What do you think is the best way to experience/consume the missing episodes? Note: This is a single-choice poll.
- Recon
- Audio Soundtrack
- Novelization
- Animation
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voters
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If bbc animation available is a good choice for many wanting to explore older Doctor Who. Always nice checking out scripts, novels, recons bbc and loose cannon, other recons etc….
Something for everyone if they are interested in the missing episodes.
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Best way to experience a missing episode is to time travel back to the broadcast day, watch it live, and tape a copy.
Alternatively, time travel to after it was broadcast but before it was missing, swipe the tape, replace with a blank tape, watch the tape, then turn it into the BBC in modern times for everyone else to watch.
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I admit that the animations are great, even if the styles are a bit of a mixed bag. Moving is always better than static. That said, I have never actually watched a recon. I always went with the audio soundtracks with the linking narration (and then watched the actual episode if one had been recovered).
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The problem with this idea is that you can’t rewrite history. Not one line!
Seriously, though, I find the animations to be the best way to experience the missing episodes. The problem with the recons is that they vary greatly in quality depending on the level of telesnaps and other photo material available, which is very limited for some stories. I do find some of the earlier animations a bit clunky, though, before they found a more consistent style, so they can also vary in quality a bit.
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You aren’t rewriting history. If you stole the tape, you’re probably the reason it was missing in the first place.
(Did you know the reason Monty Python’s episodes aren’t missing is because one of the Pythons either bought or stole the tapes when he heard they were going to be wiped?)
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Good point! I simply couldn’t resist using one of the Doctor’s iconic lines there.
Sorry for going off topic, but: I did actually know that (God bless them; they did a huge service to mankind!). My dad’s a huge Python fan, so I grew up watching The Flying Circus and the movies, and I’ve read up on them quite a bit over the years. They’re legendary!
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I like the animations but I find the best way for me to experience the missing episodes is through recons that include linking narration
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I think most here are probably aware of the missing episodes that there are from the 60s. Especially Season 3, 4 and 5 are effected by it. Thankfully, since the Audio survives, there have been many attempts to recreate those stories. The most famous being Telesnaps Recons (basically Snapshots from the Episode with the surviving bits thrown in there, most famous ones are from loose cannon), The Animations and Audios where an Actor who played the Companion would narrate you through the Story.
Since all those three formats basically have almost all the story available (besides the Animation, which is still missing some stories), I’d wonder which out of the three options are you going with when watching those Stories?
Personally, I go for the telesnaps recons mainly. While I appreciate and always support/respect the Animation. (Evil and Macra have some wonderful Animation!) With some Stories I do rather go through the Recons, an example being Fury of the Deep, which has an Artstyle I feel like that doesn’t fit the Story at all.
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Personally i’m for animation but some of the early attempts can be rough. The Loose Cannon recons are ok if you cann multitask while watching them. Audios for me only work with narration.
The book adaptations could be a good option but that can be time consuming.
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Very good point! As I said too personally, while I go for the recons more, Animations such as Evil or Macra are so good, that I don’t have to watch the Loose Cannon recons of those Stories anymore. With the older Animation, while they can be rough for sure, I think for filling the small gasp in those Stories they work fine enough for me.
Hopefully one day the Animation Option is available for every story would love to see some good ones for Stories such as “Daleks Masterplan”!
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I flip and flop on this constantly. Back in the Wilderness Years I loved getting the recons and experiencing missing episodes.
More recently, though, I find they tend to put me to sleep (middle age will get you like that) and I sometimes end up with just the soundtrack in my headphones.
I’m working my way through the animations having bought them but not having watched many of them yet.
I really enjoyed The Power of the Daleks as an animation, but I also thought the official recon on that was really good (and had so many existing clips - more than I realised).
I’m hugely looking forward to all the others but I’m not sure how I feel about them. I watched the Galaxy 4 one and I wasn’t massively convinced it reflected the story as well as it could but still enjoyed it for what it was.
I can’t wait for the Celestal Toymaker - that one looks mad!
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Personally, I went with the audio in my big watch-through and substituted existing episodes or animation when it existed. Also, there is another thread that’s similar to this one: Best Way to Experience Missing Episodes
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That’s very fair! Excited to hear your thoughts when you get around the Evil Animation! And yeah Galaxy 4 was an interesting experiment, a bit more creative liberties, which depending on the Person can be a good or bad Thing. As it is, its intriguing for sure, even if I am not in love with it.
Excited about the Toymaker one, might go a similar creative liberty route but it may enhance the Story for me.
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It’s definitely doing that - but if you can’t do that with Toymaker, what can you do it with!
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I think it’s hard to put the traditional reconstructions against the animations because the two come with very different goals. The reconstructions are all about recreating what was lost, while the animations are - or at least have been since 2016 - about creating something new out of the missing episodes. I think they’re very different kinds of experience for it.
My recommendation for a new viewer is easily the animations, because they’re great and easier for someone to adjust to, but it’d be a shame for the recons to go entirely disregarded.
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I find the animations and novelizations worthy but if we catch them on you tube like The Reign of Terror, or have read The Highlanders will that and novelizations be counted as watched for a badge.
I read The Daleks Master Plan some Years ago but You will all know I havent SEEN it. 
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I’m looking to finally watch Seasons 3 and 4 of classic. I know there’s a LOT missing in season 3! What’s the best way to experience these episodes? Original audio with linking narration, books, audiobooks, telesnap reconstructions, animated versions?
Animation is usually my first choice. I know I can watch Galaxy 4 animated, and just watched The Celestial Toymaker.
But how to experience the rest of season 3? Thankfully a huge chunk of season 4 has been animated so I’ll have to order those soon. And I have the Tenth Planet and Highlanders target novels.
I want to experience The Dalek’s Master Plan - but which version first? It’s expensive to get the books, but I can listen to the audiobooks with my Spotify subscription. I also have access to the original audio with linking narration. I’m not sure where to find any reconstructions though. Is there a version you prefer?
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There is already a thread along similar lines. I’m going to merge these threads together.
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I prefer the animations, but I will watch the recons for the few that don’t have it.
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