Two Long-Lost 1960s Doctor Who Episodes Restored for Easter Release

Two previously missing installments from the 1960s epic serial "The Daleks' Master Plan" are currently undergoing professional restoration for a scheduled debut on the BBC iPlayer platform during the Easter season. These specific chapters, titled "The Nightmare Begins" and "Devil's Planet," were recently uncovered within a private film collection by the "Film is Fabulous!" (FIF) charity. This significant recovery marks a major milestone for television preservationists and fans of the long-running science fiction series alike.

This discovery represents the first time lost material from the show's formative years has been located since 2013, when nine episodes from the stories "The Enemy of the World" and "The Web of Fear" were famously returned to the archives. "The Nightmare Begins," which serves as the opening part of the twelve-episode story, originally aired on November 13, 1965. Its companion piece, "Devil's Planet," the third installment of the saga, followed shortly after on November 27, 1965.

Starring William Hartnell as the First Doctor, the serial was penned by Dalek creator Terry Nation and stood as one of the most ambitious television undertakings of its era. The narrative follows the Doctor's journey across various alien landscapes in a high-stakes mission to thwart the Daleks and their devastating "Time Destructor" weapon. With the second episode, "Day of Armageddon," having been recovered back in 2004, the first three parts of this massive twelve-episode saga are now finally available for public viewing in their entirety.

Experts at BBC Archives have been meticulously working to elevate the original 16mm telerecordings to modern broadcast standards. Noreen Adams, the Director of BBC Archives, expressed her immense enthusiasm regarding the partnership with the FIF team to bring these historic episodes back to audiences in time for Easter. In addition to the digital release, a prestigious screening of the restored footage is scheduled to take place in London on April 4, 2026, featuring Peter Purves—who portrayed the Doctor's companion Steven Taylor—as the guest of honor.

The "Film is Fabulous!" organization, established in 2023, focuses on the preservation of vulnerable private cinema collections across the United Kingdom. These specific "Doctor Who" episodes were found among the extensive holdings of a deceased film enthusiast, which also included a variety of home movies. Historically, "The Daleks' Master Plan" was never sold to international broadcasters due to concerns from censors in Australia and New Zealand regarding its violent content, a factor that contributed to its disappearance during the BBC's archival purging in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

This latest archival addition successfully reduces the total count of missing "Doctor Who" episodes to 95. Beyond William Hartnell, the serial features notable performances by Nicholas Courtney as Bret Vyon—the actor who would later become famous as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart—and Adrienne Hill as Katarina. The restoration of these two segments offers a rare opportunity to witness more of Hill’s performance and marks the very first appearance of Courtney in the franchise, providing immense historical value to enthusiasts of the show's classical era.