I am posting this here in the Trading Post forum because, well, nobody reads the Spin-Offs and One Year Wonders forum. Anyway, as some of you may know, I run a website dedicated to forgotten or obscure television shows. As I work on an overhaul of my site I have finally decided to create a section focusing on television shows that are missing episodes (either they were presumed destroyed or have since been lost in the shuffle between archives).

What I am asking all of you fine people to do is simple: post the names of any shows that you think are missing episodes. I do not mean shows that you have not been able to find episodes on in the tape trading circuit. I mean shows that may actually be missing episodes, like the British Doctor Who, which is missing 108 episodes (they were wiped by the BBC in the 1960s and 1970s).

So far, the list I have compiled is small. Mostly because this sort of information is hard to come by (which is why I am devoting a few pages to raising awareness to this issue). I am currently going through the Library of Congress website compiling lists of episodes from anthology shows from the 1940s and 1950s that exist. Here is the list:

The Americans: five or six exist, UCLA and private collectors
Blondie (1968): two episodes exist, the pilot and one unidentified episode
My Living Doll: nine exist, six at UCLA and three additional episodes in the hands of private collectors
Turnabout: one episode, potentially the pilot
The Tab Hunter Show: three episodes exist, private collectors
Mr. Terrific: all but one episode exist; many are German dubs

The major problem with figuring out which episodes of which shows exist is a lack of information. For example, I thought for many years that only one episode of The New People existed. However, all the episodes were donated to the UCLA Film & Television Collection by ABC. Additionally, for many years fans of Coronet Blue had no idea which episodes existed. The Library of Congress has them all, including the two that were unaired. Until they were added to the database, however, not many people knew where they were.

So, go through your want and have lists, check with your friends, post at other forums and groups, and let me know what you come up with. The British have been very successful regarding missing episodes. I think this could be a good start for us Americans, eh?

Riverboat - Witness No Evil with Vincent Price

Bourbon Street Beat - Deadly Persuasion; Wagon Show

Lawman - Hassayampa; Blind Hate; The Tarnished Badge

John
JMas493@aol.com

I might clarify the situation as regards Mr. Terrific.

Yes, it's true that we now have 16 of the 17 episodes. It is also true that most of them are only available in the German dubbed format.

For a long time I worried that we'd never see most of these eps again, but now I'm a little more optomistic. My friend in Germany informed me that at one point, a few years back, the show was being run in German and in English on SAP. Unfortunately, she never even got to see any of the English airings, but they evidently do exist in English.

As for the missing episode, Mr. Big Curtsies Out, it is indeed possible that it no longer exists, but I rather doubt it. There is always the chance we may find a print someday.

Not sure this qualifies-

But for a long time I saougth after "dead of night"

and was told the episodes were destroyed-the original copies.

Does that qualify as "missing"

I know a lot of times master prints were accidentally destroyed on old shows
HOWEVER, 99% of the time
SOMEWHERE there is a copy
maybe on a local network affiliate print or kinescope or old vhs tape or so on

BUT they can be very very hard to locate

Riverboat - Witness No Evil with Vincent Price

Bourbon Street Beat - Deadly Persuasion; Wagon Show

Lawman - Hassayampa; Blind Hate; The Tarnished Badge

John
JMas493@aol.com

knock off the tarnished badge from lawman

i just got a copy

is out there
it just takes a long time to find it

BUT I AM SURE THAT Even stuff like CHECKING IN, someone out there has it in some format

I have only seen about 10 episodes of The Good Guys out of 42 in the trading market. All but one I have is in black and white even though its a color series.

I AM still seeking out episodes # 28 of CRAPOLA THEATRE--- Johnny Eats his Toenails

if anyone can find it

Not sure if this show exist since it's 31 years old and never been in syndication.

"Hot L Baltimore"

I know b/c a few years back I wrote Norman Lear a letter and asked a lot of questions about some of his lost shows, and he replied back with a 3 page reply and YES he confirmed that it DOES exist, the original copies have not been lost

BUT good luck on ever getting them to see the light of day

Maybe these shows are no longer in existence


"Mr. T and Tina

AES Hudson Street

Detective School

Anybody ever seen "Leave it to Larry" with Eddie Albert? I haven't seen anybody to have that either.

i have seen 3 or 4 eps on vhs on some lists in the past, quality was low though, 6 of 10 so i passed
but a few at least are floating about

Anybody ever seen "Leave it to Larry" with Eddie Albert? I haven't seen anybody to have that either.


That show is probably gone. It's lasted only 2 months in 1952

i have seen 3 or 4 eps on vhs on some lists in the past, quality was low though, 6 of 10 so i passed
but a few at least are floating about


Why did you pass? And when u say in the past do you mean 2005?

That show is probably gone. It's lasted only 2 months in 1952

yeah, that is what I assumed. To bad though, it sounds like an interesting concept.

Why did you pass? And when u say in the past do you mean 2005?


no, this was like 2002/2003 or so, it was on a list of a guy who had an ad in the back of goldmine, dont recall who

i passed b/c the quality was bad, and i didnt know how rare it was then, BUT it is out there so keep looking

:wave:

no, this was like 2002/2003 or so, it was on a list of a guy who had an ad in the back of goldmine, dont recall who

i passed b/c the quality was bad, and i didnt know how rare it was then, BUT it is out there so keep looking

:wave:



How many years have you been trading?

tv--- ive been trading about a year or so

BUT i collected long before that

i used to buy stuff out of the back ads of goldmine and toyfair and such for years

BUT i only in the last year or so got really into trading and became aware of trading sites

(i guess im behind the times) but i used to just buy on vhs tapes through the mail and collect that way

:p

as hard as it may be to believe (and it makes me sound like a real dork) I didnt even own a computer til about 2004!

and I was in the military until then, and moved around a lot and maybe I didnt have the time to learn how to use it or to seek out trades and all

BUT when I became a civilian again, luckilly I stumbled upon this site

and the rest is history

:wave:

tv--- ive been trading about a year or so

BUT i collected long before that

i used to buy stuff out of the back ads of goldmine and toyfair and such for years

BUT i only in the last year or so got really into trading and became aware of trading sites

(i guess im behind the times) but i used to just buy on vhs tapes through the mail and collect that way

:p


Going by your collection I thought you were trading for about 10 years

Going by your collection I thought you were trading for about 10 years


this is a common misconception--

i mean, look at some of the bigger lists, like mine or Lorens (who is a fairly recent trader also), if u hustle and want to, u can compile a fairly large list quickly
I have bought some sets, I wont like--- sometimes I will buy rare sets from people who dont trade, or from online auctions
but 99% of the stuff i traded for

This is something that some newer traders do not seem to understand

I get a lot of emails from people and they send me lists, and they expect that Just because they have something that I dont, THAT SOMEHOW, I MUST WANT IT and they get offended when I say no thanks, also Most traders and myself included do NOT trade for copies of retails sets.... 99% of the time
so if u email me a list with 50 retail sets on it, Im gonna pass---

thats just how it is, nothing personal, BUT ive reached a point, where I cannot take in everything that is out there, and a lot of it (retail, cartoons) I generally do not want

there are some traders who ONLY collect shows they like and a specific genre, that is fine

there are some traders who collect a lot of stuff (like me), that is some I like, some I want for other trades, and some that I will never watch or dupe or trade at all

BUT if you want to compile a large list, you can do so in a few months or a year, just by looking around and hustling and digging up a couple of sets that are harder to come by and then trading them for other stuff and building a pyramid

PLUS i have an advantage b/c i used to tape 100s of shows myself, and i convert some from old vhs tapes

this is a common misconception--

i mean, look at some of the bigger lists, like mine or Lorens (who is a fairly recent trader also), if u hustle and want to, u can compile a fairly large list quickly
I have bought some sets, I wont like--- sometimes I will buy rare sets from people who dont trade, or from online auctions
but 99% of the stuff i traded for

This is something that some newer traders do not seem to understand

I get a lot of emails from people and they send me lists, and they expect that Just because they have something that I dont, THAT SOMEHOW, I MUST WANT IT and they get offended when I say no thanks, also Most traders and myself included do NOT trade for copies of retails sets.... 99% of the time
so if u email me a list with 50 retail sets on it, Im gonna pass---

thats just how it is, nothing personal, BUT ive reached a point, where I cannot take in everything that is out there, and a lot of it (retail, cartoons) I generally do not want

there are some traders who ONLY collect shows they like and a specific genre, that is fine

there are some traders who collect a lot of stuff (like me), that is some I like, some I want for other trades, and some that I will never watch or dupe or trade at all

BUT if you want to compile a large list, you can do so in a few months or a year, just by looking around and hustling and digging up a couple of sets that are harder to come by and then trading them for other stuff and building a pyramid

PLUS i have an advantage b/c i used to tape 100s of shows myself, and i convert some from old vhs tapes



So when u reject trade offers do you tel the person what type of shows u are looking for? Well I guess you wouldn't have to because your Want list is posted on your site. But since I remember the days when I was a newbie and was turned down all the time I try to let traders know what kind of shows I'm looking for instead of just saying I see nothing I need from you. I was so pissed at rejections when I was a newbie

Not sure this qualifies-

But for a long time I saougth after "dead of night"

and was told the episodes were destroyed-the original copies.

Does that qualify as "missing"

Yes, that counts. Although it was a British series, not one from the States. For a list of various British shows that are missing episodes, see this (http://missing-episodes.com/) website.

I know a lot of times master prints were accidentally destroyed on old shows
HOWEVER, 99% of the time
SOMEWHERE there is a copy
maybe on a local network affiliate print or kinescope or old vhs tape or so on

BUT they can be very very hard to locate

I think 99% is a rather unrealistic number especially when you go back to the 1940s and 1950s. The general cut-off for shows existing but being hard to locate seems to be 1970. In other words, it is highly unlikely that any show produced after 1970 saw episodes wiped or misplaced.

I have only seen about 10 episodes of The Good Guys out of 42 in the trading market. All but one I have is in black and white even though its a color series.

I believe The Good Guys was syndicated locally in the United States some years after it originally aired, so I imagine all the episodes are around somewhere.

Not sure if this show exist since it's 31 years old and never been in syndication.

"Hot L Baltimore"

All the episodes are at the UCLA Film & Television archive. Just about any show from the 1960s and 1970s that was aired on ABC is at the UCLA archive (and many from the 1950s).

Anybody ever seen "Leave it to Larry" with Eddie Albert? I haven't seen anybody to have that either.

This might be one of those shows that has slipped through the cracks. A perfect example of an early 1950s series that nobody seems to have kept track of. Supposedly, several of Rod Serling's early television credits are lost (performed live and not kinescoped). Also missing is the third pilot for All in the Family, the first Johnny Carson The Tonight Show (and most of his 1960s shows), the first two Super Bowls ... the list goes on and on.

If I could pick just one show that I hope someone finds a kinescope of in a closet somewhere, I would pick Mary Kay and Johnny. I keep hearing about a short clip having aired on a TV Land special but I have found no confirmation about it existing. If it does, that means more footage could be out there. Mary Kay and Johnny Kearns, the real-life couple behind television's first sitcom, starred in another sitcom following the cancellation of Mary Kay and Johnny. I doubt any footage from that show is known to exist either.

Yes, that counts. Although it was a British series, not one from the States. For a list of various British shows that are missing episodes, see this (http://missing-episodes.com/) website.



I think 99% is a rather unrealistic number especially when you go back to the 1940s and 1950s. The general cut-off for shows existing but being hard to locate seems to be 1970. In other words, it is highly unlikely that any show produced after 1970 saw episodes wiped or misplaced.



I believe The Good Guys was syndicated locally in the United States some years after it originally aired, so I imagine all the episodes are around somewhere.



All the episodes are at the UCLA Film & Television archive. Just about any show from the 1960s and 1970s that was aired on ABC is at the UCLA archive (and many from the 1950s).



This might be one of those shows that has slipped through the cracks. A perfect example of an early 1950s series that nobody seems to have kept track of. Supposedly, several of Rod Serling's early television credits are lost (performed live and not kinescoped). Also missing is the third pilot for All in the Family, the first Johnny Carson The Tonight Show (and most of his 1960s shows), the first two Super Bowls ... the list goes on and on.

If I could pick just one show that I hope someone finds a kinescope of in a closet somewhere, I would pick Mary Kay and Johnny. I keep hearing about a short clip having aired on a TV Land special but I have found no confirmation about it existing. If it does, that means more footage could be out there. Mary Kay and Johnny Kearns, the real-life couple behind television's first sitcom, starred in another sitcom following the cancellation of Mary Kay and Johnny. I doubt any footage from that show is known to exist either.


I know Superbowl 2 doesn't exist.

I know a lot of times master prints were accidentally destroyed on old shows
HOWEVER, 99% of the time
SOMEWHERE there is a copy
maybe on a local network affiliate print or kinescope or old vhs tape or so on

BUT they can be very very hard to locate

That's why I leave shows on my want list. If a knowledgeable collector tells me it's not in existence, I'll make a notation in my database, but leave the show on my want list. Also, if I see something auctioned on Ebay (especially those 16 mm things), again I'll make a note that it DOES exist. You never know when someone who has a 16mm or kinescope will let loose of it or dies & it's sold as part of the estate. Heck, there are even accounts told that a studio didn't even know WHAT they had & just wanted the warehouse cleaned out. Depending upon who's doing the cleaning and/or who's diving the local dumpsters, you just never know what may show up! ;)

I believe The Good Guys was syndicated locally in the United States some years after it originally aired, so I imagine all the episodes are around somewhere.


I read some where that it aired in South America, it might have been your site actualy.

I know Superbowl 2 doesn't exist.

Well, it is not known to exist, but that does not mean a copy is not sitting in a box under someone's bed right now. Which is the whole point of putting together a list of television programs believed to be lost forever. Who knows where a copy of Super Bowl II or the missing All in the Family pilot may be hiding.

My LIving Doll starring My LIving Doll starring Julie Newmar. The story is that the show's creator was so enraged by the failure of hte show that he destroyed msot of the negatives. Only 6 of the 32 episodes are known to exist.

My LIving Doll starring My LIving Doll starring Julie Newmar. The story is that the show's creator was so enraged by the failure of hte show that he destroyed msot of the negatives. Only 6 of the 32 episodes are known to exist.


I have heard that story also,BUT i really dont think it could be true. I mean logically, wouldn't the studio or network own the rights to the show, and if the creator destoryed them in a fit of rage, wouldn't that be a big legal mess?

Also, I would assume they had more than 1 print of the show?

i dont know, but it doesnt make sense to me

:p

Whispering Smith,Audie Murphy's abortive tv western series had loads of problems from the off-including one star breaking his shoulder during filming,causing production to be halted.When it re-started,another cast member committed suicide....all that plus Audie Murphy constantly argued with cast,production team,script writers etc.,and the whole show aired 2 years late!!

All in all a sad tale,and only the pilot episode out of 20 exists-the rest of the negatives were allegedly destroyed.

I have heard that story also,BUT i really dont think it could be true. I mean logically, wouldn't the studio or network own the rights to the show, and if the creator destoryed them in a fit of rage, wouldn't that be a big legal mess?

Also, I would assume they had more than 1 print of the show?

i dont know, but it doesnt make sense to me

:p

Agreed on all counts. I have read that many people have attempted to track down episodes of this series and, despite much effort, the general consensus seems to be that nobody knows just what the heck happened to them. Apparently the son of the creator has denied that his father destroyed any prints.

This is similiar to Gene Roddenberry's 1963-1964 series The Lieutenant. There have been rumors circulating for years that the production company or studio (or someone) destroyed most of the prints. Indeed, only three or so episodes are in the tape trading circuit. However, I believe all 29 episodes are held by the Library of Congress, so either the rumors are false or the destruction of the prints was botched big time.

All in all a sad tale,and only the pilot episode out of 20 exists-the rest of the negatives were allegedly destroyed.

There were also supposedly six episodes that NBC did not air. Thanks for the addition.

not technically an episode, but the Munsters did a special in 1966 called The Munsters at Marineland Carnival. I have seen commercial for it, but I believe the special itself is missing.

A member who used to come here found a pic from it and added it to this thread

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=142637&highlight=Munsters+Marineland

not technically an episode, but the Munsters did a special in 1966 called The Munsters at Marineland Carnival. I have seen commercial for it, but I believe the special itself is missing.

Interesting. Another great addition.