Two lost Doctor Who episodes discovered, will join iPlayer over Easter

Two early episodes of Doctor Who that were thought to be lost have been recovered and will be made available for streaming on BBC iPlayer this Easter.

Under a BBC policy at the time in the 1960s and 1970s, tapes of episodes of many classic shows were wiped in order to save physical space and cut costs.

Doctor Who, which began in 1963, has just under 100 episodes missing, although over the years episodes have been gradually discovered through private collectors who recorded them at the time, or via overseas broadcasters that retained copies.

First broadcast in 1965, the new discovery, found by the charitable trust Film is Fabulous!, is of episodes one of three of the serial The Daleks’ Master Plan, ‘The Nightmare Begins’ and ‘The Devil’s Planet’.

The two episodes star William Hartnell as The First Doctor and Peter Purves as companion Steven Taylor and leave seven of the 12 episodes in the serial still unaccounted for.

Noreen Adams, director of BBC Archives said: “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.”