Revisiting Old Doctor Who: The War Games

[Broomstick]

The War Games
(It's amazing what you can accomplish by shouting loudly and acting important)

It's back to black and white, one of the Pat Troughton episodes that survive in its entirety. Why this one? It was available whereas the ones I was actually looking for were not (there is a downside to getting one's Who fix from the local library, namely, all the other Whovians doing the same thing). And, by the look of it, shot in the BBC Quarry. TEN episodes, basically a 5 hour marathon if you get silly like I did and watch it all in one afternoon/evening. These days, that would be called a mini-series. You could make a movie trilogy that long and have people whining about the length. People were more patient back then, I guess. Also love the old theme, with the honest-to-goodness pitch bending which was minimized or eliminated in later years.

And yeah, I like a man in a kilt. Just ask my spouse – he was wearing one when we got married. As well as other occasions. I must say, Frazer Hines did a masterful job at mounting and riding a horse while wearing a kilt and not flashing the audience. Or maybe his stunt double did.

Anyhow, our heros step out of the TARDIS into WWI, but this being Doctor Who, things aren't quite right. There's the mysterious General Smythe and his brainwashy specs, for one thing. Another thing is that everyone else is having memory problems, unable to recall how long they've been at the front. Really, I was quite impressed with aimiable Second's ability to go full-on bombastic, I really had no idea he was that good at the Bavarian Fire Drill. Of course, being able to shout loudly helps. The story then segues into a game of “What doesn't fit in this time and place”, from a 1745 redcoat to a TV/”telecommunications device” in Smythe's office in 1917. Along with a couple more lesser Bavarian fire drills from Lady Jennifer and Carstairs to direct the attention of Ransom, Smythe's assistant.

Of course, by the time they escape from WWI straight into charging Romans and the Doctor gets nowhere with a German commander by actually telling the truth, we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of a situation that only the Doctor can find himself in. And five hours gives lots of time for showcasing wars, developing plotlines, and so forth.

I can only wonder if the German accents were as wobbly as the American ones. I mean, the actors in the American civil war managed to start each segment of dialogue with a reasonable facsimile of a plausible accent, but a few sentences into an exchange it started to fray around the edges.

You also have to be a real fan to sit through the whole thing in one sitting. Me, halfway through I stopped to make some dinner. Yes, it's so long you feel like you could starve to death watching it. Even so, it was a dinner I could get ready in 10 minutes and a microwave because despite the length of the thing it kept my attention.

It really is a shame so many bits of the Troughton years were lost, because he really is engaging as the Doctor. I have now officially watched my first story of Doctor Two.

Oh, and no one told me that this was the last episode with Two before I watched it!

[andrewgpaul]

"(there is a downside to getting one's Who fix from the local library, namely, all the other Whovians doing the same thing)"

Perhaps you should leave a note in the library, and try to arrange some sort of schedule.

[NecronLord]

You didn't cover the dickish time lords trope there, with them having no fifth amendment, and torturing the War Lord for refusing to testify in his own defense.

[Broomstick]

Good point. Sorry.

Time Lords are bastards!

In fact, the Time Lord trial reminded a great deal of the kangaroo court martial.

[mr friendly guy]

Hmm. I thought I mentioned this was Troughton's last episode. Oh well.

This is the first time the TL are mentioned by name. The telepathic box the doctor constructs to contact the TL was seen again in the new series "The Doctor's Wife". Generally in this episode, the TL were bad arse. Even if their magical torture technique works. Although to be fair they weren't trying to get information, they were just trying to get the War Lord to testify, and they would have most probably be happy for the WL to say anything.