Join in the treasure hunt for pre 1980s classics

VIDEO CLIP:About Treasure Hunt

Do you ever wonder whatever happened to The Likely Lads? Were you a fan of cult sci-fi classic A for Andromeda? Do you have any old tapes of the radio show Hancock’s Half Hour gathering dust in your attic?

Did you record the Beatles’ fabled appearance on Juke Box Jury? If so, you can join in the treasure hunt to restore lost programmes to the BBC and licence fee payers.

We’re asking anyone who has recordings of pre-1980 television or radio programmes that might not be held by the BBC to let us know, so that we can have them back and they can be preserved for the enjoyment of generations to come.

Advances in digital technology mean any programme can now be easily preserved and made available for repeat or historical purposes. The BBC is investing in transferring all its programme archives - nearly a million hours of television and radio - on to digital formats.

To kick off the treasure hunt, a long-lost episode of hit 1960s comedy The Likely Lads is being shown for the first time in 35 years on May 30 on BBC-2.

Films or tapes of lost programmes may be held by private collectors or former BBC producers.

They may be copies that were licensed to be shown abroad and never returned.

They could even be good quality home recordings from the television or radio of national events. The BBC will offer a modern format copy in return.

How to get in touch with us If you think you have something we may be interested in call 0208 576 9501, email us, or tell us about it on our message board.