Is it true a “slash print” of The Wheel in Space episode 6 exists?
No! This is another very common misconception, which stems from the earliest bootleg copies of the episode that were floating around fan circles. Unlike many episodes of the era, The Wheel in Space episode six was telerecorded directly onto 35mm film out of the studio (as from a live broadcast, although the episode itself was not transmitted live), rather than recorded onto videotape as was the more normal case – this was almost certainly because it would have required more extensive editing than usual, which was easier to do on film than videotape in those days. (It should be pointed out that even 16mm telerecording systems, if handled correctly, are capable of delivering results comparable in picture quality to videotape, and 35mm systems are even better). The studio sound was recorded onto the optical soundtrack of the film, as well as onto a separate 35mm magnetic film soundtrack. The film was edited in the conventional way, with pictures and magnetic sound being edited and then th
