Doctor Who releases two missing 1965 episodes
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- Film is Fabulous recovered the 16mm telerecordings of “The Nightmare Begins” and “Devil’s Planet” from a private collection and restored them for release.
- BBC made the restored episodes available on iPlayer in the UK on Friday morning and scheduled a sold‑out screening at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith on Saturday.
- Peter Purves was surprised with a private screening of the recovered episodes in Leicester in mid‑March, where he praised director Douglas Camfield’s work.
- Nicholas Courtney makes his first on‑screen appearance as Bret Vyon in these episodes, a role that preceded his later, iconic character the Brigadier.
- Terry Nation wrote the 12‑part adventure “The Daleks’ Master Plan,” of which the two episodes are parts one and three, originally broadcast in November 1965.
- BBC still lacks 95 episodes from the 1960s, which were wiped or junked in the 1970s; this is the first find since 2013 when nine Troughton‑era episodes were discovered in Nigeria.
Why it matters: Whovians gain the chance to view two long‑lost episodes, enriching the series’ history and showcasing Nicholas Courtney’s debut, while the BBC’s archive narrows its 95‑episode gap. The find also validates the Film is Fabulous trust’s role in preserving television heritage.
