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Doctor Who's Lost Episode 'Shada' Rediscovered in Cambridge
12 Sep
Summary
- Unfinished Doctor Who episodes from 1979 were filmed in Cambridge.
- Tom Baker struggled with punting, often falling into the River Cam.
- BBC strike action in 1979 led to the abandonment of the 'Shada' episodes.
Doctor Who's lost 1979 Cambridge filming of 'Shada' has become a legendary tale for fans. The production, featuring the fourth Doctor, Tom Baker, faced challenges, including Baker's difficulty with punting on the River Cam. His struggles even required assistance from a college porter.
The storyline placed the Doctor in Cambridge to thwart an alien threat to the prison planet Shada. However, BBC strike action in 1979 abruptly halted studio filming, leaving the episodes unfinished and abandoned for decades.
These incomplete 'Shada' fragments were later repurposed for the 1983 20th-anniversary TV movie, 'The Five Doctors.' Tom Baker, who had initially declined to participate, ultimately had his salvaged footage included.
Thirty-six years after its initial abandonment, 'Shada' was finally completed. Tom Baker and co-star Lalla Ward re-recorded missing lines, with new visuals created through animation, leading to its release in 2017.
