Much to the excitement of Doctor Who fans all over the world The Mirror newspaper published an article on Sunday morning reporting that “at least” 100 missing episodes of the programme from the 1960’s, previously believed wiped and lost forever, had been recovered by “a group of dedicated fans” searching for them thousands of miles away in Africa.
The Mirror, said:
A group of dedicated Doctor Who fans tracked down at least 100 long-lost episodes of the show gathering dust more than 3,000 miles away in Ethiopia.
It was feared the BBC programmes from the 1960s – featuring the first two doctors William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton – had vanished for all time after the Beeb flogged off a load of old footage. But after months of detective work the tapes have been unearthed at the Ethiopian Radio and Television Agency.
If the tapes are returned in time the BBC hopes to announce the news during celebrations to mark Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary next month.
The recovered episodes from the 60s include much-loved scenes from The Crusade, The Enemy of the World and The Ice Warriors series.
After each airing only once between 1964 and 1969, copies were sold to the Ethiopian Agency and the BBC then lost or wiped the originals.
Doctor Who expert Stuart Kelly revealed news of the discovery at the Wigtown Book Festival in Scotland last week.
When contacted by the Sunday People he said: “I was told by a friend that the episodes have been found in Ethiopia. The BBC is negotiating to get them back right now. I really can’t say any more than that.”
Rumours emerged of the lost shows earlier this year when tapes and 16in films of 90 episodes were thought to have been handed to a TV historian after turning up in a container loaded on a ship from Zambia.
The story, which was discussed during the Sunday morning papers review on Sky News and reported on BBC Radio 4, created a lot of excitement amongst Doctor Who fans, although not everyone was convinced.
Paul Vanezis from the Doctor Who Restoration Team, tweeted:
I would love it to be true. But it isn’t.
Edward Russell, Doctor Who brand manager, tweeted:
It’s Sunday. The weather’s gray and the papers are full of rubbish…
Asked if he was referring to the above story, he replied:
What do you think?!
Tom Spilsbury, editor of Doctor Who Magazine, tweeted:
It’s nonsense, I’m afraid.
However, at 7.51pm on Sunday evening the Radio Times online published this article, written by Ben Dowell:
Missing episodes of Doctor Who will be made available for sale to the public this week.
BBC Worldwide will put the previously lost episodes from different stories – both believed to be from the Patrick Troughton era – for sale on digital platforms such as iTunes from Wednesday, RadioTimes.com understands.
They are believed to originate from a haul discovered in Africa and have been digitally remastered for sale, although exact details remain sketchy.
A BBC Worldwide spokesman refused to officially confirm the discovery or the “speculation” around further missing episodes.
It is understood that other episodes have also been found, although it is not yet known whether these will be made available.
Interestingly, following the publication of the Radio Times article online, uberfan Ian Levine, tweeted:
I thought these were embargoed???
Then at 8.12pm The Mirror published a follow-up article:
BBC Worldwide has now called a press conference and screening on Tuesday in a London hotel.
The invitation sent out had he event details written inside the screen of a old-fashioned sixties style television set, complete with a dial to tune in the channels, seeming to hint at the type of news to come.
Journalists will be told exactly which old footage has been recovered, with some of it then broadcast on screen to watch.
A senior BBC source said: “There will be big news this Tuesday regarding lost Doctor Who episodes.
“It is great that in the show’s 50th year, fans will now be able to look back with classic episodes as well as looking to the future with the new film-length episode in November.
“For some fans watching their lost episodes will be like going back in time.”
A BBC spokesman played down the reports that more than 100 of the old episodes had been found.
However, when asked if there were some episodes to announce this week, he admitted: “There is a connection.”
Asked for a further official comment, he said he could not say anything more before Tuesday’s press screening.
So now, after months of speculation, Doctor Who fans around the globe have only to wait a little over 24 hours longer to find out if the persistent rumours about the recovery of a cache of missing episodes is true. If so, and with the show’s 50th Anniversary just over a month away, they will have double cause for celebration as they enjoy the intrepid Time Lord’s adventures, both old and new.
Written by Robin Bland