Last Black and White Doctor Who Adventure Colourised for Broadcast

The final black and white Doctor Who adventure ever shown on television has undergone a colourisation process. This adventure, titled The War Games, originally a 1969 10-episode series, marked the concluding performance of Patrick Troughton in his role as the Second Doctor. It has now been transformed into a 90-minute film, with the colourisation work carried out by a team spearheaded by fan Rich Tipple, who hails from Saltdean, close to Brighton. The film is scheduled for broadcast on BBC Four and will also be available on BBC iPlayer starting Monday. Mr. Tipple, who previously contributed to the colourisation of the initial Dalek narrative in 2023, stated: “I was beyond excited to be given the opportunity to bring this story back to life for a modern audience.” This particular story, The War Games, signified the conclusion of a period for the Second Doctor, portrayed by Patrick Troughton, along with his companions Jamie, played by Frazer Hines, and Zoe, played by Wendy Padbury. The three characters find themselves in a combat area resembling a World War One military zone; however, the situation proves to be more complex than initially perceived. Russell T Davies, the showrunner for Doctor Who, commented: “From the day I arrived back on Doctor Who, this was the plan – to colourise old stories and bring them back to life. “It looks so vivid and new.” Rich Tipple, the lead artist for the colourisation, and his team dedicated 12 months to this project. He remarked: “Some people find black and white a barrier to watch. “Making this in colour is a chance to open it up to a whole new audience who can now appreciate how good the 1960s golden era of Doctor Who was.” Filming for The War Games took place across numerous locations in East Sussex, such as Brighton, Cuckmere, and Birling Gap. Mr. Tipple expressed: “It was a joy to work on something that had such amazing links to where I’m from. “It was magic to be able to turn locations that I’m so familiar with into vibrant colour.” This particular episode will include the regeneration of the Second Doctor into the Third Doctor, portrayed by Jon Pertwee, a sequence that has not been previously shown. Additionally, it will present recovered footage that has not been viewed since its initial broadcast. The broadcast of The War Games is scheduled for Monday at 21:00 GMT on BBC Four and will also be available via BBC iPlayer. For updates, follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story suggestions can be sent to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp at 08081 002250. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.