Russell T. Davies is back at the helm of the Doctor Who franchise, and he's already pursuing projects beyond the main show. At SDCC, he announced The War Between Land and Sea, a UNIT-based spinoff starring Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
The spinoff will follow the Sea Devils. These villains haven't been much involved in the modern era of Doctor Who. In fact, they've only ever appeared in the 'New Who' era late in Jodie Whittaker's run, in "Legend of the Sea Devils" (2022), a very meh special. However, the Sea Devils actually date way back to 1972, making them one of the Doctor's oldest enemies. They've appeared numerous times throughout the show's history, most famously in Jon Pertwee's run as the Third Doctor.
The spinoff, created and written by Davies and Pete McTighe, sees UNIT's Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) and Colonel Ibrahim (Alexander Devrient) return to our screens. It is described by Davies as an event that will "shake The Whoniverse to its foundations." Check out the official synopsis:
"When a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, dramatically revealing themselves to humanity, an international crisis is triggered. With the entire population at risk, UNIT steps into action as the land and sea wage war."
“I’m so lucky to work with such a magnificent cast," Davies said in a statement. "And this is a huge, muscular, thrilling drama which will shake The Whoniverse to its foundations. When the Doctor’s not in town, the whole of humanity is in trouble."
Russell T Davies announces #DoctorWho spinoff series “The War Between the Land and Sea” at #SDCC pic.twitter.com/25owOeN6cg
— Katcy Stephan @ SDCC! (@katcystephan) July 26, 2024
The spinoff series is set to begin filming as early as next month. It continues the collaboration between the BBC and Disney, which is already hanging in the balance after a so-so reception to the newest season of Doctor Who on Disney+. But with that said, a new report from The Times suggests that viewership continues to grow steadily; it is now the highest-rated drama for people under the age of 35 across the BBC in 2024.
No release date for The War Between the Land and Sea has been set yet, but expect it to premiere sometime in 2025. Doctor Who season 1 with new lead actor Ncuti Gatwa is now streaming on Disney+, with the new season airing on Christmas Day.
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