage are hesitant to release it to the BBC.
John Franklin, a seasoned film collector, proposes a straightforward solution: the BBC should declare an immediate and comprehensive amnesty concerning all missing film footage. This, he argues, would reassure private collectors that coming forward with their privately held archives would not lead to confiscation or prosecution for possessing what could be deemed stolen BBC property – a genuine fear among some.
“Some of these collectors are genuinely terrified,” Franklin explains, who is aware of the location of these two Doctor Who episodes, alongside other significant television finds, such as a rediscovered episode of The Basil Brush Show. “We are at a critical juncture where we need to systematically catalogue and preserve these significant television programs that are currently in private hands. If we fail to act decisively, these invaluable pieces of television history risk being lost once more, potentially discarded during house clearances, as many of these collectors, now in their 80s, understandably become increasingly concerned about the future of their collections.”
The story of these missing episodes stems from a now-infamous BBC practice in place between 1967 and 1978, where old film reels were routinely discarded. BBC staff and contractors, recognizing the cultural value even in discarded materials, secretly salvaged films from bins and skips. It wasn’t just William Hartnell’s Doctor Who episodes that suffered this fate; numerous popular shows, including Doctor Who adventures starring Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee, were either disposed of or deliberately erased. Adding to the recent wave of rediscoveries, a missing early episode of the beloved sitcom Sykes, featuring Eric Sykes and Hattie Jacques, has also recently emerged within a private collection.
Franklin, who recently organized “Film is Fabulous!”, an event in Leicester for film collectors in collaboration with the Cinema and Television History Research Institute at De Montfort University, believes the BBC is ideally positioned to facilitate the return of these lost treasures. “The collectors in question are often former BBC employees, and their apprehension is understandable. The official rule was absolute: nothing was to be taken, even if it was destined for disposal. However, for those who cherished film and recognized its future significance, the dilemma was stark. An amnesty is now the most sensible path forward,” he asserts.
Mark Stuckey, a film and projector restorer and a familiar face as an electronics expert on the BBC’s The Repair Shop, echoes Franklin’s sentiments. “These collectors, once viewed with suspicion, are now revealed as inadvertent saviours of our television heritage. An amnesty is crucial to allay their fears of potential legal repercussions,” he emphasizes.
The BBC itself acknowledged the gaps in its extensive 800-episode Doctor Who archive, currently accessible on its iPlayer streaming service. In a nod to the enduring appeal of these early adventures, seven episodes from 1963 have been meticulously colourised and compiled into a 75-minute special, The Daleks in Colour, set to broadcast on BBC Four on November 23rd and subsequently available on iPlayer.
The BBC has stated its openness to dialogue with individuals possessing lost episodes. “We encourage members of the public to contact us if they possess information about programmes they believe to be lost archive recordings, and we are committed to collaborating with them to restore these missing programmes to the BBC archives,” the corporation affirmed.
However, whether this assurance will be sufficient to encourage reticent collectors to step forward remains uncertain. While the risk to collectors might be minimal, the infamous 1978 arrest of comedian Bob Monkhouse, a private collector who faced piracy accusations and had his archive seized, casts a long shadow, Franklin suggests. “The Monkhouse case instilled a lasting fear, the belief that private film collections could be confiscated. Sadly, this apprehension persists.”
For most collectors, financial gain is not the primary motivation. Their concern is avoiding penalties for preserving film for decades. “We could simply list the found footage and offer it to an auction house, which might save some of it, but it could end up anywhere. That seems a regrettable outcome, especially with the burgeoning resurgence of interest in celluloid among younger generations. It’s become quite fashionable again,” Franklin observes.
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“BBC Studios, the BBC’s commercial arm, has already invested in animating some lost Hartnell episodes. Surely, a portion of resources could be allocated to restoring the original footage and perhaps offering a token of appreciation to these elderly collectors, some of whom are now facing health challenges or providing care for others.”
Prior to these recent discoveries, it was believed that 97 Doctor Who episodes from the show’s initial six years were irretrievably missing. Chris Perry, head of the TV archive Kaleidoscope, recently indicated his awareness of numerous episodes within private archives that could be recovered, given the right assurances.
As Phil Collinson, executive producer of the newly colourised episode, aptly stated, the Hartnell adventures are “a masterpiece of 1960s drama” and “literally the foundation stone of all that Doctor Who has become.” The ongoing quest to recover these missing Doctor Who episodes is not just about reclaiming lost television; it’s about preserving a vital piece of cultural heritage for generations to come.
The modern Doctor Who reboot is set to grace television screens again on November 25th, launching the first of three special episodes. These specials mark the return of David Tennant to the role of the Doctor, before his regeneration into Ncuti Gatwa, the Doctor’s fifteenth incarnation, further highlighting the enduring legacy that began with those now sought-after missing Doctor Who episodes.
