A favourite of many Whovians, this 10-episode epic is so engaging and inventive that it’s almost an affront to scrutinise its technical drawbacks. Watching it for the first time, this reviewer almost forgot about the fact that it marks the second Doctor’s departure from the TARDIS, not to mention that of his two most memorable companions, Jamie and Zoe. Sure it’s long, but its length gives you a chance to stand back and examine the bigger picture, the intricacies of the multiple plot threads that begin to come together tidily towards the climax.

The Script, considering it was completed in a hurry, is top-notch. I’m glad that Malcolm Hulke joined Terrance Dicks for the creation of this venture. Hulke’s stories are well known for incorporating his political views, so it’s no surprise that when given the opportunity to co-write a story about various periods in earth’s military history, he uses this as a siphon for his anti-war views. Unlike many of Hulke’s other ‘Who serials, the views he presents in ‘The War Games’ are more subtly woven into the plot, perhaps due to Dicks’ input. This allows the story to develop around these themes, rather than have them swamp the narrative. The central concept of this adventure is, while perhaps a little far-fetched, rather an interesting one. The systematic abduction of thousands of warmongering humans is an imaginative idea to say the least. It is gratifying that even at such short notice, Dicks and Hulke take the time to create a viable explanation for this bizarre scenario.

The cast is far too large to thoroughly appraise, but every one of them performs admirably. Sufficed to say our leads are superb. Frazer Hines’ Jamie is bursting with energy and enthusiasm that drives the narrative forward. Wendy Padbury plays Zoe brilliantly, giving her an intelligence and purpose. She seems to have matured a great deal during her travels with the Doctor. Cementing the TARDIS crew together, Patrick Troughton is ever the hero, and gives his all, right up to the final scene. The fact that the main cast work so brilliantly together gives an even greater sadness to their last farewell. The three main villains are played to perfection, many menacing confrontations taking place throughout the last few episodes. James Bree’s beurocratic Security Chief is a decidedly intense character, who plays off Edward Brayshaw’s War Chief brilliantly. The War Chief is a rather enigmatic character, rather like the Doctor, to the extent that I began speculating whether he could be an early incarnation of the Doctor’s arch-nemesis the Master. I wonder… Philip Madoc is also on fine form as the War Lord. His quiet, collected performance gives an unsettling edge to the character.

I would surely be committing a crime if I finished this review without mentioning that pillar of brilliance known as Bernard Horsfall. The more I see Bernard crop up in both films and TV shows, I just grown fonder and fonder of him. He tends to play roles with grandeur, a larger-than-life persona. By toning his performance here down slightly, Horsfall succeeds in bringing a calm-yet-powerful air to the first Time Lord. His condemnation of the Doctor in episode 10 is the most perfectly understated exchange, which brings you to the incontestable truth that he is a figure of authority.

Robert Cheveley’s set design is some of the most original and innovative in the history of Doctor Who. Psychedelic patterns recur through the many weird and wonderful sets in the story, giving them an intoxicating air of the 60s. He must also be given credit for creating the realistic-looking military settings, such as the war generals’ offices, and the barn in the American Civil War zone.

Dudley Simpson’s score, while not the best of his compositions, remains parallel to the story, accompanying the action well. The percussive, military-sounding music aides the depiction of various historical periods and guides the story between the many time zones. Linking cues help represent the passage of time between and during various scenes.

This masterfully executed serial marks the end of so many eras, but still stands as a testament to both Patrick Troughton and the black-and-white era of the show’s history. As he begins his exile, it’s hard not to be sad about the second Doctor’s demise.

There are, as always, a set of tantalising special features. As this release is a three-disc set, the extras are extensive indeed. The content really does keep on coming, and it is by no means padded. ‘War Zone’ is enjoyable, and provides various useful bits of trivia and some rather nice anecdotes. Paul Cornell once again enters with some very insightful thoughts on the production (he seems to know what he’s on about, that man). Similarly, Terrance Dicks seems to have perfect recall of his time writing with Malcolm Hulke, the story of which is fascinating.

A documentary discussing the black-and-white era of television is also included, and is actually a lot better than I originally anticipated. In fact, I actually learned a lot from ‘Shades of Grey’. It is revealing in that it discusses a lot of the actual techniques used in making monochrome programmes. Particularly enjoyable are Frazer Hines’ and Wendy Padbury’s anecdotes about what were essentially live recordings.

The ‘Now and Then’ feature is, to me, quite captivating. I can imagine, however, that others who are perhaps slightly less engaged by these details might find it tedious. I would recommend the producers hire a presenter for future releases, to liven the imagery up somewhat. As it stands, it’s educational if nothing else.

A rather nice interview with Dudley Simpson and some classic clips come together for ‘The Doctor’s Composer’. In this documentary, the famous incidental music composer discusses his work on the show in its first five years. It’s nice to learn more about some of the best incidental music in Doctor Who’s history from the horse’s mouth. It is left open for part two, which I should think will cover his final Doctor Who scores, during the 1970s.

A feature which looks at Sylvia James’ costume design is initially interesting, but does nothing to hold one’s interest after a while. Similarly, ‘Talking About Regeneration’ is definitely entertaining, but has little original material or discussion. It comes down mainly to reminding us of all the Doctor’s previous regenerations as a few of the regulars talk about the good and bad points thereof.

The historical accuracy of the various conflicts presented in ‘The War Games’ are discussed in ‘Time Zones’. All the contributors are extremely well informed, as ever. Thankfully, the feature makes more of a comparison to the story itself than usual, rather than letting the piece degenerate into a lecture on military history.

I was eager, once again, to view the latest in the ‘Stripped for Action’ series, which chronicles the history of the Doctor Who comic strips, in its various forms. The second Doctor’s strips seem to develop on the basic elements laid down in those of the first Doctor. I don’t think you could have chosen better interviewees for this series as it stands, as every one of the contributors are remarkably clued-up. A new feature, comparatively similar to this, is ‘On Target’. This absorbing documentary looks at the Target novelizations of Malcolm Hulke. I’m unsure as to whether more of these will be made with reference to other writers, but I sincerely hope so.

‘Devious’ is an on-going fan-film project that has been in production for over a decade now. Included on this disc is a short preview of the story, followed by the final scene, which features Jon Pertwee himself! Jon seems to rather enjoy himself, giving a dazzling last performance as the third Doctor alongside Tony Garner. You really have to admire the time and dedication the team have put in to this endeavour over the years. Rock on, guys!

As well as the nifty ‘Coming Soon’ trailer advertising ‘The Black Guardian Trilogy’, there’s a rather lovely commentary. The track has a friendly atmosphere, Frazer and Wendy having a great time reminiscing. There’s also a photo gallery which is as ample as ever, PDF materials, and an enlightening info-text option (which I rarely partake in). Hidden within the menus, much to my surprise, are some rather odd ‘Easter Eggs’, one of which made me cackle heartily. Happy hunting!

A marvellous package, then, for a marvellous story. With some fantastic restoration work and a set of rather splendid special features, I would highly recommend this release to everyone.

LP