Troughton and the BFI

[Daniel O'Brien]

As I understand it, the British Film Institute held the following 'Who' episodes until late 1978, when they were returned to the BBC:

'The Dominators' 3
'The Krotons' 1-4
'The War Games' 1,3,4,6,7,10

Does anyone know how the BFI came to have these episodes and which BBC department they came from? Were they handed over soon after broadcast or some time later? I'm curious as to when the BBC began donating material to the BFI. IIRC, both 'The Krotons' and 'The War Games' were incomplete until the BFI copies were reclaimed.

[Greg H]

I personally wondered why one of the BFI holdings were on 35mm, whilst it seems that the bbc usually favored 16mm (presumably cheaper).

[Richard Bignell]

dobrien said:

Does anyone know how the BFI came to have these episodes and which BBC department they came from?

From BBC Enterprises. The NFA took lots of unwanted film prints from Enterprises after they were finished with them, but they were mostly spare copies of things like Horizon.

Were they handed over soon after broadcast or some time later?

A *lot* later! The NFA acquired the negatives of The Dominators and The War Games in July 1978. They didn't get the negatives of The Krotons until October 1980.

Richard

[Daniel O'Brien]

Thanks for the information. It's a pity that BBC Enterprises and the National Film Archive didn't get together a few years earlier.

[Richard Bignell]

BBC Enterprises and the NFA had an arrangement going back years before then. Perhaps they simply weren't interested in taking any DW prints before then.

Richard

[Daniel O'Brien]

richardbignell said:

BBC Enterprises and the NFA had an arrangement going back years before then. Perhaps they simply weren't interested in taking any DW prints before then.

Richard

Sigh. I've heard stories that the NFA turned down proffered TV material. Maybe they considered 'Who' culturally insignificant. So it goes.

[Deleted]

dobrien said:

Sigh. I've heard stories that the NFA turned down proffered TV material.

They still do, unfortunately.

[Steve Roberts]

The BFI still hold the original film recording negs for all ten episodes of 'The War Games', which are significantly higher quality than the BBC master copies (six of which are covered in a snowstorm of diffuse white blobs!).

As a background task, we have been working on the restoration of this story from the BFI negs, which look splendid!

Steve

[JeffL]

That is good news that a restoration of "The War Games" is underway. I would like to see that one come out on DVD.

[B Thomas]

And going by the dodgy picture quality of the BBC VHS (which brought forth a stream of scorn from the missus), it's one that's long overdue a bit of restoration work...

[John Andersen]

bevanwthomas said:

And going by the dodgy picture quality of the BBC VHS (which brought forth a stream of scorn from the missus), it's one that's long overdue a bit of restoration work...

Ah, Bevan, were you on the receiving end of that scorn? ;D

[Daniel O'Brien]

steverobertsbbc said:

The BFI still hold the original film recording negs for all ten episodes of 'The War Games', which are significantly higher quality than the BBC master copies (six of which are covered in a snowstorm of diffuse white blobs!).

As a background task, we have been working on the restoration of this story from the BFI negs, which look splendid!

Steve

Great news. The eventual DVD release would be a must-buy for me (unlike 'Voyage of the Damned').

[B Thomas]

johnandersen said:

bevanwthomas said:

And going by the dodgy picture quality of the BBC VHS (which brought forth a stream of scorn from the missus), it's one that's long overdue a bit of restoration work...

Ah, Bevan, were you on the receiving end of that scorn? ;D

In a roundabout way. I usually am. She enjoys caning me for liking 'old school' Dr Who...

On the other hand... I've recently got her to re-evaluate her "black and white = crap" opinion. She enjoyed Casablanca the other day. Good thing too - it's my all-time favourite film...