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Lost Doctor Who episodes discovered

Some 100 long-lost episodes of Doctor Who filmed in the 1960s have been found -in Ethiopia.

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2013-10-07_1742Updated: this story as filed via the Mirror was incorrect. Please refer to BBC Confirms 9 lost Doctor Who episodes recovered

Some 100 long-lost episodes of Doctor Who filmed in the 1960s have been found -in Ethiopia of all place.

The episodes, featuring the first two doctors William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton, have been unearthed at the Ethiopian Radio and Television Agency and 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.

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.

More than just the nostalgic value, the BBC could potentially make them millions from the sale of the DVDs.

Doctor Who expert Stuart Kelly told The Mirror: “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.”

14 Responses

  1. The last story was total nonsense.

    This one is based what an unnamed friend told an “expert”. There is another report that two lost episode have been found, which sounds more likely.

    It could be they have found a set of old prints that contain lots of episodes that run all the time on cable, plus 2 lost eps.

  2. The Way i Read the story (on other news sites) is that the Africans had 100 Episodes, but only a few of them were Lost ones. Others were just ones already available. And that the BBC had to sort through them to work out what they needed…

    Still Super Exciting though.

  4. I’m with those doubting this rumour. As someone stated this has been swirling around the Doctor Who fandom a lot of this year. They often get such rumours of missing episodes found. It’s been supersized due to the 50th Anniversary. The only way I’d believe it is if the BBC itself confirmed it.

  8. “tapes and 16in films of 90 episodes” ?

    Unlikely to be tapes as these weren’t sent in the 60s, it will be 16mm transcription copies (same as our ABC were sent) A 16in film would either be very wide or very short!

    The fact that the BBC are having a press conference to announce two Patrick Troughton stories to be released on iTunes (rumoured to be 5 eps of Enemy Of The World and 4 of Web Of Fear) tends to lend more credence to the rumour. It also the same night as the annual “Missing Believed Wiped” event where the last two recovered episodes were screened without advance notice.

  9. Cautious sites are saying this rumour of 100 episodes is likely exaggerated, and at most there may only be two episodes, i.e. a quarter or a sixth of two separate stories.

    So don’t get too excited yet.

  10. On Tuesday, that BBC will have a press conference. From the information on Radio Times.Com, that some eps will able to buy online.
    But, I shall wait until Tuesday to see if this is true. This rumour has been going round at lest 6 months in UK.

  14. Great news!…. the odd missing episode has turned up over the years, but 100 in one go!?…I’ll believe it when the BBC themselves confirm it. With the “classic” DVD range nearly finished the BBC would love this…I’ll buy them all! 😉

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