One of my favorites, and most depressing arcs of the classic series in colour! It was perfect, of course it had to cut out some moments, but they've managed to get it right and you would be able to perfectly understand the full story just by watching this version, the only thing that I think they should've kept was the whole sequence of the Doctor trying to escape the time Lords, such a strong and emotional sequence in the original version!

everything has probably been said about this already. not gonna talk about the war chief/master controversy. I do get that they had to cut it down to 90 minutes but it feels like most of the war games was cut out, and we didn't see much of jamie/zoe. I am happy we got lots of jennifer/carstairds (beloved two/jamie parallels) but I wish we saw less of the HQ - inside and out.. - and more of the resistance group, because that feels the most parallel to two's crew, as well as the best way to show jamie/zoe development and growth from their introductions, which would make their departure hit a lot harder, especially for new viewers who haven't seen the original. The colors were beautiful but I don't count this as my personal view of canon lol, i don't think anyone does.

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

“The War Games in Colour: A Bold Retelling of a Classic Regeneration Story”

This Christmas, the BBC delivered a bold reimagining of The War Games, Patrick Troughton’s swan song as the Second Doctor. The 1969 ten-part epic, originally in black-and-white, has been colourized, condensed into a 90-minute omnibus edition, enhanced with new special effects, and capped with a brand-new regeneration sequence bridging the gap to Jon Pertwee’s Third Doctor.

The original The War Games is a beloved classic, lauded for its ambition and scale, even if its length sometimes strains modern pacing standards. Naturally, such a drastic reworking invites scepticism, particularly after the mixed reception of The Daleks in Colour. However, this version offers a vibrant, modernised take on a beloved story, albeit with some flaws.

The colourization is a triumph. The once-muted war zones and futuristic War Room sets are now brought vividly to life, with exquisite attention to detail. The War Lord’s red glasses, for example, are a subtle but striking addition. These vibrant visuals, combined with some slick (if occasionally incongruous) CGI establishing shots, lend the story a fresh cinematic feel.

Mark Ayres’ new score enhances the drama, blending elements of Dudley Simpson’s original work with modern sensibilities. However, the music is often overbearing, risking overshadowing the dialogue and action.

Condensing a five-hour serial into 90 minutes inevitably requires sacrifices. The re-edit maintains the core mystery and dramatic beats, but the relentless pace leaves little breathing room. The story barrels from one action sequence to the next, often at the expense of character development and moments of introspection.

Supporting characters, such as Smythe, von Weich, and the Security Chief, are reduced to mere sketches, while others, like Villar, are omitted entirely. Lieutenant Carstairs and Lady Jennifer remain prominent, but their arcs are simplified.

One notable improvement is the removal of the repetitive capture-and-escape sequences from the original, a criticism often levelled at the 1969 version. The result is a more dynamic and engaging narrative, though it sometimes feels rushed.

The most controversial inclusion is the new regeneration sequence, adapted from a fan-made video. While visually impressive and smoothly integrated into the end of the story, it feels unnecessary. The original ambiguous ending, with the Time Lords’ punishment left unseen, had its own charm and mystique.

The use of the Master's theme whenever the War Chief appears is another divisive choice, hinting at a connection between the two characters. While it’s a fun nod for fans, it risks overcomplicating the narrative for casual viewers and undermining the War Chief’s individuality as a villain.

This new version of The War Games is a mixed bag. The colourization and streamlined storytelling make it an accessible and visually stunning introduction for newer fans, while the cuts and changes risk alienating long-time devotees. It successfully highlights the epic scale and key moments of the original but sacrifices much of its depth and character-driven drama.

For those seeking a fast-paced and modernised Doctor Who experience, this is a worthwhile watch. However, for purists and those wanting the full scope of Troughton’s farewell, the original ten-part saga remains unmatched.

📝Verdict: 7.5/10

A vibrant and exciting reimagining that honours the spirit of the original, though its rushed pacing and controversial additions may leave some fans divided.

I didnt like it. And I really went in with an open mind, I was skeptical, even more than I was with The Daleks and well… if anything the Colors here look stunning. And I am happy they didn’t used too many wild Colors, as they did with The Daleks, our Tardis Team feels so strange seeing them in all the brown and green setting.
That being said… somehow the Edit is worse for me, while it starts out very solid with its first 30-40 minutes, it starts to rush more and more. With such a huge Cast in the Story, we miss out a lot of great Character Moments, some Characters just appear out of nowhere! Especially this great part of the Original, where we slowly build up a new threat to another threat to another, and the Resistance feel barely like Characters here.
I understand they couldn’t and wouldn’t do all Episodes in Color, but why pick this one and remove so many great bits? While not as harsh as The Daleks, I would imagine a new viewer would look at their screen and think they missed something.
The Music, while being good on its own, it doesn’t work for me for the most part. It gets too loud at times and I miss the more eerie soundtrack of the Original. It feels like an attempt to make the War Games more like a NuWho Episode. Which is just a bit of a dumb idea, because while I am all for alternative Versions of classic Serials, taking one of the LEAST NuWho Era and trying to make it more like it, just doesn’t work and at best is just jarring, at worst just feels a bit sloppy.
As for some extra bits that got added here:
The CGI Shots look good, but don’t mix too well overall.
Having the Master Themes over the War Chief is annoying. Headcanon fun aside, I wish they wouldn’t have done this, since it MIGHT lead to future appearances of the War Chief just being an early Master. It makes the Universe feel smaller for me and I preferred the ambiguity of it all.
Showing off some future Faces is a fun idea, but done a bit sloppy. Just having those quite famous promo pictures seems charming on first glance, but the more I think about it, the more I dislike it. Why is 12 shown here, when 12 based his face on somebody he would later meet, for example. I understand Who isn’t the most consistent with some of its own canon, but I wish they have done it differently. Perhaps even more in the style of the Original, where it’s drawing of future Doctors. (How they have done it and who they chose is more a nitpick than a real criticism point, although I really wish they went a bit differently about it).
The Regeneration is good, but I still preferred the original attempt, even through it’s quite a morbid note to end the Story on. But it’s still really well-made and nice way to end this alternative take on this Story.

Overall, I understand this Story isn’t for me and that’s okay, but I really hope as they continue with this range that they learn and find some way to improve on some technical issues (please don’t overdo with the music, please!)
I also hope they won’t do TOO MUCH of those slight Implications, there is a lot of fun with some ambiguity.

Glad to see that many see it differently and enjoyed it overall! Not sure if I rate it higher than the Daleks, but the back and forth cutting works MUCH better here for sure, even if I am not totally in love with how they have done it.

This production is a phenomenal showcase for the remarkable talents behind its colourisation. The transformation of black-and-white footage into vibrant colour is nothing short of magical, offering an entirely fresh way to experience a familiar story. For long-time fans, it reinvigorates a classic, while for newcomers, it makes the material more accessible and engaging.

When I consider who this is aimed at, I think of someone like my sister. She’s made multiple attempts to engage with classic Doctor Who but often finds the slower pacing inaccessible. Fans like me appreciate the stately, deliberate pace of the originals, which makes certain aspects of this production feel a little breathless at times. While I prefer the slower original version, the brisker pacing here does shine in places, though I think an extra 20 minutes of runtime could have helped the middle section breathe and reduced some of the muddling caused by trimming too much.

That said, I don’t see this as a replacement for the original but as an exciting addition. For fans, it’s a way to re-experience an old story with fresh eyes, and it has the potential to draw in new audiences who might otherwise struggle with the original’s pacing. My sister, for example, loved The Daleks in Colour, largely because its pacing made it more digestible. I’d be fascinated to hear how she feels about this production and whether it struck the same chord.

The new elements—such as cheeky additions, appearances from other Doctors, the regeneration, and the updated music—were delightful and added a sense of playfulness. The overall production quality was stellar, and while I would have loved more time to let certain parts settle, this version remains a triumph. It also leaves open the exciting possibility of a longer cut down the line.

In summary, this is an exceptional piece of work. Fans are incredibly lucky to have this opportunity to reimagine and rediscover classic Doctor Who. While not perfect, it’s a wonderful addition to the canon and a brilliant reimagining for a modern audience.

(Review copied from letterboxd)

I'm in two minds about this one. The original War Games is one of my favourite Classic Who serials (I gave it 5 stars on TARDISguide) and Troughton is my favourite Doctor. The colourisation looks very nice; this new version is certainly visually appealing, although was there really any need for the establishing shots of Gallifrey, which wasn't even named in 60s Who?

HOWEVER I have massive problems with the pacing. There are a lot of bizarre, very quick dialogue cuts. I get they had to cut it down, but 90 minutes doesn't feel enough for a story this epic. The music also seemed to be very loud, drowning out the dialogue in parts.

I wouldn't recommend this to someone who hasn't seen the original as a lot of important context is taken out. For instance, Carstairs and Jennifer talking about the gaps in their memory and the weird mist- this is brought up seemingly out of nowhere. The same happens with the sections where the resistance group is assembled; character introductions are left out and you're left wondering where the random Mexican guy came from.

The new regeneration is very well done, although the initial shots of Pertwee are slightly uncanny. This, and the ending as a whole, were the parts I was looking forward to most. It was just as emotional and effective as the original seeing the companion exits.

Overall, I'm glad this was made, as hopefully it'll get more people interested in peak Who, but, if given the choice I would prefer to watch the 10 part original.

the pacing is laughably bad, the sound mixing is atrocious, and the tacked on regeneration is unnecessary and ugly, but at the end of the day this is still the war games. peak is peak, even if it's neutered

This is an interesting one, there's a lot to like, a lot to not like, so instead of a normal rambly review, I'm going to format this one

The Good: The colourisation is incredible, everything is so much more vivid, and it makes the contrast between the war zones, the war room, and the ending segment with the Time Lords even more stark. The War Lord's glasses being tinted red especially was a touch that I just adored. The colourised intro sequence was also an unexpected delight, and I loved that they also kept the The War Games title too, colouring it and the explosions.

While I'll speak more on it later, there's some elements I really enjoyed with the cutdown, having the scientist's monologue explaining the reprogramming partly cut over footage of people in the war zones was a great way to make that scene more visually interesting and reuse some of the footage that would otherwise go to waste.

I can understand criticisms with the music choice, but I think I felt the emotional aspect of Jamie and Zoe's departure moreso here than I did in the original, it just worked for me quite well.

The 'regeneration' scene is brilliant, I love that the faces were all coloured differently as they spin around, the extra colour and effects really give that scene a little extra flair that wasn't needed, but is an absolute delight to have. and on a similar note, the NuWho faces showing up as Two comments on potential new faces is just delightful (though a shame it's only NuWho ones).

There's a few new CG shots in there that I think really elevate the piece, a few exterior shots of the war room, some shots of a TARDIS in flight, some images of Gallifrey. Generally just a little bit of added visual interest on contextualising the setting which I love.

And lastly that new regeneration scene is great, you genuinely wouldn't be able to tell that the performances were cobbled together from other parts of the show, and the nod to the UNIT Dating controversy is just such a fun little part to add.

The Bad: The music is far too loud in a lot of scenes and can make it harder to hear what the characters are saying, plus a lot of it being newer tracks created a little bit of a disconnect for me.

The main issue however is of course the pacing. The War Games is ten 25 min episodes, being generous with time allowed for titles and such, that's a 200 minute story cut down to 90 minutes, and it unfortunately shows. A lot of things feel completely rushed, or you can tell when there's some obvious cuts (the exterior shot of the war room is used more than a couple of times in an attempt to hide them, but the more it happens the more obvious it is). I can understand the reasoning for cutting it down, making it more appealing to modern audiences and not requiring 3+ hours of colourisation, but 90 minutes is just far too short for a story of this magnitude, you don't really get any space to breathe. I could see a 150 minute cut working well, possibly a bit shorter than that, but it really does need that extra time to flow and give more attention to the characters, the rivalry between The War Chief and The Security Chief is a delight to watch in the original for example, and here it's pretty much just glossed over entirely.

The Ugly Downright Strange: I have absolutely no idea where to put this, but I find the choice to use The Master's Theme for The War Chief to be really interesting. Expanded media has of course given countless contradictory accounts of the nature of The Master's relationship with The War Chief (hell, sometimes adaptations of the same story disagree in the case of Goth Opera). I assumed that this adaptation would continue to simply ignore any connection, so this surprised me. Not really much to say good or bad about it, just that it's interesting.

Conclusion: Overall I think this is a much weaker story than The War Games, but I'm extremely glad it exists. I'm not always in the mood to sit down and watch three hours of television, and no matter how good The War Games is, that's still a fatal flaw for it. I think a lot of the updates work to this story's benefit, and I think I'm more likely to rewatch this than I am The War Games, even if I do think it's the inferior version.

It's absolutely not a perfect comparison in the slightest, but I think of it in a similar way to The Lord of The Rings. The Extended Editions give you so much more and are probably better overall, but I don't always want to sit down and watch 11 and a half hours of film, sometimes I just want to kick back and throw on the theatrical Fellowship of The Ring.

After The Daleks in Colour, my expectations were low. I am happy to say that this surpassed my expectations, although it was still far from perfect. The original serial is excellent and this version inherits a lot of that. I felt that the colourisation was really good on the whole. The music was also alright in my opinion. I am disappointed, however, by the extent to which the plot was cut down. It was always going to happen to some extent, but I feel that the cuts really removed a lot of the more interesting nuanced and mysterious elements that really made the original stand out. Moreover, some of the cut content caused bits of this version to not quite make sense, sometimes in ways that I felt were quite major. I could see a viewer who's not seen the original being rather confused at points. I feel that the original was really well paced and was the length it needed to be for the plot to be fully explored, so, other than making the colourisation financially feasible to produce, the cuts serve no positive purpose for me. I also felt that some of the new shots and sequences were really unnecessary and, at times, messed with the tone and feel of the story in negative ways. This includes much of the ending. I much prefer the mysteriousness of the original. Hence, overall, I can't see myself ever returning to this version or recommending it over the original. It's not terrible, but it just completely fails to come close to the original.

I watched this during the airing at 9pm, and it confirmed my suspicions that the 90 minute edit would be an improvement over the original version. This War Games is a much tighter narrative, with less padding and a far stronger pace. It helps to give the story the epic feel it deserves, concerning soldiers from various Earth time periods transported to another planet to fight one another.

The colourisation is also stronger than in The Daleks. I was so amazed by the colourization work that at times, I forgot I was watching a production from the 60s. It's a clear, crisp picture that remarkably looks as though it could have been filmed today.

Most impressive is the CGI in this new War Games. It's extremely cool seeing the modern Gallifrey and regeneration effect in Patrick Troughton's final serial, but I was most blown away by the regeneration sequence. The fact that they managed to create a whole CGI Troughton in his TARDIS, complete with the transition into Pertwee, is nothing short of astounding.

The War Games very much feels like one for the fans. It's packed with references to everything from the common fan theory that the War Chief is the Master to the UNIT dating controversy. It's impossible to watch without a massive smile on your face.

Looks bloody gorgeous! Shame the pacing made it incoherent, the music was too loud and didn't fit, and it just was too rushed with a lot of the best character moments removed!

The ending was amazing but that and good colourisation do not make up for the issues.

These aren't for me. But that's okay. Not everything Doccy Who has to be.

WARNING: INCOHERENT (just like the edit)

Colourisation is brilliant, it feels so vibrant and so... Doctor Who-y

I LOVE the pre-titles sequence, AND THEY KEPT THE EXPLOSIONS TITLE CARD I AM SO HAPPY

I won't go over the lore implications, I'm sure the arguments have been done to death, it's just that the editors seem to have taken a firm side (which I dislike, things can be ambiguous damn it!)

There's a million things I want to say about the edit and how it ruined the tension, introduced non sequiturs, cut all the dysfunction amongst the villains, made it so that Jamie and Zoe contribute nothing... but it kind of speaks for itself within the hell of rapid fire Things Happening Loudly (most egregious example is when they intercut between 2 scenes that were continuous and independent in the original, with 5 second intervals, and overlapping the dialogue between the two)

The music is abysmal... I understand that it's hard to remix new music onto existing tapes, but oh my lord it was so overbearing. There's a lot of music that would be perfectly fine in an epic climax, but they decided to plaster it over any scene that had an iota of action. At some point, it just feels like there is no more variation in pace or intensity (also the fault of the edit). Dishonourable mention to them ruining the organ music from the Time Lord's introduction (they were just another Thing That Happened, as opposed to a terrifying presence looming over the story). Also we did NOT need sad piano music over Jamie and Zoe's departures...

The modern CG edits are... mostly fun. Special shoutout to the edits in the War Room that actually do make the edit make more sense! And the trial scene! The TARDIS and SIDRAT flight scenes look cool! However, the sudden transition to CG establishing shots are very jarring (even if the new War Room design is intriguing). The new shots of Gallifrey also serve little purpose.

Lastly, I super appreciate the effort and thought in re-creating a fan-made regeneration... but to go from colourised original footage to an entirely digitally animated sequence is extremely jarring, and just makes the latter look way worse and a lot more uncanny!

Overall, 10/10 viewing experience but I'm bringing wine for my next rewatch

A mostly great adaptation and respectful to the original, the colouring is fantastic and you wouldn't be able to tell this was originally made in black and white. The new score is beautiful and the story itself is obviously great, one of the best and arguable most important Classic Who stories out there. Troughtons regeneration, whilst obviously heavily edited, still did the man justice, and the little touches of showing the other Doctor's faces was hilarious. My only main issue was with the length, while the major plot elements remain in the story, a lot of minor dialogue and character developments were left out, leaving the story feeling quite rushed and some of the side characters feeling underdeveloped.

I really enjoyed this.

A fun little omnibus colourisation of a beloved Doctor Who story.

I have never seen the original so for me this came across as a much easier watch considering the length / pace of the original.

I'll say it. This one was not that bad. It definitely was quick, but kept most of the story. That being said, it definitely could've been a bit longer. I think it fixes a few flaws I have with the original 1969 version, those being the runtime and the various characters. It was about what I was expecting, but I still think it's a pretty good variation. There were a few surprises, so definitely go into this one as blind as you can. Overall, a 7 or an 8 out of 10.

If you say you didn’t enjoy this I’m sorry but how could you not enjoy it it’s a bop

A big jumbling mess, nice colours though!