Two lost Doctor Who episodes turn up in private collection

"The outfit announced the find last Friday, saying the two episodes - "The Nightmare Begins" and "Devil's Planet" - were part of "a deceased enthusiast's private collection" and are "16mm telerecordings." The collector "cherished the films for many years, and we owe him a huge debt of gratitude for preserving these episodes of Doctor Who.""

"The reason for most losses was the BBC's lack of a formal archiving policy, and the common practice of erasing videotapes felt to have outlived their usefulness so program-makers could save money. And before you judge the BBC too harshly, remember that NASA probably erased its best footage of the first moon landing to save money by re-using tapes."

"The last find of lost Who episodes came in 2013, when 106 turned up at the Ethiopian Radio and Television Agency. Like other discoveries of lost Who, the find was a trove of episodes sent to foreign broadcasters for transmission in countries other than the UK."

Film Is Fabulous! announced the discovery of two Doctor Who episodes, "The Nightmare Begins" and "Devil's Planet," from the 1965 third season. These 16mm telerecordings were found in a deceased enthusiast's private collection. Both episodes feature William Hartnell, the first Doctor, and aired in November 1965 as part of the ten-serial season. Despite this recovery, over 90 Doctor Who episodes remain lost, primarily due to the BBC's lack of formal archiving policies and the practice of erasing videotapes to save money. Previous discoveries of lost episodes occurred in 2013 when 106 episodes were found at the Ethiopian Radio and Television Agency, having been sent to foreign broadcasters.

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