Lost, Destroyed, and Locked Away: Five Unseen Television Episodes and Broadcasts

😱Despite initially airing, a controversial episode of Sesame Street featuring Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West was deemed unsuitable and has never been seen since.

🎵Binyah Binyah, the spin-off series of Gullah Gullah Island, had only five finished episodes aired in 1998, with the rest left unreleased and incomplete.

🚀The lack of proper preservation practices during the 1960s and 1970s led to the erasure of many Doctor Who episodes, leaving fans with incomplete collections.

🎸The live performances of the Beatles on Top of the Pops were erased, and the only remnants are rehearsal photos and a single photograph of the taping.

🌒The original high-quality tapes of the Apollo 11 moon landing were accidentally erased, leaving only converted and lower-quality footage for the public to see.

Why was the Sesame Street episode with Margaret Hamilton banned?

—Despite initial positive test screenings, the episode received numerous complaints from parents who claimed it frightened or traumatized their children. As a result, it was never aired again.

How many episodes of Binyah Binyah were aired?

—Only five of the eight to thirteen episodes of Binyah Binyah were finished and aired as a special event on Nickelodeon in 1998. The rest were left unreleased and incomplete.

Why were so many Doctor Who episodes erased?

—During the 1960s and 1970s, the BBC reused videotapes and did not prioritize the preservation of television shows. As a result, many episodes of Doctor Who were erased to save costs and storage space.

Are there any surviving recordings of the Beatles' live performances?

—No, the live performances of the Beatles on Top of the Pops were erased, and the only remnants are rehearsal photos and a single photograph taken during the taping.

What happened to the original tapes of the Apollo 11 moon landing?

—The original data tapes of the Apollo 11 moon landing were likely accidentally erased during the 1970s and 1980s due to a lack of proper preservation and erasure policies.

00:26In 1976, a controversial episode of Sesame Street featuring Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West was deemed unsuitable and never aired again.

03:06The spin-off series Binyah Binyah only had five finished episodes aired in 1998, while the remaining unreleased episodes remain incomplete.

04:42Many episodes of Doctor Who were erased during the 1960s and 1970s due to cost-saving measures and a lack of preservation practices.

07:29The footage of the Beatles' live performances on Top of the Pops was erased, and only rehearsal photos and a single taping photograph remain.

09:13The original high-quality tapes of the Apollo 11 moon landing were accidentally erased, leaving only converted and lower-quality footage available.