Rediscovered Doctor Who episodes, lost for 60 years, are restored and coming to BBC iPlayer. Watch the missing chapters of "The Daleks' Master Plan.
- March 13, 2026
AceShowbiz - Two long-missing episodes of Doctor Who from over sixty years ago have been rediscovered and will soon be available on BBC iPlayer.
Fans of Doctor Who will be excited as the episodes titled "Nightmare Begins" and "Devil's Planet," previously believed lost forever, were uncovered by the Film is Fabulous! charity and subsequently restored by the BBC.
These episodes are part of the third series known as "The Daleks' Master Plan." This classic sci-fi story was written by the renowned Terry Nation and features William Hartnell as the Doctor alongside Peter Purves playing Steven Taylor. The cast also includes Nicholas Courtney as Bret Vyon, Adrienne Hill as Katarina, and Kevin Stoney as Mavic Chen.
Film is Fabulous!, a charitable organisation run by passionate film collectors and TV enthusiasts, discovered these episodes in a private collection. They approached the BBC archive team, who then restored the episodes from the original 16mm telerecordings to broadcast quality.
The restored episodes are planned to be added to the iPlayer Whoniverse this Easter, which already hosts a wide range of Doctor Who content spanning decades, including the latest series starring Ncuti Gatwa. The upcoming episode will be a Christmas special written by Russell T. Davies. However, the future of Doctor Who remains uncertain following Disney’s withdrawal from the co-production deal, although the BBC’s head of drama recently reassured fans that the show "isn't going anywhere."
Noreen Adams, Director of BBC Archives, commented: "We're thrilled to have worked with the team at Film is Fabulous! to bring these lost Doctor Who episodes to viewers on BBC iPlayer this Easter. 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."
In addition to this restoration project, late last year the BBC Archives launched an initiative publishing 50,000 files, including historic attempts to persuade Laurence Olivier to make his first TV appearance and correspondence with Vanessa Redgrave.
