BBC iPlayer getting a supersized sci-fi surprise decades in the making

As well as a brand new Christmas special featuring Ncuti Gatwa's fifteenth Doctor, the BBC is set to deliver another present for Doctor Who and sci-fi fans this holiday season.

BBC Four and the Beeb's streaming service, BBC iPlayer, will screen a new version of The War Games from Monday 23 December. It has been meticulously colourised and edited into a 90-minute, feature-length TV movie.

Considered one of the finest Doctor Who stories ever, the 1969 broadcast was split over 10 episodes and signalled the end of the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton. He was replaced by Jon Pertwee for the following season, although an on-screen regeneration was never shown... until now.

As well as being edited into one long episode and coloured for the first time, the never-before-seen regeneration has been added. There is updated sound and a new score too, as well as some additional visual effects that have been added for a modern audience.

Overseen by current Doctor Who showrunner, Russell T Davies, the reimagined version of The War Games will be available alongside the original black and white episodes, so purists needn't worry that they are being replaced.

THE WAR GAMES in Colour - Trailer | Doctor Who - YouTube

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"From the day I arrived back on Doctor Who, this was the plan," explained Davies. "To colourise old stories and bring them back to life.

"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!"

This is the second time a classic Doctor Who story has been colourised, with 1963's The Daleks being treated to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the BBC's biggest sci-fi show.