While the episode’s original footage may be lost, the ‘60sDoctor Whostory “The Savages” is set to be brought back to life as the next classic animated recreation for the sci-fi series. The long-running BBC sci-fi series was first led by William Hartnell from 1963 to 1966, who portrayed the first incarnation of the Time Lord in the first series.A number of itsearliestDoctor Whoepisodes were lostdue to past practices, leading to a concerted effort by officials of the organization and fans to reclaim any surviving footage for preservation.
Following the partly-animated recreation of “The Celestial Toymaker” being released on home media, theofficialDoctor Whowebsitehas confirmed that another story from Hartnell’s tenure will bebrought back to life with a four-part animated reconstruction of “The Savages.“TheofficialDoctor WhoYouTubechannel also uploaded a trailer. Check it out below:
Airing in May and June 1966, the story saw the Doctor, Dodo (Jackie Lane), and Steven (Peter Purves) visit aworld in the far future dividedbetween a seemingly idyllic, advanced civilization and a more primitive roaming group. It is soon revealed that the conflict isn’t as clear as initially presented. “The Savages” marks the final regular appearance of Purves, with Steven staying behind in the world to help find peace between the two civilizations.
All four parts of the original serial will be recreated in animation, with the surviving original audio of the episodes being used to provide dialogue for its cast. The storywill be released on Blu-ray and DVD in Spring 2025, with the home release including behind-the-scenes features and an alternate black and white edit to match the original format.
What The Savages Reconstruction Means For Future Doctor Who Reconstructions
The First Doctor’s Era Has The Potential For Several Full Recreations
While it’s not the first classicDoctor Whoserial to receive a full animated reconstruction, “The Savages” is the first story of Hartnell’s tenure as the First Doctor to be fully revived in animation. Currently,seven stories from Hartnell’s era have yet to receive animated recreations, with six of these adventures being respective episodes missing. As such, with “The Savages” following the recreation of “The Celestial Toymaker,” it is clear that there is a concerted effort to round out the First Doctor’s efforts.
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However, it is hard to determine when or what the next recreation will be, or when it will be released. While complete audio recordings of several missing episodes exist, stories such as “The Crusade” and “The Daleks Master Plan” still lack audio from several parts, whileanimation takes time to produce. As such, while efforts to recover any missing stories are still ongoing, it is likely that either “Marco Polo,” “The Myth Makers,” “The Massacre,” or “The Smugglers” could be the next to get the animation treatment.
Our Thoughts On “The Savage’s” Animated Reconstruction
Purves Made A Return ToDoctor WhoIn 2023
With Purves having recently been reintroduced to audiences through theTales of the TARDISspin-off in 2023, it is clear why “The Savages” was selected as the nextDoctor Whoanimated reconstruction. Alongside the surviving audio, many may desire to see just how the universe left the former astronaut once he departed from the TARDIS.
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Furthermore, animated recreation for “The Savages” will also be appreciated by longtime fans as avital step in preserving the show’s history. While some stories may never be fully recreated, since recovering long-lost episodes becomes more difficult as time passes, every preservedDoctor Whoepisode is a welcome addition to all collections.
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Doctor Who: Released on July 08, 2025, this series follows the Doctor and their companion as they journey across time and space, encountering a range of extraordinary friends and adversaries, expanding the universe of the long-running British science fiction series.
