Long-lost Dr Who episodes to be re-animated by the BBC
FOR ANY science fiction fan, it is set to be a chance to see episodes from one of television’s most popular series which were feared to be gone forever. Six long-lost programmes of
Doctor Who, featuring the show’s first regeneration, are reportedly being brought back as cartoons 50 years after they first aired. The Power Of The Daleks, a sixpart story from 1966 featuring Patrick Troughton’s first outing as the Doctor, was thrown out of the BBC archives during the early 1970s.
BBC Worldwide has now commissioned a company to revive the episodes using “stateof-the art animation based on offscreen photos taken at the time”, according to reports.
Troughton’s first adventure after taking over from William Hartnell is noteworthy for fans as it was only shown once on UK television and only sold overseas to Australia and New Zealand.
Only a handful of clips, photos and audio recordings of the story from the show’s fourth series survive, thanks to eager viewers.
In the serial, Troughton’s Doctor regenerates in the Tardis, but his companions Polly and Ben, played by Anneke Wills and Michael Craze, remain sceptical of his identity.
Nevertheless, the trio set off for the planet of Vulcan where the Doctor comes face to face with his deadly foes, the Daleks.
The BBC is remaining tightlipped about the episodes.
A spokesman for the corporation said: “As soon as we have any news for Doctor Who fans, we’ll let them know.”