Doctor Who (TV Series) The War Games: Episode One (1969) User Reviews

The start of an epic Doctor Who adventure.

[poolandrews · 7/10 · 13 May 2008]

Doctor Who: The War Games: Episode One starts as the TARDIS materialises on what appears to be a stretch of no-man's land during the First World War, the Doctor (Patrick Troughton), Jamie (Frazer Hines) & Zoe (Wendy Padbury) soon find themselves running for cover as they come under fire. A British female ambulance driver named Lady Jennifer Buckingham (Jane Sherwin) finds & rescues them, along with a group of British soldiers lead by Lieutenant Carstairs (David Savile) they drive back to the British trenches on the front line. The Doctor explains that he Jamie & Zoe merely want to get back to the TARDIS & leave but they are questioned by Major Barrington (Terence Bayler) as to what they were doing in no-man's land, unsatisfied with their explanations the Doctor, Jamie & Zoe are sent to see General Smythe (Noel Coleman) at his head quarters in a nearby château where the Doctor is convicted of being an enemy spy & sentenced to be executed at dawn...

Episode 35 from season 6 this Doctor Who adventure originally aired here in the UK during April 1969, directed by David Maloney The War Games was the seventh & final story from Patrick Troughton's third & final season playing the Doctor & thus The War Games was Troughton's final story from his regular tenure as the Doctor. Originally the plan was to have a six part story by Malcolm Hulke called The Impersonators & script editor Derrick Sherwin writing what was going to be Patrick Troughton's last story to fill up the remaining four episodes but both scripts encountered problems & the production team decided to make a mammoth ten part epic to see the second Doctors tenure out, The War Games became the longest story since the twelve episode long William Hartnell serial The Daleks' Master Plan (1965) from season three. The basic premise of The War Games to to fill the episode slots, give the Doctor a background by naming & revealing the Timelords & to set up the format for the Jon Pertwee era that followed by having the Doctor exiled on Earth at the very end. This opening episode is very good, I can't say that much actually happens but it draws you in & there's a terrific cliffhanger ending at the end & there are enough mystery elements to keep you intrigued like the sinister hypnosis & the fact many character's can't seem to remember certain things although the part when Zoe sneaks into Smythe's bedroom looking for the key to the Doctors prison cell & finds it within thirty seconds is a tad lazy on the writer's part & rather fortuitous on Zoe's.

One of only six totally complete Patrick Troughton serials if you didn't already know the storyline for The War Games once it starts & it's revealed that the TARDIS has landed during the First World War you might be forgiven for thinking that this might turn out to be a historical adventure where the Doctor would meet famous people in history & witness famous events with very little sci-fi element but since General Smythe has some very futuristic equipment & behaves very strangely this idea is quickly dispelled. The location work is very good, the period sets, costumes & props are also of a high standard. I must admit I thought the opening shot was great, instead of just seeing the TARDIS materialise as usual there's a shot of a puddle & we see the reflection of the TARDIS as it appears in that which I thought was a nice idea & visually interesting.

The War Games: Episode One is a good start to a real Doctor Who epic, one can quite rightly claim it's padded because it is but it's still an entertaining way to pass twenty five minutes although whether you will feel the same about the next nine episodes is much more up for debate.

A Truly Landmark Story

[Theo Robertson · 8/10 · 20 August 2013]

Refers to all ten episodes

Arriving in a desolate wasteland the crew of the Tardis make a shocking discovery that they've landed in No mans land on the Western front in 1917 . Being rescued by a British patrol the crew quickly become suspected of being German spies . Being moved to behind the front line to a military trial headed by General Smythe it starts becoming clear that things aren't what they seem

Okay let's get the one major failing out of the way first . Ten episodes is a little bit too long and could have easily worked better as six , seven or if you're really pushing it eight episodes . Having ten episodes means that the plot effectively stops two thirds of the way through and becomes a runaround till the apocalyptic final episode . I'm afraid pointing out the flaws means this is going to be a very short paragraph . Can I also add the " gimp guards " to pad it out

Regardless of the failings . This is a groundbreaking story in that it explains the origins of the mysterious time traveler known only as The Doctor and sets up the Doctor's exile to Earth in the 20th Century under the guise of the new doctor Jon Pertwee but before we come to this we have a story that at its heart is a mystery . As soon as we're introduced to General Smythe we know there's something strange about this character . In the second episode Jamie is imprisoned and finds his cell mate is a British redcoat . This being a British military prison in France in 1917 and the episode ends with a stunning anachronism

This was an era when OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR was a massive hit on stage and was turned in to a popular film the same year this story was broadcast . It doesn't really hit a profound subtext in to man's inhumanity to man but does touch upon it though perhaps not as greatly as it should but this would possibly contradict the show's ethics of humans good and alien monsters bad . That said when the War Lord finds himself on trial on the TimeLords unnamed home planet the shadow of Nuremberg does hang over it in the same manner as the end justifies the ends and the victors will always judge the vanquished. It's also interesting how The Timelords themselves are portrayed as being mystical almost God like beings

Director David Maloney , one of the greatest directors to have worked for the BBC raises his game . The early couple of episodes would if you switched on the television set not knowing what DOCTOR WHO was would trick you in to thinking you're watching a prestigious drama set during the Great War . The alien base is very effective down to its functional simplicity and though he story seems to have come to a halt at several points on a narrative level with the protagonists constantly getting captured , escaping and getting captured the pace of the direction hides this fact very well

Perhaps the best thing Maloney has done is get the best out of his cast . Edward Brayshaw as the War Chief himself a renegade Time Lord plays his character with a feline magnetism . Okay he's a bit camp almost like how Peter Wyngarde might have played a villain in a James Bond film but he's very good . James Bree is less so as The Security Chief but Philip Madoc is excellent as The War Lord as he stands on trial on the Timelords home world you get the impression he's channeling Herman Goering . The planet itself is composed of minimalist yet surrealist design

And so ends Toughtn's era , the black and white era and the 1960s era . At this point in the show's history viewing figures were falling and the BBC were thinking of scrapping the show and producer Derrick Sherwin took the ailing show and for the debut Pertwee season in 1970 changed the whole format of the show which was now Earth bound with an obviously QUATERMASS inspired dramatic realism which gave the show a whole new lease of life

This is the real beginning

[Johnny2006 · 22 April 2006]

Wow. a 10 part story. Apart from the lost story 'The Daleks Master Plan', this is the longest story in Doctor Who's history.(The Trial of a Time Lord' and 'Key to Time' segments were separate stories melded into one long narrative).

Arriving in what appears to be WW1 the Doctor and his companions,Jamie and Zoe soon realise they are on an alien world which for some reason is being used to stage re-runs of famous wars from Human history.(Romans and the Wild West included).

Eventually(after a lot of plot twists) he finds himself in the hands of his own mysterious people, the Timelords.(The first mention of his home race).

Turns out the Doctor is a renegade from his homeland : has a stolen TARDIS and is generally regarded as a outcast and outlaw.

Owing to the fact that much of the story is manipulated by other,less benevolent renegade Timelords the Doctor is spared the ultimate sanction of his people(removal from time and exiled in limbo). As he helped to bring them to justice, the Doctor is forced to regenerate and is exiled to Earth. Jamie and Zoe are returned to their time streams with only memory of their first encounter with the Doctor intact.

A great story written under pressure by Terrance Dicks and Malcolm Hulke as a replacement to 6 and 4 part stories which fell through, this effectively tells the story of Doctor Who and everything which came after (including the incredibly successful new series). It all stems from this story.

Patrick Troughton,Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury are there usual excellent selves (Hines's Jamie is surely the best ever companion).

Philip Madoc,Edward Brayshaw and James Bree provide sterling support.

The single most important story in Doctor Who history.

Scandalously not yet on DVD it is available(unusually for 1960's BBC product)complete on VHS. A must for any serious Doctor Who fan.

Momentous, historic, fabulous epic which starts a lot of the series' mythology.

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 10/10 · 19 September 2014]

Review for all 10 episodes:

This is an epic of a story as it spreads across a huge 10 episodes. Much more than that though, this has truly epic importance in the history of Doctor Who! There a number of reasons why this is one of the most important and pivotal stories in the whole series.

Firstly, it finally reveals that The Doctor's own people are called Time Lords and it introduces them as a society for the first time. This, after 6 whole series, finally removes a little of the mystery of the show by telling us something of The Doctor's origins. It also tells us that The Doctor has run away, stealing his TARDIS and that he is at complete odds with the way in which their society behaves. He is shown to be quite terrified of the Time Lords, in fact.

As well as these hugely important revelations it also has the major event of the end of Troughton's tenure as The Doctor with him being forced to regenerate. This is not only the second ever regeneration, it has the added impact of being done as a punishment for him refusing to conform to Time Lord rules and running away with the TARDIS. It changes the course of the series as well because they also exile The Doctor to late 20th Century Earth. This is done in order that the series can have a period of purely Earth based adventures with a team of regular 'helpers' (in the form of UNIT).

As if that isn't enough it features the emotional departure of Jamie and Zoe. This is done in a heartrendingly sad way which involves wiping all memories of their time with The Doctor apart from their first meeting.

Even though these massively pivotal aspects occur in this story the most striking thing of all about this story is the brilliance of it as entertainment. It involves a plot where the TARDIS arrives in what appears to be a purely historical setting of the First World War trenches but then has the twist of slowly introducing science fiction aspects leading you to believe it is a 'pseudo-historical' story with alien intervention in Earth history. It then twists again to show they are, in fact, surrounded by many historical periods of war going on at the same time. Soldiers have been removed unknowingly from various wars on Earth to take part in 'War Games' which are being manipulated by an alien force to create perfect soldiers.

The whole 10 episodes are thoroughly enjoyable, superbly written (by Malcolm Hulke and Terrance Dicks), acted, directed (by David Maloney) and presented. Troughton is fantastic (although his finale where he has to pull faces to show the effects of his regeneration are a shame, I wish they had done that differently), Frazer Hines is at his absolute best as Jamie and Wendy Padbury has a good send off too. All the guest cast (including Patrick Troughton's son David) and especially Philip Madoc and Edward Brayshaw as a renegade Time Lord, excel in their roles. For its importance and its exceptional quality this is one of the best stories of all.

My Ratings: All 10 Episodes 10/10

Despite this and The Invasion both being all-time great stories, disappointing stories The Dominators, The Krotons and The Space Pirates dragged the Season down to just medium quality for the series overall.

Average Season 6 Rating: 8.01/10

Sensational! The greatest of Doctor Who ever!

[nrfindell · 10/10 · 24 July 2019]

This story is the peak of Doctor Who, its highest point. It has better writing than every story before it and every story since. Every actor is on fine form for their final appearances. The music is at its height with possibly the greatest room search score ever. It creates atmosphere like no other and has a plot which gets thicker and thicker before the conclusion of the millennia streams in.

Part one is loaded with quality, originality and tension.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 8 March 2018]

What a start! The opening episode in this game changing story is superb. This first part creates a fantastic atmosphere, it's sinister, creepy, there's definitely something strange and menacing going on, but we're only given a tantalising glimpse into what it is. The backdrop of the Great War is a very good one, and although a harsh memory for many during transmission it would still have been well remembered, the terror of barbed wire and trench warfare expertly created. The Earth setting is very real, but the behaviour of General Smythe raises doubts, the sense of mystery is fantastic, and it would have taken weeks for viewers to understand what was happening, and the fate of their beloved second Doctor. Very well acted of course, no humour between Troughton and Hines in this one, it was taken very seriously. 10/10

Masterpiece.

[wetmars · 10/10 · 24 January 2021]

The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe arrive on an unnamed planet. At first believing themselves to be in the midst of World War I, they realise it is one of many War Zones overseen by the War Lords, who have kidnapped large numbers of human soldiers in order to create an army to conquer the galaxy. Infiltrating the control base, the Doctor discovers that the War Chief is also a member of his own race. The creeping realisation sets in that the Doctor cannot solve this problem alone, and that his days of wandering may be at an end...

Here we are. It is the final final story of the Troughton era and the last story to produce black and white. I must say the opening is fantastic. I love the war setting; we get some serious tones, and even we get action. I would say that this is Troughton's best performance. The cliffhangers are superb. Especially the one in Episode One. It has the be one of the best cliffhangers.

Meanwhile, in the story, we get to see the iconic Sonic Screwdriver. And we get to see a terrifyingly menacing character named the War Chief, a superb performance. He is a Time-Lord. Brayshaw was born to play as the War Chief. I can say the same for Madoc portrayed the War Lord. My final impression on the War Chief is that he is NOT the Master, goodness sake. I love that the story doesn't drag even though it's only ten parts, excellent pacing, and great drama. Almost all of the characters are written nicely. I like how teamwork is the key.

Interestingly enough, they used a WWI ambulance. The WWI set was filled with a bunch of rats. Which quite upset Troughton so much that he even threatened to quit on the spot if he saw one more. Besides that. We discover much about the Doctor that he stole a TARDIS and ran away from his home planet, Gallifrey.

Talking about the final episode, I dig the creepy ambulance. We learn more about the Time Lords that they're the same people as the Doctor. The Time Lords are strict. You have no idea what are they going to do to you. They can give you pain and awful punishments. Even running away won't help. They will always find you.

The departure scene of Jamie and Zoe was heartbreaking. The fact that the Time Lords wiped their memories of the Doctor is cruel. But, they can only remember their first adventure with the Doctor. Jamie has been an excellent companion as well as Zoe too. Jamie would probably be on my top ten list of my favorite companions. Enough said about them. The regeneration scene might be the best part of the War Games. I can't imagine how the viewers felt and thinking when the Doctor got exiled to Earth. Some feared that the Doctor would be "Tardis-less" in Season 7. The writers did this to appeal to adult viewers and set up the exile arc throughout Seasons 7 to 10.

Troughton was an excellent Doctor. It's easy to like him. As much as he loved being in Doctor Who, other than finding the schedule frustrating, he would appear more in The Three Doctors, The Five Doctors, and especially The Two Doctors. Next time, we'll see a newly-regenerated Doctor. Who has got exiled to Earth for violating the policy of the Time Lords with no TARDIS. No sonic screwdriver. Unless you're considering Season 6B.

10/10.