After 60 Years, 2 Missing Doctor Who Episodes Finally Return to Streaming

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Doctor Who fans have exciting news! Two long-lost episodes from one of the very first Doctor Who stories have been discovered. “The Nightmare Begins” and “Devil’s Planet,” which are part of the adventure The Dalek’s Master Plan, will soon be available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

The Dalek’s Master Plan was the fourth story in the original third season of Doctor Who, and the episodes originally aired in November 1965. For many years, fans believed these episodes were lost, as the BBC erased many of its early recordings from the 1960s. Thankfully, some of the footage has been recovered, and the BBC is now working to restore it.

As a longtime fan, I was thrilled to learn about a fantastic discovery! The team at Film is Fabulous unearthed two long-lost episodes of Doctor Who in a private collection and immediately brought them to the BBC. Thankfully, the BBC has lovingly restored these episodes from the original 16mm film recordings. And the best part? They’re adding them to iPlayer – meaning all of us UK Who fans will be able to watch them on Easter Day, April 5th! It’s a real treat for dedicated viewers like myself.

Noreen Adams, Director of BBC Archives, announced that lost episodes of Doctor Who will be available on BBC iPlayer this Easter thanks to a collaboration with Film is Fabulous! The BBC Archives team has been working hard to restore the original recordings and make them look and sound their best, offering fans a special treat alongside their Easter celebrations this April.

What Is Doctor Who’s The Daleks’ Master Plan Serial About?

The Daleks’ Master Plan is a Doctor Who story featuring William Hartnell as the Doctor. He’s accompanied by his companions Steven Taylor (played by Peter Purves), Katarina (Adrienne Hill), and Sara Kingdom (Jean Marsh).

Terry Nation, famous for his work on Doctor Who, wrote the initial episodes of this story, including two recently recovered installments. The BBC commissioned the serial because of the popularity of his previous creation, and the success of the earlier adventure featuring those characters, The Dalek Invasion of Earth.

Taking place in the year 4000, The Daleks’ Master Plan centers around the Daleks’ plot to take over the entire Solar System. Their plan involves betrayal from powerful figures and a dangerous weapon that could unravel time itself. The Doctor and his companions are the only ones who can stop them, but their survival isn’t certain.

Despite the recent recovery of two episodes, The Daleks’ Master Plan is still not complete – a common issue with early Doctor Who stories. Out of the original 12 parts, seven are still lost. Thankfully, with the restoration of “The Nightmare Begins” and “The Devil Planet,” viewers can now watch the first three episodes of this story together online for the first time.

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2026-03-13 19:37