BBC Unearths Lost Episodes Of ‘Doctor Who’

The BBC unearthed two episodes of the original version of the show that were thought to be lost. The episodes feature the first two actors who portrayed the title character: William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton.

The first episode is a 1965 episode from the third season called “Airlock,” in which Hartnell’s Doctor assists in the rescue of a crash landed alien vessel. The second episode from 1967 episode called “The Underwater Menace.” The fourth season episode features Troughton, in a story that has the Doctor and his companion kidnapped and taken to the lost city of Atlantis.

“Dr. Who” has featured 11 different actors as the Time Lord, since the show debuted in 1963. The BBC did not begin preserving the episodes until 1978 and more than 100 of the earliest episodes are still missing.

The two newly found episodes were found by former TV engineer, Terry Burnett, who had bought the two episodes in the 1980s at a school fair. Until recently he was unaware that they were thought to be lost.

The episodes will reportedly be released on DVD next year.