The War Between the Land and the Sea marks the first proper Doctor Who spinoff since Class in 2016, but it comes at a strange time. Following Doctor Who season 15’s ending, the BBC’s deal with Disney ended and left the TARDIS hanging in limbo. A Christmas special and new series have since been confirmed, but Doctor Who‘s long-term future remains murky.
For now, however, fans can look forward to upcoming spinoff The War Between the Land and the Sea. Focused on the Sea Devils, Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw star alongside franchise regulars such as Jemma Redgrave, who comes accompanied by the usual UNIT faces. Starting in December 2025 and running for 5 episodes, The War Between the Land and the Sea represents the true end of Doctor Who‘s current era.
As such, showrunner Russell T Davies sees it as the perfect demonstration of what the Doctor Who universe is capable of. Speaking with Empire, RTD claimed:
“I wanted to show the BBC what this universe is capable of, and the potential that it has, and the punch that it can deliver. It’s very 2025 in its bones. We even deal with the water companies and their profiteering bosses laughing in our faces.”
The potential of Doctor Who as a wider franchise beyond the Doctor traveling through time and space is something RTD has been vocal about since before the Disney era began. As early as 2021, he was touting Doctor Who‘s universe as the ideal playground for streaming platforms seeking IPs that can branch out, suggesting a number of possible spinoff options.
RTD was reinstalled as showrunner soon after, but The War Between the Land and the Sea remains the only spinoff to get off the ground since his return. Doctor Who is very far from resembling a Marvel-style cinematic universe at this point.
Clearly, however, RTD still believes such a thing is possible. Judging by these new comments, he hopes The War Between the Land and the Sea can highlight Doctor Who‘s ability to offer more drama-based sci-fi content aimed at an older audience. Perhaps the idea is that by showcasing the versatility of Doctor Who, the BBC will be more inclined to treat it as a priority as a clould of uncertainty still lingers above it.
Watch the trailer below:
In RTD’s defense, this is something he achieved before during his initial stint as showrunner. Doctor Who was flying high with David Tennant, then the BBC had Torchwood to cater for older viewers and The Sarah Jane Adventures for the younger end of the spectrum. It worked back then, but Doctor Who has struggled to spread its wings since, with Class canceled after season 1.
The War Between the Land and the Sea is RTD’s opportunity to put that right with a “new Torchwood.” Most viewers, however, would probably settle for reassurances about the main show’s future rather than eyeing more potential Doctor Who spinoffs.
The War Between the Land and the Sea premieres on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK on Sunday, December 7. It will arrive on Disney+ internationally in 2026.
Sources: Empire
- Release Date
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May 11, 2024
- Network
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BBC One
- Directors
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Alex Pillai, Peter Hoar, Ben Chessell, Julie Anne Robinson, Jamie Donoughue, Amanda Brotchie, Dylan Holmes Williams
