A surprising discovery has brought two long-lost chapters of Doctor Who back into the spotlight. The episodes, originally broadcast in 1965 and starring William Hartnell as the first Doctor, were found inside a private film collection decades later.
Lost Doctor Who episodes from 1965 discovered in donated collection
Two long-lost episodes from the classic sci-fi series Doctor Who have finally resurfaced after nearly sixty years. The footage turned up inside a cardboard box that was part of a private vintage film collection donated to the charity Film Is Fabulous!. The material features William Hartnell as the first version of the Doctor, facing off against the iconic Daleks during the famous arc The Daleks’ Master Plan.
The rediscovered episodes are titled The Nightmare Begins and Devil’s Planet. The first originally aired in November 1965, while the second followed two weeks later. Both came from the show’s third season and had not been seen publicly since their original broadcast in the United Kingdom (via BBC).
The storyline came from writer Terry Nation, the creator of the Daleks. The cast featured Peter Purves as companion Steven Taylor. It also included early roles for Nicholas Courtney as Bret Vyon, Adrienne Hill as Katarina, and Kevin Stoney as Mavic Chen. Courtney later became a fan favorite when he returned as the recurring character Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart in later seasons of Doctor Who.
The story arc, The Daleks’ Master Plan, carried a darker tone than many early adventures. In the plot, the Daleks launch a massive scheme to conquer Earth, then the solar system, and eventually the entire galaxy.
The serial originally ran for 12 episodes. However, the BBC erased many black-and-white programs in the 1960s to reuse tapes. Because of that policy, more than half of this storyline still remains missing today.
Actor Peter Purves, now 87, was invited to watch the recovered footage and reacted with delight, saying, “My flabber has never been so gasted.” He added, “I’ve never forgiven the BBC for losing those episodes; it would be really nice to get a few royalties.” Fans hoping to watch the newly found versions of the episodes can catch it on BBC iPlayer this Easter.
