It has been confirmed that BBC Worldwide will be releasing animation of the lost Doctor Who story, The Power of the Daleks, via download and DVD.
The download release will take place on Saturday 5th November at 5:50pm and this will be via BBC Store, which will be exactly 50 years to the minute after its first and only broadcast on BBC One. The DVD release will follow on the 21st November.
Loss of a Classic
By 1966 Doctor Who was big news and its return with the scary Daleks and a new Doctor, Patrick Troughton, made the front cover of the Radio Times, then the UK’s only TV listings magazine.
But this classic story featuring one of the Doctor’s most celebrated adventures was sadly lost following an archive purge in 1974 in which the master negatives were destroyed.
Special Creation
This brand new black and white animation has been lovingly created by the team behind the highly successful animation of the lost Dad’s Army episode A Stripe For Frazer. Its has been constructed using audio recordings of the programme and the original cast, surviving photographs and film clips.
The six half-hour episodes feature the regeneration of First Doctor William Hartnell into Second Doctor Patrick Troughton. Along with companions Polly (Anneke Wills) and Ben (Michael Craze) as they do battle with the Daleks on the planet Vulcan.
Producer and director of the project, Charles Norton says, “The Power of the Daleks animation is the most ambitious Doctor Who archive restoration ever attempted. We’re all very honoured to be a part of such an exciting project. Intelligent, suspenseful and magnificently staged, Power of the Daleks is one of the great lost classics of 1960s television and a superb example of the black and white era at its finest.”
Character design comes from acclaimed comic book artists Martin Geraghty (Doctor Who Magazine) and Adrian Salmon (Big Finish).
Paul Hembury, Executive Producer, BBC Worldwide says, “Charles and his team are remarkably talented and passionate about Doctor Who and we are thrilled that fans will soon be able to enjoy this rather sinister but wonderful, classic story.”
You can register your interest in the download via BBC Store now. The DVD will be available from Amazon and HMV. More details to follow.
Special BFI Screening
On Saturday 5th November there will also be a screening of episodes 1-3 at the BFI Southbank, London. The event will include a Q&A with Anneke Wills (Polly), and Frazer Hines (Jamie) plus writer Charles Norton.
Further information will be available from bfi.org.uk from Monday 19th September.
Images not able to copy because of copyright.