Classic Doctor Who — The War Games In Colour — A Review

23rd December, 2024: The War Games In Colour.

The Introduction.

Right … 

It’s officially the case that Dave Brubeck is playing in the background.

The Time Out LP, if you must know.

It’s something I find vaguely meditative.

I’ve also got dinner cooking.

Fish and chips.

Yes: I like others, usually have that on Fridays.

But … ?

I wanted to make room in the fridge.

I’ve been shopping, today … !

~≈🧑🏿‍⚕️≈~

At any rate … ?

It’s the 23rd December: and we’re two days away from this year’s Dr Who Christmas special, Joy to the World.

Something I’m looking forward: and assume that you are, too.

But, first … ?

BBC Four are showing an edited, colourised, version of The War Games, Patrick Troughton’s last story.

I’m interested in watching it: partly to see how the thing compares to last year’s The Daleks In Colour.

And partly to see how a story that — as originally broadcast — ran to some two hundred and fifty or so minutes … services the editing process!

This review … ?

Will be live tomorrow: I’m planning to sleep in between now and then … !

~≈🩺≈~

24th December, 2024.

Part One: the Summary.

The War Games In Colour opens with the usual Whoniverse ident: then shifts … 

To a mocked up continuity announcement telling about a show that sees the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe (Patrick Troughton, Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury), in terrible danger.

Then shows us the sight off the TARDIS zooming towards somewhere we assume is Earth: and landing in what looks suspiciously a battle field.

One that — as the Doctor explains to Jamie and Zoe — forms part of the most terrible time for planet Earth.

Something that’s brought home to Jamie and Zoe: as the bombs start flying in … 

~≈🩺≈~

Post titles … ?

Post titles, our heroes met an ambulance driver called Lady Jennifer (Jane Sherwin): who, on her way to Ypres, has driven an uncanny mist.

And managed to lose her way, her memories of where she is … 

And the realization of quite how far behind the lines she is.

But?   She is happy to take the three to wherever they need to go: until all of them are captured by German soldiers, but rescued by Lieutenant Carstairs (David Savile).

Who takes Lady Jennifer and the Doctor’s small group the nearest Allied command post.

Where General Smythe, the OC, the Officer Commanding holds an immediate trial … 

And sentences the Doctor to death … !

~≈🩺≈~

24th December, 2024.

Part Two: the Show.

“Now, Paul,” I hear you cry, “what did you make of this colourised, edited, version of The War Games?”

“Was it good, bad or indifferent?”, you say.

“Was there,” you say, “a screaming huge pile of nepotism involved?”

I don’t know about piles … 

But … ?

Lady Jennifer, the ambulance driver, was played by Jane Sherwin: wife of Doctor Who’s then producer, Derrick Sherwin.

And — in the story as originally broadcast in 1969, but not in this colourised version — there’s a small part played by David Troughton: son of Patrick Troughton.

So if that counts as lots of nepotism?

Then that’s nepotism … !

But that’s possibly a minor thing: and not necessarily what you’re asking, now is it … ?

What did I make of this version of The War Games?

For a start, the colourisation technique?

I caught The Daleks In Colour, last year: which was nicely done.

Although I felt the colourisation of at least one scene — where the Doctor, Ian and Susan are in the Geiger Counter Room — seemed slightly off.

Half of the screen was coloured, with a noticeable pinkish sheen to the coloured areas, and other areas looking distinctly monochrome.

From The Daleks In Colour.

Something I felt — at the time — was because this was a new technique: being used on a badly lit scene.

There’s a similarly lit scenes in The War Games In Colour: involving the Time Lords conducting the Doctor’s trial.

But?

Whilst there’s a lot of purple tinting in the scene?   The skin tones, and general colouring seem to have improved since the Dalek story.

From the Trial scenes in The War Games In Colour

The tinting is less noticeable.

The colouring for the location filming?   And in the First World War sets?

Was incredible.

With the possible exemptions of Jamie’s maraschino-red kilt, and the blue of Troughton’s shirt, you could be forgiven for thinking these scenes had been filmed in colour.

Then there’s the editing.

If you know anything about The Daleks, the first Classic Dr Who story to get the treatment, you know that — as broadcast — the story was told over seven episode of roughly twenty-five minutes, each: for a total running time of some two hours and fifty-five minutes: against the seventy-five minute, one and a quarter hours, run time of The Daleks In Colour.

Compare that to the ten, twenty-five minute, episodes of the original broadcast of The War Games: four hours and ten minutes of broadcast material … 

Turned into a ninety minute broadcast, for last night’s airing.

And?

I think The War Games In Colour is a superb piece of work: the editors of this have done a far better job than the editors of The Daleks In Colour.

This version of The War Games seems far more coherent, and less repetitive, than the colourised version of The Daleks.

Granted: there’s a scene where the Warlords’ Chief Scientist is knocked out: then seen, back in action, only a few minutes later.

And, granted, some characters get less time in this version, than they do in the original series.

We get less time finding out who they are.

Even given all that, this version of The War Games seems far more coherent than last year’s The Daleks In Colour.

~≈🩺≈~

Part Three: Observations.

There’s a few other things I noticed in The War Games In Colour.

The Andersonesque model work for the Warlords’ base?   Was new to me.

As were the shots of the SIDRATs, flying through space*.

And the glow in one of the Timelords’s eyes, seen when interrogating the War Lord: something I found reminiscent of the Master’s eyes, in the TV Movie.

The Base

A SIDRAT

Glowing

These are things that have been added for this edition: at least, I’ve don’t remember seeing them in the original cut.

The producers have also included new clips during the Doctor’s trial: colourised shots of Daleks, and Ice Warriors, amongst others.

And — when The Doctor is offered a choice of new face for his exile to Earth? — a montage of New Series Doctors as the alternatives.

(The 12th Doctor was “too old”, the Tenth’s, “too thin”, the Thirteenth’s “too young” … and Matt Smith’s Eleventh … “won’t do at all!”)

Going by some of the stuff on social media, some people haven’t like that scene.

I, personally, thought it was fun: comic relief at a serious moment.

Then there’s the last part: the newly created scene of the Second Doctor, regenerating into the Third.

I only have half an idea how that was done: Troughton and Pertwee’s faces lifted from the original footage, and composited onto a motion-captured performer on a chair, all over-laid onto the original TARDIS set.

It looked good, however it was done!

It seemed a suitable end to a huge job of work.

~≈🩺≈~

Part Four: Last Thoughts.

So … what did I make of The War Games In Colour?

Of it, a blu-ray release, and any future ‘In Colour’ releases?

Let’s do that first question, shall we?

I feel that The War Games In Colour was very well done: the colourisation process has make the story look gorgeous, and the way the episodes have been edited together, makes a four hour TV series an entertaining.

Should other such colourised editions be done … ?

I’m not sure.

Going by the two we’ve had so far, any others will look good.

I just don’t know if they should be done: not if they could be done.

If any are?

They will need to add something special to the story: in much the same way that The War Games In Colour has added updated, and extra, scenes.

Which brings me to my next point.

The blu-ray version.

I got the blu-ray release of The Daleks In Colour when it was released, earlier this year.

It had the colourised version of the story, plus a twelve minute Making Of documentary, plus the original broadcast episodes of the story: in standard definition.

Plus the extras from the original DVD release.

So — beyond the main feature, and twelve minutes of frippery — nothing actually new.

The original episodes weren’t even upscaled for modern TVs: they were the 4:3 versions from the DVDs.

I was pleased to have it: the colour version was new to me, after all.

But?

I felt the BBC could have added a bit of value, somewhere.

“Why complain,” I hear you ask?

“Why mention that, now?”

Well, I noticed — this morning — that the blu-ray release of The War Games In Colour is already listed for pre-order on Amazon.

And is identical to the earlier, Dalek, release.

The new colour version: plus the stuff from the original DVD release.

Plus what Amazon describes as “recovered footage not seen since the original broadcast.”

Personally?

I feel the production I saw last night, the version of The War Games I saw, was well done: was an entertaining feature.

And worth your money.

Given the advertised contents of the blu-ray release?   It looks like the BBC could be letting us down with that.

The War Games In Colour.

★★★☆

*        What I knew about the space Time machines the Warlords used, were called SIDRATs.   What didn’t sink in — until I watched this version of The War Games — was that it’s pronounced SIGH drat.   That through me: I always thought they were called SID rats.

        As a last thought?   Yes: it’s TARDIS spelt backwards.