Quick Summary
The BBC will show a special version of 1969 Doctor Who story The War Games this Christmas.
It has been edited into a single 90-minute episode with new effects and colourised for the first time.
As well as a brand new Christmas special featuring Ncuti Gatwa's fifteenth Doctor, the BBC is set to deliver another present for Doctor Who and sci-fi fans this holiday season.
BBC Four and the Beeb's streaming service, BBC iPlayer, will screen a new version of The War Games from Monday 23 December. It has been meticulously colourised and edited into a 90-minute, feature-length TV movie.
Considered one of the finest Doctor Who stories ever, the 1969 broadcast was split over 10 episodes and signalled the end of the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton. He was replaced by Jon Pertwee for the following season, although an on-screen regeneration was never shown... until now.
As well as being edited into one long episode and coloured for the first time, the never-before-seen regeneration has been added. There is updated sound and a new score too, as well as some additional visual effects that have been added for a modern audience.
Overseen by current Doctor Who showrunner, Russell T Davies, the reimagined version of The War Games will be available alongside the original black and white episodes, so purists needn't worry that they are being replaced.
"From the day I arrived back on Doctor Who, this was the plan," explained Davies. "To colourise old stories and bring them back to life.
"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!"
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This is the second time a classic Doctor Who story has been colourised, with 1963's The Daleks being treated to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the BBC's biggest sci-fi show.
Rik is T3’s news editor, which means he looks after the news team and the up-to-the-minute coverage of all the hottest gadgets and products you’ll definitely want to read about. And, with more than 35 years of experience in tech and entertainment journalism, including editing and writing for numerous websites, magazines, and newspapers, he’s always got an eye on the next big thing.
Rik also has extensive knowledge of AV, TV streaming and smart home kit, plus just about everything to do with games since the late 80s. Prior to T3, he spent 13 years at Pocket-lint heading up its news team, and was a TV producer and presenter on such shows as Channel 4's GamesMaster, plus Sky's Games World, Game Over, and Virtual World of Sport.
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