'Shada:' A Dr. Who story that you can't watch, but you can read about it

A blast from the past.

A few days ago, we told you how "Shada," a 32-year-old Dr. Who story by the legendary Douglas Adams, finally had been completed - through animation. The original filming, with Tom Baker as the Timelord, was interrupted by a strike at the BBC and never finished.

The only problem: the man who financed the new "Shada," record producer Ian Levine, does not own the rights to the story. He needs to obtain permission before the episode can be released to the public.

Now, at least, you can see a collection of photos of the program and read a review of the episode, thanks to Starburst Magazine, by clicking here. From the review by J.R. Southall:

If I’d always thought before, having judged the story by its extant presentation, that Shada was a rather dry and dull way to have finished the season that included The Horns of Nimon and Destiny of the Daleks, then I couldn’t have been more wrong. Watching it in this complete-as-possible version, it suddenly comes to life. It’s slow, sure, but almost hypnotically so; it’s like the ballad at the end of a particularly lively pop album – the themes are all there, but this time they’re being played as an elegy rather than vivace. It’s just as silly as you’d expect from a Season Seventeen story; but it’s also thoughtful and introspective as well. It might not quite be the classic some would want, and it lacks the panache of City of Death, but it’s a slow-burning pleasure that I’m grateful to have finally experienced. Seriously, you haven’t seen Shada until you’ve seen this Shada.

 Life, Dr. Who and Combom has more photos here.