The War Games

Companion Exit, Regeneration, Series Finale

Runtime

250 minutes

Story Type

Time Travel

Future

Tropes (Potential Spoilers!)

Court Trial, The Doctor Falls, The Doctor’s Name, War

Inventory (Potential Spoilers!)

Hypercube, Recorder

Location (Potential Spoilers!)

Gallifrey

Synopsis

The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe arrive on an unnamed planet. At first believing themselves to be in the midst of World War I, they realise it is one of many War Zones overseen by the War Lords, who have kidnapped large numbers of human soldiers in order to create an army to conquer the galaxy. Infiltrating the control base, the Doctor discovers that the War Chief is also a member of his own race. The creeping realisation sets in that the Doctor cannot solve this problem alone, and that his days of wandering may be at an end...

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10 Episodes

Episode One

First aired

Saturday, April 19, 1969

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

5.5 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe realise they have arrived in the trenches of the First World War, where the sinister General Smythe accuses them of espionage.

Episode Two

First aired

Saturday, April 26, 1969

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

6.3 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

The Doctor and Zoe manage to escape from Ransom and attempt to rescue Jamie from the military prison.

Episode Three

First aired

Saturday, May 3, 1969

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

5.1 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

The Doctor and his friends realise the area is divided into different time zones and decide to return to the château to obtain a map from Smythe.

Episode Four

First aired

Saturday, May 10, 1969

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

5.7 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

The Doctor and Zoe are transported to the control centre of the war games while Jamie and Lady Jennifer fall foul of American Revolution soldiers.

Episode Five

First aired

Saturday, May 17, 1969

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

5.1 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

The Doctor attempts to rescue Zoe and Carstairs while Jamie and Lady Jennifer try to convince the resistance of the true nature of Von Weich and the others.

Episode Six

First aired

Saturday, May 24, 1969

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

.42 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

The scientist examines the captured resistance fighters and realises Jamie is a new arrival on the planet while the Doctor, Zoe and Carstairs try to rescue their friends.

Episode Seven

First aired

Saturday, May 31, 1969

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

4.9 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

The Doctor, Jamie and Carstairs manage to return to the 1917 zone only to be captured by Smythe, who orders the Doctor executed.

Episode Eight

First aired

Saturday, June 7, 1969

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

3.5 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

The Doctor and the processing machine have been taken by the Aliens but the resistance are making plans to attack the control centre.

Episode Nine

First aired

Saturday, June 14, 1969

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

4.1 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

To prove his loyalty to the Aliens, the Doctor is ordered to reprocess his friends while the Security Chief finally uncovers evidence of the War Chief's treachery.

Episode Ten

First aired

Saturday, June 21, 1969

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

5 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

The TARDIS is drawn to the planet of the Time Lords where both the Doctor and the War Lord are placed on trial.

Characters

Second Doctor

Patrick Troughton

Jamie McCrimmon

Frazer Hines

How to watch The War Games:

Watch on iPlayer

DVD

Regeneration

DVD

The War Games

VHS

The War Games (VHS) (Part 1)

VHS

The War Games (VHS) (Part 2)

VHS

The Time Lord Collection (VHS)

Reviews
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14 reviews

This review contains spoilers!

I joke a lot about the first decade or so of Classic Doctor Who coming out before pacing was invented, but in this case, ten f**king episodes, none of which drag. Last watch I spaced it out over several days, and it just gave me something to look forward to for all of them. Haven’t seen the color version, but I can only imagine the effect being to change it from a really good story that happens to be Important to an Important story that happens to be good. I don’t want to lose Carstairs and Lady Jennifer, or the resistance movement among the soldiers, or the dynamics between the villains, or crying over Jamie and Zoe’s departure.

skarosdrones

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Review last edited on 18-05-25

This review contains spoilers!

The War Games is one of those well-regarded serials that turns out to be just as good as everyone says it is. It's paced really well - even though there's 10 episodes they never seem to drag or waste time

The War Lord is a fantastic villain, he's understated but still menacing. I also enjoyed the way the arrival of the Time Lords was played for horror, that worked really well. I'm going to miss the Second Doctor

greenLetterT

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Review last edited on 26-04-25

An epic finale for the Second Doctor and this era of the TV show. This really plays into the strengths of the era and what makes it so great. I have my complaints with this era, I'm so glad to have watched it.

A+.

Azurillkirby

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Review last edited on 27-03-25

This review contains spoilers!

The best story of the show so far. Despite being 10 episodes this doesn't drag at all. Soldiers from different time zones being used by the villains who wish to create a superior army. One of the villains being another Time Lord. This being Troughton's last outing makes it all the more sad when it comes for him, Jamie and Zoe to part ways. The end of an era.

Scottybguud

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Review last edited on 27-03-25

This review contains spoilers!

这是一个完美的故事。虽然有一些老版的故事节奏稍显拖沓，但是在这个故事里，你根本不会抱怨怎么还没结束。战争游戏是老版神秘博士非常特殊的一个存在，足足有10集，每集25分钟！无论是作为一个普通故事，还是作为和同伴告别的故事，战争游戏都表现得十分出色。剧情很好的讽刺了人类战争的本质是在自相残杀，还有通过第二任博士之口对二战的评价：“一场结束所有战争的战争”。诸如此类的台词一针见血并且很好地为我们呈现早期博士对战争、洗脑等问题的看法。我们还能在这里看到Jamie和Zoe之间一如既往有趣的互动，以及Jamie小小的性别歧视。音乐编排得很好听，与情节搭配在一起的效果十分好，尤其是一些场景的音乐给我一种在讽刺胸怀大志的爱国志士们为了各自的家国大业奋斗，殊不知只是他人棋盘上的棋子的感觉。最后一集博士在逃避时间领主对他的抓捕时，Patrick Troughton精湛的演技展现了博士内心万分的不情愿。当然，离别是痛苦的，尤其是和Jamie的告别。编剧非常巧妙的设计了两位同伴大部分记忆都被抹去的情节，这使得同伴与博士的告别，亦是观众与2，Zoe，Jamie这一支Tardis团队的告别更加艰难。无论你是只看过新版的观众，还是对神秘博士整个领域十分陌生，都非常推荐这个故事！

paradoxofwho

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Review last edited on 28-01-25