[img]http://imgkk.com/i/odmw.jpg[/img]
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24467337[/url]
[quote]Nine missing episodes of 1960s Doctor Who have been found at a TV station in Nigeria, including most of the classic story The Web of Fear.
The black and white story sees Patrick Troughton's second Doctor battle robot yeti in the London underground.
Also recovered is a complete version of Troughton's six-part story The Enemy of the World.
It is thought to be the largest haul of missing episodes recovered in the last three decades.
...
The BBC destroyed many of the sci-fi drama's original transmission tapes in the 1960s and 1970s.
However, many episodes were transferred on to film for sale to foreign broadcasters. It is often these prints found in other countries that are the source of retrieved episodes.[/quote]
Why did the BBC destroy them in the first place?
The Prince lives up to his word and repays us.
[QUOTE=Amez;42482419]Why did the BBC destroy them in the first place?[/QUOTE]
I might wrong but they would record over them to save money.
[QUOTE=Amez;42482419]Why did the BBC destroy them in the first place?[/QUOTE]
They violated the BBC's discrimination policies by presenting the aliens in a bad light.
[QUOTE=Titusmcgee;42482435]I might wrong but they would record over them to save money.[/QUOTE]
Got it in one.
[QUOTE=Amez;42482419]Why did the BBC destroy them in the first place?[/QUOTE]
[del]"Huh. We need to free up space. Well, better put all these old tapes in a box and set them on fire. It's not like anyone is ever going to care about this shit."[/del]
What the guy below me said.
[QUOTE=Amez;42482419]Why did the BBC destroy them in the first place?[/QUOTE]
It was during the time when the tapes (and the storage!) they were using were horrendously expensive so they had a policy of wiping entire series of programs and reusing tapes. A couple of years later they suddenly realised the significance of what they were wiping and stopped doing it.
R...robot..yeti?
[QUOTE=Amez;42482419]Why did the BBC destroy them in the first place?[/QUOTE]
Because back then they had this stupid idea that people would have no interest in watching old TV shows ever again and it cost money to store the tapes. Back then, magnetic tapes were very very expensive so they liked to reuse them
[QUOTE=Grimhound;42482461][strikeout]"Huh. We need to free up space. Well, better put all these old tapes in a box and set them on fire. It's not like anyone is ever going to care about this shit."[/strikeout]
What the guy below me said.[/QUOTE]
It's [del] not strikeout
[QUOTE=Amez;42482419]Why did the BBC destroy them in the first place?[/QUOTE]
Along with what other people have said: back then there wasn't anything like 'home video' so a lot of people didn't see the point in keeping these old episodes around. Also IIRC the BBC's archival policy at the time was basically 'idk keep the good stuff i guess'
They think they found a lot more in Ethiopia as of a few days ago too. [url]http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/106-doctor-who-episodes-uncovered-2343474[/url]
[QUOTE=smurfy;42482545]Along with what other people have said: back then there wasn't anything like 'home video' so a lot of people didn't see the point in keeping these old episodes around. Also IIRC the BBC's archival policy at the time was basically 'idk keep the good stuff i guess'[/QUOTE]
I can't find the article now but the BBC had an interesting article about this a while ago. Apparently it really was just a case of one guy deciding what to keep and what to wipe.
[QUOTE=Splarg!;42482641]They think they found a lot more in Ethiopia as of a few days ago too. [url]http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/106-doctor-who-episodes-uncovered-2343474[/url][/QUOTE]
IIRC it wasn't quite that many that were found.
[QUOTE=smurfy;42482545] Also IIRC the BBC's archival policy at the time was basically 'idk keep the good stuff i guess'[/QUOTE]
Fun fact: Monty Python's Flying Circus almost got erased by the BBC. IIRC, all of the tapes were purchased before they got wiped.
I an hear the groan of Doctor Who fans who just bought the ultimate bluray collection.
i thought the BBC ran out of storage in their broadcast center so they just found some tv station who had no significance and shipped it there
This was quite common practise at the BBC. Storage cost a fortune and they didn't think they'd be missed. Not exactly the same corporation that had the foresight to create things like the iPlayer.
I think 4 Dad's Army episodes are still missing.
-shame me.-
I can only imagine how this went down. An email comes in to the BBC that reads:
"I am a Nigerian Prince. I have located lost episodes of your TV series, Dr. Who. I have been a fan all my life and want to give these episodes to you as well as a donation in the amount of $11million. Due to the tax laws of my country, I will first need you to wire $50,000 to cover these costs..."
I Love Lucy was one of the first TV shows to keep their tapes, and they helped popularize doing so.
All these lost episodes of Doctor Who; plenty of room for a "lost episode" style creepypasta based around an episode that should not have been aired. (and for good reason because creepy) No idea if such a thing has been done, but it's an opportunity waiting to happen.
[QUOTE=Memobot;42485998]This was quite common practise at the BBC. Storage cost a fortune and they didn't think they'd be missed. Not exactly the same corporation that had the foresight to create things like the iPlayer.
I think 4 Dad's Army episodes are still missing.[/QUOTE]
Two episodes (Under Fire, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Walker) are completely missing, While one episode (A Stripe for Frazer) and 2 shorts have only the picture.
Also, for anyone who hasn't watched Dad's Army; watch it. Now.
[QUOTE=matty928;42486182]I can only imagine how this went down. An email comes in to the BBC that reads:
"I am a Nigerian Prince. I have located lost episodes of your TV series, Dr. Who. I have been a fan all my life and want to give these episodes to you as well as a donation in the amount of $11million. Due to the tax laws of my country, I will first need you to wire $50,000 to cover these costs..."[/QUOTE]
I was just about to post a similar thing about this figuring into a Nigerian E-Mail.
My brother was surprisingly glad to hear this. Surprisingly as he dislikes the pre-modern version of the show. While I'm not a rabid fan, the show in any incarnation doesn't offend me, and having a piece of somethings history that was thought to be lost be found is almost always a good thing.
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