Sci-Fi Bulletin: Exploring the Universes of SF, Fantasy, Horror and Spy-fi!

Following the high fan and press interest in the two Dalek episodes announced on Friday 13th March, Film is Fabulous! has issued the following clarification:

Film is Fabulous! announced the recovery of two missing episodes of Doctor Who on Friday, 13th March 2026. The Press Released 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.
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 during interviews.
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! are 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 (visit the website):
*Tim Beddows
*Terry Burnett
*Maurice Haynes
*Joseph Infanti
*Eric Mival
*David Moore
*Max Robertson
*John Ryan
*Michael Wilson
In October 2025, John Franklin of Film is Fabulous! 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.
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.
Film is Fabulous! are 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.
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.
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.