BBC Resurrect Lost 'Doctor Who' Episodes as Animation

Doctor Who is the world's longest running science-fiction show, and it shows no sign of stopping any time soon. Running from 1963-1989 and then again from 2005, there's a whole lot of episodes out there. Yet much to the chagrin of 'Classic Who' fans, there remain a number of lost episodes, and in recent years there has been an increased effort to track them down.

Back in the pre-video days the BBC was much less conscious of preserving past broadcasts and would regularly record new shows over old ones to save money.  A number of episodes of DoctorWho have been lost (exterminated, you might say) this way. Several have been recovered from private collections or overseas broadcasters or thanks to the hard work of fans and archivists. However, the rescued films are not always complete.. and this is where animation comes to the rescue.

The Power Of The Daleks- featuring the Doctor's most iconic enemy- was one such lost series from 1966. It was a particularly pivotal story as it featured the first 'regeneration' between the first and second Doctor. BBC Worldwide has announced that the story will return in six newly animated thirty-minute episodes, based on surviving original audio recordings, photos and video clips.

This isn't the first time the BBC has done this- earlier lost episodes have been recreated in a similar manner. The animation will be produced by the team previously responsible for resurrecting a lost episode of the classic sitcom  Dad's Army. Designs will be created by comic artists Martin Geraghty and Adrian Salmon who have worked on comic adaptations of the franchise. The teaser trailer- which you can check out below- suggests an impressive visual style that will maintain the original black-and-white photography.

It will be released on DVD in the UK from November 24th, but will be available early as a download exclusively from the BBC store from  November 5th.





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