Film is Fabulous! announced the recovery of two missing episodes of Doctor Who on Friday, 13th March 2026. The Press Release issued at the time provided a great deal of information. However, it is evident that an additional statement is required to provide further clarity, greater detail, and a simpler explanation, to ensure a better understanding of the situation.
Press Release: Film is Fabulous! have recovered two missing episodes of Doctor Who, which feature William Hartnell in the title role. These are the first missing episodes of Doctor Who to be announced since 2013. The recovery reduces the number of missing episodes to 95.
Statement: Film is Fabulous! do not have any other missing episodes of Doctor Who. We are not holding any missing episodes back to announce at the special screening on Saturday, 4th April 2026.
Film is Fabulous! do not discuss the details of elderly private collectors, or the films in their collections, with third parties. John Franklin and Prof. Justin Smith are the only members of the team who know the facts, and they will not disclose this information, even during interviews with the media.
Press Release: Film is Fabulous! is a charitable trust run by film collectors, cinema lovers, and vintage television enthusiasts. Its primary objective is to ensure that vulnerable film collections held in the U.K. are preserved when private film collectors, and former industry professionals, pass away. Since 2023, the team have preserved many private film collections.
Statement: Film is Fabulous is not an archive, nor is it run to provide research material for those interested in missing episodes of television. Please contact the British Film Institute (BFI) if you are looking for information on lost feature films and missing episodes of television.
Film is Fabulous! is not ‘searching’ for missing episodes of Doctor Who. The primary function of the team is to preserve vulnerable film collections held privately in the U.K. The following are examples of film collections that have been preserved:
Press Release: Film is Fabulous! is not a treasure hunt. However, it’s inevitable that missing and rare items, which have been presumed lost for decades, will be found in private collections. Numerous vintage television shows have been recovered.Two recent finds are missing episodes of Doctor Who, which were discovered in a deceased enthusiast’s private collection:
- The Nightmare Begins (Broadcast: 13th November 1965)
- Devil’s Planet (Broadcast: 27th November 1965)
Statement: The deceased enthusiast’s private collection contained a total of six episodes of Doctor Who. In addition to the two missing episodes listed above, the following episodes were also recovered:
- The Survivors (Broadcast: 28th December 1963)
- The Escape (Broadcast: 4th January 1964)
- The Web Planet (Broadcast: 13th February 1965)
- The Executioners (Broadcast: 22nd May 1965)
The four episodes of Doctor Who listed above are already held by the BBC Archives. However, the original 16mm prints recovered by Film is Fabulous! will be returned to the BBC, as they might provide a superior source for future restorations. Neither the original 16mm prints, nor the cans with labels, are for sale to private individuals.
Press Release: The episodes are from the serial, entitled ‘The Daleks’ Master Plan’. Written by Terry Nation, they were broadcast during the third season of Doctor Who. The serial 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 recovery means that the first three instalments of a once totally missing 12-part story now exist.They provide a dark and gritty outing for the Daleks, who were being groomed by their creator, Terry Nation, for their own series, and life outside of Doctor Who. Indeed, ‘The Daleks’ Master Plan’ was not sold by the BBC to overseas broadcasters.
Statement: Film is Fabulous! is unable to provide images from the two recovered episodes, as they are not the copyright holder. Special dispensation was granted to Film is Fabulous! by the BBC, so that images from the recovered episodes could be included in their Press Release, and on the relevant pages of the Film is Fabulous! website. If you require images for media purposes, please contact the BBC Press Office.
Press Release: The estate of the deceased owner, in whose collection the film prints were found, wishes that he remains anonymous. Consequently, we will not enter into any discussion on the collector’s identity. All we’re able to say is he cherished the films for many years, and we owe him a huge debt of gratitude for preserving these episodes of Doctor Who.
Statement: In October 2025, John Franklin appeared on the Doctor Who Missing Episodes Podcast with Tim Burrows, and gave a detailed explanation of the circumstances surrounding a film collector, who had sadly died, and the films within the gentleman’s collection. The two missing episodes of Doctor Who announced on Friday, 13th March 2026, were recovered from that collection.
The deceased collector curated his films with great care, but did not necessarily appreciate the importance of each print, or their archival status. Indeed, he had no knowledge of, or interest in, Doctor Who. The original 16mm prints of the recovered episodes, with the restored digital scans, will be returned to the BBC Archives.
Press Release: In addition to the recovery, the Film is Fabulous! team have organised a special event, at which the two restored episodes of Doctor Who will be screened. This celebration of vintage television will take place on Saturday 4th April. The full details will be published shortly. The two episodes will be available on BBC iPlayer this Easter.
Statement: Film is Fabulous! have booked the venue at which the special screening will be held. The tickets will go on sale to the public on Tuesday, 17th March 2026. The venue is handling the sale of the tickets, together with the staging of the event. The details of the venue, and the programme, will be announced on Tuesday morning.
Press Release: Film is Fabulous! have collaborated with BBC Archives to enable these programmes to be returned to the BBC. BBC Archives has ensured that the original 16mm telerecordings are restored – meaning viewers will be able to watch them in the best possible condition on BBC iPlayer.
Statement: Film is Fabulous! requested that the two recovered episodes be placed on BBC iPlayer, for a wide audience to enjoy. We are extremely grateful to the BBC Archives, who have facilitated this request. The two restored episodes of Doctor Who will be delivered to BBC iPlayer team during the week of the 16th to 20th March. The episodes will be published on iPlayer at Easter. The target date is Saturday, 4th April 2026.
Film is Fabulous! are delighted to have recovered the two missing episodes of Doctor Who. The positive response, donations, and heartfelt comments about Peter Purves, are most pleasing. The team hopes that the above statement clarifies, contextualises, and provides sufficient information to fans of Doctor Who, to ensure falsehoods are minimised, and not perpetuated.
