The episodes, titled 'The Nightmare Begins' and 'Devil's Planet', are parts one and three of the 12-part Dalek storyline 'The Daleks’ Master Plan'. They were found by the charitable trust Film is Fabulous! (FIF) in a private collection, according to multiple reports. The discovery was announced at a private screening for actor Peter Purves, who played companion Steven Taylor in the episodes. Professor Justin Smith, chair of trustees at FIF, said the episodes were found in a cardboard box filled with a ramshackle collection of vintage films. The estate of the deceased owner wishes to remain anonymous. Four other Doctor Who episodes were found in the same collection but were already held by the BBC.
The episodes star William Hartnell as the First Doctor and Peter Purves as Steven Taylor. They were written by Terry Nation and directed by Douglas Camfield, and feature the first appearance of Nicholas Courtney in Doctor Who, playing Bret Vyon. The episodes were originally broadcast in November 1965 and were only ever aired in the UK in the 1960s. According to a source familiar with the recovery, the second episode of the serial, 'Day of Armageddon', was recovered in 2004 by a former BBC engineer. Nine segments of the 12-part Dalek storyline remain lost.
My flabber has never been so gasted.
The episodes have been restored by BBC Archives from original 16mm telerecordings. They will be shown at a sold-out event at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, London on Saturday afternoon. Noreen Adams, director of BBC Archives, said the release ensures fans can enjoy a little extra treat with their Easter Eggs this April. Peter Purves commented, 'My flabber has never been so gasted.' He added that he did not remember seeing the episodes originally, noting that the pictures are unfamiliar to him. Professor Smith described the episodes as fast-paced and witty, with many trademarks of the era.
The recovery is the first confirmed discovery of lost Doctor Who episodes since 2013. It remains unclear how the collector originally acquired the film prints or why they were not recovered earlier. The condition of the other four Doctor Who episodes found in the same collection has not been disclosed.
I’m not sure I even saw those programmes go out originally – I remember the stories, but having seen them, the pictures are unfamiliar to me. I didn’t remember the first one when I was still almost comatose following the injury I received fighting in Troy in the wonderful Mythmakers – which of course is missing.