Two long-lost black-and-white episodes of Doctor Who, a British science fiction television series that aired in the 1960s, have been discovered and restored. The episodes were found wrapped in plastic bags inside film cans stashed in a cardboard box among the possessions of a deceased collector by Film is Fabulous!, a charitable trust dedicated to preserving cinema and television history.
Key Takeaways
Two lost episodes of the classic British science fiction series Doctor Who have been discovered and restored after being found in a cardboard box among a deceased collector's possessions. The episodes, part of a 12-part storyline from 1965, will be available on BBC iPlayer this Easter.
- Two missing Doctor Who episodes found in a private collection
- Episodes 'The Nightmare Begins' and 'Devil’s Planet' to air after restoration
- Part of the 12-part serial 'The Daleks’ Master Plan', most of which is still missing
- Over 95 episodes from the original series remain lost
- Last discovery of missing episodes was in Nigeria in 2013
The two episodes, titled 'The Nightmare Begins' and 'Devil's Planet,' were originally aired in November 1965 as part of the show's third series. They feature William Hartnell, the first actor to play the Doctor, tackling a Dalek plan to take over Earth, the solar system, and the galaxy.
The discovery leaves 95 episodes still missing from the long-running series, which debuted in 1963. The newly recovered episodes form part of a 12-part storyline called 'The Daleks’ Master Plan,' much of which is still missing. Justin Smith, a professor of cinema and television history at De Montfort University and chair of trustees of Film is Fabulous!, expressed hope that more episodes might turn up.
The restored episodes will be available on BBC iPlayer this Easter and will also have a special screening organized by Film Is Fabulous! with Peter Purves, who played the Doctor's assistant Steven Taylor in 46 installments of the show, as guest of honour. Noreen Adams, the director of BBC Archives, mentioned that the archives team has been working to restore the original recordings to broadcast quality.
The show was revived in 2005 and continues to be a television institution with millions of fans around the world. The most recent series, starring Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor, aired in 2025. A special episode written by Russell T Davies is set to air at Christmas.
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