Doctor Who’s 5 most sought-after missing episodes – and how they could be found

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It’s surprising to think that a classic Doctor Who episode could simply disappear, considering how important it is to our culture.

As a lifelong Doctor Who fan, I still can’t wrap my head around the idea of actually throwing away episodes of the show! It wasn’t always a simple case of tossing tapes, though. Sadly, a lot of early episodes are actually lost to time – we’re talking 97 missing episodes from the William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton eras. It’s a real tragedy for anyone who loves the show’s history.

So, how did this situation come about? To understand, we need to look at how the show was originally produced and broadcast. In the beginning, Doctor Who was filmed on 2-inch videotape in the studio. When filming outside the studio, they used 16mm film, and special effects shots were sometimes filmed on 35mm film. All of this film footage was then transferred onto the 2-inch videotape.

The BBC frequently sold Doctor Who to other countries, like Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Sierra Leone. They made copies for these sales, but the specific countries receiving copies, and how many were made, changed depending on the story.

These copies were made using a technique called telerecording. It involved playing a videotape on a television screen and simultaneously filming it with a 16mm camera. The resulting film copies were then sent globally with instructions – and a copyright expiry date – telling recipients when to destroy or return them to the BBC.

The 2-inch videotapes weren’t kept for long; they were routinely erased and reused. Before 1978, the BBC didn’t have a clear system for keeping track of its programs, as different departments lacked consistent cataloging practices.

Some people at the BBC may have thought copies of Doctor Who were being saved in their archives through telerecording. But other issues also played a role, including rules about how often shows could be re-aired and limited space to store recordings.

Unfortunately, most of the original episodes no longer exist. The BBC routinely reused its recording tapes, and because of this, all of the black-and-white episodes of Doctor Who that were originally broadcast on 2-inch videotape were erased.

Surprisingly, copies of these films were often sent back to the BBC from the countries they were originally distributed to, but even then, many weren’t saved. Most were either discarded and lost forever, or they may still be gathering dust in television stations around the world. It was at a relay station in Nigeria that Philip Morris stumbled upon copies of ‘The Enemy of the World’ and ‘The Web of Fear’ – we’ll discuss those discoveries shortly.

This worldwide search is the only hope for restoring these lost stories to their original condition. Groups like Film is Fabulous! are constantly uncovering more BBC programs – recently hinting at a potentially found missing episode – by locating archive footage in private collections and from television stations globally.

Most of the original 97 episodes of the show are missing, but they haven’t been completely lost. Dedicated fans recorded the broadcasts as audio, so we still have a complete audio record of every episode of Doctor Who. It just wasn’t common for people to record television programs at home back in the 1960s, so video footage is rare.

Despite being lost, fragments of these episodes survived thanks to fan recordings. Clever reconstructions using on-set photos and early screenshot technology – pioneered by John Cura – have also helped piece things together. While fans have created wonderful animations to bring these stories back to life, nothing compares to seeing the original episodes.

Here are five Doctor Who stories featuring some of the most wanted missing episodes.

5. The Celestial Toymaker by Brian Hayles

(Originally broadcast in four parts in 1966 from 2nd – 23rd April)

The Celestial Toymaker was a truly unique and innovative story for Doctor Who. It takes place in a bizarre, other-worldly realm ruled by the cruel Toymaker (Michael Gough). This world is filled with unsettling characters reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland, all controlled by the Toymaker, who forces Steven (Peter Purves) and Dodo (Jackie Lane) to participate in his strange and childish games.

For much of this story, the Doctor is essentially absent because William Hartnell, the original actor, wasn’t available during filming. We only hear his voice a few times in episodes 2 and 3, which has led some fans to see these sections as less crucial. Interestingly, the villain, the Toymaker, recently reappeared in the 60th anniversary episodes, sparking renewed interest in his very first television appearance.

Only one complete episode of the series, called “The Final Test,” still exists. The story goes that it was saved in Australia because someone thought it was a recording of a cricket game. The other three missing episodes were recreated using animation and released in 2024. Unfortunately, no photographs were ever taken of the original missing episodes.

I have to say, the only episode we have left of ‘The Celestial Toymaker’ is a real highlight. It delivers a fantastic confrontation between the Toymaker and the First Doctor – and finally, we see the Doctor properly! He’s forced to play this incredibly complex game, the Toymaker’s Trilogic Game, which is genuinely thrilling. It’s also fascinating to learn that this could have been how William Hartnell’s time as the Doctor ended – if they hadn’t renewed his contract, this would have been his final story! It adds a real ‘what if?’ element to the whole thing.

The last episode resurfaced from Australia, where remaining copies were likely destroyed in 1976. New Zealand sent their copies to Singapore in 1972, and Sierra Leone gave theirs back to the BBC in 1974. What happened to the rest of the film is a mystery, but it’s possible that episodes still exist in Barbados and Zambia.

4. The Evil of the Daleks by David Whitaker

(Originally broadcast in seven parts in 1967 from 20th May – 1st July)

The Daleks come up with a complex scheme: they pretend they want to understand humanity, calling it “The Human Factor.” To achieve this, they force the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) to work with them, severely straining the trust of his companion, Jamie (Frazer Hines).

This seven-episode story was promoted as the final appearance of the Daleks. It featured a Dalek Emperor – a new leader distinct from Davros – and introduced Victoria Waterfield (played by Deborah Watling) as the Doctor’s new companion.

Sadly, only episode 2 of the series still exists. It’s thought to have been sent back to the BBC from Australia. New Zealand destroyed its copies in 1974, and what happened to the copies held in Singapore and Hong Kong is currently unknown.

At this point, Terry Nation, who created the Daleks, was hoping to make a separate show featuring them. Because of this, the Doctor Who writers decided to remove the Daleks from the main series. The story ended with Patrick Troughton’s character delivering the final line, “The final end!” while looking back at the aftermath of the Dalek conflict.

Despite the apparent destruction of the Daleks, Sydney Newman requested a final, brief shot of one still moving, suggesting they might not be completely gone.

Although recordings of the story exist as ‘telesnaps’ and all six missing episodes were recreated with animation in 2021, ‘The Evil of the Daleks’ is a visually striking adventure. Fans are particularly eager to see the original footage of the Second Doctor arriving on Skaro, the Daleks’ home world, and the dramatic confrontation between Jamie and the Doctor.

3. The Web of Fear by Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln

(Originally broadcast in six parts in 1968 from 3rd February – 9th March)

The Web of Fear continues the story begun in The Abominable Snowman, another serial with most episodes now lost. Both the robotic Yeti and the enigmatic Great Intelligence return as villains, joined by Professor Travers (played by Jack Watling), a key character from the previous adventure.

This adventure sends the Second Doctor, Jamie, and Victoria deep beneath London, into the Underground, where they must battle the Yetis and uncover the mastermind behind them – the Great Intelligence.

Only one episode out of six is lost. The exact number of copies made for countries outside the UK isn’t known, but Australia sent their copies back to the BBC in 1975. New Zealand destroyed theirs in 1974. Hong Kong gave their copies to Singapore, who then passed them on to Nigeria – and it was there that Philip Morris found all of the episodes.

Unfortunately, episode 3 disappeared right before it was sent to the BBC. Producer Morris suspected someone privately bought it, likely because it was a significant episode – it marked the first appearance of the Brigadier, played by Nicholas Courtney. The episode may still be owned by a private collector. To allow viewers to experience the complete story, an animated version was created in 2021.

The Web of Fear is a visually striking horror story with a dark, film-noir style, and it features the witty humor that became characteristic of Patrick Troughton’s time as the Doctor. It’s particularly well-known for its cleverly written script and the incredibly realistic depiction of the London Underground, which was so convincing that transport officials reportedly thought the production had filmed on location without authorization.

2. The Tenth Planet by Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis

(Originally broadcast in four parts in 1966 from 8th – 29th of October)

As a long-time Doctor Who fan, “The Tenth Planet” is a really special story for me. It’s the one where we see the First Doctor, William Hartnell, go through what was originally called his “renewal” – what we now know as regeneration! Plus, it’s incredibly important because it introduces the Cybermen – specifically, the ones from Mondas. It was a game-changer for the show!

Only one episode is lost from this four-part story marking the first Doctor’s departure. Only two copies of the story were ever made. Australia sent its copy back to the BBC in 1975, but the copies held by New Zealand were transferred to Singapore, and their current location is unknown. Fortunately, a complete set of still photographs taken from the television screen, known as telesnaps, still exists.

Sadly, the episode that’s missing is the most important one – the final installment. While it featured lovely animation both in 2013 and with updates in 2022, the bittersweet farewell between the Doctor and his companions, Ben (Michael Craze) and Polly (Anneke Wills), is something viewers really need to experience.

The image of the original Doctor, looking frail in the snow, is now famous, largely thanks to a story involving the Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi). The 2017 Christmas special, “Twice Upon a Time,” shows us the first Doctor during the events of a lost episode, with David Bradley portraying William Hartnell’s role.

The First Doctor’s initial regeneration was captured in a brief clip shown on the children’s program Blue Peter. The special effect was created by Shirley Coward, who cleverly used a broken mixing desk. Instead of working as intended, the desk overexposed the image, resulting in a white blur – and thus, the iconic regeneration effect was created!

1) The Power of the Daleks by David Whitaker and Dennis Spooner

(Originally broadcast in six parts in 1966 from 5th November – 10th December)

The most popular Doctor Who story, in our opinion, is Patrick Troughton’s first appearance as the Doctor. It’s also considered one of the best and most unsettling stories featuring the Daleks ever made.

When the Doctor arrives on the planet Vulcan, he discovers a murder and quickly takes on the victim’s role to investigate what’s happening. With his companions Ben and Polly, he learns that a scientist named Lesterton (played by Robert James) has brought three Daleks back online after finding them at a crash site. Lesterton claims the Daleks are harmless and even helpful, but the Doctor remains suspicious.

Sadly, no complete episodes of this six-part story are known to exist today. Australia sent their copies back to the BBC in 1975, and New Zealand forwarded theirs to Singapore in 1972, but what happened to them after that is a mystery. Although the full episodes are lost, some short clips and a complete collection of still photographs taken from the television screen have survived. In 2016, an animated version of the story was created, and a special, updated version was released in 2020.

The performances were truly excellent, and even now, through the sound and animation, you can still feel the impact of Patrick Troughton’s unique portrayal of the Doctor and Robert James’s brilliant work as Lesterson. The newly regenerated Doctor is disoriented and prefers to play his recorder instead of explaining what’s happened, which completely frustrates Ben and Polly, who aren’t sure if this man is even the same Doctor they know.

We only have fragments of the first episode, and the footage isn’t very good, but it gives us a fascinating peek at what it was like. Because of this, fans of Doctor Who consider the complete story to be a hugely important find. Everyone is eager to see what happened right after the very first regeneration. Plus, even without being fully complete, ‘The Power of the Daleks’ is consistently rated as one of the best Doctor Who stories of all time.

When it comes to the most sought-after Doctor Who story, there’s really only one that truly matters – and hopefully, we’ll discover it someday.

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2025-11-03 19:07