Here at THT Omniversal we’ve been taking note of the continuing drama regarding the ongoing recovery of missing Doctor Who episodes. Look … we cheered as much as anyone when The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear were found last year. It was big news and deserved to be for one simple reason:
It was so very, very rare.
We’ve been knocking around in Doctor Who fan circles for 30 years or thereabouts and one of the only constants in these environs during this period is this, the HUNT. Almost always in dribs and drabs for the occasional episode of Galaxy Four or even punctuated by a whole story find of The Tomb of the Cybermen (back in 1992–yes it was that long ago). But largely the HUNT is its own reward, and being a site which celebrates Doctor Who History we at the very least admire the HUNT.
Making the rounds this week is a quote by Philip Morris who made last years finds about further prospects for recovery saying “…during the last announcement, I was in a very hostile part of the world and suddenly I was everywhere on TV. My anonymity was compromised, which made the team a target. So we must plan these things carefully for the greater good of the project and the safety of the personnel involved.” He added that fans “just want a yes or no…. it’s complex. All I can say is the wind is blowing the right way. Be patient.” He goes on to add that “there are no announcements in the pipeline at present. It can sometimes be the wrong thing with ongoing work and investigation.”
Our translation is that more episodes exist but that access and ownership are tenuous at best. Patience people. Who knows what surprises lurk around the corner…
