Missing episodes-?

[Marc]

i still can not believe that back in the old days bbc used to erase tons of the old tv shows episodes to recycle and make room for the new stuff

and i think doctor who the 1963 verison aka classic doctor who was one of the main bbc shows that used to erase some of the older episodes to make room for the new episodes

suggest then you do some reading but I'll give you a hint - cost of storage, it was a time when it was widely believed that the wouldn't be any future demand (the U.K didn't have sydnication) and video tape was very expensive.

And if you research further you'll find that that it was a very common practice.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

i still can not believe that back in the old days bbc used to erase tons of the old tv shows episodes to recycle and make room for the new stuff

and i think doctor who the 1963 verison aka classic doctor who was one of the main bbc shows that used to erase some of the older episodes to make room for the new episodes

They still erase stuff.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

My guess (no evidence) is that Tenth Planet 1-3 exist because 4 wasn't returned by Blue Peter. Enterprises has an incomplete set of a low-selling story, so sent the spares to the film library.

Documentation indicates that TP4 was returned. This is one of those oft-repeated urban legends. It was actually an episode of DMP that went missing this way, but I can't remember which one off the top of my head.

 

[diankra]

Documentation indicates that TP4 was returned. This is one of those oft-repeated urban legends. It was actually an episode of DMP that went missing this way, but I can't remember which one off the top of my head.

4

 

[Rich Watson]

i still can not believe that back in the old days bbc used to erase tons of the old tv shows episodes to recycle and make room for the new stuff

A) Storage was massively expensive.
B) Legally they were only allowed to repeat something once.
C) The idea of any other market for television was not something anyone could have been expected to forsee.

And it's not just the BBC. The vast majority of all British television prior to the mid 1970s no longer exists; it's just that unlike DW it is mostly long forgotten.

 

[camdudetenger2018]

A) Storage was massively expensive.
B) Legally they were only allowed to repeat something once.
C) The idea of any other market for television was not something anyone could have been expected to forsee.

And it's not just the BBC. The vast majority of all British television prior to the mid 1970s no longer exists; it's just that unlike DW it is mostly long forgotten.

now i wonder why the royal family did not provide for the bbc storages

 

[camdudetenger2018]

They still erase stuff.

i thought the bbc stuff since the 1920s would be on like digital and external hard drives by now or should i say since the 2010s era

 

[DarrenTR1970]

But the tri-acetate compound used in film is a lot more susceptible to the "vinegar effect", which can technically start at any time and especially if not properly stored. Anything in the last 30 years in particular honestly is a miracle that it could be recovered, scanned, and film tearing or missing frames repaired or re-created.

That's where the restoration company 'Vinegar Syndrome' got its name.
They specialize in restoration of old cult movies.
Their youtube channel has some videos on how the restoration process works.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

@Qonundrum

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[Qonundrum]

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Great video, thank you!!

2:02

3:34 Another gem, but there's a lot of goodness in that presentation!

 

[Richard S. Ta]

i thought the bbc stuff since the 1920s would be on like digital and external hard drives by now or should i say since the 2010s era

Nope. They don’t and won’t keep everything. Even today, wipings happen, though AFAIK, not drama content.

 

[camdudetenger2018]

Nope. They don’t and won’t keep everything. Even today, wipings happen, though AFAIK, not drama content.

oh ok

 

[diankra]

i still can not believe that back in the old days bbc used to erase tons of the old tv shows episodes to recycle and make room for the new stuff

and i think doctor who the 1963 verison aka classic doctor who was one of the main bbc shows that used to erase some of the older episodes to make room for the new episodes

No Who episodes from seasons 1 to 6 exist on their original vts. But almost all were sold overseas as telerecrdings, hence Who is better off than Dixon or Z Cars, or other 60s series.

 

[Marc]

No Who episodes from seasons 1 to 6 exist on their original vts. But almost all were sold overseas as telerecrdings, hence Who is better off than Dixon or Z Cars, or other 60s series.

and wasn't unique to the BBC either.

Some of the early episodes of Callan and the Avengers where lost/destoryed as well.

 

[camdudetenger2018]

No Who episodes from seasons 1 to 6 exist on their original vts. But almost all were sold overseas as telerecrdings, hence Who is better off than Dixon or Z Cars, or other 60s series.

oh ok lol

 

[N-121973]

and wasn't unique to the BBC either.

Some of the early episodes of Callan and the Avengers where lost/destoryed as well.

I have Callan on DVD. One of the episodes existed but it was scattered in pieces and required some kind of reconstruction to put the episode back together again.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

now i wonder why the royal family did not provide for the bbc storages

Why would they?