View source for Out of the Unknown (partially found BBC sci-fi series; 1967-1971)

{{InfoboxLost
|title=<center>Out of the Unknown (British sci-fi series)</center>
|image=Out of the unknown title.png
|imagecaption=The series title card from 1967.
|status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>
}}
'''Out of the Unknown''' was a British sci-fi anthology series that aired from 1965-1971 that was produced by BBC and aired on BBC2 in four series. The stories were dramatizations of sci-fi short stories, and while most were of already published stories, some were written for the show. In the show's final year, it transitioned to almost exclusively original horror/fantasy stories, with only one episode ("Deathday") being an adaptation of a pre-existing literary work.

==History==
Like many other BBC shows of the time, during the early 1970s, a number of episodes were wiped so the tapes could be re-used. A total of 49 episodes were produced and aired on BBC2, however, only 20 of these episodes still exist in their entirety, mostly from series 1. There are a few episodes that have small video clips existing, complete audio recordings of episodes, and small audio clips without video of some lost episodes. Off-screen photographs, known as tele-snaps, were taken of many first and second series stories including some of the missing episodes.<ref> [http://zetaminor.com/cult/out_unknown/ootu_clips_guide.htm Archived summary of the remaining clips Retrieved 30 May 2019] </ref>

==Availability==
All of the surviving episodes were released on DVD in November of 2014 by the BFI.<ref> [https://web.archive.org/web/20150220025145/https://www.theartsdesk.com/tv/sci-fi-week-out-unknown Archived discussion of the DVD Retrieved 30 Mary 2019] </ref><ref> [https://www2.bfi.org.uk/blu-rays-dvds/out-unknown-box-set The BFI DVD release Retrieved 25 Feb '22] </ref> Series 1 is the most complete series of the show, with only a scattered handful of episodes from the other three series remaining (four from Series 2, one and a half from Series 3, and five from Series 4).

The only surviving material from the missing episodes are audio extracts, short video clips and productions stills. For example, the end credits exist for "Andover and the Android" and "The Fox and the Forest", sourced from a BBC Graphics Department showreel. Four episodes ("Beach Head", "The Naked Sun", "The Yellow Pill" and "The Uninvited") exist as complete (or almost complete in the case of "The Naked Sun") audio recordings, with the surviving photographs used to reconstruct the episodes for the DVD release. As "The Uninvited" has so few surviving images, the original camera script was instead presented with the surviving audio, an unconventional reconstruction to make the episode somewhat more viewable for the DVD.

Of 49 episodes produced, only 20 and a half remain, with "The Little Black Bag" only existing partially, missing twenty minutes of footage, mainly from the first act.

==Episode List==
===Series 1 ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Episode !!Title !! Airdate!!Status
|-
| align="center" |101||“No Place Like Earth”|| align="center" |4 October 1965|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
| align="center" |102||“The Counterfeit Man”|| align="center" |11 October 1965|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
| align="center" |103||“Stranger in the Family”|| align="center" |18 October 1965|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
| align="center" |104||“The Dead Past”|| align="center" |25 October 1965|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
| align="center" |105 || “Time in Advance”|| align="center" |1 November 1965|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
| align="center" |106||“Come Buttercup, Come Daisy, Come...?” || align="center" |8 November 1965|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
| align="center" | 107||“Sucker Bait” || align="center" |15 November 1965|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
| align="center" | 108||“The Fox and the Forest” || align="center" |22 November 1965|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |109||“Andover and the Android”|| align="center" |29 November 1965|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |110||“Some Lapse of Time”|| align="center" |6 December 1965|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
| align="center" |111||“Thirteen to Centaurus”|| align="center" |13 December 1965|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
| align="center" |112||“The Midas Plague”|| align="center" |20 December 1965|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
|}

===Series 2===
{| class="wikitable"
!Episode!!Title!!Airdate!!Status
|-
| align="center" |201||“The Machine Stops”|| align="center" |6 October 1966|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
| align="center" |202||“Frankenstein Mark 2”|| align="center" |13 October 1966|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |203||“Lambda 1”|| align="center" |20 October 1966|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
| align="center" |204||“Level Seven”|| align="center" |27 October 1966|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
| align="center" |205||“Second Childhood”|| align="center" |10 November 1966|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |206||“The World in Silence”|| align="center" |17 November 1966|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |207||“The Eye”|| align="center" |24 November 1966|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |208||“Tunnel Under the World”|| align="center" |1 December 1966|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
| align="center" |209||“The Fastest Draw”|| align="center" |8 December 1966|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |210||“Too Many Cooks”|| align="center" |15 December 1966|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |211||“Walk's End”|| align="center" |22 December 1966|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |212||“Satisfaction Guaranteed”|| align="center" |29 December 1966|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |213||“The Prophet”|| align="center" |1 January 1967|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
|}

===Series 3===
{| class="wikitable"
!Episode!!Title!!Airdate!!Status
|-
| align="center" |301||“Immortality, Inc.”|| align="center" |7 January 1969|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |302||“Liar!”|| align="center" |14 January 1969|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |303||“The Last Lonely Man”|| align="center" |21 January 1969|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
| align="center" |304||“Beach Head”|| align="center" |28 January 1969|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span> (reconstruction exists)
|-
| align="center" |305||“Something in the Cellar”|| align="center" |4 February 1969|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |306||“Random Quest”|| align="center" |11 February 1969|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |307||“The Naked Sun”|| align="center" |18 February 1969|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span> (reconstruction exists)
|-
| align="center" |308||“The Little Black Bag”|| align="center" |25 February 1969|| align="center" |<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''
|-
| align="center" |309||“1+1=1.5”|| align="center" |4 March 1969|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |310||“The Fosters”|| align="center" |11 March 1969|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |311||“Target Generation”|| align="center" |18 March 1969|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |312||“The Yellow Pill”|| align="center" |25 March 1969|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span> (reconstruction exists)
|-
| align="center" |313||“Get Off My Cloud”|| align="center" |1 April 1969|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
|}

===Series 4===
{| class="wikitable"
!Episode!!Title!!Airdate!!Status
|-
| align="center" |401||“Taste of Evil”|| align="center" |21 April 1971|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |402||“To Lay a Ghost”|| align="center" |28 April 1971|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
| align="center" |403||“This Body Is Mine”|| align="center" |5 May 1971|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
| align="center" |404||“Deathday”|| align="center" |12 May 1971|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
| align="center" |405||“The Sons and Daughters of Tomorrow”|| align="center" |19 May 1971|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |406||“Welcome Home”|| align="center" |26 May 1971|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
| align="center" |407||“The Last Witness”|| align="center" |2 June 1971|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |408||“The Man in My Head”|| align="center" |9 June 1971|| align="center" |<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
| align="center" |409||“The Chopper”|| align="center" |16 June 1971|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|-
| align="center" |410||“The Uninvited”|| align="center" |23 June 1971|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span> (reconstruction exists)
|-
| align="center" |411||“The Shattered Eye”|| align="center" |30 June 1971|| align="center" |<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
|-
|}

==Gallery==
{{Video|perrow  =1
  |service1     =dailymotion
  |id1          =xqdvrt
  |description1 =The original colorized version of the title sequence.
}}

==See Also (Other programs that may/not may wiped by BBC)==
*[[1953 British Grand Prix (partially found footage of Formula One race; 1953)]]
*[[Adam Adamant Lives! (partially lost BBC children's TV series; 1966)]]
*[[Anne of Green Gables (lost TV mini-series; 1972)]]
*[[Dad's Army (partially lost episodes and sketches; 1968-1970)]]
*[[Doctor Who (partially lost episodes of British science-fiction TV series; 1963-1974)]]
*[[Jazz Goes to College (partially found BBC jazz concert series; 1966-1967)]]
*[[Late Night Line-Up (partially found Beatles "Abbey Road" special; 1969)]]
*[[Madhouse on Castle Street (partially found BBC television play; 1963)]]
*[[Requiem for a Heavyweight (partially found BBC Sunday-Night Theatre TV play; 1957)]]
*[[The Complete and Utter History of Britain (partially found British sketch comedy TV series; 1969)]]
*[[The Quatermass Experiment (partially found BBC sci-fi serials; 1953)]]
*[[The Sad Story of Henry (lost live BBC broadcast adaptation of "The Railway Series" books; 1953)]]
*[[Top Of The Pops (partially lost British music series; 1964-2006)]]
*[[United! (lost British soap opera; 1965-1967)]]
*[[Zingalong (partially found British children's series; 2002-2004)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External Links==
*[https://archive.org/details/out-of-the-unknown-series-1 Surviving Series 1 episodes and reconstructions on the Internet Archive]
*[https://archive.org/details/out-of-the-unknown-series-2 Surviving Series 2 episodes and reconstructions on the Internet Archive]
*[https://archive.org/details/out-of-the-unknown-series-3 Surviving Series 3 episodes and reconstructions on the Internet Archive]
*https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Out_of_the_Unknown_episodes

[[Category:Lost TV]]
[[Category:Partially found media]]