Starring William Hartnell<\/a> as the first Doctor \u2013 and last seen in 1965 \u2013 these are the first and third instalments of a gritty 12-part epic, The Daleks\u2019 Master Plan<\/a>. The original videotapes were erased long ago by the BBC, but film copies were preserved by a private collector, who died recently. His estate has requested anonymity, while generously passing his collection to Film Is Fabulous<\/a>, a charitable trust run by cinema lovers and vintage-TV enthusiasts.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re lucky these 16mm films are in excellent condition,\u201d Peter Purves<\/a> tells Radio Times<\/a>. Two years before joining Blue Peter, he co-starred as the Doctor\u2019s travelling companion, Steven Taylor.<\/p>\n Now 87, and one of the few surviving cast members of this story, he was invited to a surprise screening in Leicester a few weeks ago. \u201cI was blown away by both episodes, not only because they\u2019d been found, but because it was good to see how well they had been directed. Douglas Camfield was one of the finest BBC directors. His camerawork was superb.<\/p>\n Peter Purves.\u00a0M McKeown\/Express\/Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cIt was also great to be able to see a little more of my own acting work, and mates like Brian Cant performing.\u201d<\/p>\n Already known for hosting Play School, Cant appears as a space security agent who has a nasty encounter with a Dalek. These episodes also feature the Doctor Who debut of Nicholas Courtney as agent Bret Vyon \u2013 three years before he became the long-running Brigadier.<\/p>\n Someone who vividly recalls watching The Daleks\u2019 Master Plan in the 60s is Jan Vincent-Rudzki, who founded the Doctor Who Appreciation Society in 1976. He was 10 when it aired on BBC One.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is certainly my all-time favourite story. It ran across 12 weeks, and for a child that was like two summer holidays. It seemed to go on and on, but it was riveting all the way through.\u201d<\/p>\n Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google<\/a> He recorded the soundtrack from his TV set during the broadcast, so the serial has remained fresh in his mind. \u201cThe Daleks are at their most devious and intelligent, and it\u2019s quite a vicious storyline because for the first time the Doctor\u2019s companions die.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the intriguing aspects of these two episodes will be a chance to see more of Katarina, a Trojan handmaiden who had just been introduced as a new, short-lived friend for the Doctor.<\/p>\n In April 1986, almost exactly 40 years ago, the actor Adrienne Hill gave me a rare interview for Doctor Who Magazine and revealed she\u2019d been \u201cover the moon\u201d to land the role in 1965. \u201cIt was a super show and something we all watched avidly. I phoned people up and said, \u2018Guess what I\u2019ve got a part in\u2026\u2019 I was delighted.\u201d<\/p>\n By the 1980s, she\u2019d paused her acting career to raise a family and teach drama in schools. \u201cI\u2019d forgotten all about Doctor Who. I never realised it was so big! I must admit I feel a bit of a fraud, having only been in five episodes. Now of course it\u2019s all been wiped. It\u2019s a tragedy!\u201d<\/p>\n Since Hill\u2019s death in 1997, three of her episodes have been recovered. However, the dramatic fourth part of Master Plan, in which Katarina suffocates in the vacuum of space, is still missing from the archives.<\/p>\n While aficionados live in hope of that being found one day, Purves says, \u201cIt\u2019s a pleasure to see more of Adrienne\u2019s excellent performance. I\u2019m thrilled that these episodes have now seen the light of day, and I know they\u2019ll be watched by huge numbers of fans.\u201d<\/p>\n The latest issue of Radio Times is out on Tuesday \u2013 subscribe here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The recovered episodes of The Daleks\u2019 Master Plan will be available on BBC iPlayer soon. To find out more about Film Is Fabulous, visit filmisfabulous.org.uk<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dive into our Doctor Who story guide<\/a>: reviews of every episode since 1963, plus cast & crew listings, production trivia, and exclusive material from the Radio Times archive.<\/p>\n Missing Doctor Who? Register now<\/a> for Radio Times’ Doctor Who Insiders club for exclusive interviews with Doctor Who legends every month.<\/p>\n![\"Peter](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/peter-purves-doctor-who-fe71f0c.jpg\" "\\"Peter")
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