Doctor Who: Lost Second Doctor Serial Being Redone Through Animation
By David Hill
The classic story, ‘The Power of the Daleks,’ may still be lost, but we will get to see a version of the missing Doctor Who serial in due time.
Of all the lost adventures of Doctor Who, perhaps the biggest loss is the serial ‘The Power of the Daleks.’ Not only is this considered one of the greatest stories in the history of the program, but it was noteworthy for showing the first regeneration of the Doctor. Patrick Troughton had taken over, and faced what would come to be the Doctor’s main nemesis, the Daleks, once again.
All that we have left from the original episode, which aired only a single time in England, are a few scenes and film footage shot by a fan. With the original film destroyed in the 1970s, it is understandable how the complete episode one day being found, though highly unlikely, would be eagerly coveted by Whovians. It is a “holy grail,” as Mark Jefferies and Nicola Methven of the Mirror put it.
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Until that happens, we may have the next best thing. BBC Worldwide has approved an unnamed company to create an animated version of ‘The Power of the Daleks,’ bringing the classic adventure back to life once more. While we will not get to see the First Doctor regenerate as he did over fifty years ago, the novelty of the change to the Second Doctor should still be apparent.
It will also be great to see the reactions of the companions to the new Doctor. It may not be the same as seeing their faces as it happened in the original footage, but we should still get a sense of the shock as the grandfatherly First Doctor changed before their eyes. This would certainly be a sight to behold, and the animated recreation may be able to help capture that moment.