The Native Hue of Resolution

A documentary tracing the reasons why TV programmes were destroyed, and charting the worldwide hunt for Britain’s television past, is looking for funding for release on DVD.

The Native Hue of Resolution was originally screened at the British Film Institute in London last December, documenting the twenty year to find TV programmes missing from the official archives.

Since the 1993 launch of the BFI initiative to find missing TV programmes, much progress has been made, however thousands of programmes remain missing, believed wiped, including 97 episodes of Doctor Who. The documentary from Farcical Films/Kaleidoscope, made especially for screening at BFI Southbank, traces the real reasons why programmes were destroyed and charts the worldwide hunt for Britain’s television past.

Narrated by Peter Purves, it features contributions from, among others: Alan Bennett, Barry Cryer, Jasper Carrott, Peter Firmin, Paul Fox, Ray Galton, Alan Simpson, Hartley Hare, Terry Jones, Sue Malden, David Nobbs, Pete Murray and Pan’s People. Produced by Kaleidoscope’s Chris Perry, the film also features extensive footage found during production of the documentary, from programmes previously thought lost.

It is now planned to issue the film on DVD and include a disc of extras of previously lost TV material. The project requires some seed funding and a Kickstarter project has been formed to raise money for the venture.

Backers pledging £20 or more will receive wither a copy of the finished project, or an invitation to a launch event for the film in 2015.