Daleks' Master Plan: Is Ian Levine Trying Again?

[Richard Bignell]

He's already done it and it's been rejected by BBC Worldwide.

There's no real reason why discussion about Ian's projects shouldn't be talked about and no reason why the subject has to degenerate into an argument. Points can be reasonably made and debated and it's within everyone's capability to keep things under control.

[stephenbray]

Richard,

I thought the only copies of most of the Season One and Two stuff (bar 'Reign' and 'Crusades') came from the haul that Levine made in '78...?

[Richard Bignell]

As far as we are aware, the twelve Season 1 & 2 stories that were purchased by Mexico in 1968 are still there - and that includes all seven episodes of The Daleks.

[Rob Moss]

Dec 20, 2012 10:48:41 GMT Richard Bignell said:

He's already done it and it's been rejected by BBC Worldwide.

There's no real reason why discussion about Ian's projects shouldn't be talked about and no reason why the subject has to degenerate into an argument. Points can be reasonably made and debated and it's within everyone's capability to keep things under control.

You're quite right, Richard, everyone should be able to keep the conversation civil and above the level of personal insults - let's try and do that please, eh, folks..?

[Simeon Carter]

I may be wrong but I believe that Levine has actually created two animated versions of Mission To The Unknown, the first has been offered to the BBC but the latter hasn't.

[Richard Bignell]

I've certainly not heard that, Simeon. I'm not sure what the purpose would be in doing that.

[Simeon Carter]

That was my thought when I thought I read that. However, it turns out I must have been very tired when I saw Levine's post of GB in which he said:

"Adam Bullock did another different episode that no-one knows about, that we're keeping secret, but that to my mind is the best animated episode yet. It shines with excellence."

I must have read 'version' instead of 'episode' (don't even ask how!) but this post still remains intriguing. Sorry.

[Simon B Kelly]

Ian's animation of Mission to the Unknown was completed around June 2011 - just a few months before his version of Shada that he was working on at the same time. And yes, there's another Hartnell episode that he's had fully animated and that some of us have already seen...

[Simeon Carter]

Is it Evil 7. I thought I read that somewhere?

[Richard Tipple]

Dec 20, 2012 11:16:40 GMT Richard Bignell said:

As far as we are aware, the twelve Season 1 & 2 stories that were purchased by Mexico in 1968 are still there - and that includes all seven episodes of The Daleks.

How interesting,

I don't suppose they were sent viewing copies of anything missing?

[John Curley]

Richard....you stated that it is possible that Mexico may still have the 12 Hartnell stories that they bought way back.
Do you know if the BBC have made any attempt to get these prints back? They could be better quality prints for example than the ones they already have.
I understand Mexico may not have been interested in Marco Polo or Crusades so did not buy them...the only historical bee ing Aztecs (no surprise there).But if Mexico received bicycled prints from another country could they have been given other episodes as well...apart from the 12 stories broadcast? Has someone checked with the Mexico TV station?
Odd episodes have been found in other countries before..where they did not actually purchase or show that particular story (Crusade 1 in NZ?) Don't shoot me down if I have this wrong!!

[Richard Bignell]

Checks have been made in the past with Mexico and they have only ever had what was officially sent to them. There are no missing episodes there.

[John Curley]

Thanks Richard. I assume the BBC do not want to find out if Mexico has better quality prints than the ones they already have then.

[davidstead]

I've wondered that question, after all the present BBC 16mm material of The Daleks is Suppressed, are all the Mexico ones suppressed? Also that final Daleks episode has no real unblemished master print (let alone neg). If the Mexico print of that is unscratched and good quality, that's bound to be better to have in the archive for posterity.
Perhaps now everything has been mastered onto digital form, there no interest in getting back any possible better quality prints. The Mexico ones were known about for years, so perhaps we are safe to presume the quality issue was checked a good while back.
Anyone know whether the Daleks ep 7 issue was looked into?

[Richard Tipple]

I seem to recall an episode of Marinus being particularly low quality.

If Mexico have these prints it might be worth comparing the quality.