Rare Doctor Who Shada scripts up for auction
Scripts for the Tom Baker series that never aired are up for sale – with annotations from original director Pennant Roberts
Long lost Doctor Who scripts written by Douglas Adams and found after 40 years are set to be sold at auction.
The rare batch of scripts from the Hitchhiker's Guide author tell the tale of Shada, a story of the six-episode serial that was only partly put to camera.
It was supposed to be the last Doctor Who series in the show’s 1979-1980 season, but a strike at the BBC stopped filming. However, the story was finished last year using remastered footage, animation, voice work from the original cast and a surprise cameo from an older Tom Baker.
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The series followed the Doctor (Baker), Time Lady Romana (Lalla Ward) and K-9 as they fought Skagra, a villainous geneticist determined to steal the secrets of Shada, a high-security prison built by the Time Lords.
So, how much are the scripts going for? Auctioneer Rogers Jones Co provides a guide price of £200-£400.
The scripts come with pencilled-in notes from Shada director Pennant Roberts, who died in 2010. The scripts were donated by his widow Betsan Roberts in order to raise money for homeless charity Shelter Cymru.
The auction is taking place this Friday at the Cardiff Saleroom, South Wales. Find out more details about the event here.
Authors
Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.