Doctor Who fan welcomes chance to watch remake of lost episode Mission to the Unknown
A Doctor Who fan has welcomed the chance to watch a remake of a lost episode of the science fiction show.
Royal Mail driver Ian Fortt started watching the BBC series when he was the tender age of four.
The Blackpool resident is now 48 and his enthusiasm for the Doctor has not diminished.
IN PICTURES: Behind the scenes shots of film crews in Preston recreating Doctor Who lost episode Mission to the Unknown
So when students at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston launched a project to recreate a missing episode originally filmed in the 60s - with the thumbs up from the BBC, he was thrilled.
“Mission to the Unknown is one of 97 episodes missing from the BBC archives when they thought that they couldn’t sell them," said Ian. “It was first shown on October 9, 1965.
“It’s a prologue, it just sets up the following 12 episodes called the Dalek Masterplan. It was the biggest Dalek story there’s every been.
“It’s very exciting. I wasn’t alive in the 60s and there are some episodes that I’ve resigned myself to never seeing because they don’t exist.
“As every year goes by we think if there’s anymore to be found they would have already discovered them. I don’t think they are going to find them.
“We have got the sound track and if the students and staff recreate the episode then we will see it in some form that’s really exciting - otherwise we’ll never see it.”
Children’s TV legend Peter Purves was in Preston on Wednesday to answer questions about his career to students filming the episode.
He played Steven Taylor in Doctor Who during the era of the First Doctor.