Missing episodes in Zambia?

[Bobby Clark (synthpopalooza)]

I found this in a thread from the Ian Levine forum:

www.fiatifta.org/aboutfiat/organisation/commissions/training/lusaka_workshop.html

"16 mm film (around 5.000 to 10.000 boxes) : no inventory evidence, no catalogue ; films are often stored without boxes and labels. Most of it is infected by vinegar syndrome. ZNBC lacks a correct telecine equipment. There is one editing table for review of film material. We found it in faulty condition, one film rewinder - which as I have estimated - could be repaired at low costs."

This info was posted on the above website in 2003. Assuming these films haven't been disposed of since then, someone needs to get down there now and check it out.

Here is some contact info for the Zambia archives,

www.fiatifta.org/aboutfiat/members/archive/zambia_nat_arch.html

Chrispin Hamooya, April 2003
Acting Director
National Archives of Zambia
P.O.Box 50010 - Lusaka, Zambia
[e-mail]

[LanceM]

I also found this site a while ago. I was in contact with Mr Hamooya, a very nice chap by the way. He stated that they do not hold any old doctor who related material on 16mm sadly, that they have looked at so far. There is still a possibility that some material still exists there he stated. But that funding is still a big issue with cases such as these. I might suggest that someone in authority contact this organization, to see if any headway has been made in cataloging the rest of this collection. Please everyone, do not send thousands of e-mails to this individual, that might destroy any chance of his cooperation. Zambia did purchase 19 missing who stories up to the Space Pirates. So, who knows there could be something there still. Fingers crossed.

Lance.

[Richard Bignell]

lancem said:

I also found this site a while ago. I was in contact with Mr Hamooya, a very nice chap by the way. He stated that they do not hold any old doctor who related material on 16mm sadly, that they have looked at so far.

That's hardly surprising. Hamooya looks after the National Archive of Zambia, which has nothing to do with Zambian television. The National Archive, as with all such institutions, are there to preserve material relating to the country and its culture. They're not storage facilities for non-Zambian television output.

Indeed, as the website indicates, they only have a couple of hundred cans of film in total.

Richard

[wrightblan]

lancem said:

I also found this site a while ago. I was in contact with Mr Hamooya, a very nice chap by the way. He stated that they do not hold any old doctor who related material on 16mm sadly, that they have looked at so far. There is still a possibility that some material still exists there he stated. But that funding is still a big issue with cases such as these. I might suggest that someone in authority contact this organization, to see if any headway has been made in cataloging the rest of this collection. Please everyone, do not send thousands of e-mails to this individual, that might destroy any chance of his cooperation. Zambia did purchase 19 missing who stories up to the Space Pirates. So, who knows there could be something there still. Fingers crossed.

Lance.

There's always hope, Boise boy. You don't believe me, you team's spanking the Sooners right now *knock on wood*

[wrightblan]

Update: Boise State just beat the Sooners in OT 42-41

Hades has just frozen over, and the chances that The Tenth Planet 4 has risen exponentionaly.

Congrats, Lance, It's probably the greatest moment in Idaho history since statehood. Heck, it's probably bigger than statehood! ;D

[LanceM]

Yeah, Go Boise State. Thanks for the support Wright as usual. My manager at work was watching the game too, he was rooting for Oklahoma, man was he fuming, lost a $50 bet too.

Lance.

[wrightblan]

lancem said:

Yeah, Go Boise State. Thanks for the support Wright as usual. My manager at work was watching the game too, he was rooting for Oklahoma, man was he fuming, lost a $50 bet too.

Lance.

I hope lost the bet to you! ;D

[LanceM]

I wish, unfortunately It was to a fellow employee. Better luck next time. Still can't believe that they did it. Just goes to show that even the impossible can happen, hopefully the same will be said this year for recoveries as well. I have a good feeling that 2007 will unveil some interresting material.

Lance.

[Sam Harrison]

This is exactly where we need to be looking. 5000 to 10000 boxes of film? Even if they did start to archive what they had, the chances are they wont have gasped at the find of a british sci-fi series. The chances are that if the 19 episodes exist, they will be toghether. there could be 19 episodes of missing who just rotting away on a shelf in an uncatalogged archive in Zambia. And people are saying there's no more who left to find? We just need some rich millionaire to bait these archives into having a rumage for us with the promise of some funding.

[Sam Harrison]

OK, its unlikely that we'll find that millionaire in a hurry, unless my musical career does take off (check out www.myspace.com/samharrisonmusic) so thinking more rationally, do the right people know about this? This seems to me like the only genuine lead I've seen on this forum, apart from perhaps LanceM's, and I know nothing about it so forgive me if I'm panicing about nothing, but it feels like this has slipped under the net. if that was written in 2003, lets pray that someone has sorted out those archives. Whatever is in there is probably of national importance to Zambia, so better that they've got the support they needed and cleaned up their act then all those films still rotting away.

[Daniel E]

Zambia was sent 19 stories....not 19 episodes. Those 19 stories total a 74 episodes. That's why, albeit 3 years late, this Zambian find could be so significant !

[Jon Preddle]

While no episodes of Doctor Who were sent to Zambia from the NZBC in New Zealand, 16mm b/w prints of all seven eps of the first series of THE GOODIES were, way back in 1973...

Jon