Doctor Who Classic "The War Games" Gets Colour Remaster in December

Posted in: BBC, Doctor Who, TV | Tagged: bbc, bbc iplayer, doctor who, doctor who day, patrick troughton

Doctor Who Classic "The War Games" Gets Colour Remaster in December

Airing on the BBC on December 23rd, Doctor Who classic "The War Games" is getting a colourised 90-minute cut with interesting new additions.

Published Sat, 23 Nov 2024 13:39:10 -0600
by Adi Tantimedh
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The classic Doctor Who story 'The War Games" is returning in stunning new colourisation to air on BBC Four and iPlayer on 23rd December. Originally aired in 1969, The War Games marked the end of an era for the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton), following him and his companions Zoe and Jamie as they land on a battlefield that appears to be a World War I military zone—but all is not as it seems. They soon discover that soldiers from different historical periods have been abducted and are being manipulated in a cruel game. As they work to uncover the mystery behind the War Lord and his twisted experiments, the Doctor faces one of his most difficult challenges. This was the final story in the series that was filmed in black and white, with the next seasons all in colour.

For the first time, the original episodes have been meticulously colourised and enhanced with updated visual effects edited into a new, 90-minute feature-length experience to appeal to today's modern audiences. With updated sound and a new score, this newly updated version of The War Games offers both fans and newcomers even more ways to watch the much-loved classic Doctor Who story. The episode will also feature the Second Doctor's never-before-seen regeneration into the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee), alongside recovered footage not seen since the original broadcast. This brings up a question: did they actually film it at the time, or is this a newly-created scene using CGI to insert Jon Pertwee? That should be interesting.

Current showrunner Russell T Davies said, "From the day I arrived back on Doctor Who, this was the plan. To colourise old stories and bring them back to life. And on Doctor Who Day itself, it's great to announce this, celebrating the show's wonderful heritage with an all-time classic. It looks so vivid and new – and for fans of black-and-white, the story in its original form will stay on BBC iPlayer, so everyone wins! I actually watched this transmit in 1969, at 6 years old, terrified of the Roman soldiers, fascinated by villains with glinting spectacles, and in awe of the Doctor's brand new origin. Now fans old and new can enjoy it all over again."

This special episode is the second time that a classic Doctor Who story has been colourised, following The Daleks in 2023, which was updated to commemorate the franchise's 60th anniversary. It will only be broadcast in the UK, and a Blu-Ray release will be available in both the UK and the US.

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