Amateur sleuths in Britain have found two missing episodes of the sci-fi TV series “Doctor Who,” but they are not ready to return them to the BBC even though the show celebrates its 60th anniversary this month, according to reports.
Film collectors fear their treasures will be seized by the British broadcaster and they will face prosecution, said a film historian who said he knew where the missing footage was.
Both early episodes featured “The Doctor”, William Hartnell, an English actor who portrayed the doctor from 1963 to 1966.
Film collector John Franklin told the Guardian newspaper that he believed the answer was for the BBC to announce an immediate general amnesty for the lost film footage.
Two episodes of “Doctor Who” have been found in the UK. ©BBC/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection
The episode is from the 1960s and features William Hartnell (centre) as “The Doctor.”©BBC/Courtesy of Everett Collection / Everett Collection
“Some of these collectors are freaking out,” Franklin said, adding he knows the location of two missing “Doctor Who” episodes. “We now have to catalog and store the important television shows that are out there. If we are not careful, they will end up being thrown back into the household cleaning, because many owners of these important collections are now in their 80s and very careful.”
Discarded TV footage was secretly rescued from BBC bins by staff and freelancers between the late 1960s and 1978 when the national broadcaster had a policy of discarding old rolls.
This week the BBC said it was willing to negotiate with anyone who resents losing episodes of any of their TV series from that time period.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
