Algerian fish fryer claims he's seen Marco Polo.

[andyparting]

Yesterday, I went to get my Friday fish and chips, taking my DWM with me. The fish fryer there came over to look at the magazine while fulfilling a Just Eat delivery with his courier. We got chatting and he told me he is from Algeria (Middle East) originally. He said he knew of Doctor Who on TV here, and so I showed him photos of all the classic Doctors, asking if he knew there was a series from long ago. He recognised Baker and Hartnell but none of the others. I asked him if he had seen the black and white (Hartnell) stories, and he said when he was at his first school. He is now in his 40s. After my fish and chips, I came back to him with my First Doctor telesnaps mag and Complete First Doctor mag to show him. He pointed out the Dalek photos and some of Marco Polo's images from episode 7 as what he remembered seeing as a kid. He said was pleased to have been reminded of it, but he cannot remember if it was on television, or the cinema, that showed short films before the main features. I think it was the Five Doctors he may have seen, with the Dalek and Hartnell's Doctor, probably the VHS. I will show him images of that next time.

If it was on television he saw it, is it possible they were still broadcasting Hartnell episodes in Algeria as late as 30 years ago? 

[John Wall]

broadwcast.org/index.php/Algeria

[josephsenior]

Jan 21, 2023 16:52:59 GMT andyparting said:

Yesterday, I went to get my Friday fish and chips, taking my DWM with me. The fish fryer there came over to look at the magazine while fulfilling a Just Eat delivery with his courier. We got chatting and he told me he is from Algeria (Middle East) originally. He said he knew of Doctor Who on TV here, and so I showed him photos of all the classic Doctors, asking if he knew there was a series from long ago. He recognised Baker and Hartnell but none of the others. I asked him if he had seen the black and white (Hartnell) stories, and he said when he was at his first school. He is now in his 40s. After my fish and chips, I came back to him with my First Doctor telesnaps mag and Complete First Doctor mag to show him. He pointed out the Dalek photos and some of Marco Polo's images from episode 7 as what he remembered seeing as a kid. He said was pleased to have been reminded of it, but he cannot remember if it was on television, or the cinema, that showed short films before the main features. I think it was the Five Doctors he may have seen, with the Dalek and Hartnell's Doctor, probably the VHS. I will show him images of that next time.

If it was on television he saw it, is it possible they were still broadcasting Hartnell episodes in Algeria as late as 30 years ago? 

Via the link John shared, Marco Polo was not sold to Algeria. So it is highly unlikely that he saw Marco Polo in the early 90s at that time..

[George D]

Is possible he is confusing aztecs with marco polo.

If you ask him what took place in the marco polo story, unless he did research he would likely not know.

[Jaspal Cheema]

Jan 21, 2023 16:52:59 GMT andyparting said:

Yesterday, I went to get my Friday fish and chips, taking my DWM with me. The fish fryer there came over to look at the magazine while fulfilling a Just Eat delivery with his courier. We got chatting and he told me he is from Algeria (Middle East) originally. He said he knew of Doctor Who on TV here, and so I showed him photos of all the classic Doctors, asking if he knew there was a series from long ago. He recognised Baker and Hartnell but none of the others. I asked him if he had seen the black and white (Hartnell) stories, and he said when he was at his first school. He is now in his 40s. After my fish and chips, I came back to him with my First Doctor telesnaps mag and Complete First Doctor mag to show him. He pointed out the Dalek photos and some of Marco Polo's images from episode 7 as what he remembered seeing as a kid. He said was pleased to have been reminded of it, but he cannot remember if it was on television, or the cinema, that showed short films before the main features. I think it was the Five Doctors he may have seen, with the Dalek and Hartnell's Doctor, probably the VHS. I will show him images of that next time.

If it was on television he saw it, is it possible they were still broadcasting Hartnell episodes in Algeria as late as 30 years ago? 

Did you tell him missing episode hunters such as Philip Morris had bigger fish to fry?
Sorry,couldn't resist.

[kurt devery]

I think we have to accept when stories like this are making waves here the era of doctor who returns is over. No offence to the original poster. It's been so long since a return roll on the resumption of the animations

[John Wall]

Jan 21, 2023 22:31:24 GMT kurt devery said:

I think we have to accept when stories like this are making waves here the era of doctor who returns is over. No offence to the original poster. It's been so long since a return roll on the resumption of the animations

I remember speculating a little while ago that PM might have first got into the store in Jos before Airlock and UM2 were recovered - and I wasn’t shouted down….

[John Green]

Have to admit that I heard "There's a Guy Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis"...

[tom rogers]

Jan 22, 2023 14:58:03 GMT John Green said:

Have to admit that I heard "There's a Guy Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis"...

But he’s a liar,
And I’m not sure about …

Nah. John, I believe ya! 🤣

[kurt devery]

It's so sad missing episode discussions have come to this 😔 still at least it gives us a laugh

[John Green]

Frankly, the suggestion from Phil Morris that he might don a pith helmet, and darn well go and check those shelves 'up country' must have seemed ridiculous to many, and if someone working in TV had said to you "Are there missing Doctor Whos? I've got a few reels of Who at home; tell you what, I'll bring 'em to the pub next week, and you can check 'em", you'd have been skeptical, and yet...

[John Wall]

We’re ten months from the sixtieth anniversary and no doubt some treats are being planned.

It’s possible - although I have no evidence whatsoever for it - that a ME or several are being held back for the celebrations.

However, I suggest it’s time for us all to accept that there isn’t going to be another recovery like EotW/WoF, simply because of the time - many, many years - that PM has been travelling the world racking up AirMiles, even before Covid. We don’t know exactly where, or when, he’s been but I think we established he got to Ethiopia before the civil war, etc and there are plenty of accessible places where MEs might have ended up. A few years ago there was a programme of some of his finds at NFT and I think that, including DW, he may have recovered some 15-20 MEs - pretty good considering the derision directed at him all those years ago.

Let’s hope that some of the orphans can be recovered.

[kurt devery]

I agreed with the last post maybe just maybe the well isn't completely dry and the odd orphan is still out there in terms and conditions it/they can be recovered but I am of the view we have already had the last of complete stories and big hauls

[John Wall]

Jan 22, 2023 19:23:47 GMT kurt devery said:

I agreed with the last post maybe just maybe the well isn't completely dry and the odd orphan is still out there in terms and conditions it/they can be recovered but I am of the view we have already had the last of complete stories and big hauls

If the various leads are productive perhaps the figure could be reduced to the low 90s, although 90 or even 89 may be a ME too far!

However, there will always be “one more ME” out there…..

[kurt devery]

Animation is the only way this classic will ever be seen again. It's been nearly sixty years since the only UK transmission and not a sign of even a single minute of footage has come to light since the missing episode hunt started. It's gone I've accepted it and no fish fryer claims will bring it back😔