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Unseen Doctor Who footage has been recovered by the BBC ahead of a forthcoming special that will see a classic 1969 storyline revamped for modern screens.
The BBC has announced that the Time Lord’s “never seen before” regeneration into the third Doctor will be aired in a new colourised version of an episode originally broadcast as part of the War Games storyline in 1969.
The original marked the transition between Patrick Troughton, who played the second incarnation of the Doctor from 1966 to 1969, to his successor Jon Pertwee, who played the third Doctor until 1974.
The scenes have been colourised for the first time with visual effects, and never seen before footage has been unearthed to create a 90-minute feature length programme, which will be aired in December on BBC Four.
The sound has also been given a brand-new score.
The original War Games episodes saw Troughton and his companions Zoe and Jamie, played by Wendy Padbury and Frazer Hines, land in a battlefield that appeared to be a military zone in the First World War.
They discovered that soldiers from different historical periods had been abducted and were being manipulated in a cruel game. As they worked to uncover the mystery behind the War Lord and his dark experiments, the Doctor encountered a key challenge.
“The episode will also feature the second Doctor’s never before seen regeneration into the third Doctor,” said the BBC.
Showrunner Russell T Davies, who returned in 2023 to coincide with the 60th anniversary, said: “From the day I arrived back on Doctor Who, this was the plan. To colourise old stories and bring them back to life.
“And on Doctor Who Day itself, it’s great to announce this, celebrating the show’s wonderful heritage with an all-time classic.
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The announcement comes on Doctor Who Day, which marks 61 years since the first broadcast on November 23 1963. The BBC has been celebrating the anniversary with special messages from current Doctor Ncuti Gatwa, as well as Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan, who will appear in the 2024 Christmas special.
Davies continued: “It looks so vivid and new – and for fans of black and white, the story in its original form will stay on BBC iPlayer, so everyone wins.”
The screenwriter recalled first watching the episode in 1969, aged six, and said he was excited that fans could “enjoy it all over again”.
This marks the second time a recovered Doctor Who story has been colourised, following the colourisation of The Daleks in 2023, which was updated to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the franchise.
Davies, who was responsible for Doctor Who’s revival in 2005 but left in 2009, has been leading the show as Ncuti Gatwa took over the role of the Doctor from David Tennant.
The War Games will air on 23 December on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer.
With additional reporting from agencies.
