There's a new reason for Whovians to celebrate as nine lost episodes of Doctor Who were found in Nigeria of all places.

The black and white footages are reportedly from the time of the second incarnation of the Doctor, portrayed by Patrick Troughton. Before the discovery, 'The Enemy of the World' and 'The Web of Fear' were considered gone forever as it was common practice to erase original video tapes in the 60's. Thankfully, some copies were sold to foreign broadcasters to be distributed internationally, much to the relief of contemporary fans today.

The announcement was made through a press screening in London, on October 10, where Mark Gatiss as well as former companions, actors Frazer Hines and Deborah Watling, broke the news.

Gatiss, who has written and acted for the series, commented on how the retrieved episodes are so classically 'Doctor Who' in that the Doctor battles robot yetis in the London Underground. He exclaims that "The Web of Fear" episode specifically has an archetypal element to it.

This news comes as a wonderful stroke of luck for fans of the long running show; what with a new Doctor coming in and the 50th anniversary episode on November 2013, it seems like the best time to be a Whovian right now.

The prized footages were unearthed by Philip Morris, director of the Television International Enterprise Archive, following the shipment records of a relay station in Jos, Nigeria via Hong Kong. Morris recalled wiping off the masking tape labels and being very excited as he realized that it was, indeed, Doctor Who episodes that have not been seen in more than a decade. He also describes the find as one of the biggest classic television hauls in 30 years, bringing the count of the lost episodes to 97.

Doctor Who returns with its anniversary episode on November 23, 2013 entitled "The Day of the Doctor." It will be the one of the last times for Matt Smith to play the eleventh Doctor as he steps down from the role. The twelfth Doctor will be played by British actor, Peter Capaldi, who was once a minor character in the Doctor Who episode, "The Fires of Pompeii." The new season is set to start filming in January 2014 and broadcasted on August 2014.

It is also worth noting that in 2011 Terry Burnett, former TV engineer, bought two lost episodes at a school fair in the 80's-- proof that the Doctor and his TARDIS can be spotted anywhere, at any time, by anyone who is willing to look for him.