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Here it is! Blogtor's personal countdown of his 50 favourite
Doctor Who television stories, one a week till the big day in November 2013. Now, just to point out, this choice is purely my own. So
don't expect reasoned debate or objectivity. Or even the need to please every fan out there. This is
my list, and I stand by it. I will also add that I've seen every
Doctor Who story released (at least twice), so I
feel like I know what I'm talking about. Anyway, enough chittle of the chattle, let's begin...
First broadcast 19/4-21/6/1969 starring Patrick Troughton
At ten episodes, The War Games ranks as one of the longest Doctor Who
stories ever and it also holds the distinction of seeing the end to the
the black and white era of the world's greatest television show and the
reign of one of the most beloved actors to play The Doctor, Patrick
Troughton. Having said that, I'm not the biggest fan of his era (yeah, yeah - save your abuse for later), but I
was certainly most impressed with his send-off.
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Normally,
Who stories that overrun the four episode mark
tend to sag and suffer from "to and fro"-itis or "corridor familiarity",
as it sometimes known. Pleasingly,
The War Games, even at ten installments, keeps the momentum throughout. But what are these games all about ...?
The Doc, Jamie and Zoe find themselves in what appears to be the
fighting fields of World War I (or the 'Great War' as it was known
before its more successful sequel came along). The trio are quickly
separated from the TARDIS (I
lurve it when that happens!) and
get some help from the Brits, but it turns out that our heroes ain't too
liked by the top brass and everyone's favourite Time Lord ends up in
front a firing squad.
As the story unfolds we are treated to the sight of soldiers from the
American Civil War, the Roman Army and more - though all is not as it
seems. It becomes apparent, quite early on it should be noted, that
these different peoples and times have been placed by a mysterious
force. Alien tech is present (though not seen by The Doc and his chums
for some time) and there's hypnosis galore courtesy of some foreboding
marshalls with thick-lens specs.
And this is where
The War Games excels - in its sense of
mystery. There may well be a limited narrative for the most part, even
co-writer and general all-round legend, Terrance Dicks, admits "not much"
happens throughout, but the audience find themselves caught within the
puzzle, curious to unearth the identity of the aliens involved. Of
course, it transpires there are two alien species - one of which are the
Time Lords.
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Quite a denouement, to say the least, as we discover the Doctor's race
and their power over the universe. Troughton's last scenes are odd and
unnerving as he gurns and floats off into the abyss. I can imagine
children all over the UK were distraught and the production team have to
be commended as it was a very brave choice for a series finale. There's
a real sense of doom (mainly in part because of the calmness of the
Time Lords) that this might indeed be the end for our hero. (Don't
worry, though, kids. He
did return!)
Troughton himself cuts an impressive figure and displays his range
with some aplomb, going from coward (run away!) to hero to buffoon to
posing as indignant army official to man beaten (at the hands of the
Time Lords). But he is also supported incredibly well by an astonishing
cast. As always, Frazer Hines (Jamie) and Wendy Padbury (Zoe) are
nothing less than exemplary and this carries throughout the main
players. Noel Coleman as General Smythe is just the right shade of
bombastic and acts as a precursor to Stephen Fry's Melchett in
Blackadder Goes Forth. Camping it up slightly, but still menacing, is the War Chief, played by Edward Brayshaw - who some of you may remember from
Rentaghost. (I know I do!)
Counteracting this role is his superior, the War Lord, played by
Who
fan-favourite Phillip Madoc. He whispers his way through, chilling to
the very end as he fights, ineffectively, it has to be said, against the
Time Lords. I could go on as the cast list is immense but I will say
there are a number of familiar faces to satisfy keen-eyed
Doctor Who fans out there.
The production is stoutly served and, in particular, the location shooting is very un-
Doctor Who
(as noted on the DVD audio commentary), very fast and superbly dynamic,
constantly moving and energetic. From a design point of view, the aliens
are hauntingly reminiscent of the 1962 film
La Jetée -
futuristic but uncanny at the same time. The Time Lords don't come off
as well but, thankfully, the performances carry them as all-seeing,
all-knowing beings.
The War Games is an excellent introduction to the crazy black and white world of
Doctor Who;
the production values, the eerie score and cast are of a very high
quality despite the story being stretched perhaps
just a tad (but not by much). It also offers the
first glimpse into the show delivering a mythology, painting the
Doctor's background more fully than the previous six years or so. This
is one to sit down and cherish.
Check out No. 48 HERE