‘Lost’ Doctor Who episodes coming to BBC iPlayer on Good Friday

The Nightmare Begins and Devil’s Planet are from the third series entitled The Daleks’ Master Plan

Published: 11:15 am, 31 March 2026
Black and white still from Doctor Who episode The Devil's Planet, featuring William Hartnell as the Doctor, surrounded by three people as he looks at something in his hands intently.
Nicholas Courtney as Bret Vyon, William Hartnell as The Doctor, Adrienne Hill as Katriana and Peter Purves as Steven in The Devil's Planet (Image: BBC)

The BBC has confirmed that the two ‘lost’ episodes of Doctor Who from the 1960’s will be made available for viewers on BBC iPlayer on Good Friday.

The two episodes; The Nightmare Begins and Devil’s Planet were from the third series entitled The Daleks’ Master Plan. Written by Terry Nation, the series starred William Hartnell as the Doctor and Peter Purves as Steven Taylor. It also featured Nicholas Courtney as Bret Vyon, Adrienne Hill as Katarina, and Kevin Stoney as Mavic Chen.

The episodes were found by Film is Fabulous! – a charitable trust run by film collectors, cinema lovers and vintage television enthusiasts. They approached BBC Archives after finding them in a private collection, who worked to restore the original 16mm telerecordings.

Viewers will be able to watch the two episodes on BBC iPlayer in the UK from 6am on 3 April 2026 (Good Friday). These episodes add to a raft of Doctor Who programming which forms The Whoniverse on BBC iPlayer

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