“The War Games” left a profound impact upon Doctor Who mythology – here’s every change and addition the 1969 story made. When William Hartnell stepped down as Doctor Who‘s leading Time Lord (not that his race was revealed during the First Doctor era), many questioned whether the BBC sci-fi adventure series could continue without its original star. Patrick Troughton vanquished any lingering doubt by continuing the essence of Hartnell’s performance, while adding new whimsical strokes that many subsequent actors have since emulated. Troughton’s TARDIS tenure was revolutionary, introducing familiar villains such as the Great Intelligence and Ice Warriors, delivering timeless episodes like “Tomb of the Cybermen,” and softening the Doctor-companion bond into a less formal dynamic.
Eventually, Patrick Troughton reached his final “vworp” and “The War Games” was chosen as the Second Doctor’s swansong. The most epic Doctor Who story 1969’s audience had thus far witnessed, “The War Games” was split into 10 parts and sees The Doctor uncover a nefarious plot engineered by one of his own kind to recreate wars from throughout history. This villain intends to create a perfect army from the simulation’s survivors, but The Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon (Frazer Hines) and Zoe Heriot (Wendy Padbury) step in to save the day.
Like Goldfinger did for James Bond, so much of what Doctor Who fans currently take for granted was mapped out by “The War Games.” Written by the legendary duo of Terrance Dicks and Malcolm Hulke, few classic-era Doctor Who episodes can claim to be as influential and groundbreaking as “The War Games” – and here’s why.
Patrick Troughton’s Final Episode
Any Doctor’s final episode is a landmark event; after all, there have only been 12 of them in almost 60 years. Patrick Troughton made the decision to leave Doctor Who in hopes of not becoming typecast. The actor sought to spread his thespian wings beyond the TARDIS, and felt any longer than 3 years in The Doctor’s considerable shoes would limit his opportunities. And, like many of Troughton’s successors, Doctor Who‘s grueling production schedule also played a part in his departure. “The War Games” was written as a finale for Doctor Who season 6 after two other serials (a 4-part story and a 6-part) were cancelled, necessitating an epic 10-part adventure to close out Troughton’s era.
Contrary to most Doctor Who regeneration episodes, the Second Doctor isn’t forced to renew through injury or old age, but as a punishment for stealing the TARDIS and affecting the course of history. Time Lord chiefs trigger the transition from Patrick Troughton to Jon Pertwee, and select the next physical form The Doctor will take. And speaking of the Time Lords…
First Mention Of Time Lords In Doctor Who
During William Hartnell’s occupation of the TARDIS, Doctor Who offered precious little information about the character’s origins and backstory. The First Doctor acknowledged his alien heritage, but remained deliberately vague about his home planet, species, and history. “The War Games” marks the first occasion Doctor Who properly digs into its protagonist’s past, and does so by introducing the Time Lords. The phrase is first dropped by a scientist in episode 6, who refers to the War Chief’s people as “Time Lords” and the villain himself later confronts The Doctor with, “we are both Time Lords.”
As well as establishing The Doctor’s race, Patrick Troughton also details the kind of folks Time Lords are, explaining how the temporal tyrants have mastery over all history, but choose to observe from afar, maintaining a strict policy of non-interference. The reverence with which characters discuss Time Lords in “The War Games” establishes The Doctor’s people as immensely powerful and a force to be feared, and these traits have followed The Doctor throughout subsequent decades and numerous regenerations. Even in the modern era, “Time Lord” is still the name by which The Doctor’s species call themselves (let’s ignore the Timeless Child retcon for now), and they’re still uptight, draconian watchers who pursue scientific knowledge over using their power for good.
First Doctor Who Appearance Of Gallifrey
Contrary to popular belief, “The War Games” doesn’t reveal Gallifrey as The Doctor’s home planet. Though “Time Lord” makes its long-awaited entry into Doctor Who vernacular, the planet’s name goes unmentioned until Third Doctor episode “The Time Warrior.” Nevertheless, the final act of “The War Games” does offer Doctor Who viewers their very first glimpse of The Doctor’s home. When the Second Doctor is put on trial and forced to regenerate, the entire sequence takes place somewhere on Gallifrey. Though there are hints of an advanced civilization within the room’s design, none of the hallmark Gallifreyan trends (ornate architecture, big circles, etc.) are present quite yet.
Interestingly, the Time Lords arrive in “The War Games” draped in official-looking jumpsuits that could’ve been borrowed straight from Starfleet’s lost and found. The Doctor’s people would later adopt spectacularly colored robes and fancy headdresses, and while there’s little of that in the Second Doctor’s final episode, the Time Lord clothes do vaguely resemble the patterns and shapes that have since become commonplace for Gallifrey’s leaders. The high shoulders and big collars in “The War Games” set the trend for Doctor Who‘s authoritarian, pompous Time Lord clothing we all know and love today.
The War Games Set A Doctor Who Finale Trend
Since Doctor Who made its spectacular return in 2005, every season finale has drastically upped the stakes, whether it’s The Master becoming Prime Minister, or The Doctor diving into his own time stream. Every regeneration has taken place during a season finale, and those episodes go even bigger in scale, particularly “The End of Time” and “The Time of The Doctor.” Alas, Doctor Who didn’t always work that way, and the modern finale format only began with “The War Games.”
After William Hartnell regenerated in Patrick Troughton at the end of “The Tenth Planet,” Doctor Who season 4 returned the very next week with a brand new episode – the Second Doctor picking up right where the First left off without skipping a beat. And though “The Tenth Planet” is one of Hartnell’s strongest adventures, it’s essentially a standard “base-under-siege” that struck lucky by introducing the Cybermen. On the other hand, “The War Games” marks The Doctor’s second regeneration with a bumper 10-episode epic (even if the jumbo length did only come about through happenstance) and boasts wars from throughout history, the long-awaited Time Lord reveal, and one of Doctor Who‘s best ever cliffhangers. Audiences then had to wait 6 months for the Third Doctor to debut.
Not every classic-era regeneration followed that example, but “The War Games” is very much a finale in the modern Doctor Who mold.
The War Chief Was A Prototype Master
By this point, The Master is one of Doctor Who‘s most famous adversaries, but that might never have happened were if not for “The War Games.” The War Chief, played by Edward Brayshaw, serves as the story’s main villain, but the renegade Time Lord bears many of The Master’s most recognizable traits – and we don’t just mean the facial hair. The War Chief knows The Doctor from their time together on Gallifrey, and both were brilliant scientists dissatisfied by the Time Lords’ non-interference. While The Doctor travels through time doing good, the War Chief acts solely in self interest. He also has a wicked goatee. When Roger Delgado’s Master debuted in Doctor Who season 8 several years later, the War Chief comparisons were obvious.
In fact, debate still rages among Doctor Who fans as to whether the War Chief was an earlier incarnation of The Master, and “The War Games” writers, Terrence Dicks and Malcolm Hulke, have both separately suggested the theory is accurate. There’s no iron-clad confirmation either way in Doctor Who canon, but the War Chief’s influence upon The Master as a villainous Time Lord is unquestionable.
War Games Explained Regeneration (Almost)
After William Hartnell transformed into Patrick Troughton, Ben and Polly (as well as everyone watching at home) had many questions, but the Second Doctor hand-waves the process as a “renewal” and even attributes his changing appearance to a TARDIS function. Only in “The War Games” does Doctor Who lay the foundation of what regeneration actually is. The Second Doctor’s regeneration scene proves Time Lords can control the metamorphosis, repaints the trick as biological rather than linked to the TARDIS, and also confirms old age isn’t the only trigger. Doctor Who has broadly followed these rules ever since, and viewers entered the Third Doctor era knowing more or less what to expect the next time their hero changed faces. As with “Gallifrey,” however, the term “regeneration” didn’t materialize until much later.
War Games Confirmed The Doctor’s Familiar Backstory
The dynamic between The Doctor and the Time Lords is well-established – The Doctor got tired of his species’ inactivity and stole a TARDIS to embark upon a life of adventure and heroism, while Gallifrey looked on with disapproval and desperately tried to get their missing ship back. That dysfunctional relationship originates mostly from “The War Games.” William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton’s Doctors had previously remained tight-lipped on how they became space-faring travelers, but the War Chief openly accuses The Doctor of “stealing” the TARDIS. The outgoing Troughton later defends his flight from Gallifrey, claiming he was “bored” and that the Time Lords are foolish sitting idly by, doing nothing with their immense power. It’s here that Doctor Who cements its protagonist as a fugitive at odds with his own people – a trope still very much present in the modern era (when the Time Lords are alive, that is).
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