If you’re a fan of Doctor Who, you likely know that dozens of episodes have been lost to time because the BBC didn’t preserve the original tapes.
We have the audio to some of these lost episodes, however, and BBC Studios is now creating animated versions of them. The latest is “The Savages,” a four-episode First Doctor story that originally aired from May to June 1966 and was also the last appearance of the companion, Steven, played by Peter Purves.
Here’s the synopsis of “The Savages,” provided by the Doctor Who website:
In “The Savages,” the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his travelling companions, Steven (Purves) and Dodo (Jackie Lane), arrive on an unnamed planet where they encounter two distinct people—the Elders and the Savages. They soon discover the Elders are the evil, draining the primitive Savages for their life source to remain young and powerful forever.
Want to watch it? BBC Studios is releasing a DVD and Blu-ray version as well as a fancy Blu-ray steelbook this upcoming Spring. It will be a three-disc set, and will include all four episodes, which run at twenty-five minutes each in both color and black-and-white, and other yet-to-be-announced bonus features.
And if you don’t want to wait until Spring 2025 to get a sampling of the animated version of “The Savages,” I’ve got good news for you: the BCC also put out a trailer featuring the animation, although it frustratingly doesn’t include a real sample of the audio.
You can now pre-order the DVD or Blu-ray at the retail establishment of your choice, and can check out the trailer announcement below.
