Be Excellent To Each Other

Hello sweeties.

It's that time (and space) again for a new bundle, and this time we've got a very special one in honor of the 50th anniversary of a famous space (and time) traveler. It's the (Unofficial) Doctor Who bundle!

This specially curated set of six full length books features episode guides, producer autobiographies, coming-of-age stories and even recipe books themed around the beloved Doctor.

The initial titles in The (Unofficial) Doctor Who Bundle (minimum $3 to purchase) are:

Dalek I Loved You: 50th Anniversary Edition by Nick Griffiths
Who & Me by Barry Letts
TARDIS Eruditorum Volume 2: Patrick Troughton by Philip Sandifer
Dining With The Doctor: An Unauthorized Whovian Cookbook by Chris-Rachael Oseland
If you pay more than the bonus price of just $10 USD, you'll get these two extra tomes - including a comprehensive episode-by-episode history of almost the Doctor's entire 50-year run:

VWORP!: Connecting Who, Old And New by Earl Green (almost 400 pages, spanning 1963 to 2011, and a nearly $20 value just on its own!)
The Best Of TARDIS Eruditorum by Philip Sandifer (an exclusive ebook just for this bundle, compiling some of the best critical writing on The Doctor.)

Dad’s Army – The Smoking Gun For Doctor Who Missing Episodes?

Okay, here we go.

When I first ran the rumours of the return of Doctor Who Missing Episodes to the BBC, being spread by Doctor Who production folk, I pointed out that the rumours states that Doctor Who was only part of the haul, there were Dad’s Army, Morecambe And Wise missing episodes in the haul as well.

Dad’s Army is a true classic British sitcom, still repeated, set in Britain during the Second World War amongst the Home Guard. It’s certainly one of the finest sitcoms ever created. Three black-and-white episodes from the second series and a number of Christmas shorts are missing, wiped over by the BBC in the seventies.

The current BBC webpage for Dad’s Army second series lists the three remaining episodes but now, also states, “There will be 6 episodes. More information coming soon.”

Is this the smoking gun for that whole haul of BBC missing episodes?

I haven’t heard any more from the Who production folk of late – it may be that they’ve been told to shut up. For me that was always the story, but this is the first actual evidence for me that means anything, even if only circumstantial, or possibly accidental. Other less well sourced rumours point to a number of Doctor Who episodes being returned to the BBC including Marco Polo, The Enemy of The World, Web of Fear, The Massacre and episodes from The Tenth Planet and Galaxy Four. Few Patrick Troughton stories have been recovered sadly, so no Fury from the Deep, Abominable Snowmen, or Evil Of The Daleks.

And while Philip Morris continued to deny any knowledge or involvement, I understand he may be giving an exclusive interview about all this to Starburst Magazine…

All this remains unconfirmed rumour, of course, and may well be nothing more than the usual wish fulfillment. We look forward to finding out the truth… eventually.

Doctor Who at the Proms: BBC One, Monday.

If you weren’t at the Royal Albert Hall for the Doctor Who Proms back in July, make a note in your diary… You can enjoy highlights of the concert’s visual splendour as well as the magical music when Doctor Who at the Proms premieres on BBC One this Monday at 4pm.

The concert features the very best of Murray Gold’s scores for recent adventures as well as music from the eras of the early Doctors. Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman make special appearances and it’s great to see Madam Vastra and Strax back, hosting the Prom… In fact, any concert without a Sontaran and a Silurian will now seem relatively pedestrian!

And watch out for some very special surprise guests who help make this an unforgettable celebration of the music of Doctor Who.

Doctor Who at the Proms is on BBC One on Monday, 26 August at 4pm.

The concert features the very best of Murray Gold’s scores for recent adventures

Doctor Who 50th anniversary schedule announced by BBC

he BBC has announced a raft of programmes to mark the 50th anniversary of the first episode of Doctor Who.

A 75-minute special called The Day Of The Doctor will star the soon-to-leave Matt Smith and David Tennant.

Smith said: "Hope you all enjoy. There's lots more coming your way."

Other highlights include a BBC Two lecture by Professor Brian Cox on the science behind the hit show and the drama An Adventure In Space and Time, written by Mark Gatiss.

The one-off programme stars David Bradley, of the Harry Potter films, as William Hartnell - who was the first Doctor in 1963.

BBC Four will introduce new audiences to Hartnell, with a re-run of the first ever story. The four episodes are being shown in a restored format, not previously broadcast in the UK.

BBC Two's flagship arts programme The Culture Show is to present Me, You and Doctor Who, with lifelong fan Matthew Sweet exploring the cultural significance of the BBC's longest running TV drama.

A 90-minute documentary on BBC Radio 2 will ask "Who Is The Doctor?" - using newly-recorded interviews and exclusive archive material to find an answer - while BBC Three will be home to several commissions

For those less familiar with the show, Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide will provide a handy primer.

Danny Cohen, Director BBC Television said: "It's an astonishing achievement for a drama to reach its 50th anniversary.

"I'd like to thank every person - on both sides of the camera - who has been involved with its creative journey over so many years."

Smith has already started filming his final scenes as the Doctor, which are due to air in this year's Christmas episode. His replacement, Scots actor Peter Capaldi, was announced in August.

Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer on Doctor Who said: "50 years has turned Doctor Who from a television show into a cultural landmark. Personally I can't wait to see what it becomes after a hundred."

Nothing else happened 50 years ago that weekend, did it?

The Light at the End

Synopsis

November 23rd 1963 proves to be a significant day in the lives of all eight Doctors…

It's the day that Bob Dovie's life is ripped apart…

It's also a day that sets in motion a catastrophic chain of events which forces the first eight incarnations of the Doctor to fight for their very existence. As a mysterious, insidious chaos unfolds within the TARDIS, the barriers of time break apart…

From suburban England through war-torn alien landscapes and into a deadly, artificial dimension, all these Doctors and their companions must struggle against the power of an unfathomable, alien technology.

From the very beginning, it is clear that the Master is somehow involved. By the end, for the Doctors, there may only be darkness.

Written By: Nicholas Briggs
Directed By: Nicholas Briggs
Cast
Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann (The Doctor), Louise Jameson (Leela), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), Nicola Bryant (Peri), Sophie Aldred (Ace), India Fisher (Charley Pollard), Geoffrey Beevers (The Master) with special guest stars!

What about Matt Smith, David Tennant and Chris Eccles-Cakes?

Oh, so no post-2005 involvement? Hmmm, not sure how I feel about that.

Oh, so no post-2005 involvement? Hmmm, not sure how I feel about that.

Over 100 long-lost Doctor Who episodes found by dedicated fans - in Ethiopia

The Sunday People can exclusively reveal that 106 BBC programmes have been unearthed featuring the first two doctors

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.

A television insider said: “It is a triumph and fans ­everywhere will be thrilled.

“This is a really big deal for the BBC and is set to make them millions from the sale of the DVDs.”

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 Thick Of It actor Peter Capaldi, 55, takes over from Matt Smith as the 12th Time Lord at Christmas.

The recovered episodes from the 60s include much-loved scenes from The Crusade, The Enemy of the World and The Ice Warriors series.

In the four-part Crusade story Hartnell and his ­assistant Vicki, played by Maureen O’Brien, arrive in the Tardis in Palestine in the 12th century just as King Richard the Lionheart is doing battle with the Saracen ruler Saladin.

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.

As the corporation still owns the copyright the shows could be digitally remastered and shown again. The prospect will delight millions of fans worldwide.

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.

In December 2011 two other ­episodes that were thought to have been lost were returned to the BBC.

The shows, from 1965 and 1967, ­starring Hartnell and Troughton, were found three decades after they were sold by mistake at a village fete.

The 50th anniversary episode of Doctor Who will be broadcast ­simultaneously in at least 70 countries on November 23, the BBC has said.

UPDATE: BBC Worldwide have called a press conference on Tuesday. As of now, Bleeding Cool has not been invited.

As I was writing this piece, The Radio Times made it official. Missing Doctor Who episodes, originating from the Patrick Troughton era have been discovered, and will be made available digitally this week. I have been told to expect they are from Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear.

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.

In what looks set to be the best 50th birthday present fans could imagine, 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.

The existence of a cache of lost Doctor Who episodes has long been rumoured, although in June the BBC suggested that no tapes existed.

Asked by RadioTimes.com if there were around 90 missing episodes from the 1960s a BBC statement said: “There are always rumours and speculation about Doctor Who missing episodes being discovered – however we cannot confirm any new finds.”

A spokeswoman added: “We can’t confirm because it’s not true, as far as I’m aware."

BBC Worldwide has confirmed it will syndicate the 50th anniversary episode, The Day of the Doctor, simultaneously to more than 75 countries across the world on 23 November.

Given the lack of sources and that its not more widely reported I dont believe this but :

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/106- ... ed-2343474

My best guess is that a couple of odd episodes have turned up.

BBC to reveal a number of missing Doctor Who episodes

A number of early episodes of Doctor Who, which were believed to have been permanently lost, have been returned to the BBC.

BBC Worldwide is expected to confirm the find at a press screening in London later this week.

It follows weeks of speculation that some lost episodes had been located.

A total of 106 episodes featuring the first two actors to play the Doctor, William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton, are currently missing.

The BBC destroyed many of the sci-fi drama's original transmission tapes in the 1960s and 1970s.

However, the majority of the episodes had been transferred on to film for foreign broadcasters. It is often these prints found in other countries that are the source of retrieved episodes.

In 1991, all four instalments of the Patrick Troughton adventure The Tomb of the Cybermen were discovered in Hong Kong.

The latest find comes as Doctor Who celebrates its 50th birthday. A special episode featuring the current Doctor Matt Smith and his predecessor David Tennant will be shown on the programme's anniversary on 23 November.

A raft of other programming to celebrate the long-running drama was also recently announced by the BBC.

Details of how fans will be able to watch the recovered episodes are also expected to be revealed later this week.

Just a probably wrong theory I've just pulled out of the air.

Doctor Who: newly found classic episodes to launch on Thursday says Patrick Troughton companion

Deborah Watling's website claims she and fellow second-Doctor companion Frazer Hines will help the BBC make the announcement at a screening tomorrow

On Sunday, RadioTimes.com revealed that a cache of newly discovered classic Doctor Who episodes had been acquired by the BBC and was set to be announced this week.

Details of exactly when and how the BBC is intending to share the finds have been in a state of flux but we now have the strongest public indication yet that the official news will come this week.

Deborah Watling, who played Patrick Troughton companion Victoria Waterfield, has revealed in a post on her official website that she and fellow second-Doctor sidekick Frazer Hines are to help make the announcement on behalf of the BBC this Thursday, 10 October.

"Deborah, along with Frazer Hines, will be helping the BBC to launch the newly found Dr.Who episodes this Thurs (10/10/13), betwwen 3.30pm and 7.00pm approx (sic)" reads the post.

The use of the word "launch" could be significant, with the BBC expected to make at least some of the recovered episodes available digitally via online services such as iTunes.

Exactly how many episodes have been acquired by the BBC remains unclear but reports suggest one recent find could include more than 100, dating from the 1960s.

The presence of Watling, who served alongside Troughton in 1967 and 1968, and Hines, who played the second Doctor's companion Jamie McCrimmon in 116 episodes between 1966 and 1969, supports RadioTimes.com's information that at least some of the episodes are from the Troughton era.

The news will delight Doctor Who fans, who have been awaiting such an announcement on the back of long-circulating rumours and will see it as a fitting way to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary year.

A BBC spokesperson declined to comment on the news.

Well, that was quite monumentally exciting. A little piece of Who history, in multiple ways.

There is, I’m afraid, an embargo on any information till 00.01 BST tomorrow morning – so you’ll have to come back then for the actual facts. But there are, of course, some things I can say.

First off, in case there were any doubters, what we have back really has been worth the wait. Having seen… well, I’ll tell you what I actually did see later… some of what is available, I can tell you that the quality is surprisingly good – and possibly better than actually would have been had at the time of broadcast, for the majority of people viewing at home considering the quality of receiver available.

Secondly, the scripts hold up remarkably well. There is a naivity to them compared with modern TV drama – but to be honest, that is probably in the eye of the beholder more than anything else. Ways of writing, of making drama, change with the audience rather than in spite of it, which means our modern sensibilities suit the modern show more (Tony notwithstanding of course) – so it’s fair to say that the naivity I saw was more my problem than the show’s. However, despite that, the ride is a thrilling one.

Thirdly, the panel members were delightful, even allowing me to photo their feet. Their indulgence of that sort of fetish should not go uncommented.

But there is one important thing to say: it was confirmed to me that the rampant speculation and personal attackes that has been going on in some quarters of fandom has made the acquisition more difficult. (OS was not mentioned as an offender, I am pleased to say, even after I told them who I was; although it would be disingenuous to pretend we weren't part of the speculation rollercoaster.) I asked how, and was told even discussing that would create difficulties. The story can be told, but not yet.

Some will undoubtedly say that this is prissy smugness and a desire to hold onto power from big fish in small ponds: on balance, I genuinely don’t believe that’s the case. I think we need to take that request at face value, back off a little, and enjoy and celbrate what we get. Cos it is bloody marvellous.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have landed. But for the moment, please remain seated until the captain has switched of the 'fasten seatbelts' sign...

Well, I didn't sign anything, so: let joy be unbounded, the BBC have just held a press conference to announce that the missing five Enemy of the Worlds and four episodes of Web of Fear have been discovered. And there may be more on the way.

The Web of Fear

FOUR decades ago, Dr Who’s encounter with the mythical Yeti left a generation of children terrified and enthralled.
The six part serial Web of Fear became one of the best-loved serials of the Patrick Troughton era.
Sadly, in the 1970s the well-travelled time lord faced an enemy far deadlier than the Daleks - BBC beancounters.

In an effort to save money, tapes of classic shows were wiped and recorded over.
In a matter of months some of the Doctor’s greatest adventures were lost… seemingly forever.

The Web of Fear is one of the most missed serials, along with another Troughton era adventure, The Power of the Daleks.
But now all six missing episodes have been found - in a dusty storeroom in Nigeria.

The previously lost nine shows were among 11 traced to a television relay station and the find brings back to life an entire six-episode story, while another is almost complete.

The newly found programmes - which introduce the character of Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, better known to audiences as The Brigadier - will be available on iTunes from today and will later come out on DVD.
Phillip Morris, the director of Television International Enterprises Archive, unearthed the programmes by looking up the records of overseas shipments of tapes made by the BBC.

The stories, The Enemy Of The World (1967) and The Web Of Fear (1968) and both starring Patrick Troughton as the second Doctor, have now been remastered by BBC Worldwide, the corporation’s commercial arm.
Mr Morris said: ‘‘I remember wiping the dust off the masking tape on the canisters and my heart missed a beat as I saw the words Doctor Who. When I read the story code, I realised I’d found something pretty special.’’ Only one episode of The Enemy Of The World - which featured Deborah Watling as companion Victoria and Frazer Hines, later to find fame in Emmerdale as Jamie - had remained in the archives, so the addition of programmes one, two, four, five and six have completed the story.

Fiona Eastwood, director of consumer products, BBC Worldwide, said: ‘‘We are thrilled with the recent discovery of The Web Of Fear and The Enemy Of The World and we’re very happy to be launching re-mastered versions of these treasured episodes to fans as we celebrate the 50th year of Doctor Who.’’ The BBC still had the first edition in the Web Of Fear story, and the new finds mean only number three is missing. The tale introduced Nicholas Courtney as Lethbridge-Stewart, who began with the rank of Colonel but later became Brigadier.

The missing episode has been recreated using 37 still images which were available and the original audio which survived.
Many programmes from the era, along with many classic shows, disappeared as a result of efforts to save space. There are still 27 Doctor Who stories which have not been recovered or for which episodes are missing.
The show celebrates its half-century on November 23.

How the Missing Episodes Were Unveiled to the Press

The missing episodes. There are three immutable rules about them I’ve decided over the years.

First, it’s impossible to write about them without resorting to cliché. They are the Doctor Who Holy Grail, our lost Ark of the Covenant our Shan-gi-La. The very mention of lost episodes evokes images of dusty cans in far flung lands, dense jungles and steamy mangrove swamps containing lost bunkers with rusted bulkhead doors leading to who knows what. In short; they have become the stuff of myth and legend.

Second, everyone talks about them, but no-one when pushed ever seems to really know anything concrete. Like urban myth, stories are repeated over and over, until in the end, fact becomes indistinguishable from fiction. Apart from the dastardly hoaxers, who momentarily get our hearts racing and which to Doctor Who fans is the equivalent of that annoying kid playing knock-a-door ginger when you’ve asthmatically wheezed all the way to the front door only to find it empty. Again.

Third, the discoveries have been somewhat drying up since the 1980’s. In fact, we’ve only had eight returned in the past 21 years and, bearing in mind four of those occurred in 1992 the collective view was the well must be more or less run dry. Repeat after three; there will ALWAYS be 106 missing episodes…

So, with all this in mind, the confirmed recovery of NINE episodes now safely back at the BBC is mind blowing. Put simply; the recovery of the whole of The Enemy of the World and all bar part three of The Web of Fear this is more than has been discovered in the previous 25 years and the first complete story recovered since 1992. So, kind of a big deal.

When the full tale of this recovery is finally written up in years to come, I suspect it will come across as thrilling and preposterous as the tea time trials of Troughton and co. But it’s real. It’s happened. And it’s all down to Phil Morris of TIEA, archive hunter and the self-styled Scouse “Indiana Jones of the film world”.

Phil Morris was not able to join us for the launch in person. However, he did provide a statement read by Roy Robinson archive co-ordinator of TIEA and a video interview which gave some semblance of the task, some details of the discovery and his hopes for more to come. Welcoming us to the screening, Phil explained that as “his work is endless”, he would not be able to be with us “but the search goes on”. Assuring us that above all, “he has the best interests of Doctor Who fans at heart”, in the pre-recorded video interview that followed, Phil went on to explain how the discoveries came about;
These episodes were discovered on a project we were working on in Nigeria. And they were found in a TV station in Joss, just sitting on the shelf. Which I remember now seeing a piece of masking tape saying Doctor Who on it. And I thought; this looks interesting. I pulled the cans down and read the story codes, instantly recognised what they were. The Web of Fear and Enemy of the World. And realised they were missing from the BBC’s archives and that Doctor Who fans from around the world would be very happy! I was very pleased with their discovery.

I can remember when I was about six or seven years of age, my Mum used to buy me the Target novels and thought that one day I might be able to see them.

And guess what; now I can!

These episodes had come from Hong Kong and had been on a bicycle system where they travelled from this country, to this country and this country. And they came to be in Nigeria by this system. Not in the station in Nigeria they were actually sold to, but a relay station. The kind of condition these programmes were in when they were found were quite lucky, considering the temperatures which can be the upper thirty degrees. Fortunately in this case, they had been stored in the optimum condition.

Against this backdrop of marvel, a group of fans and journalists were assembled to witness the unveiling of two episodes from the haul of nine, hosted by Mark Gatiss with guest appearances by Frazer Hines and Deborah Watling. By the time you read this, you will doubtless be rushing off to iTunes to download these priceless gems and marvel accordingly. But I can confidently say, you’ll not be disappointed.

The Enemy of the World part one looks as fresh as ever. Set in a tantalisingly close 2018 (according to Astrid’s helicopter), the opening episode on the beach is directed with considerable flair by Barry Letts. However, it’s Troughton who stands out from the crowd in this intriguing spy thriller. Discussing it with other attendees, we agreed that with the telesnaps and audios, you are only maybe getting 10% of the picture. The scenes where the Doctor runs into the sea, which seem so throwaway on the audio are an absolute delight. Troughton, jigs, whoops and comes alive. The Doctor mastering Salamander’s accent is a great moment, while the lovely flirtatious moment between the Doctor and Astrid, which shows an unexpected sexual side to the Doctor and again, is all in the performance. And if that line about “whose laws?” is not widely quoted this time next week, then something is badly wrong.

So if The Enemy of the World is a Troughton tour de force, then what is to be made of The Web of Fear part two with the Doctor completely absent? Fear not. Once more, this episode shows why Doctor Who at the time was at the top of its’ game. Jack Watling’s Professor Travers and the soldiers – especially the wonderful Staff Sergeant Arnold (from the North, no less) totally captivate. Another big surprise is just how agile the Yeti are. Not the slow lumbering teddy bears of lore, but fast, agile and vicious. This is top drawer TV deftly playing on memories of Quatermass and the Pit and utterly delivering the goods.

Speaking after the screening, Mark, Frazer and Deborah all agreed something quite extraordinary had happened. Debbie spoke of the cruel hoaxes previously and “having all our hopes dashed over the years”, while Frazer hoped, above all that “more stories would come out of the woodwork”. Mark Gatiss perhaps spoke for all of us present though, when he said how “he never thought he’d live to see the day when Web of Fear was back” and agreed that we were well overdue a return to the Underground, not just in a forthcoming episode of Sherlock but hopefully at some point in Doctor Who.

In fact, I don’t mind saying the screening today left me something of a quiver. With Doctor Who on every year since 2005, you sometimes forget the magic of seeing something completely unexpected. All those missing episodes are indelibly realised in our collective imaginations of Target books, Pixley archives and cherished production stills. By not existing, they invite us to imagine and wonder and when they live up to our high standards, the feeling is indescribable. Beautifully realised characters like Driver Evans and Astrid feel utterly right, as does the foamy fungus in the tunnels and the surprisingly agile and relentless Yeti.

And best of all, by some miracle it once more belongs to all of us.

So; what have we got? Well, BBC Worldwide report both The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear will be available for download from iTunes from one minute past midnight on the 11th October. We understand that the downloads are not vidfire restored due to a compatibility issue with the iTunes platform, but that this will be fixed for the DVD releases which will follow in November and early January respectively, although no details on planned extras (if any) were available at the launch.

So all in all, quite, quite preposterous. And yet real. As the Doctor reminds us in The Five Doctors; like Alice, he likes to believe in at least six impossible things before breakfast. But nine? I think we’re all going to need a sit down and a strong cuppa come midnight.

(cue Chinny pointing out they did not come from 'discovered tapes' but from discovered film)

chinnyhill10 ‏@chinnyhill10

Official BBC trailers for newly found Who both refer to "newly found tapes". I think the words I'm searching for are "ignorant c*nts". #16mm

Lost Doctor Who episodes become iTunes best-sellers

At midnight BBC Worldwide released The Enemy of the World (1967) and The Web of Fear (1968), both starring Patrick Troughton as the second Doctor and companions Frazer Hines (Jamie) and Deborah Watling (Victoria).

The original copies of both stories were junked by the BBC and the stories have long thought to be lost.

The copies released today were recovered in Nigeria, Africa by Phillip Morris, director of Television International Enterprises Archive.

The find includes Episodes 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 of The Enemy of the World (episode 3 already existed in the BBC archive) and episodes 2, 4, 5, and 6 of The Web of Fear.

Episode three has reconstructed for release using a selection of the 37 images that were available from the episode along with the original audio.

The Web of Fear introduces Nicholas Courtney for the first time as Colonel – later Brigadier – Lethbridge-Stewart. The actor and character would return many times over the years, appearing alongside the Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison and Sylvester McCoy Doctors.

Phillip Morris said, “The tapes had been left gathering dust in a store room at a television relay station in Nigeria. I remember wiping the dust off the masking tape on the canisters and my heart missed a beat as I saw the words ‘Doctor Who’. When I read the story code I realised I’d found something pretty special.”

Fiona Eastwood, Director of Consumer Products, BBC Worldwide added: “We are thrilled with the recent discovery of The Web of Fear and The Enemy of the World and we’re very happy to be launching re-mastered versions of these treasured episodes to fans as we celebrate the 50th year of Doctor Who.”

Aug 2, 2005 at 7:32am
does anyone know,what ian levine,plans to do about the recovery of missing episodes,i myself have been considering,a little overseas travel, i work overseas and i think by traveling to some or even all countrys and searching ,is maybe the best way now,of finally putting the rumours,and stories to rest,if its there lets go there,and ask politely it can do no harm,who knows i might turn up a thing or two.

Aug 3, 2005 at 6:26am
yes i see your point,i have contacted the restoration team,and offered my services,free at no cost to them ,whatsoever,but i have had no reply.you are perfectly right the beeb themselves should do this,but they dont seem to want to know,official paperwork and authorisation,from the beeb would have been great,but if not forthcoming i will go it alone with whatever ,background information i can find and see were it leads me,any help from anyone interested will be much appreciated,to all fans i will give it my best shot for dr who

Timeline for missing episodes and junked episodes (with a NZ spin on it but interesting)

http://missingepisodes.blogspot.co.nz/p/timeline.html

The timeline outlining the destruction of episodes is incredibly sad to read. Here's hoping the rumours are true that there are a large number of other episodes that have been located.

Sightseers director Wheatley to take on Doctor Who episodes

British filmmaker Ben Wheatley has revealed he is to direct Peter Capaldi's first episodes of Doctor Who.

Best known for the grisly thrillers Kill List and Sightseers, he will shoot two episodes of the show's eighth series, which is due next Autumn.

Speaking to Screen Daily, Wheatley said he was "excited and honoured" to have been asked, adding "I've been a fan since childhood".

Scottish star Capaldi will replace Matt Smith in this year's Christmas special.

Capaldi's highest-profile role before now has been as the vicious spin doctor Malcolm Tucker in political satire The Thick Of It.
Rediscovering Doctor Who

Known for his bravura swearing, Capaldi's casting in the Saturday teatime series raised a few eyebrows.

The news that Wheatley will direct his debut may raise them even further.

His macabre films contain scenes of physical and psychological torture, brutal murders and dark humour.

But he has also been praised as one of the most promising directors of his generation.

Last year's Sightseers, a black comedy about a British couple who embark on a killing spree, received seven nominations at the British Independent Film Awards, eventually winning best screenplay.

His most recent film was psychedelic English civil-war drama A Field In England, starring The League of Gentlemen's Reece Shearsmith - who is due to play the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton, in a BBC docu-drama later this year.

Born in 1972, Wheatley said Tom Baker was "his" Doctor, adding that he had "been watching the current run of Doctor Who with my son and have discovered it all over again.

"The work that has been done is amazing," he said.

"I'm really looking forward to working with Peter Capaldi and finding out where Steven Moffat is planning to take the new Doctor."

Doctor Who celebrates its 50th anniversary next month, with a 75-minute special episode called The Day Of The Doctor on Saturday, 23 November.

Other programmes marking the birthday include a BBC Two lecture by Professor Brian Cox on the science behind the show and a BBC Radio 2 documentary, Who Is The Doctor?

An Adventure in Space and Time: new pictures of David Bradley, Jessica Raine and Brian Cox

Doctor Who's 50th anniversary is fast approaching and amongst the commemorative treats in store for fans is Mark Gatiss' biographical drama, An Adventure in Space and Time.

The 90-minute film stars David Bradley as first Doctor William Harntnell and will tell the story of the Time Lord's creation back in the 1960s. Penned by the Sherlock co-creator, it also stars Brian Cox, Jessica Raine, Sacha Dhawan, Jemma Power, Jamie Glover and Claudia Grant, and will premiere at a special preview screening on 12 November before coming to BBC2 later this year.

That may still seem a little way off but while you wait, take a look at the set of new pictures released by the BBC...


David Bradley as first Doctor William Hartnell


Jemma Power and Jamie Glover and Jaqueline Hill and William Russell, the first Doctor's two companions, Barbara and Ian.


Sacha Dhawan and Jessica Raine as director Warris Hussein and producer Verity Lambert.


Brian Cox as BBC's then head of drama, Sydney Newman.


David Bradley as William Hartnell and Claudia Grant as Carole Anne Ford who played the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan Foreman, in one episode.