Lost Doctor Who episodes part of the Daleks’ Master Plan arc are discovered

Doctor Who has enraptured the world since its debut in 1963, following a humanoid alien known as The Doctor who travels through time and space in a blue police box that’s bigger on the inside. With so many years to its name, it’s no surprise that some of the older Doctor Who episodes have been lost to time.

A recent find from what the BBC describes as a collector’s “ramshackle collection of vintage films” brought two new (old) episodes of the British sci-fi show to light. These episodes, which have not been shown since their original airing in the 1960s, follow the first incarnation of the Doctor (William Hartnell) in a storyline considered “too violent” for international broadcast.

“The Nightmare Begins” and “Devil’s Planet” are the first two episodes of a 12-part arc known as The Daleks’ Master Plan arc, the series’ longest ongoing arc to date. “The Nightmare Begins” aired in November 1965, with “Devil’s Planet” broadcast two weeks later. The BBC reports that the episode between the two, titled “Day of Armageddon,” was found in 2004.

The episodes were discovered thanks to a late anonymous collector whose films were donated to the Leicester charitable trust, Film is Fabulous (FIF), after his passing. FIF is well-known for curating and recovering lost film and television content and making it available to future generations. While going through the deceased’s collection, most of which was described as “water-damaged” and “corroded,” the Doctor Who episodes were, by comparison, in pristine condition.

“The collector did recognize what he had, but how he acquired them has been lost to time,” Justin Smith, chair of trustees at FIF, said.

With these discoveries, fans can finally watch the early episodes of the gritty arc. Written by Terry Nation, the creator of the Doctor’s most powerful and terrifying enemy, the Daleks, it follows the Doctor and his assistant, Steven Taylor (Peter Purves), as they battle the bin-shaped warmongering aliens, who plan to conquer the solar system and tear apart the fabric of time.

Unfortunately, even with the discovery of these new episodes, the arc remains unfinished to this day. Still, with the current era of Doctor Who in a strange state of flux about who the next Doctor will be, it’s arguably a great time for fans to focus on Classic Who, a term used to distinguish episodes from before the 2005 reboot.

Fans eager to watch the two episodes on the big screen will have their opportunity. A special screening, hosted by FIF and featuring Peter Purves as the guest of honor, is scheduled in London on April 4. The episodes will also be accessible on BBC iPlayer.

Noreen Adams, director of BBC Archives, stated: “BBC Archives has been working to restore the original recordings and update these to broadcast quality, ensuring fans can enjoy a little extra treat with their Easter Eggs this April.”

It has not yet been confirmed whether international audiences will be able to access these new Classic Who episodes via subscription services such as BritBox.