Tape unearthed after 30 years

Chapman also co-wrote half-hour sketch show Out Of The Trees with Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy creator Douglas Adams.

It aired on the BBC Two on January 10, 1976 and also starred Simon Jones and Mark Wing-Davey, both of whom would go on to appear in the Hitchhiker's Guide.

But the show was destroyed soon after airing, and was thought to be lost forever – although a clip did surface on the internet, here.

However, Chapman’s long-term partner David Sherlock managed to find a copy, and got in touch with British Film Institute experts working on the Missing Believed Wiped project.

Archivist Dick Fiddy told the BBC: ‘It had been recorded by Chapman at home on a very old-fashioned, primitive video machine.

‘Recently, David Sherlock, mentioned to me that he had this old tape, and could we play it.’

It took two years to transfer because a customised player had to be built, and archivist feared the delicate tape might dissolve after one play.

However, their efforts worked and the ‘lost’ episode will air at London’s National Film Theatre at 6.30pm tonight.

Two other Out Of The Trees scripts were written, but not produced

Published: 2 Dec 2006