Spearhead from Space missing scenes

[andyparting]

I seem to recall reading in either DWM's archive or something else that many more hours or feet of film were shot of Spearhead from Space than appeared in the eventual programme.

Does anybody know what happened to this unused film? Were these extra scenes cut from the programme, additional shots (i.e. of the Auton high street attack), or simply retakes?

Does anybody have access to the original script, which might shed light on scenes cut from the finished programme?

[Deleted]

Sept 21, 2023 17:09:55 GMT andyparting said:

I seem to recall reading in either DWM's archive or something else that many more hours or feet of film were shot of Spearhead from Space than appeared in the eventual programme.

Does anybody know what happened to this unused film? Were these extra scenes cut from the programme, additional shots (i.e. of the Auton high street attack), or simply retakes?

Does anybody have access to the original script, which might shed light on scenes cut from the finished programme?

Any unused outtakes would have been junked in the 70s, so any chances of them showing up are nearly impossible.

[John Wall]

They had four 25 minute slots to fill, some things in the can wouldn’t have made it. Nowadays we have Director’s cuts…they didn’t then!

[Richard Bignell]

Sept 21, 2023 17:09:55 GMT andyparting said:

I seem to recall reading in either DWM's archive or something else that many more hours or feet of film were shot of Spearhead from Space than appeared in the eventual programme.

That's true of any production - be it film or videotape production. For a recent feature film like Top Gun: Maverick, they shot over 800 hours of footage.

In this case, they shot 23,725 feet of film, which equates to about ten and a half hours worth - about six and a half times the length of the story.

Does anybody know what happened to this unused film?

It would have been thrown out within weeks of transmission, in common with 99% of all BBC productions.

Were these extra scenes cut from the programme, additional shots (i.e. of the Auton high street attack), or simply retakes?

In the main, it would have been multiple retakes of scenes, although there were small trims made to the scenes.

Does anybody have access to the original script, which might shed light on scenes cut from the finished programme?

Watch the Special Edition DVD or Blu-ray with the production subtitles and you can find out about everything that was cut.

[andyparting]

Sept 21, 2023 19:31:35 GMT Richard Bignell said:

Sept 21, 2023 17:09:55 GMT andyparting said:

I seem to recall reading in either DWM's archive or something else that many more hours or feet of film were shot of Spearhead from Space than appeared in the eventual programme.

That's true of any production - be it film or videotape production. For a recent feature film like Top Gun: Maverick, they shot over 800 hours of footage.

In this case, they shot 23,725 feet of film, which equates to about ten and a half hours worth - about six and a half times the length of the story.

Does anybody know what happened to this unused film?

It would have been thrown out within weeks of transmission, in common with 99% of all BBC productions.

Were these extra scenes cut from the programme, additional shots (i.e. of the Auton high street attack), or simply retakes?

In the main, it would have been multiple retakes of scenes, although there were small trims made to the scenes.

Does anybody have access to the original script, which might shed light on scenes cut from the finished programme?

Watch the Special Edition DVD or Blu-ray with the production subtitles and you can find out about everything that was cut.

Thank you very much for these answers, Richard. I will pop on the Blu-ray this eve.