Shelved series of Doctor Who filmed in 1979 to return as feature-length film

Tom Baker returns as the Fourth Doctor in a previously “missing” story from 1979
Tom Baker returns as the Fourth Doctor in a previously “missing” story from 1979

When an industrial strike brought filming at BBC Television Centre to a halt in 1979, Doctor Who was one of the casualties.

A six-part serial starring Tom Baker had to be shelved, spelling disappointment for the cast and denying fans the opportunity to see an adventure written by the great sci-fi author, Douglas Adams.

Now the 'missing' story is to be released decades on as a feature-length film, with new scenes added to complete the picture - including a cameo from Baker as he is now, reprising his role as the Timelord after 36 years and at the ripe old age of 83.

His hair is now a shock of white but the outfit is the same, complete with the famous striped scarf. The new scenes were shot on the set of the original TARDIS with 1970s camera equipment, so that they fit seamlessly with the original footage.

The story, entitled Shada, is set in Cambridge, where the Doctor and his assistant (Lalla Ward) pay a visit to an elderly don. A postgraduate student (Daniel Hill) unwittingly gets caught up in a plot to steal intergalactic secrets.

The new film will feature original live-action footage with new animation
The film will feature original live-action footage with new animation

In 1979, exterior scenes were shot in Cambridge but when the time came to film in the studio, the production ground to a halt. A technicians' strike had disrupted the schedules, and Christmas shows such as the Morecambe and Wise special were given priority.

Shada was intended to be the end of the 17th series of Doctor Who, but was abandoned until this year when Charles Norton, a producer, decided to revive it for BBC Worldwide.

The new production is a mixture of digitally-remastered original scenes and animated segments voiced by the same actors, and features Baker both then and now. All new lines are taken from Adams's original script.

Asked why he had returned to the role of Doctor Who for the cameo, Baker said: "Because it never left me, and that's why I can't stay away from it. It was a lovely time in my life."

Baker played the fourth Doctor from 1974 to 1981 and is regularly voted fans' favourite Timelord. He married Ward in 1980, although they divorced less than two years later. In 2013, he was cast in a Doctor Who episode as a curator in the National Gallery.

Daniel Hill, who was at the beginning of his acting career when he was cast in Shada, said he was thrilled to see it on screen at last.

"I was just 23 when we started it, and I'm now 61. It was a wonderful thing to be on, so when we were hit by the strike it was a real blow. To see it completed is fantastic," he said.

Reuniting with the cast to record voiceovers for the animated scenes was emotional, he added. "There are some casts you can't wait to get away from. But we all got along like a house on fire."

Hill met his wife, Olivia, on the set - she was a production assistant - and they have three children. He can finally prove to them that he has a Doctor Who credit on his CV. "The kids used to say to me, 'You weren't in Doctor Who,' and I'd say, 'I was!'"

Modern special effects have been added, but will not look out of place - they have been given a suitably 1970s look. K9 also appears with his voiceover pieced together from old dialogue as the artist who voiced him, David Brierly, died in 2008.

The film is available as a digital download, via iTunes and other outlets, from today. It is out on DVD on December 4, with a special screening at the British Film Institute on December 2.

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