A classic Doctor Who serial has been updated for a new era. Before 1978, the BBC did not bother to keep archives of its programmes, which meant that many episodes of the First (William Hartnell) and Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) were missing. Still others have poor audio quality and outdated special effects. The surviving episodes from these early seasons are also all in black and white, which can make it difficult to perceive the nuances of the actors’ performances. The BBC has already colored the First Doctor’s 75-minute series “The Daleks”, but no other episode has received this treatment.
Decades after its launch, the BBC announced that the Second Doctor will receive his own remaster. The updated series will feature full colorization, restored footage not seen since 1969, and updated audio. That means a new soundtrack, improved sounds, and better visual effects. The episodes will be released as a 90-minute special on December 23. It is expected to air on BBC Four and will also be available on iPlayer. Showrunner Russell T Davies indicated that colorizing the old episodes “it was the plan” when he decided to return to the show.
The BBC has also released a trailer for the special on YouTube, which features scattered footage from the series. The full-color reveal ranges from shots of the episode’s villain to an early reveal of a pivotal Patrick Troughton scene that has never been witnessed before. It also features Jamie McCrimmon (Frazer Hines) and Zoe Heriot (Wendy Padbury) as the Doctor’s companions. Check it out below:
Doctor Who’s The War Games will be officially remastered
Wargames was an extremely important series
“The War Games” was one of the most significant series in history. Doctor Who. The episodes marked Troughton’s final run and the first appearance of Jon Pertwee’s Third Doctor. This would make the remaster iconic even without considering everything else it introduced. Gallifrey and the Time Lords made their debut in this seriesspawning generations of stories about the Doctor’s mysterious people. Without these episodes, the entire new era would never have been able to focus so closely on the loss of Gallifrey.
The episodes were also the last black and white series, the last produced and released in the 1960s, and proof that the series would not see its titular character regenerate just once. It was also a rare regeneration that didn’t show off the Doctor’s new form. Audiences were left waiting to see the new Doctor next season, when Pertwee debuted in 1970’s “Spearhead from Space”. The edition will be the first to feature a true regeneration. This will also be only the second official colorizationshowing that the BBC understands the importance of this series.
Our opinion on the newest official remaster of Doctor Who
This has been a long time ago
Since “The War Games” is so integral to the series, it’s surprising that a full remaster came so late. It will be exciting to finally see its complete regeneration after so many decades of speculation about this rather unique regeneration. The newly recovered footage should also offer some insight into the show’s history and reveal more about the Time Lords. Doctor Who It has evolved immensely since the 1960s, but the program is still connected to its roots, and this remaster is proof.
Source: BBC Doctor Who