1965. Reception Broadcast and ratings The serial was broadcast on BBC1 in four weekly parts from 24 April to 15 May 1965. The second episode was scheduled 10 minutes later than usual due to the 1965 FA Cup Final, while the third episode was broadcast 20 minutes later due to coverage of the 20th anniversary of VE Day. Viewership numbers were similar to the preceding serial, dropping from 10.5 million to 8.5 million viewers across the four weeks. The Appreciation Index began strong—the first three weeks received 51, 53, and 56, respectively—but fell sharply, with the final episode at 49. The original tapes of the first, third, and fourth episodes were cleared for wiping by the BBC on 17 August 1967, deemed to be of no further use; the second episode was cleared on 31 January 1969. A 16mm film recording of the third episode was retained by the BBC Film and Television Archives. In 1977, the entire serial was discovered at BBC Enterprises. It was screened by British Satellite Broadcasting on 22 September 1990, and by UK Gold in December 1992; the latter occasionally ran it as a compilation later. The BFI National Archive holds a copy of the serial. Critical response An article in the Times Educational Supplement in May 1965 described the serial as "enormously contrived", adding that the series "has run out of imagination". An audience report prepared following the first episode's broadcast was generally positive, with praise directed at the exploration of unknown and extraordinary concepts—there was a general preference for futuristic stories instead of historical ones—though some viewers acknowledged that the show was becoming formulaic and found the episode slow. A second audience report, prepared following the final episode, was more critical, with criticism directed at the undeveloped ideas and rapid resolution, and the general repetitiveness of the show; some felt that Hartnell was often unsure of his lines, and the supporting actors and small sets were criticised. Retrospective reviews were mixed. In The Television Companion (1998), David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker considered the first episode promising and the general concept fascinating, but felt that the story "falls as flat as a pancake"; they lauded the main cast, particularly Maureen O'Brien, but criticised the supporting cast, describing Richard Shaw's role as "one of the worst performances yet seen in the series". In A Critical History of Doctor Who (1999), John Kenneth Muir