In a discovery that has left the Doctor Who fandom “flabbergasted,” two episodes from the 1960s—long thought lost to time—have been recovered from a private film collection in Leicester. Announced on March 13, 2026, the find marks the first major recovery of missing episodes in over a decade.
The “Holy Grail” of Discoveries
The recovered films are from the 1965 First Doctor epic, “The Daleks’ Master Plan.” Because this serial was never sold to international markets, film prints were essentially non-existent, making this discovery a statistical miracle.
The “new” episodes are:
- Episode 1: “The Nightmare Begins”
- Episode 3: “Devil’s Planet”
From a Cardboard Box to the Big Screen
The episodes were unearthed by the Film is Fabulous! (FiF) project while cataloging a massive, disorganized collection belonging to a late film enthusiast. The project, based at De Montfort University, works to rescue “vulnerable” film archives before they degrade or are discarded.
“My flabber has never been so gasted.” — Peter Purves (Companion Steven Taylor), upon seeing the footage for the first time in 60 years.
What This Means for Fans
- The Tally: The total number of missing Doctor Who episodes has officially dropped from 97 to 95.
- The Release: The BBC will host a special screening in London on April 4, 2026.
- Streaming: For those who can’t make it to London, both episodes will be available on BBC iPlayer this Easter.
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