The War Games

Inheriting the mantle of Doctor Who from William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton confronted some of the Doctor's deadliest enemies in the galaxy, but for his last action-packed adventure he returns to Earth in the midst of time zones crossing wars in mankind's history. Going out in a blaze of glory, Troughton faces capture not by Yeti or Cybermen or Ice Warriors, but by his own people . . . the omnipotent Time Lords!

When the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe arrive on Earth they find themselves caught up in the terrifying events of World War I, but new and unexpected horrors await them as they cross landscapes full of enemies and time zones confounded by centuries of wars. At the center of the mystery stand the aliens who have captured soldiers from different periods of Earth's history and brainwashed them into fighting each other. When the Doctor learns the terrible purpose of the War Games he has one chance to defeat the aliens and end the Games . . . but to take it means risking recapture by his own people, the all powerful Time Lords who are waiting to bring him to trial and who are capable of ending his very existence . . .

• One of the longest Doctor Who stories in its history, "The War Games" weighs in at a hefty 10 episodes. 

• This story is the last Doctor Who story to be filmed in black and white.  When the series returned for the following season it would have a new Doctor and be in color.  

• "The War Games" also marks a major change in format for the program.   By the end of this story the Doctor is forced to regenerate and is exiled to Earth for the next several years.  This would be the basis for the Pertwee/U.N.I.T. stories of the 70's.  This format would dominate Doctor Who for the next five years.

• This is the first time in the history of the series that the Doctor's people are referred to as "Timelords."  Much of the backstory is given as to why the Doctor left his home planet, the Timelord's reluctance to interfere with the lives of other species, etc.  However, the name of their planet ("Gallifrey") would not be uttered until the Jon Pertwee era.

• In addition to Troughton's departure at the end of this story, both Frazier Hines (Jamie) and Wendy Padbury (Zoe) left at the end of this story.  This is the only time in the history of the series that both the Doctor and his companions left at the same time.

• Also be sure to note the actor playing Private Moor.  Its one of Patrick Troughton's sons, David.  David Troughton would also later guest appear in the Pertwee adventure "The Curse of Peladon."

• Bernard Horsfall  (playing one of the Timelords) appeared earlier in the season as the character of Gulliver in "The Mind Robber."  4 years would pass before he would return to Doctor Who.  This time he played Commander Taron in the Pertwee story "Planet of the Daleks."  Another 4 years passed when he returned to play Chancellor Goth in the classic Tom Baker story "The Deadly Assassin."

• Philip Madoc puts in an eerie performance as the War Lord in this story.  He appeared earlier in the season as Eelek in the Patrick Troughton story "The Krotons."  He would later return and play the mad scientist Solon in "The Brain of Morbius" and as Fenner in "The Power of Kroll."