Classic Doctor Who story The War Games will be available in a stunning new colourisation to air on BBC Four and iPlayer on 23 December.

Originally aired in 1969, The War Games marked the end of an era for the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton), as he and his companions Zoe (Wendy Padbury) and Jamie (Frazer Hines) land the TARDIS 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, 90-minute, feature-length experience to appeal to today’s modern audiences with updated sound and a new score.

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.

Russell T Davies, Showrunner 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. 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!

“I actually watched this transmit in 1969, at 6 years old, terrified of the Roman soldiers, fascinated by villains with glinting spectacles, and in awe of the Doctor’s brand new origin. Now fans old and new can enjoy it all over again.”

This special episode is the second time that a classic Doctor Who story has been colourised, following The Daleks in 2023 which was updated to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the franchise.