Reacting to recent claims by Phil Morris that the junking of BBC material continued into 1981, Paul Vanezis has confirmed that material was indeed destroyed by the Beeb at Villiers House up to that date and shockingly that Doctor Who was amongst the films destroyed.
Speaking at the Missing Episodes Forums, Mr Vanezis stated that the junkings continued past the long established date of 1978 in an unofficial capacity and that one member of staff was “vindictive enough” to gloat about their role in the junking of material until being reprimanded by the BBC. Doctor Who was amongst the programmes that were indeed junked during this period but whether this included episodes and material that is now considered missing from the archives is currently unknown.
Paul also highlighted one fan who worked at the Villiers House facility at the time who would anonymously send endangered Doctor Who to Sue Malden following the directive to end the process of junking.
The Villiers House junkings of material from the show began in 1972 and have commonly believed to have ended in 1978 when restrictions on buying episodes were lifted, prompting Ian Levine to inquire as to the state of the archives. Disappointed at what was named, Levine arranged a trip to Villiers House after hearing a rumour of more Doctor Who being stored at the facility. Ian found 79 episodes, many which didn’t exist in the BBC’s newly formed Film & Videotape Library, his quick reaction saving them from scheduled junking the next day.
The revelation that junkings continued for another three years adds a new dark and saddening epilogue to what was already a dark chapter in the history of British television.
