Doctor Who: The War Games (1969) - Written Review

In Doctor Who's 50 year history, very few stories seem to have held a significant impact on the show. The sixties were Doctor Who's beginning, but very few ideas, stories and monsters have stuck over the years. This makes The War Games even more special than it already is.
Not only is The War Games Patrick Troughton's final story but it is the final black-and-white Doctor Who serial, the last to be made in the 1960's, the final to feature Jamie and Zoe as regular companions and the first to feature the Time Lords and Gallifrey (although the Doctor's home planer remains unnamed in this story). The story also begins the Doctor's exile to Earth - maintained until The Three Doctors (1972-73) - as well as establishing the constant antagonism between the Doctor and the Time Lords only previously hinted at in An Unearthly Child.
The War Games sees the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe arrive in what appears to be the First World War. Joining forces with the curious Lieutenant Carstairs and Lady Jennifer, the TARDIS trio soon discover that where they have landed is in fact a simulation of the trenches and is in fact part of a huge complex of "war zones" created by a sinister alien race. Once the Doctor begins his investigations, however, he realizes that another Time Lord is there...
Yeah, okay, I've kinda spoiled it there. But, if you didn't know already, the story does feature a variety of hints and teases that may have been missed by viewers in the sixties but certainly wouldn't be today.
The cast are generally very good, although there is some very hammy acting in there too. Dr Evil shows up for a few episodes and I'm not sure why, but Philip Madoc's War Lord is pretty darn great. I feel I should mention the regulars here too: Patrick Troughton is still the defining Doctor for all subsequent actors to follow, and Frazer Hines is still a great companion as Jamie. Wendy Padbury however is a little irritating as Zoe, though at least she isn't just a screaming question-asker in this serial. I prefer her over Victoria, although the two characters do blend into one easily.
The serial looks pretty good for the most part as a 1969 BBC series, although many sets look cheap and tacky and the fight sequences are awful. Certain elements hold up, but for the most part this story is very dated in its production values. You can tell where the production's limitations are, but you can't fault the ambition of the project.
The writing is very strong for the most part, although at least two episodes could have been cut in order to speed up the pacing a bit. It's surprisingly not boring at all, but it does take a while to watch. At four hours long, maybe this story could have been shorter though...
Overall, The War Games is pretty darn amazing all in all. Production issues aside, this is a practically perfect serial that I loved from start to finish. I love Patrick Troughton's Doctor, the War Chief is a great villain and the gradual build-up to the reveal of the Time Lords is PERFECT. The story's issues are pretty much all from production issues. The story had to last 10 episodes. Budget limitations meant that the sets didn't look too good, and the special effects look a bit rubbish. Because of this, I won't hold these things against the serial. It is very annoying that the photo of the Doctor with all his other monsters isn't an actual scene in the story, but oh well. Critique what's there, not what's not. 10/10