Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
A remarkable discovery has been made in the world of classic British television with the recovery of two lost episodes of Doctor Who from the 1960s. These episodes, which had not been viewed since their original broadcast, were found in a cardboard box among a collector’s “ramshackle” collection of vintage films. The recovered episodes feature William Hartnell as the first incarnation of the Doctor, fighting against a Dalek plot to dominate Earth, the solar system, and the galaxy in a story arc previously only shown in the UK.
The episodes, titled *The Nightmare Begins* and *Devil’s Planet*, aired in November 1965 as part of the show’s third season. Written by Terry Nation, the creator of the Daleks, this serial starred Hartnell alongside Peter Purves, who played the Doctor’s assistant Steven Taylor. The storyline also featured early appearances from Nicholas Courtney, Adrienne Hill, and Kevin Stoney. Peter Purves, invited to a special screening under false pretenses, expressed his astonishment at seeing the episodes again, saying, “My flabber has never been so gasted.” Restored versions are set to be released on BBC iPlayer around Easter.
These recovered episodes come from a storyline called *The Daleks’ Master Plan*, a 12-part serial known for its notably “dark and gritty” tone. Unfortunately, more than half of this serial had been wiped and remains missing to this day. The discovery marks the longest gap between finds of lost episodes since 2013. Unlike earlier recovered episodes, which were often found in overseas television archives, these copies surfaced from a private collection in the UK. The serial had not been sold abroad due to concerns over its violent content, especially after being censored in countries like Australia and New Zealand, limiting its distribution and subsequent preservation.
The recovery is credited to the efforts of the charitable trust Film is Fabulous! (FIF), based in Leicester. The films came from the estate of an anonymous collector whose vast assortment of material—primarily focused on trains, canals, and home videos—had been donated to FIF after the collector’s passing. Justin Smith, professor of cinema and television history at De Montfort University and chair of trustees at FIF, expressed gratitude toward the late collector for preserving these “gems.” He explained that many of the films they recover are in poor condition, suffering from damage and neglect, but the Doctor Who episodes were unusually well cared for within the eclectic collection
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.