When two long missing episodes of the classic Doctor Who serial The Daleks' Master Plan were recovered from a private collection, the next challenge was preserving them for future generations. They represented pieces of television history that many believed had been lost forever.

Working alongside BBC Archives and Film is Fabulous!, R3store Studios was commissioned to prep, clean, 2K scan the 16mm Telerecordings, Grade and digitally restore the episodes as part of a comprehensive film restoration project. The restored episodes were released on BBC iPlayer, allowing audiences to watch episodes that had been missing for decades. They were also screened at events around the country by Film is Fabulous!

The restoration process is featured in a YouTube video from Film is Fabulous!, providing viewers with a behind the scenes look at the work taking place inside R3store Studios. They have also shared multiple before and after clips so you can see more of the restoration process.

Behind the Scenes at R3store Studios

Preparing 16mm Film for Professional Scanning

During the preparation process, the R3store team examined the film frame by frame to ensure the reels could safely be scanned using the ScanStation Scanner.

The film was then passed through our Cinetech Film Cleaner to remove any surface dust and dirt. This allows the film to be as clean as possible before the scanning and restoration process, saving time particularly in restoration. 

2K Film Scanning

Once the film had been prepared, it was placed onto the LaserGraphics ScanStation.

One highlight captured in the Film is Fabulous! video is the moment the scan begins. As the film advances through the scanner, the iconic Doctor Who opening titles appear on the monitor, followed by the first scenes of The Nightmare Begins.

For archivists and restoration specialists, few moments are more rewarding than watching long unseen images reappear frame by frame as they are digitally preserved. The resulting digital scan became the foundation for the visual and audio restoration work.

While this project involved one of television's most recognizable franchises, the same preservation techniques are applied to documentaries, feature films, news footage, corporate archives, educational collections, and privately held film libraries.

Restoring the Original Broadcast Presentation

Using Phoenix restoration tools, R3store Studios worked to return the recovered episodes as closely as possible to their original broadcast appearance while respecting the integrity of the source material.

The restoration process included:
•    Stabilizing the image to correct movement caused by film shrinkage, warping, and age.
•    Reducing flicker created by variations in brightness between frames.
•    Removing dust, dirt, scratches, and other film damage through a combination of automated and manual restoration.
•    Reviewing every restoration pass scene by scene to ensure automated processes had not introduced unwanted artifacts.
•    Performing color grading and tonal adjustments to bring the black and white colors back to life.

The before and after comparisons shared by Film is Fabulous! demonstrate how careful restoration can dramatically improve image quality while preserving the character of the original film.

Restoring the Soundtrack

The project extended beyond the visual restoration.

The soundtrack was also restored using a newly developed source separation process that isolated the dialogue from the remaining audio before restoration work began. This approach allowed noise reduction to be applied more selectively, improving clarity while preserving the natural character of the original dialogue.

Like visual restoration, the goal was not to modernize the recording, but to present it as faithfully as possible while removing decades of accumulated noise and age-related degradation.

Preserving Stories for Future Generations

The recovery of these Doctor Who episodes is a reminder that remarkable stories can still be hiding around the world. Whether preserving a television classic, a feature film, a corporate archive, or a family collection, the same principles apply. Careful handling, expert digitization, and thoughtful restoration ensure these stories can be experienced by future generations.

At R3store Studios, we combine decades of restoration expertise with advanced scanning and digital restoration technologies to help archives, broadcasters, studios, museums, universities, government agencies, and content owners preserve, restore, and unlock the value of their audiovisual collections for future generations.

To support Film is Fabulous! and their ongoing work with a one-off donation, please visit: https://filmisfabulous.org.uk/preserving-doctor-who-episodes/