The animated version of largely-missing story, The Abominable Snowmen, will be released on DVD and Blu-ray early next month.
The six-part serial’s release date has been confirmed by retailers like Amazon, stating it’ll be come out on 5th September 2022. In the UK, at least.
This could very well be the last animated missing story too, after the plug was seemingly pulled; indeed, this Second Doctor tale has been a while coming, despite being teased all the way back in March 2021 alongside The Evil of the Daleks. Most presumed that the animations would continue until all the 1960s gaps were filled; now, it sounds like BBC America, which co-funded the projects with BBC Studios, receded the agreement.
Then again, that’s an unconfirmed rumour, and even if true, the BBC could still be looking for another party to help fund them.
Either way, at least we’re getting The Abominable Snowmen.
Here’s the synopsis:
In the 17th century, an old Tibetan friend of the Doctor’s reached out and touched the mind of an alien disembodied energy, known only as the Great Intelligence, giving it a conduit to Earth.
300 years later, the Doctor revisits the Himalayas because he wants to return the Holy Ghanta, an ancient relic he was given many centuries ago by the grateful monks and their Master, Padmasambhava, at Det-Sen Monastery. On arriving however, the Doctor is treated as a villain – blamed for a series of brutal murders in the area. Jamie and Victoria meanwhile discover the true culprits – the previously peaceful Yeti that live in seclusion on the mountainside have apparently turned violent.
The Doctor must convince the monks that not only is he not their enemy, but the real foe – and the power controlling the Yeti – is living amongst them.
Most of the original 1967 master recordings of the six-part adventure The Abominable Snowmen were lost soon after the programme’s original transmission. However, audio-only recordings of all the episodes have survived and have been used here to create six brand new fully animated presentations of this lost classic, as well as the one surviving segment, Episode Two.
And here’s what the DVDs and Blu-rays include:
- Episodes 1-6 (Animated Black & White)
- Episodes 1-6 (Animated Colour)
- Restored Surviving Original Episode 2
- Photographic Reconstructions of Episodes 1, 3, 4, 5 & 6
- Making-of Documentary
- Audio Commentaries
- 8mm Home Movie Footage
- Archive interview with writer Mervyn Haisman
- Photo Gallery
- Teaser Trailer
- PDF ROM Content
Plus, check out the awesome steelbook art:
The Abominable Snowmen will be available on DVD, Blu-ray, and steelbook.
