Exactly 50 years after its debut on British television, a lost chapter in Doctor Who history will see new life this fall when “The Power of the Daleks” returns as a fully animated production.
The six-part serial – Patrick Troughton’s first full story as the Doctor following original star William Hartnell’s departure – has been reconstructed in animated form using surviving audio recordings and stills not purged by the once-careless BBC. Other lost episodes have been presented with slideshows or limited animation over soundtracks of a missing installment here and there, but “Power of the Daleks” is perhaps the most-missed element of the archives, and it’s restoration the most ambitious by far.
The first installment of “The Power of the Daleks” will be released Nov. 5 via the BBC Shop, and BBC America – which co-commissioned the black-and-white animation – will show it to U.S. audiences Nov. 12 Nov. 19.
