The term “Missing Doctor Who episodes” refers to episodes of the classic Doctor Who TV series that were lost due to the BBC’s archival practices in the 1960s and 70s. Many episodes from the First and Second Doctors’ eras were erased, destroyed, or simply not preserved. Here’s a complete overview of this fascinating part of Doctor Who history:
🌀 WHY EPISODES WENT MISSING
Archival Policies
In the 1960s and 70s, the BBC did not routinely preserve TV shows. Videotapes were expensive and often reused, and the idea of home media releases didn’t exist yet. Many shows, including Doctor Who, were not considered worth archiving.
Junking and Wiping
From 1967 to 1978, hundreds of episodes were wiped or destroyed. Films were also thrown away due to storage costs or copyright reasons.
📺 WHAT WAS LOST
The classic series ran from 1963 to 1989, but the major losses occurred in the First Doctor (William Hartnell) and Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) eras.
Totals:
- 253 total episodes (1963–1969)
- 97 missing as of today
Breakdown by Doctor:
▶ First Doctor (William Hartnell)
- Stories Affected: 10
- Missing episodes: 44
▶ Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton)
- Stories Affected: 14
- Missing episodes: 53
Most episodes from the Troughton era are missing due to heavy wiping during that time.
🔍 WHAT STILL EXISTS?
✅ Surviving Media
- Film recordings: Some episodes survive in film format (16mm/35mm).
- Tele-snap reconstructions: Off-screen photos taken by John Cura used for promos.
- Audio recordings: Fans taped episodes off TV at home. These helped in later reconstructions.
- Scripts, stills, and promotional material.
🎉 EPISODE RECOVERIES
Over the years, several episodes have been found, often in overseas archives or private collections.
Key Recoveries:
- 1984: “The Daleks’ Master Plan – Episode 5” recovered from Cyprus.
- 1991: “The Tomb of the Cybermen” found in Hong Kong.
- 2013: “The Enemy of the World” and “The Web of Fear” found in Nigeria (though Episode 3 of Web still remains missing).
- 2021 (rumor): Some rumors persist of additional recoveries, but not confirmed.
🎨 RECONSTRUCTIONS & ANIMATIONS
To fill in the gaps, the BBC and other studios have animated several missing episodes using original audio:
Notable Animated Releases:
- The Power of the Daleks
- The Macra Terror
- The Faceless Ones
- The Evil of the Daleks
- The Abominable Snowmen
- The Underwater Menace (2023)
📋 FULL LIST OF MISSING STORIES
Here’s a selection of the completely or partially missing serials:
William Hartnell:
- Marco Polo (completely missing)
- The Crusade (2 episodes missing)
- The Myth Makers (completely missing)
- The Daleks’ Master Plan (9 of 12 missing)
- The Massacre of St Bartholomew’s Eve (completely missing)
- The Savages (completely missing)
- The Smugglers (completely missing)
Patrick Troughton:
- The Highlanders (completely missing)
- The Underwater Menace (partially missing)
- The Macra Terror (completely missing)
- The Faceless Ones (partially missing)
- The Evil of the Daleks (partially missing)
- The Abominable Snowmen (partially missing)
- The Web of Fear (Episode 3 missing)
- Fury from the Deep (completely missing)
- The Wheel in Space (mostly missing)
- The Space Pirates (mostly missing)
Go to Doctor Who Missing Episodes – ScottSekinger.com for a complete list of missing episodes,
Deep Dive
🔮 THE FUTURE
- Some hope remains that more episodes may be recovered.
- Private collectors and obscure overseas stations have been fruitful in the past.
- Fan projects and reconstructions continue to thrive.