New details of lost Doctor Who movie revealed

The projects were unconnected to the BBC series which inspired them and never reached the same heights of success, but nevertheless, producer Milton Subotsky had a third entry in mind which he worked on for many years.

His sons, Sergei and Dmitri, unveiled the long-thought lost plans for that instalment at a BFI screening this week, which would have been titled 'Dr Who's Greatest Adventure' – although the character's arch-enemies are nowhere to be seen.

Instead, this feature would have followed two versions of Dr Who (as he was known in these films) fighting an army of giant, flesh-eating crabs who suddenly emerge from the ocean.

If that doesn't sound like an idea ripped from the franchise rulebook, that's because it isn't.

Rather, the story is based on a pulp horror story from writer Guy N Smith called Night of the Crabs, which the elder Subotsky had been eager to adapt for the screen, but had struggled to do so for logistical reasons.

Merging the project with a third Doctor Who movie was essentially a last-ditch effort to get it made, but alas, Dr Who's Greatest Adventure never came to fruition.

Subotsky had some bold casting ideas for the project, however, planning to swap out Cushing for either Jon Pertwee or Tom Baker, while pairing them with a younger, less established actor of his choosing.

Alas, the wacky pitch is destined to never make it to the screen, although both preceding films from Subotsky have now been restored in 4K Ultra HD.

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