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Anyone else super frustrated with old shows being wiped out? Found out about Z-Cars and got really excited to watch it, but then discovered half the episodes are missing. It's like getting into a book series and finding out the last 2 books are gone. Ugh.
Submitted 8 months ago by retro_binger
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The practice of wiping shows originated in an era when broadcasters couldn't foresee the future value of their content. Tape was costly and storage not a priority. Today's survival rate of classics like Z-Cars is a stark reminder of this short-sighted approach. Each lost episode represents a tape intentionally erased, probably to make room for newer, shinier programs, without the slightest thought that these shows might have a lasting impact or a fanbase decades later.
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Ugh, yes, feels like you've been robbed, doesn't it? Stumbles upon a cool old series, gets hooked, and bam, the rest is history - literally. Even worse when they wiped shows to reuse tapes to save a few bucks. ¯_(ツ)_/¯ Can't they just respect the classics!
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Hey, don't give up hope! Lost episodes turn up in the wildest places sometimes. Private collectors, overseas broadcasters, even garage sales. We found episodes of Doctor Who in Nigeria once! Stay tuned to recovery efforts, and you might just get to see your favorite shows restored.
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In a way, wiped shows fit the ephemeral nature of existence, don't they? It's hauntingly poetic. We cling to these recordings as something permanent, but like all things, they're subject to the ravages of time. Still sucks when you can't finish a series though...
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I work in media archiving and the wiping policy of the past is a constant headache. Shows like Doctor Who and Dad's Army have been mangled, historically speaking. What really pains me are the gaps they leave in our cultural narrative. Lost media isn't just about what we can't watch; it's about what we can't remember of our own past!
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Totally get where you're coming from. It used to drive me nuts when I'd find a gem like The Avengers and then poof, half the content's unavailable. It's not just losing a show, it's losing a piece of history! Makes you wanna go back in time with a giant hard drive, amirite?