Rare scripts from ‘lost’ Doctor Who episodes up for auction

RARE scripts from a Doctor Who series that was never aired are up for auction.

The scripts from the infamous 1979 Shada series are set to go under the hammer at Rogers Jones & Co Auctioneers in Penarth on Friday, with no reserve.

Shada is well known to Whovians and sci-fi fans around the globe as the unaired serial of the BBC drama from the Tom Baker era.

The story revolves around the planet Shada, on which the Time Lords have constructed a prison for some of the universe’s most dangerous criminals.

But Skagra, a genius from the planet Dranoid, wants to visit the planet to extract all of the knowledge of the criminals housed there, if only he knew where to find Shada.

But one person does – a Time Lord living on Earth masquerading as Professor Chronitis – who happens to know The Doctor.

The show was set to air as the final serial of the 1979-80 season, but was never completed due to BBC strike action, only enhancing its legendary status even further.

The BBC did, however, release a completed version of Shada in 2017, with missing dialogue recorded by the original cast.

Author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams, also wrote the script – with his scribbles in pencil littered all over the original scripts.

The scripts were donated by Betsan Roberts, widow of the The Late Pennant Roberts who is credited as the director of the 1979 Shada series.

Betsan, who lives in Cardiff, decided to sell them to raise money for Shelter Cymru. The items are set to be offered as lot 303 in the auction featuring cinema memorabilia and posters.

Auctioneer Ben Rogers Jones said: “It is difficult to value something so unique. But the Doctor Who market is very buoyant with fanatics all over the world – it has always been a cult, even back in the Tom Baker days.

“Due to its unique nature it is difficult to value. It has an auction estimate of £200-400 but I’ve got a feeling that range will be well and truly exterminated.”