March 20th, 2025
34 comments
We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
Doctor Who The War Games in Colour Steelbook
Available to order from www.amazon.co.uk, www.zavvi.com and www.rarewaves.com
Originally aired in 1969, The War Games marked the end of an era for the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton), following him and his companions Zoe and Jamie as they land in a battlefield that appears to be a World War I military zone-but all is not as it seems. They soon discover that soldiers from different historical periods have been abducted and are being manipulated in a cruel game. As they work to uncover the mystery behind the War Lord and his twisted experiments, the Doctor faces one of his most difficult challenges.
For the first time, these original episodes have been meticulously colourised and enhanced with updated visual effects edited into a new, feature-length experience. This particular release includes the extended 96-minute version, with updated sound and a new score, this version of The War Games offers both fans and newcomers even more ways to watch the much-loved classic story. In addition, the episode will also feature the Second Doctor’s never-before-seen regeneration into the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee), alongside recovered footage not seen since the original broadcast. This release also includes the original ten episodes in black & white as they were first broadcast, all special features from the previous release, plus brand new special features including;
- Audio commentary – Russell T Davies, Frazer Hines, Wendy Padbury, Benjamin Cook, Rich Tipple and Mark Ayres,
- Model Shots featurette,
- Model-Making featurette,
- Chris Hayden Interview with Radio Free Skaro,
- Full Newly Discovered 16mm Film Footage,
- “The War Games in Colour” Trailer,
- Easter Egg: “What a stupid fool YOU are”,
- Colour Palettes,
- Concept Art,
- Photo Gallery
Categorised under: 
The Doctor Who Site
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Merchandise
Flickr
YouTube
Tom Williams
April 15th, 2025 - 6:35amI wonder if anyone will get a email today i know myself the last one savages was dispatched last time on a Wednesday just have too wait and see i guess ?
Dean Wells
April 15th, 2025 - 12:53pmYou’d think it would be a little bit early dispatching this time round for sure, to allow for the Easter break.
Tom Williams
April 15th, 2025 - 3:36pmDoult it very much as Saturday wouldn’t be a bank holiday so people could receive it before the 21 or after the 21
Amypondfan
April 15th, 2025 - 4:02pmIt would be better to get it sent out early then there is a chance of getting it on Saturday but with Friday and Monday being bank holidays I expect it will be more likely Tuesday. Cant say I mind as I’m only watching the new extras and not the awful edit!
Tom Williams
April 15th, 2025 - 6:47pmI think normally zavvi people get it by Thursday if its sent out today im hoping tomoz too get a email from h m v fingers crossed
Peter
April 10th, 2025 - 8:48amJust had a thought re: the retconning that War Chief is the Master (which I’ve never liked and didn’t appreciate being hammered home repeatedly throughout this reimagined version of the story). As we all know, the Doctor and the Master “were at school together” and are peers.
However, in the War Games the Doctor marvels that the SIDRAT alterations as carried out by the War Chief “in my day” couldn’t be done without shortening the lifespans of the travel capsules. The War Chief even tries to bluff “there have been many advancements since your day…”.
If the War Chief really was the Master, it would surely have been “our day”?
Missyrules
April 10th, 2025 - 9:13amTerrance dicks who created both the war chief and the master (alongside malcolm hulke and Barry letts respectively) confirmed the war chief was not the master in his novel timewyrm exodus. Not only that but he and Barry letts consistently referred to roger Delgado as the first master and terror of the autons as the first master story. For me retconning the war chief as the master is pointless and as you say isn’t really supported by the original dialogue.
daz
April 10th, 2025 - 12:02pmYes, they used music from 2007 Doctor Who which was the Masters Theme but to me it was just to represent another renegade but bad Timelord.
He’s definitely not The Master.
If people want him to be fair enough. I’ll never watch the colour version again anyway.
Amypondfan
April 10th, 2025 - 1:43pmI’m buying this but not bothered about watching it again. Buying it mainly for the new extras and the cover really
Rory
April 10th, 2025 - 3:52pm@amypondfan, it is a gorgeous cover. I’m hoping that they keep up this standard for all steelbooks going forward.
Amypondfan
April 10th, 2025 - 4:21pmI felt the same way with the daleks one, but I watched that and regretted it! I’d seen it but thought I might enjoy it more on a second watch. Unfortunately I found myself wondering what on earth they thinking with the editing and the music. I didn’t think this was much better so I might not inflict watching the edit on myself again. I have to admit I don’t know if I will bother buying a third one.
Bookcollector
April 9th, 2025 - 9:23amIn terms of it being an alternative take, an extra really it’s ok. The retconning is pointless and the editing is awful but as an extra to the original war games 10 episodes (which is the one that I will watch if I want to watch the war games) it’s fine.
As to the regeneration scene it’s an alternative for me as I have the first five episodes of devious on DVD (the sixth is out in April next year) and as far as I’m concerned its definitely good enough to be considered canon. It’s final scene features pertwee, its included on an official BBC DVD so its canon to me. Cant wait to see what they do with the final pertwee scene in the finished episode. The troughton into interim doctor scene is very different on the finished episodes compared to the 2009 DVD version so the effects on the pertwee scene should be good. Especially as it will be 31 years since it was filmed!
Timelord1944
April 8th, 2025 - 8:15pmOn the Amazon listing it says that the set contains 4 blurays. Does that mean the black and white original version is on Blu-ray?
James
April 8th, 2025 - 8:42pmThought it was the original 3 disc version plus new 1 disc of colour/making of
Amypondfan
April 8th, 2025 - 9:33pmListing is wrong it’s the original three discs
Gordon
April 8th, 2025 - 10:21pmIt’s not been confirmed discs 2-4 will be dvd or blu ray but based upon daleks in colour I’m fully expecting it to be dvd
Disc 1: war games in colour blu ray
Disc 2: war games 1-5 b and w
Disc 3: war games 6-10 b and w
Disc 4 bonus features
MDS
March 31st, 2025 - 10:43amJust received an email saying delivery is going to be 21st April. Hopefully it will not change again.
Tom Williams
March 31st, 2025 - 6:16pmWell as i was told as a reminder lol it fulls on easter monday when it comes out so might not be posted on that date and end up changing till the following week :/
Tom Williams
April 5th, 2025 - 11:09amLooks like i was right just had a email and could be now pushed back till the following week 28th instead
Welsh Doctor Who Fan
March 25th, 2025 - 2:20pmHi,
I was just wondering if anyone else has received an email or is aware that there may be a change to the release date of this steelbook.
I was under the impression that is was going to be released on the 21st April but I received an email as follows:-
We’ve just been advised by the manufacturers that the release date for the above item has changed to TBC and your order will therefore be processed and dispatched nearer to this date.
MDS
March 25th, 2025 - 3:31pmHi, yes I have received a similar email today. Hopefully it will only be a short delay.
Tom Williams
March 25th, 2025 - 6:55pmSame mine randomly came up and didnt know what happened until i found out it was for this one lets only hope its delayed till the following monday (28th)
ex15
March 25th, 2025 - 10:17pmBecause it’s Easter Monday..
(Depending on who is delivering it)
Tom Williams
March 25th, 2025 - 11:13pmObvs royal mail deliver it ? But everyone must know it fulls easter Monday anyway lol
rich
March 22nd, 2025 - 8:45pmWhat was the recovered footage?
Prowl 1701
March 23rd, 2025 - 12:17amThe location work film from episode 1 and the start of episode 2.
Fred
March 22nd, 2025 - 2:37pmI suspect that cover belongs in the “seemed like a good idea at the time” box. I see what they were trying to do. But it looks like a holiday brochure. The regular cover is much nicer, but I’m not sure I have enough reason to get this anyway. It was alright, better than The Daleks in Colour for sure, but I’d still rather watch the original, and will do so on the DVD or on the Collection Blu-ray when they get around to doing that one.
DPHill
March 20th, 2025 - 10:27pmI wonder if we will get the pdfs and if the discs will be new ones instead of reprints? The menus being exactly the same for Daleks felt a little cheeky, and no booklet neither – but we will get everything when the collection comes along
Gordon
March 20th, 2025 - 11:42pmI’m not expecting new discs outside of the in colour disc. Like the daleks in colour one. It’s 4 discs after all.
War Chief Master
March 20th, 2025 - 8:26pmLooking forward to this!!
James
March 20th, 2025 - 7:59pmWhats the extra 6 minutes?
Amypondfan
March 20th, 2025 - 8:53pmSix minutes of colourised footage from the original episodes that didn’t get used in the cut.
Pete X
March 20th, 2025 - 9:31pmProbably material from episodes 6 to 8 to explain who the characters (Russell, Villar, etc) are who, in the broadcast version, suddenly turn up in the central base to be processed by the Doctor without much indication of who they are or why they are important.
We are still getting proportionally less of War Games than we did of the Daleks.
Gareth Pugh
March 21st, 2025 - 1:46pmAccording to Ben Cook (who edited this) on Twitter / X yesterday, at least some of the restored 6 minutes includes where the Doctor demonstrates the Sonic on the revolver in the army dug-out.