TMC
03-12-2023, 07:06 PM
https://www.looper.com/1220563/shada-the-history-of-douglas-adams-infamous-lost-doctor-who-episode/
BY ADAM LEVINE/MARCH 11, 2023 9:15 PM EST
The iconic British science fiction series "Doctor Who" has been living in the hearts and minds of fans for six decades. The series has gifted pop culture with some of the most iconic heroes, villains, and indelible images, such as the Daleks, the Cybermen, and the Doctor's big blue police box — the TARDIS. The "Classic Doctor Who Era," which stretches from 1963 to 1989, includes a number of famous stories, from "The War Games" and "The Genesis of the Daleks," to "The Tomb of the Cybermen."
But few episodes are as downright legendary as "Shada," a six-part serial that nobody has ever seen in its entirety. That's because in the fall of 1979, production was shut down midway through filming due to a labor strike. "Shada" is more than just any ordinary unseen installment; it features Tom Baker — arguably the best Doctor in "Doctor Who" history — and was written by renowned sci-fi author Douglas Adams, who died in 2001. In the decades since, many efforts have been made to revive the serial, including book adaptations, animated versions, and audio dramas, to varying results.
The troubled production and labyrinthine history of "Shada" has been well-chronicled thanks to its legendary status in the "Doctor Who" saga. It was even the subject of its own half-hour documentary in 2013 titled "Taken Out of Time." But we've taken a journey through time and space ourselves, from 1979 to today, to provide a comprehensive look back at "Shada" — a lost episode of "Doctor Who."
BY ADAM LEVINE/MARCH 11, 2023 9:15 PM EST
The iconic British science fiction series "Doctor Who" has been living in the hearts and minds of fans for six decades. The series has gifted pop culture with some of the most iconic heroes, villains, and indelible images, such as the Daleks, the Cybermen, and the Doctor's big blue police box — the TARDIS. The "Classic Doctor Who Era," which stretches from 1963 to 1989, includes a number of famous stories, from "The War Games" and "The Genesis of the Daleks," to "The Tomb of the Cybermen."
But few episodes are as downright legendary as "Shada," a six-part serial that nobody has ever seen in its entirety. That's because in the fall of 1979, production was shut down midway through filming due to a labor strike. "Shada" is more than just any ordinary unseen installment; it features Tom Baker — arguably the best Doctor in "Doctor Who" history — and was written by renowned sci-fi author Douglas Adams, who died in 2001. In the decades since, many efforts have been made to revive the serial, including book adaptations, animated versions, and audio dramas, to varying results.
The troubled production and labyrinthine history of "Shada" has been well-chronicled thanks to its legendary status in the "Doctor Who" saga. It was even the subject of its own half-hour documentary in 2013 titled "Taken Out of Time." But we've taken a journey through time and space ourselves, from 1979 to today, to provide a comprehensive look back at "Shada" — a lost episode of "Doctor Who."