Trending Now - Two Recovered 'doctor Who' Episodes to Be Released for Fans

WHO:

BBC, a film charity, Justin Smith (cinema professor at De Montfort University), Peter Purves (actor), and the estate of a deceased collector (anonymous).

WHAT:

Two previously lost episodes of "Doctor Who," titled "The Nightmare Begins" and "Devil’s Planet," have been found and restored.

95 episodes of "Doctor Who" are still missing.

The episodes aired during the show's third series in 1965.

The discovery is the first since 2013, when nine missing episodes were found in Nigeria.

Peter Purves stated, “Twenty-seven of mine still are missing, but I’m delighted that two have been found.”

WHERE:

The episodes were found among the possessions of a deceased collector in an unspecified location in the U.K.

WHEN:

The episodes were originally aired in 1965.

The discovery was announced on Friday, March 12th, 2026.

The most recent series of "Doctor Who," starring Ncuti Gatwa, aired in 2025.

WHY:

Many early episodes of "Doctor Who" were lost due to the BBC's practice of erasing or discarding content in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.

HOW:

The episodes were found in film cans wrapped in plastic bags and have been restored by BBC archivists.

(UPDATED March 14, 2026 01:27 UTC)

In a significant find for "Doctor Who" fans, two previously lost episodes titled "The Nightmare Begins" and "Devil’s Planet" have been discovered and restored, with the announcement made last Friday. These episodes, which originally aired in 1965 during the show's third series, were found among the possessions of a deceased collector in the U.K., marking the first major recovery since nine episodes were located in Nigeria in 2013. Actor Peter Purves expressed his delight over the discovery, noting that while twenty-seven of his episodes remain missing, it's exciting to see two of them brought back to life.