It’s been a couple of months since “The War Games in Color” was broadcast in the UK, and North American Doctor Who fans still haven’t gotten a chance to see it. Based on the social media reaction, elements of it are divisive. Reasons for this include how much of the story has been cut down (from 4 hours to just 90 minutes), or strongly implying that a seemingly one-off character is a much bigger villain.
Still, as a big fan of "The War Games", I’m curious to see how well the new color version works. I’m also excited about the Blu-ray because, along with featuring the new version, it will also feature the original version on DVD plus all of its special features. For the UK, this will be a nice little bonus, especially as the special features on the DVD are fantastic.
But as a British fan now living in the US, it’s massively exciting. You see, while the original DVD is widely available in the UK, for some reason, it’s incredibly difficult to buy it in the US. A used second-hand copy of the Region 1 DVD can cost over $200. The Region 2 DVD at least is much cheaper, but you’ll need a multi-region player to buy it. This isn't a bad option, but the release of “The War Games in Color” will be even better.
Of course, if you just wanted to watch the original story, there is another alternative. Especially if you wanted to watch it for free…
The original classic
I’ve written before about the excellent Doctor Who Classic YouTube channel. While it used to upload small clips from stories and DVD special features, it’s recently regenerated and is now uploading entire serials to watch for free (at least, for US audiences). It also uploads them in an entirely random order, which I enjoy. Not only has this become a great way for new fans to discover the classic series like many of us used to, but it’s also fun to guess which story is going to be uploaded next.
Just two days ago, the entire 10-part original version of “The War Games” was uploaded. If you have never seen it before and you have four hours free – or better still, able to enjoy the serial one episode at a time – it’s definitely worth it. While even the writers have admitted that the serial went on for much longer than it needed to, it’s still an excellent story, and the time passes by much quicker than you’d expect.
It's also incredibly ambitious in scope, especially for a story of the classic era. Featuring the Second Doctor with his companions Jamie and Zoe, the story initially seems to begin in the First World War. But when the Doctor and his friends start finding anachronisms and even other historical wars, they find that something much bigger is going on – and it involves one of the Doctor’s own people…
“The War Games” is easily worth recommending to new fans. It’s big, ambitious, and it ends on one of the show’s greatest ever cliffhangers. (Don’t worry: the following story, “Spearhead from Space”, is also on Doctor Who Classic.) I’m excited to watch the new color version when it finally releases over here, but the original will always be one of my favorite regeneration stories. A perfect story to watch for the weekend.