As previously reported we have been following the recent rumour about a substantial number of missing episodes of Doctor Who having been recovered.
Following a series of tweets by uberfan Ian Levine, Rich Johnston of the Bleeding Cool website, has published another article titled The Doctor Who Missing Episodes Rumour Gains A Little More Weight. Three Tons Worth.
On June 17 Ian Levine tweeted:
Look, I DO believe no episodes have been found, based on what certain people told me at the BFI. But I suppose they could have lied to my face
Today Levine tweeted:
I am so f*****g speechless, I have no idea how I am going to sleep tonight. I was utterly wrong, but I was lied to, yes barefaced lied to.
I have just seen “three tons” of evidence that tells me it’s all true. Saying no more. Apart from that I now believe it again.
I’ve now been given proof that backs up the entire story, from 2011. So yes I now really believe he has found 90 missing episodes
Levine is referring to online details (click on “Carrying” to read it) of a shipment to Philip Morris, who has travelled to Africa, and several other countries, searching for missing episodes of Doctor Who, and other missing television.
As Johnston writes in his latest article, the Liverpool address rang a bell with one member of the Planet Mondas Forum, who remembered seeing this posted on Roobarb’s Forum on February 25 2011
I work at a regional branch of a large international logistics company. On Tuesday morning a customer called in to collect a box sent from Zambia via Nigeria containing BBC tapes and 16″ films, supposedly for returning to the archives. The guy apparently said (I didn’t serve him myself) that the box contained recovered 60s material including episodes of Doctor Who (the only programme he mentioned by name, it seems) and that we’d be hearing all about it before the end of the year. Naturally I was keenly excited, particularly given that this seemed to suggest a major find, but, having encountered neither box nor customer myself, I couldn’t pursue the matter directly. I’ve checked the paperwork but I can’t fathom why BBC archive stuff would be addressed to a Merseyside address, especially one where the company name given doesn’t match the stated premises or postcode (hence why we couldn’t deliver the box and the customer had to fetch it himself). Then again, the shipper may have just cocked up the address slightly, it’s all perfectly kosher and I’m just fretting inappropriately. After all, the customer did say all would be revealed in time.
Moral minefield. Do I sit back and let things take their course or do I potentially overstep the mark, professionally speaking, and tell all to Auntie?
On Jan 13 2011 Paul Vanezis wrote this on the Missing Episodes Forum:
It’s a new year and investigation in some African countries is ongoing.
I was hoping to have provided quite a bit more information by this stage and it probably feels to many that nothing is going on and work has stopped.
Nothing could be further from the truth. However, we really can’t say anything at this stage for many reasons which I won’t go into just yet. I hope you all understand.
However, to confirm what has been posted by us previously, several countries have been visited by Phil Morris. We can confirm that there is no material in either Zambia or Kenya. We also have pending invitations from two other countries, but a visitation to them will depend on overcoming a certain amount of red tape.
Yesterday Vanezis wrote:
And let this be the final, sensible remark on the matter. The only way this will be resolved is if the BBC decide to make a statement. They won’t be doing that here, so if anyone wants to speculate about this ridiculous situation, you can do it elsewhere.
Now it has to be said that we still have no facts or evidence to prove or disprove the missing episodes rumour, we’re just updating you on developments, and keeping our fingers crossed.