BBC archivists have restored two previously lost episodes of the classic sci-fi series 'Doctor Who,' discovered among the possessions of a deceased collector in England. The episodes, 'The Nightmare Begins' and 'Devil's Planet,' aired in November 1965 during the show's third season, titled 'The Daleks' Master Plan.'

Television scholars note that the BBC routinely erased or discarded recordings in the 1960s, believing they had no commercial value. This practice left nearly 100 episodes from the show's first six years missing. The episodes feature William Hartnell as the Doctor and Peter Purves as his companion Steven Taylor.

The charitable trust Film Is Fabulous announced the discovery, revealing that the collector had preserved the 16-millimeter black-and-white telerecordings for decades. BBC Archives is now working to restore the original recordings to broadcast quality for streaming on BBC iPlayer.