The Doctor Who franchise has had a lot of success through spinoffs over the years. From Torchwood to The Sarah Jane Adventures, the Whoniverse has explored everything from mature themes to family-friendly fun. Up next is The War Between the Land and the Sea, a high-stakes series featuring the return of classic villains: the Sea Devils!
The War Between the Land and the Sea began filming in August 2024. Created by Russell T. Davies and Pete McTighe (A Discovery of Witches, The Pact), the five-episode series marks the return of some series favorites: UNIT's Kate Lehbridge-Stuart (Jemma Redgrave), Shirley Anne Bingham (Ruth Madely) and Torchwood's General Pierce (Colin McFarlane). New cast members include: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Russell Tovey, and Alexander Devrient. Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor is not expected to feature, but we could be surprised.
The series is poised to be the highest-stakes spinoff yet, with the Sea Devils waging war on the world. The Sea Devils haven't featured too much in the modern era of Doctor Who, but their appearances date back to 1972. Their last appearance came in "The Legend of the Sea Devils" during Jodie Whittaker's era.
Speaking to Doctor Who Magazine, showrunner Russell T Davies admitted that the spinoff is still some time away from hitting screens. "It's my job to hype, but the hype for that show is still way, way off – it's far from transmission," he said.
However, he went on to tease that The War Between the Land and the Sea will perhaps go down as one of his finest works. "Here, right now, in the cool, dry downloads of a distant gaze, I can tell you... that's one of the greatest shoots of my life and one of the greatest shows of my entire career," he said. "You can doubt me and cry hype... and get left behind. Oh my God, it's good!"
Davies is indeed talking a big game there, but that's in keeping with how he usaully promotes shows. The War Between the Land and the Sea doesn't have a release date yet. These are still early days, as Davies suggests. You can expect it to premiere sometime in late 2025, or even early 2026. In the meantime, Doctor Who will return for its second season in the coming months.
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