More on those Missing Episode Rumours

"They...... shall not return"

Cyberleader Krang's prediction in Tenth Planet may seem a little off by the end of this week.

When I last wrote I last wrote on the subject of the missing episodes the estimate I came up with was that 45 episodes could possibly reside in the vaults of various television companies. Since then something has happened for me to raise that estimate upwards by 22 episodes.

It was believed that the TV Station film archive was destroyed in Sierra Leona during the war. Recent research indicates it wasn't - though where I saw the information no longer contains the posts it once did. However a Radio Times website article from June 19th specifically mentions that Missing Episodes hunter Phil Morris (who appears on the commentary for episode 5 of The Reign of Terror DVD talking about his work) has been working in that country.

So if we include the prints sold to Sierra Leone that are now thought not to have been destroyed in our list of potential missing episode returns we get this:

FIRST DOCTOR
STORY	COUNTRY	EPISODES	EPISODE COUNT
Marco Polo	Ethiopia Jamaica Malta Thailand Mauritus	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7	7
The Reign of Terror	Gibraltar Ethiopia Jamaica Malta Thailand Aden Trinidad & Tobago Rhodesia	4, 5	2
The Crusade	Gibraltar Ethiopia Jamaica	2, 4	2
Galaxy 4	Sierra Leone	1, 3, 4	3
Myth Makers	Sierra Leone	1, 2, 3, 4	4
The Masacre	Sierra Leone	1, 2, 3, 4	4
Celestial Toymaker	Sierra Leone	1, 2, 3	3
The Savages	Sierra Leone	1, 2, 3, 4	4
The Smugglers	Sierra Leone	1, 2, 3, 4	4
FIRST DOCTOR TOTAL			33
SECOND DOCTOR
STORY	COUNTRY	EPISODES	EPISODE COUNT
The Abominable Snowmen	Gibraltar Nigeria	1, 3, 4, 5, 6	5
The Ice Warriors	Gibraltar	2, 3	2
The Enemy of the World	Gibraltar Nigeria	1, 2, 4, 5, 6	5
The Web of Fear	Gibraltar Nigeria	2, 3, 4, 5, 6	5
Fury from the Deep	Gibraltar	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6	6
The Wheel in Space	Gibraltar Nigeria	1, 2, 4, 5	4
The Invasion	Gibraltar	1, 4	2
The Space Pirates	Gibraltar	1, 3, 4, 5, 6	5
SECOND DOCTOR TOTAL			34
GRAND TOTAL			67

67 episodes potentially existing making up the bulk of what's missing in seasons 3, 5 & 6. That's quite a bit closer to the number 90 being quoted in earlier rumours. And if, maybe, a few other things have been found from other sources......

Meanwhile our old friend Bleeding Cool has kept the story rumbling in the background:

Those Doctor Who Missing Episodes Rumours Take A Licking But Keep On Ticking
Dad's Army - The Smoking Gun For Doctor Who Missing Episodes?
Two Views On The Doctor Who Missing Episodes
Seems Like The BBC Just Scheduled A Missing Episode Of... Dad's Army?

The Dad's Army episodes would seem to indicate that whatever's been found is part of a wider haul. Indeed a rumour a year or so back was that 6000 cans of material had been shipped to someone in Liverpool.

Then a story, that had started in fan circles and run on niche websites suddenly got mainstream media attention over then weekend and everything went Radio Rental

The Sunday People Splashes On The Doctor Who Missing Episodes Omnirumor
How Rumourmongering Works: The Doctor Who Missing Episodes Story, Complete With Sky News Video
Doctor Who Missing Episodes - Available This Week
Doctor Who Missing Episode Release "Delayed A Couple Of Days"?

This last linked story dashed people's hopes a bit but actually there's a good reason for delaying from today: The BBC Director General Tony Hall has made a speech on the future direction of the corporation and the BFI is hosting Missing, Believed Wiped: By Popular Demand, an event showcasing recovered material. Not clashing with either of these is a good idea.

But as things stand an announcement is due Thursday....... But, as I said, Missing Believed Wiped is on tonight and DW returns have been announced at Missing Believed Wiped before.

Now I could be naughty and speculate that an announcement is necessary this week because The Tenth Planet is due out on DVD next Monday. The Tenth Planet, famously, has it's final episode missing..........