Marco Polo

Now that the DVD realises have come to an end I'm going back and listening to the stories I've never seen and possibly never will (why? Because the BBC in their wisdom wiped the tapes!). Fortunately, thanks to some enterprising fans, the audio of these stories exist.

We begin with the earliest example of these stories and the one most people would like rediscovered: Marco Polo. I have to admit I was quiet surprised at how well the story flowed and the performances are excellent, even if I wanted to smack Polo around for being so pig-ignorant. But it's easy to see why this is one of the stories people want rediscovered. Sadly it might be too late for that. But last years rediscovery of Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear proves anything's possible.

Lost in Time No Longer

\If you haven't heard by now, on Friday the BBC announced that 11 episode from the Patrick Troughton - all of The Enemy of the World and all but one episode of The Web of Fear - had been found in Nigeria and returned to the BBC. The BBC have realised them onto iTunes where they shot straight to be the top of the TV charts.

To have even just one missing episode is great news. To have nearly two whole stories (especially the one that features the first appearance of the then Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart) is excellent news (and in the 50th anniversary year too). So I find myself in the somewhat surreal situation of having thought I'd seen every Doctor Who story in existence, I'm now watching old Who, but to me it's new Who.

So the brings the total number of missing episodes down to 97. Surely this proves that they must be out there somewhere?