Doctor Who Producer Addresses Concerns Over New Remastered Episodes

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Summary

  • Doctor Who started colorizing classic episodes to appeal to younger audiences without affecting the originals.
  • Concerns were raised over remasters cutting episodes short, but producers assured traditional fans.
  • The remasters were aimed to appeal to the modern audience with the older episodes still intact and accessible.

It turns out that certain episodes from the timeless series, Doctor Who, are now being tinted. Some enthusiasts expressed apprehension over this alteration potentially damaging the original content, but a producer reassured them that no such thing is occurring.

The iconic series “Doctor Who” is now adding color to some of its classic episodes. This is a novel approach from the franchise, as evidenced by the first fully colored episode, titled “The Daleks’ Invasion of Earth: Episode 2,” which was released to celebrate the franchise’s 60th anniversary in 2024. Initially, these episodes were presented in black and white but have been colorized to attract younger and contemporary viewers. However, some fans have expressed apprehension following the release of another remastered version that appears to truncate the original episode.>

In the process of remastering, The War Games was included, lasting a total of four hours and ten minutes. However, the remastered version was trimmed down into a 90-minute feature-length episode, making it significantly shorter than the original. This reduction in length raised concerns among fans that the remasters would replace the originals, potentially causing them to lose much of the story since what used to be over four hours was condensed to a 1-hour and 30-minute film. Before these fears escalated, Doctor Who producer Phil Collinson addressed the concerns, assuring fans that the remasters would not interfere with the original episodes in any way. “I have deep affection for those stories,” Collinson told Doctor Who Magazine, “We wouldn’t take them away from people; they can always watch them. They are all there.” Collinson went on to explain why some of the original episodes were being colorized: “Some viewers find it challenging to sit through extended hours of black-and-white content. I love it, and many others do too. These stories are fantastic. They are as good as anything we’re broadcasting now. We’re just making them more appealing for some audiences by giving them a bit of a boost.

Richard Tipple, the one responsible for colorizing “The War Games“, stated that by doing so, they aimed to make it more enticing for younger viewers. Airing from August 10, 1969 to June 21, 1969, “The War Games” was the last serial of season 6 in “Doctor Who“, consisting of 10 black-and-white episodes, each episode lasting more than 20 minutes. Tipple explained that while a fan might find the prospect of watching 10 black-and-white episodes intimidating, a 90-minute color movie is something they could easily embrace. He suggested that this color version could introduce this era to someone, making it an exciting possibility. Additionally, he mentioned that they gave the serial a modern update while maintaining a “huge amount of love for the original.

It’s reasonable that there was apprehension regarding abridging the original Doctor Who series, given die-hard fans’ desire to reexperience every cherished scene. Shortening a four-hour serial into a 90-minute film might be excessive, but Tipple’s approach wasn’t unjustified either. To attract contemporary audiences, modifications to the classic episodes are necessary. The remastered version serves as one method for achieving this, making it more appealing to younger viewers. If the remaster is too lengthy, modern audiences may not take interest, but if the duration is similar to films they typically watch, they might give it a chance. For traditional Doctor Who fans, there’s no need for concern since the original episodes remain accessible.

New seasons of Doctor Who streams on Disney Plus.

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2025-01-08 18:54