Doctor Who ReAnimated!

Two lost episodes recreated for DVD release.

We're delighted to announce that in November, 1968's Cyber-epic The Invasion will be released on DVD - including fully-animated recreations of two missing episodes, by world-renowned studio Cosgrove Hall.

This Invasion stars Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor in a battle with the Cybermen. Episodes One and Four from this eight-part story have long been missing from the BBC's archives, but the soundtracks survived.

Sophie Walpole, head of the BBC's Interactive Drama & Entertainment division, explained the thinking behind the project. "In the year that the Cyberman have returned to Doctor Who, it seemed a good idea to complete one of their finest outings from the 1960s," she said. "We have found a unique and innovative way of presenting this classic adventure with new animation fitted to the lovingly restored soundtrack."

Cosgrove Hall's Lead Animator Steve Maher found the job of recreating a black and white TV adventure "a slightly surreal experience", but explained that animating Patrick Troughton's Doctor was a real treat. "He has a wonderfully animatable face, so he was a gift. Baddies are invariably more fun to depict than the good guys so the sneering, unblinking Tobias Vaughn was a lot of fun, too."

The company had previously worked on the 40th anniversary Doctor Who story, and have been able to significantly advance the techniques they developed for The Invasion.

View a 30 second teaser for The Invasion Reanimated.

Send us your comment now. We'll publish the best on this page.

I LIKE DR WHO
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Mark
I have only just watched this and I have to say it's fantastic! PLEASE BBC...PLEASE PLEASE DO SOME MORE before I'm old and grey. Loved it.

Accessndx
The animation is brilliant! With the shear volume of Doctor Who fans it would be insanity not to issue more of the old series re-animated.

The Marcness
The animation of the missing episodes is beautiful and one can only hope that the BBC are going to give all the "Incomplete" stories the same treatment. Dalek Masterplan next perhaps.....??

Eugene
It a good idea to a animated film to soundtracks because it might be useless listening to sountrack on it own. please do a reanimated of the Planet Planet with William Hartnell regenerated into Patrick Troughton.

Jaybull
I think that recreating the lost episodes with cartons is brilliant!! I truly hope that they do something similar for all of the lost episodes. I know that I would buy dvd's of cartoon recreations!

Ray
Everyone involved needs to be commended. Bring us more restorations of these lost golden moments.

geoffrey
wow and cool

Trey
Thank you so much for this brilliant idea. It is so wonderful to see these lost episodes reproduced in animated format. I am truly grateful for the effort so many have people have worked at to produce these animated episodes. Please continue this brilliant trend and perhaps one day, all the lost episodes will be available in animated form.

Robert
I think this is a brilliant idea! The animation is amazing! This should be done to the Dalek episodes of the 2nd Dr's adventures!

Leigh Parry
Just watched the episodes, the animation is brilliant, after a couple of minutes your'e into the story so much it's fantastic. Very enjoyable. I hope you continue with other missing episodes. Thankyou.

Harry Edmonds
I can't believe it. The Invasion is finally on DVD. Whats better is that the two lost episodes have been reanimated. This is wonderful considering the rare release of DVD in the Troughton era. GO BBC!

David Crocker
I think that this is a wonderful idea in fact I would love to see this applied to some of the Hartnell series as well,or some of the radio shows the entire series could benifit from this ,even if you only had the script the show could be recreated using this medium. It has a great potential if applied wisly.

ed
Looks pretty good, Maybe they should make the rest of it like this as well.. I love Doctor Who, but the effects back then were very sub-par with today. I think that they sould do new animated storys with old Doctors...That would be Fantastic.

Henry Kneebone
Exellent work!! The best animations i have ever seen. You should make animation movies for all of the lost doctor who episodes. Top notch!

Benamon Tame
The Teaser looks excellent and really captures the feel of the story.Hopefully someone will run with this idea and we could see an animated Dr who, there is enough good stories from the New Adventures alone dying to be made!

Donald Rilea
Very dark, atmospheric and Expressionitic preview. Conveys the right amount of the story and the Cybermen menace, without giving away too much. If the rest of the animated episodes in this story cycle are done half as well, the DVD should well be worth the purchase price.

Steve
What a lovely idea! Though from what I could tell from the 22-second "thirty-second" trailer, a little misleading to describe it as 'fully' animated. Danger Mouse had more animation.

shaun
its very clever but will never replace the real one

John Wilkinson.
Excellent idea - very accurate reading of client demand.

CyberScott
I said in my comments regarding Cyberman Scorpius that that CD was the best Cyber fiction since The Invasion. What a treat that the very best Cybermen story EVER is being released. With the recreation of episodes 1 & 4 this will be a couple of discs to treasure. Well done.

Jonathan
Brilliant! Just what the Doctor ordered.

philip stothert
stunning and excellent animation

con
It was alright i didnt like the fact that it was a cartoon

David
The idea of putting animation to the origional soundtrack of missing Dr Who stories is great. Something Dr Who fans have been dreaming of for years. I very much hope this is not a one off and that all the missing episodes will be done and released on DVD!

Paul
i think you could have made the trailer a bit longer.Apart from that it looks excellent!!

Shaun Charlton
Cybertastic! Never has a 30 second trailer whetted my appetite so much in anticipation for the full release.Roll on November!

Paul McGowan
Excellent news, the animation stills and the 30 second trailer i've seen look absolutely amazing. I cant wait to see this. I do hope the BBC realise that they should have Cosgrove hall animate ALL of the lost stories they could even make some of the dodgier ones look halfway decent!

david i
Although, as a gut feeling, I don't think I'm convinced by the idea, given that the originals are gone, then why not try? I'm prepared to give it a whirl.

Kirk
The trailer has me convinced that this is the way to bring the missing episodes of Doctor Who back for everyone to enjoy. Bravo! I hope this is only the first of many animated recreations.

Cheuk38
This is a great idea. I hope they do the same thing with stories e.g. Tenth Planet and Ice Warriors.

Andy
Fantastic news. The classics re-invented, lets hope there is more planned after this one.

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