Patrick is on top form throughout the stroy, but most notably during his final few scenes when the Doctor shows his outrage at the way his own people - the timelords - are ignoring all the evils throughout the universe.

The rest of the regular cast are on top form, and amongst the guest characters, the War Chief - a mysterious fellow Time Lord - is particularly brilliant, as is the sinister War Lord.

To sum up, this is the greatest black and white story ever, and should be seen by all fans of the show, and everyone else as well. Also look out for David Troughton in a neat cameo role!


One of the greatest Doctor Who stories - ever   February 22, 2004
 10 out of 10 found this review helpful

This was Troughton at his best. The story was very long, and in places, felt like there was a bit too much running down the same corridor, but the concept was very new, and very well handled. Ignore some of the kitchen-sink angry-young-men acting that was fashionable at the time (The Dominators is a prime example of this), but Troughton comes across as an actor enjoying himself, and we all share in the delight.

The War Lords are a nasty bunch, and you know as soon as you meet them that the Doctor has to defeat them, albeit at a very high cost to himself. Once you learn the rules by which the war games are conducted, Troughton blusters his way past the innocent victims of the War Lords' plan, and makes this story a pleasure to watch.

Despite the frequently excessive prices being asked by collectors for this set, and my dislike of the low quality of VHS compared to DVD, this will nonetheless be one of the VHS Doctor Who stories I have to buy, unless the DVD makes a welcome appearance some time soon.


The Doctor's finest hour?   September 27, 2003
 9 out of 9 found this review helpful

I remember watching the whole of the ten episode War Games in one sitting when I was ten years old and being thoroughly mesmerised by it. Watching it again now it is equally impressive. I have always had a soft spot for Patrick Troughton's Doctor, and this is a wonderful finale to his time in the role. War Games is certainly one of the best plotted Doctor Who stories, full of mystery and suspense right to the end, when we finally meet the Timelords, the Doctor's own race, and the Doctor is forced to change his appearance and be exiled to Earth.
Having seen many Doctor Who stories, though admittedly not as many as I would like with Troughton and William Hartnell, I really do think this is the very finest of them all: if you are a Doctor Who fan and have never seen this, shame on you!


A Fine Farewell to the Troughton Years!   May 10, 2003
 10 out of 10 found this review helpful

Sometimes, black and white episodes of Doctor Who can be quite slow moving, unlike the 70's and 80's era's. This story is truly a classic. I watched all ten episodes in one sitting and i was hooked. The whole idea of the doctor in a wilderness in no mans land. Wars all around him involving romans. It was all a mystery. Who was behind the fact that various era's of war had all been taken to one place. When all is revealed it leads to a stunning conclusion, in which we meet the Doctors own race, the Time Lords, for the very first time. Upon meeting the time Lords, we bid farewell to the Second Doctor as he is forced to change his appearance and start an exile on Earth. The emotional farewell at the end of episode ten is magnificent, as Patrick Troughton shows us why he truly was a great Doctor. Definately a must for Who fans young and old!