Hidden for Decades: Lost Doctor Who Episodes Found

Per the BBC, two episode of 1965’s “The Daleks’ Master Plan” have been recovered after nearly 60 years. Aired only the once, recordings retained by the Beeb were junked in the late ’60s as space became a premium in their archives. The results led to a number of long-running programs losing some or all of their earliest episodes. Doctor Who is the most notable as it remains a fan favorite with many of those very same fans trekking the globe to find more missing segments and stories.

The two recovered episodes — “The Nightmare Begins” and “Devil’s Planet” — comprise parts one and two of “Master Plan”, an ambitious 12-part story which saw The Doctor (William Hartnell), Steven Taylor (Peter Purves), and Katarina (Adrienne Hill) encountering the Time Lord’s old foes as they made a bid to conquer Earth’s entire galaxy. The plot, written by Dalek creator Terry Nation and former script editor Dennis Spooner, spans time and space as the TARDIS travelers eventually end up in ancient Egypt and encounter the Meddling Monk (Peter Butterworth). The story also saw the first appearance of Who mainstay Nicholas Courtney, who would go on to play the beloved Brigadier Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart in the ’70s, as the quickly dispatched Bret Vyon. Jean Marsh also appeared in the story as enemy-turned friend Sara Kindgom. Kevin Stoney also makes a memorable appearance as human antagonist Mavic Chen. It remains the longest Doctor Who story helmed by a single director.

Episode 2 of the story, “Day of Armageddon” was recovered in 2004 while parts five and ten, “Counter Plot” and “Escape Switch”, somehow evaded the archive purge and have been commercially available since the ’90s. Audio from the entire serial survives thanks to enterprising fans who recorded each episode as it aired. It is possible that audio may aid an eventual animated reconstruction of the still-missing episodes.

The find also proves Doctor Who endures even when its own stewards get short-sighted about the viability of the program.

“The Nightmare Begins” and “Devil’s Planet” will be available on BBC iPlayer April 4th. The episodes will also screen at the Riverside Studios in London that evening.

via Comicon.com