Doctor Who archive legend says missing episodes "certainly" exist in private collections
Sue Malden made the comments at vintage film festival RECOVERED.
With 97 of the missing Doctor Who episodes still unaccounted for, Sue Malden, the BBC's first archive selector who has worked to find episodes across the years, has assured fans that she believes some "certainly" still exist in private collections.
Twenty-six stories from the show's first six years are currently incomplete, because the BBC erased or reused tapes in the 1960s and 1970s to save storage space and costs. In recent years some of these episodes have now been recreated via animation, as tapes of audio recordings have survived for every episode.
Still, there remains hope amongst fans that other full episodes could still exist to this day, something Malden has suggested is a very real possibility.
Speaking at the RECOVERED festival at the Phoenix Cinema and Art Centre in Leicester, hosted by Film is Fabulous!, Malden was asked about the current situation regarding missing Doctor Who episodes.
Malden said: "As far as Doctor Who goes, we do not have a statement or anything to make at the moment. We do know fairly certainly that there are episodes missing in private collections. Some members of the Film is Fabulous! team are in a considerably significant position to help on that."
She continued: "So, when the time is right, we really do hope that it will be Film is Fabulous! that manages to return, at least one or two - I don't know - missing episodes of Doctor Who to the BBC. We will have a ceremony with Claire [Coss, Head of Library & Curatorial Services at the BBC] to do that, I'm sure.
Read more:
- Doctor Who sets up new mystery in The Story and the Engine – but who is the child?
- Doctor Who season finale confirmed for cinema screenings
"That works on the assumption every one of them had to be recorded somewhere. I've been asked in the past, when I knew less, whether I thought we'd found the last Doctor Who. And I'd sort of look a bit vague and say, 'Oh, I don't know.'
"But actually now I've stopped to think about it, every one has been recorded, they've got to be there somewhere. And we now think we know a few places where they might be."
By entering your details you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Doctor Who is currently airing its latest season weekly, with just three episodes left to be released throughout May. These episodes are titled The Interstellar Song Contest, Wish World and The Reality War.
Doctor Who continues on Saturday 17th May, with new episodes available from 8am on Saturdays on BBC iPlayer in the UK and later the same day on BBC One. The series is available on Disney+ outside of the UK.
Dive into our Doctor Who story guide: reviews of every episode since 1963, plus cast & crew listings, production trivia, and exclusive material from the Radio Times archive.
Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
