Press Release 2

The following news report is timed to coincide with the distribution of issue 65 of 'Time Space Visualiser' (the journal of the New Zealand Doctor Who Fan Club), which contains the first publication of the following news:

LOST WEB OF FEAR CLIPS DISCOVERED IN NEW ZEALAND

Three years after the discovery of 'The Crusade' Episode 1 in January 1999, a second 'Doctor Who' film find has been made in New Zealand. Just over a minute of lost Troughton era film clips have been unearthed, as part of a collection of over six minutes of 1960s 'Doctor Who', held by a film collector.

The 16mm film footage includes excerpts from 'The Ark', 'The Web of Fear' and 'The Wheel in Space'. The clips from these last two stories are of particular interest, as they feature brief segments from otherwise missing episodes. The majority of the scenes from missing episodes come from Episode 4 of 'The Web of Fear', but also included are scenes from Episodes 2 and 5, and Episode 5 of 'The Wheel in Space'.

'The Web of Fear' footage contains segments featuring the Doctor, Jamie, Victoria, and Professor and Anne Travers. Other segments show the Yeti in confrontation with the army, including one in which Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart is briefly visible. The footage from 'The Wheel in Space' is a collection of cuts to a fight scene between crewman Flannigan and two Cyber-controlled colleagues.

The discovery was made by Wellington 'Doctor Who' fan Graham Howard whilst helping to catalogue a collection of film reels. The clips are censor cuts that were made to the episodes before transmission by the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (NZBC). Unlike the Australian censor clips located in 1996, there does not appear to have been a statutory obligation in New Zealand to preserve the censored film clips. The footage was evidently discarded, before finding its way into private hands, along with edits from many other TV series from the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The full story behind the discovery, including detailed descriptions of each of the Doctor Who clips and off-screen photos, appears in issue 65 (May 2002) of TSV (Time Space Visualiser), the journal of the New Zealand Doctor Who Fan Club (www.doctorwho.org.nz)

Paul Scoones
TSV Editor

NOTE: The finder of the clips, Graham Howard, can be contacted c/o myself at: paulscoones@yahoo.com

The recovered clips can now be found on the BBC's site on The Second Doctor Clips Page

Screen grabs

2 yeti

Two Yeti advance towards two soldiers

a yeti

A Yeti closes in on the two soldiers

Prof Travers

A Yeti has entered the Fortress, killed Weams and now threatens Professor Travers

The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria

The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria (obscured), return from the tunnels to the fortress to discover bodies covered in cobweb.

Evans and the web

Evans clutches his ears as the web pulsates and emits an ear-splitting electronic wail.

Two soldiers

Two soldiers from Lethbridge-Stewart's party fire at advancing Yeti at a road junction near Covent Garden

Col. Lethbridge-Stewart

Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart and another soldier hide on top of a market stall in Covent Garden, attempting to avoid being spotted by a Yeti as it lumbers past them.

Cyber-control!

Two Cyber-controlled crewmen attack Flannigan

Two Yeti

The Yeti advance towards two soldiers in Lethbridge-Stewart's party.

Description of Recovered Clips

What follows is a brief description of those New Zealand censor clips that are from missing episodes. Timings are approximate. More detailed descriptions, the story behind their discovery, and additional photos are in TSV 65.

THE WEB OF FEAR

Episode 2

  • In a tunnel, two lingering soldiers fire repeatedly at two advancing Yeti, to no avail. This clip comes from a scene in which Captain Knight's platoon salvage ammunition from a supply truck, only to be attacked by the Yeti. (14 seconds)

Episode 4

  • The Yeti approaches Professor Travers and strikes him down. Anne rushes from another room to where her father is, but is also struck down. This clip comes from the start of the episode, resolving the Episode 3 cliffhanger in which the Yeti kills Weams and looms over Travers. (12 seconds)
  • The Doctor, Jamie, Victoria and Evans enter the unguarded fortress. Victoria discovers bodies covered in web. The others come and see the bodies too. (10 seconds)
    Note: in the TSV article I indicated that there was only a body singular, however, on closer examination, there appears to be another body under the web.
  • In a tunnel the fungus-like web is pulsating and emitting an ear-splitting electronic wail. Private Evans is clutching his ears. A scream is heard, then another louder scream. This clip comes after Arnold and Lane push a baggage trolley through a web-covered tunnel, with Evans holding a rope attached to the trolley. (4 seconds)
  • Two soldiers from Lethbridge-Stewart's party fire at Yeti at a road junction near Covent Garden. The Yeti recoil slightly as the bullets hit, but keep on advancing. (5 seconds)
  • Shots of Yeti, followed by shots of two soldiers being smothered as the Yeti fire their web guns. (7 seconds)
  • Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart and another soldier hide on top of a market stall in Covent Garden, as they attempt to avoid being spotted by a Yeti as it lumbers past them. (3 seconds)

Episode 5

  • Victoria and Professor Travers attempt to slip away from the Yeti that is guarding them, but it instantly comes to life, and roars. Victoria screams. (2 seconds)

THE WHEEL IN SPACE

Episode 5

  • Flannigan brawls with two Cyber-controlled colleagues. (8 seconds)