Researches for a forthcoming biography of a ‘60s Doctor Who writer have turned up an intriguing curio: a draft script of William Hartnell’s final episode which doesn’t end with the Doctor regenerating.

William Hartnell’s Doctor bowed out in October 1966 with the four-part adventure “The Tenth Planet”, a story which not only introduced the concept that the Doctor could change his appearance, but also saw the first appearance of the Cybermen.

Now author Michael Seely, who’s working on a biography of the story’s co-author, Dr Kit Pedler, has unearthed draft scripts of all four episodes which predate the decision to write out William Hartnell.

“I found these scripts and two more from ‘The Moonbase’ (known then as ‘The Return Of The Cybermen’) among a very large collection of Kit’s papers which one of his children had kept in their attic,” explains Seely. “As I looked through it, I realised it was the first draft [script editor and co-writer] Gerry Davis prepared when Kit fell ill in June 1966."

"The structure is more or less the same, though a lot of the dialogue is different. Some things were cut, especially involving the Cybermen. For example, the Cybermen planned to convert [companion] Polly and the Doctor into Cybermen towards the end of the story, and kept them prisoner in what they described as a waiting room. The most eye-catching difference is what didn’t happen at the end of the episode.”

The fact that this script was written in June 1966 and rehearsals for the story began on 14 September only underlines that the actor’s departure was decided upon rather late in the day (Hartnell’s wife’s diary records that he told her on 16 July 1966).

“Gerry Davis and [producer] Innes Lloyd were always very diplomatic and tactful in their interviews,” says Seely. “Both died in 1991, long before ‘warts and all’ interviews became the norm. We know that William Hartnell was being persuaded to give up the role he loved over the summer of 1966, and that they were sounding out replacements. He only decided to leave in the middle of July, the month after this draft was written.”

The cache of Pedler’s papers also includes five original storylines for Doomwatch, the 1970-1972 eco-thriller TV series he co-created with Gerry Davis - including several that were never made - as well as proposals for further TV shows, a couple of never-recorded radio plays, and various unfinished books and short stories.

+  The Quest For Pedler by Michael Seely is due for release in Early 2014. Visit www.miwk.com for more details.

[Source: SFX]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who Actor, Christopher Burgess.

Christopher was perhaps best known to Doctor Who fans for appearing in the Classic Series, 2nd Doctor adventure; The Enemy Of The World as Swann, and in the 3rd Doctor adventures; Terror Of The Autons as Professor George Philips, and Planet Of The Spiders as Barnes.

Christopher's other career highlights include; Z Cars, The Medusa Touch and Jossy's Giants.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Christopher's family and friends.

[Source: Toby Hadoke]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who Actor, Michael Goldie.

Michael was perhaps best known to Doctor Who fans for appearing in the Classic Series, 1st Doctor adventures; The Dalek Invasion Of Earth as Jack Craddock, and The Chase as Mire Beast, and the 2nd Doctor adventure; The Wheel In Space as Elton Laleham.

Michael's other career highlights include; Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves, Lady Jane and Coronation Street.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Michael's family and friends.

[Source: Neil Marsh]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who Actor, Kristopher Kum.

Kristopher was perhaps best known to Doctor Who fans for appearing in the Classic Series, 3rd Doctor adventure; The Mind Of Evil as Fu Peng.

Kristopher's other career highlights include; Revenge Of The Pink Panther, Gwendoline and The Bridges Of Fu Manchu.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Kristopher's family and friends.

[Source: Neil Marsh]

Llandaff Society is hoping to join celebrations for the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who by unveiling a plaque for creator of The Daleks, Terry Nation, on the home he grew up in, in Cardiff.

Now the heritage loving Llandaff Society is hoping to celebrate the life of their creator, Terry Nation, with a blue plaque on the home he grew up in Cardiff.

The group’s chairman, Geoff Barton-Greenwood, said:

“We are trying to get a blue plaque put up at the time of the 50th anniversary on the house where Terry Nation came from. At the moment we are seeking permission from the owner of the house and, in addition, we want the BBC to take an interest in this, and possibly get one of the main characters from the Doctor Who series to do the unveiling.

If we could get Matt Smith we would be delighted. But we don’t know whether he will be around.

If you look at the duration of the Doctor Who series, over a 50 year period, and the fact that the Daleks appeared in the second series and have been there ever since as the arch enemy of the doctor, there must be something about them that has made them iconic to young people.

My grandson has vast images of them on his walls. It has made a big impression on him. Just like it did on his father, who is now 41.”

He is waiting for the BBC’s head of drama publicity to get in touch with him.

Terry lived in 113 Fairwater Grove West, which is tenanted currently. He was a schoolboy at Canton High School and lived at Fairwater Grove West for the first 20 years of his life before going off to make his fortune in London, and subsequently in Hollywood as a scriptwriter.

Terry also came up with cult sci-fi shows Blake’s 7 and Survivors, and worked on The Avengers, The Baron, The Persuaders, The Champions, Department S, and The Saint.

It is hoped CADW will provide half the funding for the memorial, which would be made either from ceramic or aluminium.

There is no official blue plaque scheme in Wales but there is a civic initiative scheme run by the Welsh Government agency.

A BBC spokeswoman said:

“Terry Nation was a fantastic writer and we would be happy to support this recognition of his creative talent.”

A CADW spokesman said:

“There is no dedicated blue plaque scheme, such as in England, but Cadw can make grants to voluntary organisations for plaques to commemorate historic places or people. The Civic Initiatives Heritage Grants Scheme is aimed at small-scale projects which help to preserve, enhance or improve the historic environment of Wales and increase social awareness of Welsh heritage.”

[Source: WalesOnline]

As a Doctor Who website, posting a news item relating to missing Doctor Who episodes is a particularly conflictive task. On one hand you want to hold off on posting news due to the possible reaction you might get from smaller circles of fandom, whereas on the other hand, it's surely our duty to report it - after all, news is news, right?

Some of our readers may remember a news item we posted a few years ago about the possibility that The Web Of Fear may have been found - note the words 'possibility' and 'may'. While we also added that our source was reliable in the past and had no reason to disbelieve them, this particular news item turned out to hit a dead end and despite the majority of our readers who were grateful for the reporting of the story, we did face a backlash from some smaller circles of fandom on online forums.

A couple of days ago, Rich Johnston of Bleeding Cool News, posted a news item relating to some of the rumours that have been doing the rounds for the past few months - rumours that, up until now, we have avoided reporting on.

The rumour is that a considerable number of lost Doctor Who episodes have been found by "an eccentric engineer who worked for broadcasters across Africa with a taste for science fiction and a habit of taking things for safe keeping".

DWO can confirm that we have been approached with news from several high-profile sources, some of which confirm these rumours and some that conflict with them and the actual figure of the number of episodes rumoured to have been found.

Whilst it would be easy to blurt out everything we have been told, we retain the caution from previous rumours and hoaxes, and will simply hold out for official confirmation - when and if it comes. What we will say is that *should* the rumours be true, despite the initial excitement at the possibility, it would be wise to sit back and let the BBC do what they need to do to secure these episodes *if* in fact they have been found.

We of course encourage debate and discussion which you can take part in on the dedicated DWO Forums Missing Episodes thread using the 'Discuss' button below.

[Sources: Bleeding Cool News; Doctor Who Online]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who Actor, Aubrey Woods.

Aubrey was perhaps best known to Doctor Who fans for appearing in the Classic Series, 3rd Doctor adventure; Day Of The Daleks as The Controller.

Aubrey's other career highlights include; Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory, The Old Curiosity Shop and Blakes 7.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Aubrey's family and friends.

[Source: Neil Marsh]

He may not be in the 50th Anniversary Special (as far as official confirmation in this month's Doctor Who Magazine goes) but thanks to a YouTube user, you can now watch some unseen footage of Paul McGann as The Doctor in his audition video for the 1996 Doctor Who TV Movie.

The video includes scenes that didn't make it into the final script, with some rather surprising revelations concerning Borusa and The Master, in a rare glimpse into what could have been.

Watch Paul McGann's audition video below:
[youtube:hq5A3HRTfuc] 
[Source: YouTube]

Classic Series Doctor Who Makeup Designer, Lisa Westcott, has won an Oscar for her work on Les Miserables.

Lisa won the Oscar, together with colleague Julie Dartnell, in the 'Makeup and Hairstyling' category for their work on Les Miserables, beating off competition from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Hitchcock.

Lisa worked on the Classic Series, 5th Doctor adventure; 'Black Orchid'.

[Source: Neil Marsh]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Designer of The Daleks, Ray Cusick.

Ray designed the iconic look of The Daleks - brainchild of creator, Terry Nation. The design of The Daleks has changed very little since the 1960's and at the time of designing, Cusick was on a standard BBC salary, so did not collect any royalties from his designs.

The Daleks have since gone on to earn huge revenues for Terry Nation's estate - a fact which many fans feel Cusick should have received more recognition (and royalties) for.

During his life, Cusick always stated he never asked for money, only to be recognised as a designer.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Raymond's family and friends.

[Source: BBC News]

BBC Children's TV presenters, Dick & Dom, have been in touch with DWO to let us know about a Doctor Who related episode of their 'Absolute Genius' series, which features Composer, Delia Derbyshire.

Dick and Dom reveal the genius of Delia Derbyshire, a pioneer of modern-day music who helped create the Doctor Who theme tune. Inspired by Derbyshire, they come up with their own genius idea when they record their own version of the Doctor Who theme tune with a twist.

Watch the episode on BBC iPlayer below (UK Only):

+  Follow @DickNDom on Twitter.

+  Follow @DrWhoOnline on Twitter.

[Source: Dick & Dom]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who Actress, Elspet Gray.

Elspet was perhaps best known to Doctor Who fans for appearing in the Classic Series, 5th Doctor adventure; Arc Of Infinity as Thalia. She also appeared in the Big Finish Doctor Who audio adventure Immortal Beloved, in which she played Hera.

Elspet's other career highlights include; Catweazle, The Black Adder, Tenko and Dinnerladies.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Elspet's family and friends.

[Source: Neil Marsh]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who Actor, Richard Briers.

Richard was perhaps best known to Doctor Who fans for appearing in the Classic Series, 7th Doctor adventure; Paradise Towers as Chief Caretaker. He also appeared in the Torchwood episode A Day In The Death as Parker.

Richard's other career highlights include; The Good Life, Ever Decreasing Circles, Down To Earth, Monarch Of The Glen, Love's Labour's Lost and Cockney's Versus Zombies.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Richard's family and friends.

[Source: BBC News]

The Daleks invaded London earlier this morning and resistance was useless – insofar as it was impossible to resist the striking sight of The Doctor’s iconic enemies swarming through the capital!

But their presence was not part of a plan to enslave Earth – or at least that’s what the production team is saying! The cast and crew of An Adventure in Space and Time were there to recreate some of the most memorable moments from Doctor Who’s early years – the scenes from The Dalek Invasion of Earth where the metal monsters imperiously glided through London, gloriously framed against the backdrop of famous sites like the Palace of Westminster.

Back in 1964 the photos of the ‘invasion’ became instant classics and over the years the imagery of those episodes has been referenced and updated on several occasions. But this is the first time that a production team has attempted to faithfully replicate the 1964 shoot using Daleks that were unique to that single adventure. The results look set to be stunning, as you can find out for yourselves when An Adventure in Space and Time - a one-off drama exploring the genesis of Doctor Who - debuts later this year.

A promotional image (pictured-right) was posted by the BBC Doctor Who website this morning.

Writer, Mark Gatiss, recorded a short video diary to make the event, which you can view below:

[youtube:NOoO6zdP87M]

[Source: BBC Doctor Who website]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who Actor, Reg Pritchard.

Reg was perhaps best known to Doctor Who fans for his roles in the following Classic Series adventures:

Ben Daheer in the 1st Doctor adventure; The Crusade.
Man In Mackintosh in the 1st Doctor adventure; The Dalek's Masterplan.

Reg, who was born in Wrexham; Wales, had a long career spanning as far back as 1961, and featured in such shows as Dixon Of Dock Green, The Avengers, The Saint and Z Cars.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Reg's family and friends.

* * *

On a personal note, there was a bit of story behind getting Reg's birth date. DWO deal with a number of Doctor Who related obituaries, and it is normally easy to find birth dates, but for some reason, there was no record online, or in any printed media of Reg's. We had this news item ready two days ago but kept drawing a blank when it came to finding Reg's year of birth. We contacted Equity, to no avail, and then contacted The Stage (on advice from Toby Hadoke), who informed us they would be in touch.

This afternoon we received a telephone call from a lovely lady named Audrey Leybourne - an actress, who has also had a long career. Audrey was friends with Reg, and did some detective work of her own and managed to find Reg's year of birth for us!

I guess the reason we are recounting this story is because we find it baffling and sad that a man who had such a long career, and who clearly had a lot of friends, should have so little said about him online - despite all the technology and resources we have available to us these days. And thank heavens for people like Audrey, who single-handedly trumped even the best that Google could offer!

[Sources: Neil Marsh; Audrey Leybourne; The Stage; Toby Hadoke]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who Actor, Peter Gilmore.

Peter was perhaps best known to Doctor Who fans for appearing in the Classic Series adventure Frontios as Brazen.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Peter's family and friends.

UPDATE: Wednesday 6th February 2013

There are some reports online that Peter's death was a hoax, but DWO have contacted Equity and Peter's agent (Roger Carey Associates), who both sadly re-confirmed the news that he passed away on Sunday 3rd February.

[Sources: Alan Pulverton; Equity; Roger Carey Associates]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who Actor, Bernard Horsfall.

Bernard was perhaps best known to Doctor Who fans for appearing in four, Classic Series adventures:

The Mind Robber as Lemuel Gulliver
The War Games as a Time Lord
Planet of the Daleks as Taron
The Deadly Assassin as Chancellor Goth

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Bernard's family and friends.

[Sources: Alan Pulverton]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who Actor, Trevor Lawrence.

Trevor was perhaps best known to Doctor Who fans for his role as Lodge in the 3rd Doctor adventure; Invasion Of The Dinosaurs.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Trevor's family and friends.

[Sources: Neil Marsh; Equity]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who Actor, David Webb.

David was perhaps best known to Doctor Who fans for his role as Eric Leeson in the 3rd Doctor adventure; Colony In Space.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to David's family and friends.

[Sources: Neil Marsh; Equity]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who Actor, Michael Turner.

Michael was perhaps best known to Doctor Who fans for his role as Jarvis Bennett on the 2nd Doctor adventure; The Wheel in Space.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Michael's family and friends.

[Source: Neil Marsh]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who Actress, Mary Tamm.

Mary was best known to Doctor Who fans for playing The 4th Doctor's companion; Romana I. Mary appeared as Romana in a total of 6 televised stories which formed the Key to Time series of adventures:

The Ribos Operation
The Pirate Planet
The Stones of Blood
The Androids of Tara
The Power of Kroll
The Armageddon Factor

The actress, who was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, fought a long battle with cancer and died in hospital in London.

Agent Barry Langford, who confirmed the news, said she had a "zest for life".

Tamm's stage and screen career also included films The Odessa File and The Likely Lads, as well as recurring roles in EastEnders and Brookside.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Mary's family and friends.

On announcing the news to the @DrWhoOnline Twitter followers, we asked for some of your comments to include in our obituary, of which we have added a small selection below:

@yeles - @DrWhoOnline really sad news. All my thoughts to family and friends.

@UKVampire - @DrWhoOnline #RIPMaryTamm will forever live on in our hearts as Romana - Thoughts go out to friends and family during this difficult time.

@Blackadder345 - @DrWhoOnline A wonderful actress and companion, will be sadly missed. Shall never be able to watch the Key to Time again without a tear.

@TheGazulator - DrWhoOnline Great chunks of our past, detaching themselves like melting icebergs. :( RIP, Mary Tamm. Thoughts and prayers with her family.

@TheOldLondoner - @DrWhoOnline How awful that the wonderful Mary Tamm has passed away. She was the very best of actresses & my favourite Dr Who assistant

@Deensey - @DrWhoOnline Romana was the first thing I loved about Doctor Who. I was about 6 and watched with my big brother

+  You can leave messages of condolence in the DWO Forums thread, here.

[Source: BBC]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who Costume Designer, Colin Lavers.

Colin was the credited costumer for four Doctor Who serials, most in the Peter Davison era. As the designer of costumes for Four to Doomsday — the first adventure that Davison recorded — he was responsible for helping to realise The Fifth Doctor's iconic "look".

One part of The Fifth Doctor's costume that was not his idea was the retention of the question mark-lapeled shirt from Tom Baker's season 18 look. He was specifically asked to keep them in, via a 10 February 1981 memo from John Nathan-Turner to Lavers. "I do feel that the Doctor Who shirt with the '?' mark on the lapels is worth hanging on to," wrote Nathan-Turner.

A couple of years later, Lavers' duties on The Five Doctors gave him the opportunity to clothe a wide range of Doctors and companions, some of whom had never been seen on colour television before. Combined with his turns on his other two serials, The Power of Kroll and The King's Demons, he provided outfits for more recurring characters in "classic" Doctor Who than any other costumer.

He provided new or significantly modified outfits for the Fifth Doctor, The Master, Susan, Sarah Jane, Liz, Zoe, Jamie, the Brigadier, Romana I and Tegan. He recreated costumes for Mike Yates and The First, Second and Third Doctors. Although he didn't actually design this last group's costumes, their Five Doctors costumes were at least subtly different from those they had worn in any other serial. In his stories, Lavers failed to provide costumes for only two main characters: Turlough and the Fourth Doctor

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Colin's family and friends.

[Sources: Richard Kewing; TARDIS Index File]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who Actress, Caroline John.

Caroline was best known to Doctor Who fans for playing The 3rd Doctor's companion; Liz Shaw. Caroline appeared as Liz Shaw in a total of 5 televised stories:

Spearhead from Space
The Silurians
The Ambassadors of Death
Inferno
The Five Doctors

It is understood that she passed away on 5th June 2012, but news has only been made public today.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Caroline's family and friends, and particularly her husband (and fellow Doctor Who actor) Geoffrey Beevers.

On announcing the news to the @DrWhoOnline Twitter followers, we asked for some of your comments to include in our obituary, of which we have added a small selection below:

@WhoFrazer - @DrWhoOnline so so sad to hear the news. Another of our family gone.

@BarryAldridge - @DrWhoOnline Caroline John was a wonderful actress on the screen was an equal to Jon Pertwee #doctorwho

@dn21media - @DrWhoOnline She really made that first season of Pertwee top notch, excellent particularly in Spearhead and as Evil Liz in Inferno.

@MattHolme0 - @DrWhoOnline Goodbye Liz. Underrated and understated. Say hi to Sarah,Barbara and the Brig for me x

@Tarkers73 - @DrWhoOnline so sad about Caroline John, put so much back into the show in the DVD era, thank heaven her memories are recorded forever #rip

@OptimusGinge - @DrWhoOnline another great and much loved companion leaves us

+  You can leave messages of condolence in the DWO Forums thread, here.

[Source: BBC]

Rare behind-the-scenes footage from Dalek Invasion of Earth: 2150 A.D has been discovered.

The brief clip shows movie Doctor Peter Cushing preparing to battle arch foe, The Daleks during the making of an early big-screen adaptation of the long-running sci-fi series.

The precious black and white footage, taken on the set of cult sixties film, also captures director Gordon Flemyng - father of film star Jason - behind camera as he talks with stunt-men and plans out the movie's climatic final scenes.

The material is the first to be uncovered documenting the 1966 film and forms part of a 'lost' TV show found recently in the possession of a collector living in Wales.

Though the BBC wiped the master-tape of A Whole Scene Going, a copy of the magazine show - also featuring an interview with Flemyng and musical performances by the Spencer Davis Group - was made and found its way on to the collector's circuit.

Classic TV organisation Kaleidoscope, which recovered the unique 16mm film print in conjunction with the Tim Disney Archive, said the find will “delight” Doctor Who and vintage music fans alike.

Chris Perry of Kaleidoscope said:

“A Whole Scene Going is an exciting TV find. For Doctor Who fans there's a fascinating glimpse into the making of feature film Dalek Invasion of Earth: 2150 A.D., showing Peter Cushing as the Doctor on the set along with director Gordon Flemyng and lots of Daleks. For music lovers there are priceless performances by classic British beat band the Spencer Davis Group as well as American singer/songwriter Judy Collins. Sixties pop shows were routinely shown live or wiped after transmission so it's great to find one that slipped past the eraser's magnet!"

Tim Disney of the TDA said:

“How this print came into existence or found it's way to a Welsh village, we'll never know. However, one theory is that it could have been film recorded by BBC Wales from the network feed down the line from London for transmission at a later date.”

A Whole Scene Going was a short-lived TV teen culture show hosted by Wendy Varnels and Barry Fantoni.

The recovered edition, from March '66, captures Flemyng at Shepperton Studios while directing an action-packed finale involving Horror icon Cushing and an army of Robomen thwarting a Dalek plan to drop a giant bomb into the Earth's core.

Cushing played the Time Lord - currently portrayed on TV by Matt Smith - in two Flemyng-directed films during the height of “Dalekmania”, also starring in 1964's box-office hit Doctor Who and the Daleks.

Interspersed with the footage is an interview with Flemyng - who died in 1995, aged 61 - revealing that he preferred making “entertainment pictures”as opposed to more high-brow films, but “didn't take them any less seriously”.

The emergence of A Whole Scene Going has also got music fans excited with the discovery of a rare interview with the Spencer Davis Group, who also perform chart-topping single “Somebody Help Me Now” in the studio.

Kaleidoscope and the TDA - who bought the film print privately from the collector - are currently in the process of returning a digital copy to the BBC Archive.

Eager fans will get the chance to see the recovered footage for the first time in more than four decades at Kaleidoscope's next screening event, taking place in Stourbridge, West Midlands, on Saturday 9th June.

Tim Disney of the TDA added:

“Dr Who was not the primary draw for us in recovering this programme, but the content of the programme as a whole — the exciting period of popular culture it reflects and it's place in the history of British television. Thankfully, after the collector discovered he had a unique TV recording he was keen to ensure it would be returned to the BBC archives, turning down silly money offers to deal instead with Kaleidoscope and the TDA.”

To see a clip from the recovered show visit www.timdisneyarchive.com.

[Source: Kaleidoscope]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who VFX Desginer, Peter Wragg.

Peter was perhaps best known to Doctor Who fans for his work on the 5th Doctor adventures; The Visitation & Resurrection of the Daleks and the 6th Doctor adventure; Minwarp, which formed part of the Trial of a Time Lord season.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Peter's family and friends.

[Source: Steve Freestone]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who Actor, Tony Sibbald.

Tony was perhaps best known to Doctor Who fans for his role as Mr Huckle in the 4th Doctor adventure; Terror of the Zygons. Sibbald also had roles in movies, such as Superman II and A View To A Kill.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Tony's family and friends.

[Source: Neil Marsh]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who Actor, Richard Henry.

Richard was perhaps best known to Doctor Who fans for his role as a Mentor in the 6th Doctor adventure; Minwarp, which formed part of the Trial of a Time Lord season.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Richard's family and friends.

[Source: Neil Marsh]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Doctor Who Actor, Philip Madoc.

Philip, who was born in 1934 in Wales played no less than five roles in Doctor Who:

The Krotons (as Eelek)

The War Games (as the War Lord)

The Brain of Morbius (as Mehendri Solon)

The Power of Kroll (as Fenner)

Madoc also appeared in the 1966 Doctor Who Movie; Dalek's Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D., as Brockley.

In 2010, DWO interviewed Philip Madoc at the Series 5 Launch Party in London, below is the video interview segement, taken from our VLOG from the event:

[youtube:pEA3Z41-5b0]

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Philip's family and friends.

[Sources: DWO; TARDIS Index File]

DWO have received reports that missing Doctor Who material from the 1960's is being aired at todays 'Missing Believed Wiped' event at the BFI in London.

Christmas has come early for Doctor Who fans as two previously missing episodes of the show have been found, as announced at todays 'Missing Believed Wiped' event at the BFI in London.

Episode Three of Galaxy 4 (1965) which was previously missing all 4 episodes, has been confirmed as found.

Episode Two of The Underwater Menace (1967) which was previously missing episodes 1, 2 & 4 has also been confirmed as found.

DWO caught up with Doctor Who Restoration Team member, Paul Vanezis regarding the find:

It's been 7 years since the last missing episode was found, and fans had started to give up al hope, how did the latest find come about?

"This discovery was made by two people, Ralph Montagu and a film collector meeting and realising there was a bit of a connection. Ralph was working on the Dr. Who restorations in the past and Terry Burnett had some film, but didn't know what."

What kind of condition were the stories in when they were returned to you and how much work will there need to be applied to their full restoration?

"There's a lot of work to be done on both episodes. Air Lock is missing the last 27 seconds of action and the closing credits. There are many scratches and scuffs plus the usual issues we have with black and white film recordings such as off-locks, videotape dropout etc... Some of the damage will take a lot longer to repair than usual. Underwater Menace poses a different set of problems as well as the more usual. Firstly, it's the ABC's censored print, so the censor clips need to be re-instated. We've already had the clips re-scanned by the National Archives of Australia who have been very helpful. There are numerous film breaks, missing frames, deep scratches etc... and a two second section missing in the middle. That will be the most challenging repair."

Is there anything you feel the public can do to help in the search for missing serials, what are your hopes for future missing material, and do you believe there is a chance more may be found?

"There are 106 episodes missing from the BBC, but I don't think there are 106 episodes missing in the world. Now, I don't want to get peoples hopes up. I've been mis-quoted before, but I am certain there are episodes out there with private collectors. I know fans are excited by these finds and rightly so, but we're also looking for other lost programmes as well. Yesterday, the BFI screened the Dennis Potter 'Emergency Ward 9', found by a friend of mine Ian Beard. That is an incredible and far more important discovery in my view that the Doctor Whos, yet we're all talking about Hartnell and Troughton eps. I of course understand why, but I think more recoveries like this are more likely if people don't go round asking about lost DW, but black and white TV material in general. So, yes. More material will surface, but I don't know when."

+  Read DWO's full interview with Paul Vanezis in the Features section.

Clips from both episodes have been added below:

Galaxy 4: Episode 3 - Clip

The Underwater Menace: Episode 2 - Clip

Doctor Who DVD content Producer / Director, Ed Stradling has put together the following short item regarding the finding:

[youtube:U6dZci_hddo]

Radio Times have provided further information on how the episodes came to light:

So how did they come to light?

“Through me,” says Ralph Montagu, Radio Times’s head of heritage and a lifelong Doctor Who fan. “I occasionally meet up with a group of film collectors and retired TV engineers at a café in Hampshire. 

“A few months ago I spoke to Terry Burnett, who used to be an engineer at TVS [the former ITV franchise based in Southampton]. Somehow Doctor Who was mentioned in passing, and Terry said, ‘Oh, actually I think I’ve got an old episode.’

“I thought it was bound to be something we’ve got already,” says Ralph. “I tried not to get too excited, but he came back the next day and brought this spool with him. It had no label, so I had a look at the film leader and it said ‘Air Lock’. I thought, ‘What’s that?’ I checked online and saw that Air Lock was an episode of Galaxy 4 - a missing Hartnell serial. So then I got very excited.” 

Ralph met Terry again a couple of weeks later, “And he said, ‘Guess what I’ve got.’ It was another episode of Doctor Who! Again not labelled on the can, but it turned out to be The Underwater Menace part two.” 

What other episodes of Doctor Who are missing?:

The First Doctor

Marco Polo - All 7 episodes

The Reign of Terror - Episodes 4–5 (of 6 total)

The Crusade - Episodes 2, 4 (of 4 total)

Galaxy 4 - Episodes 1, 2 & 4 (of 4 total)

Mission to the Unknown - Entire episode

The Myth Makers - All 4 episodes

The Daleks' Master Plan - Episodes 1, 3–4, 6–9, 11–12 (of 12 total)

The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve - All 4 episodes

The Celestial Toymaker - Episodes 1–3 (of 4 total)

The Savages - All 4 episodes

The Smugglers - All 4 episodes

The Tenth Planet - Episode 4 (of 4 total)

The Second Doctor

The Power of the Daleks - All 6 episodes

The Highlanders - All 4 episodes

The Underwater Menace - Episodes 1 & 4 (of 4 total)

The Moonbase - Episodes 1, 3 (of 4 total)

The Macra Terror - All 4 episodes

The Faceless Ones - Episodes 2, 4–6 (of 6 total)

The Evil of the Daleks - Episodes 1, 3–7 (of 7 total)

The Abominable Snowmen - Episodes 1, 3–6 (of 6 total)

The Ice Warriors - Episodes 2–3 (of 6 total)

The Enemy of the World - Episodes 1–2, 4–6 (of 6 total)

The Web of Fear - Episodes 2–6 (of 6 total)

Fury from the Deep - All 6 episodes

The Wheel in Space - Episodes 1–2, 4–5 (of 6 total)

The Invasion - Episodes 1, 4 (of 8 total)

The Space Pirates - Episodes 1, 3–6 (of 6 total)

+  If you have any information regarding any of the lost episodes, E-mail Us!

[Source: Doctor Who Online]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Doctor Who Actor, Derek Crewe.

Derek was perhaps best known to Doctor Who fans for his role as Synge in the 4th Doctor adventure; The Sun Makers.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Derek's family and friends.

[Source: Neil Marsh]