Notes written for missing episodes

[John W King]

Under the "Earliest Memories" thread I mentioned I had made notes of every episode of Dr who from an Unearthly Child. I have been asked to transcribe them for public consumption. I should start by saying I was 9 when the programme started and my early notes were basic. I can see no value in transcribing them. However, I shall kick-off with my recollections of the BBC trailer for an Unearthly Child shown before the first episode was broadcast:-
Darkness
The start of the opening sequence (the upward moving shaft of light) with male voice over:-
Starting on Saturday evening a new adventure series set in time and space
Cut to scenes of Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright in a classroom at Coal Hill School. They are discussing a strange pupil who knows so much and so little. (presumably footage from the first episode). It then focused on a shot of Susan (head to thigh, wearing dress with black belt as in first episode)
Male voice over:- "Why are two teachers at Coal Hill School intrigued by one of their pupils? Who is Susan Foreman and what what mysterious secrets are she hiding?
(cut to dematerialisation sequence from Unearthly Child with Dr Who's face superimposed over "time" clouds)
Voice over:- "and who is the mysterious Doctor?.
An Unearthly Child is the first episode of an exciting new adventure series set in time and Space."
Doctor Who begins at 5.25 (next) on Saturday."

The trailer I first saw transmitted after what ever programme was on Saturday 16th November 1963 (Gary Halliday) and repeated after Tonight on Thursday 21st November 1963

I cannot guarantee that the words in the voice over are 100% accurate but I am fairly sure of the images and the overall gist in the above. I would love to see it recreated or even better if any one else shares my recollections or there is official documentation for this trailer.

I have on tape the trailer for Star Trek following the end of the War Games.

[Richard Develyn]

I don't believe this exists (does it?) and I, for a start, had never heard / seen a transcript of this before.

I think there is tremendous value in your notes and I'm really looking forward to reading them.

"Roof of the World" next?

Richard

[John W King]

I'll transcribe the first page of my first book just to show how limited those notes were:-

23rd November 1963
Part 1 An Unearthly Child by Anthony Coburn
Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright follow Susan Foreman to a scrapyard in Totters Lane> She mysteriously disappears. While searching an old man unlocks a police-box. He enters followed by Ian and Barbara. Inside is Susan. Also the inside is larger than outside. This is the TARDIS. Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. TARDIS leaves Earth and lands in the stone-age. Suddenly a shadow appears.
Part 2. The Cave of Skulls
While exploring, the old man, Doctor Who, is captured by cavemen. On trying to rescue him the others are captured. The cavemen want them to make fire but they can't so they are thrown in the Cave of Skullswhere they see forced open skulls!

Okay, you get the gist. I can see no value in sharing these notes. By the time I got to book 2 and the Tomb of the Cybermen the notes were longer but not much. The notes start getting more detailed around the end of Fury from the Deep....

[Richard Tipple]

John, I for one am really enjoying reading these.

Does the BBC trailer of an Unearthly Child exist anywhere? If not I might be tempted to recreate it!

[Richard Develyn]

I definitely think there is value in sharing your notes with regards to missing episodes. There is probably value in the existing episodes as well to some people on this forum since what you have documented is what stood out to you at the time given that you were 100% the target audience for the program.

I know this is work for you - and I respect that - however I hope you'll choose to carry on.

All the best

Richard

[George D]

Richard I think your synopis holds up as good as any episode guide. And as we get to the missing episodes and as the notes get more detailed perhaps some facts will come out to trigger other memories of the episodes that have been forgotten by others.

Even now we're seeing benefit as I dont remember any synopsis of that first trailer documented anywhere before. (If you actually remember what scenes they were, that would be great also)

Great job and thanks for the effort.

I think that star trek mp3 recording is a piece of history. If someone remembers what video images go with it, it might be recreatable.

[Richard Develyn]

Jun 7, 2012 12:52:54 GMT George D said:

Richard I think your synopis ...

s/Richard/John/:-)

Oddly enough, one of the first things I ever did in my missing episode madness was write and publish on the web synopsis of some of the missing stories based on poor quality audios - and they're still there.

trap.mtview.ca.us/~schizo/dw/the_abominable_snowmen.txt

trap.mtview.ca.us/~schizo/dw/web_of_fear.txt

(Ice Warriors seems to be lost).

Richard

[adamjordan]

Absolutely fascinating stuff John. Really looking forward to reading more and hopefully other memories will be triggered elsewhere? We really are hungry for information like this and that recollection of the first trailer is wonderfully evocative. (I've recreated the whole thing in my head already) Looking forward to seeing recons based on your memories too!

BTW, has Ian Levine ever published or posted his contemporary notes? I keep hearing drips and drops but I've never seen them posted anywhere.

You know, we really could do with a ....Mind Probe.....cue.........

[Simeon Carter]

No! Not the Mind Probe...

[adamjordan]

Jun 7, 2012 15:26:45 GMT Simeon Carter said:

No! Not the Mind Probe...

....I thank you..... ;D

[Simeon Carter]

In seriousness I would like to see Ian Levine's notes as well. I will try to find some more info on them.

[John W King]

Thank you folks for your kind comments. I thought I would start with my notes for a lot of people's favourite story and at a point where my notes were becoming more detailed. I originally made my notes almost as soon as the episode ended. I am transcribing exactly what was written at the time.:-
The Fury from the Deep by Victor Pemberton
Part:198: Episode:1:
(note: I actually missed this episode but my notes are based on the soundtrack recording made by my brother)

Tardis lands in the sea. Dr. Who, Victoria and Jamie row ashore and find some gas pipes. They are in England. The hear a strange sound in the pipes. They are knocked out and imprisoned in the refinery. The refinery is controlled by Robson.. Lately the pressure has been falling in the pipes and contact has been loft with a rig. Mrs Harris, wife of the second in command, finds a bit of sea weed in her home. She throws it out and it lays there throbbing... Mrs Harris falls ill. Dr. Who, Jamie and Victoria is sent back. When a man passes she hides in a room. Dr.Who again hears the noise. He also hears the noise. He also hears Victoria scream! A strange sea weed-foam is approaching her through the ventilator!!!
Part:199: Episode:2:
(this episode I saw)
Victoria is rescued. Two strange engineers enter the refinery - Quill and Swan. A strange sound is heard in the shaft. The gas-pump does not work properly. Robson will not turn off the supply. Mrs. Harris is very ill. Quill and Oak enter her home to repair something. They open their mouths and gas comes out. Mrs Harris is knocked out. Contact is lost with another rig. Dr. Who gets a seaweed specimen. Victoria says it can move!!!
Part:200: Episode:3:
Dr. Who discovers that the seaweed is alive like an animal. It draws life from natural gas and breathes out a toxic gas. Robson will not believe that some is blocking the pump. Robson rests in his room. The seaweed comes in through the ventilator. Robson disappears. Harris sees the creature. Dr. Who goes to Mrs. Harris's house. It is full of seaweed! They can hardly escape from it! The weed must be in the pipe. Mrs.Harris is standing by the sea. She is turning into a seaweed creature. Ronson meets her. He, too, is under the weed's influence!
Part:201: Episode:4:
One of the men goes down the pipe and is killed by seaweed creature. Dr Who and Jamie also go down. The seaweed comes but Quill and Swann trap the two down there. They escape - just - and find Victoria unconscious. Megan - London Official arrives. Another rig is taken over by seaweed. The creature is drawing power from humans. They must find the nerve centre and destroy it. Suddenly they see the gas is rising up the pipe!!!
Part:202: Episode:5:
Nearby a conference is held to discuss what will be done about the seaweed. Gas is pumped in and the seaweed attacks. Jamie has a fight with Quill. Victoria screams and Quill appears to die. Only the central rig is now not covered with seaweed. The gas in the pipe is stopped. The weed starts to surround the refinery. The nerve centre must be destroyed. Robson captures Victoria and takes her in a helicopter. Dr Who and Jamie follow in another helicopter. They land and find foam on the rig. The seaweed is here. Then Robson comes out of the foam!
Part:203: Episode:6:
Victoria screams and the weed and Ronson retreat. With Victoria they leave. Their helicopter has gone. They take Robson's. In the refinery Harris has given up hope and is about to evacuate the base when the Doctor returns. The Dr. says the nerve centre must be on the control rig. The seaweed breaks out of the pipe. They are surrounded! They record Victoria's scream and with Doctor Who's bit of apparatus fix speakers to the pipe to destroy the centre and have directional speakers. The weed breaks into the room. The power is not on and at the last moment the weed is driven back. All is well. Robson and Mrs Harris are back to nornal and the weed is destroyed. Victoria wants to stay there. Jamie and Doctor Who leave her and take off in Tardis. Victoria stands on the beach getting smaller as Tardis hurtles away......

There it is. I was 12 when I made those notes and the interesting thing for me reading those notes for the first time since they were written brings back images and sequences clearly into my mind. Masses of foam with thrashing "hairy" tentacles. First saw the foam demonstrated by the fire brigade on Tomorrow's World some months before. First used by Dr Who on the Web of Fear. By now used by many programmes and looking a bit tired as a special effect by the time of Fury. Ronson sweating and looking at his arm as he began to turn into the creature. The frantic last episode until the creature was finally destroyed. The ending seemed quiet and subdued incomparison. Jamie arguing with Victoria not to stay. The very sad (yes, there were tears!) parting on the beach. Victoria seen from above as the camera pulled back and she dwindled to a dot.......

[willcosens]

Thanks jhon i can almost picture the story in my mind now.
Wish we could find it though, my favorite missing story.

[Richard Develyn]

This bit stood out for me:

"Part:200: Episode:3: ... Mrs.Harris is standing by the sea. She is turning into a seaweed creature."

I remember someone else who saw it at the time recollecting the horror of seeing people turning into seaweed, but neither the telesnaps nor the soundtrack get that across - i.e. we see a little bit in the recovered Robson helicopter clip, and a little bit on one telesnap with Maggie Harris, but that's it as far as I can remember.

Many thanks and keep them coming!

Richard

[Mark Vanderlinde-Abernathy]

"Victoria seen from above as the camera pulled back and she dwindled to a dot......."

That's the sentence that got me. Nice visual detail. Thank you so much!