Rare Doctor Who Episodes Resurface, Marking Bret Vyon's Debut

0:00On April 3rd, two long-lost Doctor Who episodes from 1965 just dropped, unseen since they first aired. These are Parts 1 and 3 of the 12-part Dollyx's Master Plan from the William Hartnell Era, penned by Dollyx Mastermind Terry Nation. They star Peter Perves as the Doctor's companion Steven, and the BBC restored them from old 16-millimeter film found in a private collection. The episodes hit BBC iPlayer in the UK on Friday morning, with four other who tapes in that collection already safe in the BBC archives. They're getting a big-screen treatment too, and a sold-out event in Hammersmith this Saturday afternoon. Peter Perves got the surprise of his life back in mid-March, at a secret London screening. They tricked him into showing up, then rolled the footage. He called it beautifully directed, and it's a huge deal for fans since it marks the debut of Nicholas Corny as Brett Vion, who later became the iconic Brigadier across multiple doctors. 95-60's era episodes are still missing, junked by the BBC in the 70s, to free up space when TB felt disposable, and tapes were pricey.

1:06This is the first recovery since 2013, when nine more turned up in Nigeria from old syndication sales. Whovians are buzzing as these gems fill gaps in the classic run, proving they're still hope for the archives. Keep an eye on iPlayer if you're in the UK, and who knows what else might surface next.