In a remarkable discovery, Film is Fabulous! (FIF) revealed that two long-lost episodes of the classic sci-fi series, Doctor Who, have been found in pristine condition. The episodes, titled “The Nightmare Begins” and “Devil’s Planet,” feature the first incarnation of the Doctor, played by William Hartnell, and were last aired in 1965 during the show’s third season.
The charity organization announced that the episodes were uncovered in film cans wrapped in plastic bags in a collection of films that had been exposed to water damage. BBC archivists have since restored the episodes, which will soon be accessible on the broadcaster’s streaming service.
This discovery reduces the number of missing Doctor Who episodes to 95, which were lost due to the BBC discarding film recordings or reusing video tapes. To surprise actor Peter Purves, who portrayed the Doctor’s companion Steven Taylor, FIF invited him to a local theater under false pretenses, where he was delighted to view the recovered episodes.
The story behind the episodes’ disappearance lies in the BBC’s historical practices of not preserving television content due to the medium’s then-limited impact and the high cost of storage. The episodes were found in the possession of a private collector, emphasizing the collector’s recognition of their value despite not having direct ties to the film or television industry.
