Missing Words

TV Ian 'missing episode' Levine announced that something interesting would be happening on today's Blue Peter at the Restoration Team website. Wild speculation ensued that a new old episode had actually been found, with hopes pinned on The Tenth Planet Part Four (presumably because of the cyberman connection). In the event it turned out to be the announcement of a missing episode appeal, asking viewers to check their attics and friends for one of the Doctor's lost adventures with the enticement of a life-sized Dalek as a reward. Although I missed the programme it sounds like the kind of scheme that might work, although I dread to think how many hoaxes the BP office is going to field from kids who've knocked off a vhs copy of The Web Planet from their dad's dvd.

Elsewhere, if you've got a spare forty-five minutes I can definitely recommend Robert Shearman's new Radio Four play, Odd, which was broadcast this afternoon and will be available to Listen Again for the next week. It's the story of a man who loses the power of rational communication and finds himself losing his sense of identity. Similar in feel to his Unbound Big Finish play Deadline, it's also conceptualy similar to the early Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode Babel, with a smidge more extistentialism and tragedy. I really hope he'll be back for series three, although lets face it, if his single contribution to television Who will be Dalek, that's pretty good going.