Doctor Who classic The War Games in colour

Oh, my giddy aunt! The BBC announced a new colourised version of The War Games on Doctor Who Day!

Originally aired in 1969, The War Games marked the end of an era for the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton). It follows the cosmic hobo and his companions, Zoe (Wendy Padbury) and Jamie (Frazer Hines), as the TARDIS materialises on a battlefield in World War I.



Russell T Davies series showrunner, says: “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."

I remember reading Malcolm Hulke's Target novelisation of The War Games in the summer of 1985 and playing Beach Head II on my Commodore 64. The War Games quickly became one of my favourite classic serials and I'm intrigued to see an updated 90-minute omnibus edition for the TikTok generation.

In addition to updated special effects, music and sound, The War Games 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.

The War Games 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.

Doctor Who: The War Games will be on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer on 23rd December.

Are you looking forward to seeing The War Games in colour? Which classic serials would you like to see colourised in the future? Let me know in the comments below.