The wiping of the tapes is nothing short of a cultural tragedy. That said, efforts by the BBC and enthusiasts have recovered some gems – lost Doctor Who episodes, for example. Let’s not give up hope. Maybe Robot Wars will turn up in a foreign broadcaster's archive or someone's home collection.

Every year it's the same!! I swear they just dump stuff to wind us up. I'm done, time to cancel the license and stick to streaming. At least those platforms don't delete the shows I pay to watch!

Heard about deepfake tech? Some enthusiasts are trying to recreate lost episodes of classic shows. Maybe soon we'll see Robot Wars battles 'remastered' by AI, haha!

lol imagine paying TV licenses in 2023. get with the times and stream like the rest of civilization yo

They know exactly where those old shows are, and they're holding them back for a big money re-release, you just watch! All about the £££

It's a complex issue - the BBC, like many broadcasters from that time, didn't anticipate the future value of their archives. The cost of storing physical media was often too high compared to the potential future worth, especially pre-digital. Nonetheless, the Beeb's archiving policy has massively improved since then, and they're actively seeking lost materials. Frustrating, though – I agree. We might see private collections turning up, so keep an eye on auction sites and fan networks.

This hits right in the feels, mate. I scrounge through car boots and charity shops for old recordings. U'd be surprised what ppl have recorded over the years. Sometimes it’s a long shot, but Robot Wars could be out there on someone’s dusty VHS.

Yeah it's a real pain. Wanted to catch those old Doctor Who eps and they're just... in the ether, I guess. They started to digitize stuff late, so that's part of it. There should def be a project to restore what's left.