The Daily Mirror reported today (12th January) that the BBC plans to no longer animate anymore ‘lost’ Doctor Who episodes due to funding issues.
In a partnership between BBC Studios and BBC America, the original soundtracks from the 25 lost episodes have been paired up with all-new animation. However it has been reported that BBC America has pulled its funding, with just one story featuring the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) to be released later this year.
The animated versions of these classic Doctor Who episodes were broadcast on BBC America after being released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK.
An insider spoke to The Daily Mirror and said:
“It’s a real blow for the fans, who hoped they would be able to watch every story from the early years”.
Between 1967 and 1978 the BBC routinely deleted archive programmes, for various practical reasons (lack of space, scarcity of materials, a lack of rebroadcast rights). As a result of the cull, 97 of 253 episodes from the programme’s first six years are currently missing, primarily from seasons 3 to 5, leaving 26 serials incomplete. Many more were considered lost until recovered from various sources, mostly overseas broadcasters.
On 23 November 2021, it was announced The Abominable Snowmen would be released on DVD and Blu-ray, with animations of all six episodes alongside the surviving Episode Two.
The release date of this potential final Doctor Who animation is TBC.
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[…] reported earlier this year that the BBC plans to no longer animate anymore ‘lost’ Doctor Who episodes due to funding issues. This means this story featuring the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) may unfortunately become the […]
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[…] Last year, the BBC ended the release of animated versions after BBC America stopped funding the restoration of early stories. But new funding has reportedly been arranged. […]
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