Richard Develyn
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Living in hope that more missing episodes will come back to us.
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Post by Richard Develyn on Feb 21, 2012 22:20:12 GMT
I honestly think that if you've got the time, energy, and a bit of cash to spare, that this could actually be pretty good fun.
I'd do it if I could.
Good luck!
Richard
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Richard Develyn
Member
Living in hope that more missing episodes will come back to us.
Posts: 574
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Post by Richard Develyn on Feb 21, 2012 19:45:56 GMT
Quite. Otherwise people might think you're some sort of crazy obsessive, and you'll frighten them off.
Doctor Who fans have, unfortunately, created a bit of a reputation for themselves in this regard.
Richard
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Richard Develyn
Member
Living in hope that more missing episodes will come back to us.
Posts: 574
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Post by Richard Develyn on Feb 21, 2012 13:13:18 GMT
I would have though that any film collector will know what he has, but he might not if he's more of your amateur film collector than a semi-professional one.
The people you're really trying to find, of course, wont be collectors at all.
Still, I think it's great that you've given it a go. Had I the time and money I've often thought that I would go travelling around the country in some low-key way putting adverts along those lines in local papers and seeing what came up.
I also think this sort of work complements the efforts made by the (semi) professionals rather than getting in their way.
Having said all this, you must remember that this is all extremely speculative. Do it while you enjoy it, but think carefully about committing a lot of time and money unless you really think you might be turning things up.
One other thing - be careful of hoaxers.
Richard
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Richard Develyn
Member
Living in hope that more missing episodes will come back to us.
Posts: 574
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Post by Richard Develyn on Feb 20, 2012 17:13:28 GMT
No it isn't.
Please let's not turn the clock back twenty years when people would argue there was no point getting stuff back to the BBC because they'd only sit on it and probably lose it again.
I know there is no legal obligation, and I really do not want to open up some crazy can of worms about what obligations there might be. While there is good will, however, people will try to work with the BBC to get material back to them.
Richard
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Richard Develyn
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Living in hope that more missing episodes will come back to us.
Posts: 574
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Post by Richard Develyn on Feb 20, 2012 13:55:33 GMT
I would happily accept a delay in the release of these two episodes if I thought it was necessary in order to do the proper restoration. Within reason, anyway.
I've just for the moment lost faith that the people at 2entertain understand just how important these episodes are.
Richard
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Richard Develyn
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Living in hope that more missing episodes will come back to us.
Posts: 574
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Post by Richard Develyn on Feb 20, 2012 13:15:46 GMT
I must admit I was disappointed to read Daniel Hall's comments on the release of these two episodes in DWM this month.
He didn't seem to be treating them with any sort of importance at all. I mean, I know Doctor Who has moved on, but it still seems to me remarkably unempathic to the wishes of "classic" doctor who fandom.
These are not like other orphaned episodes needing a home here or there whenever 2entertain gets round to it. I was really unhappy to learn that we would have to wait over a year to see them. Tomb of the Cybermen came out on video about 6 months after the find was announced, and I think the Lion and DMP-2 were pretty much the same.
Richard
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Richard Develyn
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Living in hope that more missing episodes will come back to us.
Posts: 574
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Post by Richard Develyn on Feb 20, 2012 0:10:18 GMT
It really comes down to whether you know somebody there or not.
(Assuming that there is *actually* a possibility of something being there).
I would imagine that a foreign TV station will respond, generally, professionally if they get a professional request (i.e. by the BBC), just like any reputable business.
Well, some will go further than others, but it's very unlikely (again, IMVHO), that a foreign TV station is going to start a major search of its archives in response to such a request.
I mean, what's in it for them, after all.
Most, I would imagine, would check through their records and then maybe keep a look out in the future.
The only way you're going to achieve more is if you know somebody who works there. If you don't but you live nearby, well, look out for it. A personal contact can take this sort of investigation one stage further.
Richard
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Richard Develyn
Member
Living in hope that more missing episodes will come back to us.
Posts: 574
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Post by Richard Develyn on Feb 19, 2012 10:51:31 GMT
I'll repeat what I said in the other thread because I think that there is an avenue of enquiry that amateurs could pursue.
If films were taken by employees, those film cans are more than likely lying forgotten somewhere either in their houses or the houses of their children.
Although this could be *anywhere* in the world, it's not uncommon for people to move to where their work is and then not bother moving away when they retire, or for their children to set up home in the same town that they grew up in.
So the *best* bet to locate this forgotten material from ex-employees, IMVHO, is to advertise in a local paper in the town/city where the TV stations are (or were, if they're now gone).
People are always happy to get rid of their old junk for a bit of cash. As long as you don't invite them to think that they've got the Mona Lisa sitting there you might strike lucky.
It's a long shot, but the thing about long shots is that if enough people have a go at it it becomes a bit of a closer shot.
I also think it's a significantly better shot than trying to follow 30 year route of some employee - unless you really are a private detective. Companies of any sort aren't going to want to give away personal employee information even if they have it.
Richard
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Richard Develyn
Member
Living in hope that more missing episodes will come back to us.
Posts: 574
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Post by Richard Develyn on Feb 18, 2012 19:01:21 GMT
First of all, what you call "so called experts", really are experts. I would say, just to my knowledge, they've been looking for missing episodes for about 20 years - that is quite a long time.
That's not to say that amateurs can't help, and they, and I count myself among them (in the sense that I'm only an amateur), have in the past. Certainly you can and should keep your eyes and ears open, and personal contacts can open many doors if you happen to have them.
There isn't much point, however, trying to do anything which is really only going to work if you go through official channels. There's absolutely no point writing to major TV stations unless you work for the BBC.
All IMVHO, of course.
Richard
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Richard Develyn
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Living in hope that more missing episodes will come back to us.
Posts: 574
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Post by Richard Develyn on Feb 18, 2012 11:36:09 GMT
My suggestion would be for you to visit places near where the various TV stations are and then put an advert out in the local paper saying that you are a film collector looking to buy old 16mm film, particularly TV programs, and that for the right material you'll pay £30-£40 a film can.
Someone with some unknown film sitting in a shed or attic might then contact you just for the chance to make a bit of money of what, as far as they're concerned, is junk, and you might strike lucky.
Richard
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Richard Develyn
Member
Living in hope that more missing episodes will come back to us.
Posts: 574
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Post by Richard Develyn on Feb 2, 2012 23:11:27 GMT
Actually, I just think someone who worked at the TV station, and had seen and enjoyed something on the TV that they now saw lying discarded somewhere, might just pick the thing up and take it home with the thought that maybe one day they'll find some way to watch it again, and then left it languishing in some garden shed all forgotten.
It's the sort of thing I would do. I'm a bit of a magpie at heart :-)
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Richard Develyn
Member
Living in hope that more missing episodes will come back to us.
Posts: 574
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Post by Richard Develyn on Feb 2, 2012 21:55:47 GMT
I think the greatest chance of recovery comes from private collectors / individuals rescuing film cans from foreign TV stations, in much the same way as has happened here, but with a much greater chance that they are not aware of what they have in their cupboard.
This could even have happened in Sierra Leone prior to the war there. In fact, if someone had a mind to do it, they probably could have walked in to the TV station there in years gone by and walked out with the stuff.
I think, therefore, that we shouldn't give up on TV stations abroad, at least indirectly. If I had the resources to do so, I would try to get in touch with ex-employees, in particular ones who were there at the time when the material was there.
Richard
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Richard Develyn
Member
Living in hope that more missing episodes will come back to us.
Posts: 574
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Post by Richard Develyn on Jan 16, 2012 17:51:24 GMT
Here's the Evil 5 one that I found on a scan of the magazine. It's very poor quality, I'm afraid, but genuine. Now that I see it, I'm not sure whether this is an off-air picture, or a picture from the Radio Times. I've not seen it anywhere else though. www.qusheet.com/misc/evil5.bmp
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Richard Develyn
Member
Living in hope that more missing episodes will come back to us.
Posts: 574
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Post by Richard Develyn on Jan 16, 2012 15:46:12 GMT
There is an off-air photo of Evil (part 5 I think), which was printed in Space and Time (as I believe it was then called, the magazine prior to In-Vision) in their Evil of the Daleks edition. I used to have it but I sold my collection some years ago. Richard You can buy it here www.heroesassemble.com/doctor-who-the-evil-of-the-daleks-cms-in-vision-rare-1310-p.aspIt's not a good picture (Jeremy Bentham must surely have the original) and apart from collector's value this is a very flimsy magazine which I would hardly say was worth the money now .... no disrespect to the original publishers - if you want to spend £30 - go for it.
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Richard Develyn
Member
Living in hope that more missing episodes will come back to us.
Posts: 574
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Post by Richard Develyn on Jan 14, 2012 21:03:03 GMT
No more that I know of.
Richard
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