Doctor Who fans get new hope for missing episodes – as Peter Purves celebrates The Daleks’ Master Plan restoration

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Peter Purves described recently found episodes of Doctor Who as “uplifting and exciting” after a special viewing on Saturday, April 4th.

Recently discovered episodes one and three of the twelve-part story, ‘The Daleks’ Master Plan’ – featuring actor Peter Purves – were screened at the Riverside Studios in London. Episode two, which was previously recovered in 2004, was also shown to a large audience.

Bill Purves, who is now 87 years old, played the part of Steven Taylor on Doctor Who for a year starting in the middle of 1965. Unfortunately, like many episodes from the 1960s, his work was later lost because the tapes were destroyed.

Recently, the Film is Fabulous! charity found two lost films in the collection of a film lover who had passed away. He’d carefully preserved them for years, unaware of how rare they were.

Purves expressed immense joy at revisiting the episodes, saying it was a truly wonderful day. He shared how much he enjoyed watching them, especially alongside others who were experiencing them after a long time – some hadn’t seen them in 60 years!

Knowing the audience included people of all ages, Purves pointed out that very few attendees would have been able to watch the original broadcast of these episodes when they aired in 1965.

It was really moving to be at the screening of The Daleks’ Master Plan. So many of the people who made it happen are no longer with us, but they were clearly remembered. It meant a lot to see the children and grandchildren of William Hartnell, who played the original Doctor, as well as Adrienne Hill, the actress who played a companion, and key figures like director Douglas Camfield and story editor Dennis Spooner, all there to represent their families.

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During a discussion after the screening, television producer and episode recovery specialist Paul Vanezis clarified that the found episodes were ‘cutting copies.’ These were prints used for technical checks before copies were made for international release.

This suggests more episodes were likely created than originally believed, offering fans renewed optimism that lost installments might still be discovered.

The Film is Fabulous! team focuses on preserving British film history, not specifically searching for lost Doctor Who episodes. Finding those missing episodes is a welcome bonus that comes from their work connecting with film collectors.

Sue Malden, who previously chose programs for the BBC’s archives, believed their efforts would uncover more lost television episodes, including potentially those of Doctor Who and other shows.

Fans can now watch two previously lost episodes of Doctor Who, “The Nightmare Begins” and “Devil’s Planet,” on BBC iPlayer.

Authors

Oliver Wake

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2026-04-06 14:04