Surprise, Doctor Who stans — thought you'd have to wait until series 16 to get your fix? Think again. Two ‘missing’ episodes of the cult show have been discovered and will soon be available for fans to watch.
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It's been nearly a year since season 15 aired, but with the addition of these two lost episodes, you'll be able to enjoy some new (ish!) Doctor Who content this spring. For the full details of what to expect from the missing episodes, plus what they were about and how they came to be lost in the first place, read our explainer below…
How were the episodes lost?
Dating back to Doctor Who's original airing in the 1960s, the two retro episodes, previously considered missing, were found by the good work of Film is Fabulous!, a charitable trust run by film collectors, cinema lovers and vintage television enthusiasts. Just like those pics with your ex or your high school journals, they were discovered in a dusty old storage box, in what's been described as a “ramshackle collection” donated by a collector.
They then approached the BBC Archives to restore the original recordings, meaning fans can now get their fill of two completely unseen episodes. Exciting!
BBC archives director Noreen Adams 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.”
What are the Doctor Who episodes about?
The episodes — episodes one and three — come from the third series, aired in 1965, titled The Daleks' Master Plan. Before the David Tennants, Jodie Whittakers and Ncuti Gatwas of our day, back then, the star role of The Doctor was helmed by William Hartnell, with Peter Purves playing Steven Taylor. Series three was made up of 12 episodes total, with the first episode, The Nightmare Begins, premiering in November 1965, and episode three, Devil’s Planet, airing two weeks later.
Darleks beware – there’s a new companion in town, and she means business.
We won't spoil the plots of the episodes, but the eerie titles might hint towards the subject matter. Expect lots of typical Doctor Who eccentricity, horror and sci-fi greatness.
When will the two episodes air in the UK?
You can the ‘missing’ Doctor Who episodes on BBC iPlayer (where you can also catch up on past series of the show, if you fancy a binge sesh over Easter!).
