Lost 'Doctor Who' Episodes Found After 60 Years

A film charity just reunited "Doctor Who" fans with two episodes they thought were lost forever.

"The Nightmare Begins" and "Devil's Planet" were discovered in film cans among a deceased collector's possessions. The black-and-white episodes from 1965 feature William Hartnell, the very first actor to play the time-traveling Doctor, battling his most famous enemies: the pepperpot-shaped Daleks.

The find solves a decades-old mystery created by the BBC itself. In the 1960s through 1980s, British broadcasters routinely threw out film recordings or wiped video tapes to reuse them. They had no idea the show would become a global phenomenon with millions of devoted fans.

"In some ways finding missing 'Doctor Whos' is the holy grail of classic TV discoveries," said Justin Smith, chair of trustees at Film is Fabulous!, the charity behind the find. BBC archivists have already restored both episodes, which will stream next month.

The discovery matters most to people like Peter Purves, who played companion Steven Taylor in these very episodes. Now 87, Purves still has 27 of his episodes missing. "It's rather sad, but it's great when some turn up," he told the BBC.

The Ripple Effect

This is the first "Doctor Who" discovery since 2013, when nine episodes turned up in a Nigerian television station's storeroom. Each find inspires new searches and reminds collectors to check their shelves.

Smith believes more episodes exist somewhere. "We know that other episodes are in existence," he said. "The only question is when and where they will come to light."

The show's unique format helps explain why fans care so much about recovering its history. The Doctor regenerates into new bodies, allowing different actors to take the role across generations. Ncuti Gatwa starred in the most recent series, and another actor will take over soon.

These recovered episodes form part of a 12-part storyline, meaning more pieces of this puzzle might still be out there waiting.